Customer Reviews

Texas Splendor

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lorraine Heath writes Texan heroes like no one else. Austin Leigh is the youngest brother of the three Leigh boys (all named after the well-known cities in the Lone Star state). He's grown up a lot since the first in this trilogy, when he was 15. When Texas Splendor starts, he gets out of jail after spending 5 years in the slammer for a crime he didn't commit. And he doesn't know what to do with himself other than find the person that really did commit the crime. Life has changed in his hometown - his nieces and nephews have grown up, his brothers have changed, and he can't hear the music in his head that he used to hear so he doesn't play his violin anymore.

It is in searching for the real killer that Austin runs across Loree. She, too, has not had an easy life. Her family was killed by someone a few years back and she's very scarred from the incident.

Both of these characters are well-written. Heath does a good job of developing their pasts, their motivations, and their actions. Austin's journey to finding the music is very poignant. I enjoyed reading about a character was was really trying to find *himself* - his place in life, and a way to express himself. This is the best part of the book, and sets it apart from its predecessors in the series, because both of Austin's older brothers knew what they were doing in life, and finding love was just something extra. Austin finds love and himself along the way.

The only thing missing from this book was that added layer that I know Heath can add (she did an excellent job of it in Texas Destiny, and later in Never Love a Cowboy). The conclusion of Texas Splendor seemed a bit pat. I would have liked a little more exploration of Austin and Loree's burgeoning trust. But, as I've said before, a good Heath is a great anything else. So all in all, Texas Splendor is a success and I highly recommend it.

Right up front, I'll confess to being a big fan of Ms. Heath's. She writes heart-warming romances that just make me feel good. I felt good with this one, too. Austin is that particular species of Western male hero who is big on honor and justice, and not always ruled by logic. He is more heart than head. The heroine is good of heart, strong of conscience and lovingkindness (hence the degree of her torturedness over an act she is hard-pressed to live with). They end up filling the voids in each other --as couples will in good romances.If someone goes into this novel primarily wanting the who-done-it aspect, they're going to find the middle slow. Why? The book puts romance FIRST, and the middle is mostly the unfolding emotional story (with its attendant internal conflicts) of Austin and Loree. For romance lovers, that fills the bill very nicely. The who-done-it doesn't take precedence again until the couple is well-established. I would have given it five stars if I really believed that someone would prefer years in prison over telling the truth about a lover's tryst that might hurt a gal's reputation. Sorry, but I can't buy it totally. No true self-respecting woman and no brain-alive man is going to put up with torture and deprivation for five years to cover up some youthful sexual escapade. But I still loved the story and read it straight through til the end. I've read all of Heath's TEXAS novels. They're all good romantic reads and I recommend them to lovers of romance, particularly Western romances.I sure hope Ms. Heath has a story coming for Rawley, the abused adopted son of Dallas Leigh--the eldest of the three brothers. MAN..I sure want to see that novel!!! **Mir**

After 5 long brutal years of spending time in prison for a murder he didn't commit Austin Leigh is finally a free man. He is anxious to return to his home & the only woman he has ever loved. Upon returning home Austin learns that his first love has married another. Heartbroken, Austin sets out to find the real killer to clear his name. At the start of his journey he makes a stop at a small house owned by a woman named Loree. Austin is hoping to fill his belly but after a few short days he discovers that his heart is also quickly filling with love.

I absolutely loved this 3 book series. I highly recommend all 3. Book #1 Texas Destiny, Book #2 Texas Glory & Book #3 Texas Splendor.

This is the final installment of the Leigh series. It is spectacular! This is the story of Austin Leigh. After spending five years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, he is free once again. Unfortunately, many things have changed. He's lost five years of being with his family, a family that has grown since he left. His reputation has been shattered.But nothing can compare to the pain he feels when he finds out that his love, Becky, has remarried to his best friend, Cameron. Having nothing to look forward to in Leighton, he decides to clear his name by finding the real killer. Along the way, he meets Loree Durant, a woman with her own hurtful past. They are two lost souls that find each other with a great passion. When Loree becomes pregnant, they marry. They soon fall in love and begin a new life together. They struggle to cope with their pasts and fight for their future with their amazing love. "Texas Splendor" also provides us with the return of Houston and Amelia Leigh and Dallas and Cordelia Leigh. Seeing how the Leigh family has grown is amazing. This book is a wonderful end to the popular Leigh series. You'll love it. Trust me!

The most wonderful book I've ever read! A roller- coaster of emotions, it will make you laugh and cry. I loved the hero and the heroine! Makes you want to know them in real life. If you liked Texas Glory and Texas Destiny you'll love this one. A great love story that will make you want to read it again and again!!

This is the third book in the Texas trilogy of the Leigh brothers. In the last story we are left with Austin going to prison for killing someone who he didn't kill. When he gets out he finds that 5 years is a really long time to be gone. His promised love has married another and there are a lot of changes that he doesn't understand.

In addition some people don't think 5 years was long enough for him to be in prison, and try to kill him.

He sets out to Austin to find who the real killer is but along the way he finds a kindred spirit and the closest friend he has ever had.

I admit that I saw the ending coming long before the ending but how it was dealt with was wonderful and helped to lead to the story.

"Texas Splendor" was Austin's story. I enjoyed it, but I have to say that it paled in comparison to the previous books in the series. I just couldnt completely warm up to Loree. I also felt that there was a lack of Chemistry between the h/h. I couldnt put my finger on it exactly, but something just didnt ring true. I felt that the conflict was resolved in a very hasty and unbelievable manner as well, but I so love this family..being able to revisit them made up for any of the flaws lurking throughout. My biggest wish? I want a book for Rawley!! All in all , this is a definite must read for any fan of this incredible series.

PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND FIND "TEXAS DESTINY", "TEXAS GLORY" AND "TEXAS SPLENDOR". IT IS A HEATH TRILOGY THAT IS BEYOND WONDERFUL. THE LEIGH BROTHERS, DALLAS, HOUSTON AND AUSTIN ARE NAMED FOR WHERE THEY WERE....BORN OR CONCEIVED...AND LIVE IN TEXAS WHERE THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF LAND AND LAWLESSNESS BUT A SCARCITY OF WOMEN. THE MEN THEMSELVES ARE VERY DIFFERENT AND THE STORYLINE ON EACH OF THESE HUNKS IS ALSO VERY DIFFERENT. ONLY HEATH COULD WRITE THESE. HOUSTON COMES BACK FROM THE CIVIL WAR PHYSICALLY SCARRED AND EMOTIONALLY DEVASTATED AND FALLS IN LOVE WITH HIS BROTHERS MAIL ORDER WIFE.....DALLAS WANTS A SON TO CARRY ON HIS LAND BARON LEGACY AND DOESN'T CARE WHO GIVES HIM ONE.......AND AUSTIN GOES TO JAIL FOR A MURDER HE DOESN'T COMMIT. THAT BREVITY SOUNDS WEAK BUT BELIEVE ME THERE ARE MANY FACETS TO EACH BOOK INCLUDING STRONG WOMEN, ADORABLE CHILDREN..AND TREMENDOUS LOVE AND LOYALTY. THE BROTHERS REAPPEAR IN EACH OTHERS STORIES WHICH I LOVED BECAUSE I HATED TO SEE THE CHARACTERS "END" AT THE END OF THE BOOK......AND BECAUSE THERE WERE SEQUELS THEY NEVER DID......THE MIDDLE BOOK WAS MY LEAST FAV BUT IT TIED THE SAGA TOGETHER AND WAS WORTH READING FOR ALL THE PUZZLE PIECES IT ADDED. KNOW YOU'LL LOVE THESE FOLKS. I DID.

Austin Leigh spent five years in prison for a murder he did not do. After being released in 1887, he returns to his family home in Texas only to find his sweetheart married to his best friend. Worse yet, everyone in the town of Leighton, except for his two siblings, believe that Austin is a killer. For his own peace of mind, Austin decides to seek out the identity of the real killer.

On his quest, Austin meets Loree Durant, who is haunted by her own demons. These two tortured souls form a bond that leads to intimacy. When she becomes pregnant, they marry. They soon fall in love, but Loree knows she must eventually reveal to her beloved the secret she keeps that will surely destroy their chance for a lifetime of happiness.

TEXAS SPLENDOR, the third novel in the deservedly popular "Leigh Sibling series" is a splendid love story filled with angst and scarred characters struggling to cope with their flaws. This book also provides the return of favorite characters from previous novels as major secondary players, who help move the story line forward. Lorraine Heath demonstrates with this novel and her entire series why she is considered one of the best western romance writers on the market today. This poignant series is must reading for sub-genre fans and anyone who takes pleasure with a well written romance.

Harriet Klausner

What a refreshing change from normal historical romances. In this novel, we find the hero having an extreme depth of emotion, and he doesn't puff his chest out and try to dominate the woman. While I thoroughly enjoy all historical romances where the male has these traits, I found that when I read this one I figured out that this is the kind of romance novel that needs to be published more often. Where other novels have a heroine that is constantly trying to prove that she is better than the man, in this novel, the hero and heroine are equals who understand each other. There was no forcing anything on either one them, and they eventually realized how much they loved each other, more than they thought they were able to love. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who wants to read a romance novel with good plot, good characterization, and passionate love. I haven't read the other two novels, but after this one, I don't think that it's necessary to try to beat the perfection of Austins and Loree's story.