Customer Reviews

A Wanted Man (Stone Creek, Book 2)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The past has a way of catching up with folks in Stone Creek, Arizona. Schoolmarm Lark Morgan and Marshal Rowdy Rhodes are determined to hide their secrets--and deny their instant attraction. This shouldn't be too hard, since each suspects the other of living a lie. Lark's too-fancy clothes and big-city ways inspire gossip all over town; Rowdy's blond good looks and impudent grin belong to a man sporting a gunfighter's coat.

Rowdy and Lark have one truth in common: the very real dangers they face, like the gang of robbers wreaking havoc on the railroad heading toward Stone Creek--the men Ranger Sam O'Ballivan expects Rowdy to nab. As past and current troubles collide, Rowdy and Lark must surrender their stubborn pride to the greatest power of all--an undying love.

A Wanted Man is a very enjoyable historical romance. Linda Lael Miller has written both Lark and Rowdy as strong, brave, yet human heroes. All the characters in this book fit in well with the story and at times they made me want to shake them and then hug them. A Wanted Man is a book I found myself not wanting to put down. As I read, I found myself wanting to be seduced by someone like Rowdy. I will most definitely be reading A Wanted Man again as well as looking out for more Stone Creek titles.

Barb reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I loved this book. It is a richly told story with great characters, both main & secondary. The plot is great. The tempo and complex storyline makes it worthy of buying a hardcover book. (Which I usually do not.) It is built slightly off of The Man from Stone Creek, but it isn't necessary to have read that one first, as each book can stand on it's own. I really cared for the characters and the trials they go through. Of course, love prevails in the end! I do hope that Linda Lael Miller continues the Stone Creek series and allows us to enjoy new characters and catch up with those we are already acquainted with.

Lark Morgan is a schoolmarm with a secret she can't afford for anyone to learn. New to Stone Creek, Arizona, she teaches in a one-roon schoolhouse in clothing more befitting a woman of wealth and stature than a poorly paid single woman.

Rowdy Rhodes is the new marshall of Stone Creek and new to town as well. He's been hired by a fedeal ranger to keep peace in a small town, as well as help find the gang of train robbers who are disrupting rail sesvice and scaring passengers away. Rowdy has a secret of his own and being found out could mean the end of his freedom.

When Rowdy's father and younger brother show up, it spells trouble for the new marshall. Lark has trouble of her own on the horizon when the owner of the railway gets held up by the train robbers, one who has eyes the same deep blue as Rowdy's. Rowdy needs to put a stop to the robberies, and Lark needs to find a way out of town before the train's owner finds her. And both of them might be better off if they weren't so darned attracted to each other. But, who can they trust?

Throw in an elderly landlandy with secrets of her own, a little girl left to fend for herself, a 20-year-old third grader, and a Chinese doctor and his wife--and you have an ensemble sure to make for an entertaining story.

You can expect to laugh, sigh, and feel the pull of your heartstrings with this one. A well-written tale from an author who knows her way around a horse and a dog. Highly entertaining read.

Armchair Interviews says: Once you read a Linda Lael Miller book, you'll look for others.

Wow. Reading this book makes you think you were definetly born too late. They just don't make men like this today. As a woman you deinetly feel as if you are the heroine staring at Rowdy in your own bedroom.

The novel is set in Stone Creek, Arizona Territory, in 1905. Two people have arrived in town. Lark Morgan came to town a few months earlier and took the vacant position as schoolteacher in the local school. She is obviously well educated, but seems too well dressed to be a typical schoolteacher. She is boarding at Mrs. Porter's Rooming House. Then Rowdy Rhodes arrives in town, summoned there by an acquaintance to serve as town marshall and help in apprehending train robbers operating nearby.
He arrives at Mrs. Porter's Rooming House to rent a room for the week.

It is a small town where people gossip and speculate, but everyone has hidden secrets. Even the nosy madam at the local bordello does not know everything (although she does keep private records of her clients). Lark is obviously running from something. Rowdy has things in this past that he will not talk about. There is the question about Mr. Porter, who is not there, but who Mrs. Porter seems to be expecting at any moment. There is young Lydia, daughter of the local doctor, who does not get along with her stepmother. And there is the Chinese couple - the wife works as Mrs. Porter's maid.

People's pasts start to catch up with them. There are tales of spousal abuse, white slavery, child abuse, and reformed outlaws. The novel has fairly strong sexual content, and some amount of violence consistent with the story. There are a few surprises.

Linda Lael's western romances have a way of making you feel as if you're right there in those dusty little towns with everybody. What I'm really impressed with is her style of writing, her descriptive detail, even though she doesn't over-detail things, and a lot of the expressions she uses make her stories really true to the era, and quite enjoyable. This is a really good book with a really good romance, but I have to say my favorite western, and I've read a lot of hers, is My Outlaw. It's an older book of hers, but definitely worth a read.

Well, normally I read historical romance novels, set in the 1800's in Europe, but I decided that I wanted to start reading books in the same historical genre, but western, American settings. I have a long drive home from college and thought that I would order this book on tape to give me something to listen to.

I loved it!! I love the secrets that both Lark and Rowdy carry. Also, Partner makes a great addition to the story and truly was a great character. I enjoyed the slow progression of Rowdy and Lark's attraction to each other, stealing kisses until the finale. However, the only thing I didnt like was how quickly the ending came.

I thought that the book could have gone another 5 chapters or so, and strug out the ending, instead, I felt the ending was rushed through and all these big events happened at once.

Without a doubt I would buy another book from this author, truly a great read!!

A Wanted Man Book (2) could stand alone. Although, I would
recommend to read The Man from Stone Creek (1). In this
book Rowdy Rhodes and Pardner were introduced. Pardner he's
a dog! I loved how the author intermingle him into the story
line. Almost all the characters in The Man from Stone Creek
played a part in A Wanted Man. Schoolmarm Lark Morgan and
sex Rowdy Rhodes had an instant attraction (physical chemisty)
when they first laid eyes on each other at Mrs. Porter's
boarding house. Both, sense the other were hiding a secret.
I also, like the secondary characters as well. Rowdy's brother
Gideon, (Sixteen) he played a sufficient role. Lydia a sweet
eight year old stole my heart. LLM hinted at their own story.
I hope it does materialize. Another secondary character
Mrs. Porter the landlady. I don't what to give anything away.
Throughout the book Mr. Porter was mentioned. The ending
that involved Mrs. Porter I was rather surprised!

I highly recommend A Wanted Man!
An absolute keeper. Explicit Sex.
At the beginning of the book Linda Lael Miller wanted
to tell everyone about a special group of people with whom
she recently become involved. The Humane Society of the
United States, specifically their pets for Life Program.
Adding Pardner (dog) played a medium key role
in, A Wanted Man, animals can be part of our lives.

This was a decent book. There was nothing terribly interesting or compelling in the story. It is a worthwhile read. Just seem kind of blah to me. Not as good as other Miller books.

In 1905 in Stone Creek, Arizona Territory schoolteacher Lark Morgan and Marshal Rowdy Rhodes hide secrets from everyone including their attraction to one another. Lark and Rowdy firmly believes the other is a phony. He assumes she is a loose woman pretending to be a schoolmarm and she believes he is a gunfighter pretending to be a lawman. However, neither can resist the lure of horse blankets as they try to kiss the truth out of the other.

However, trouble is coming to Stone Creek via train robbers. Ranger Sam O'Ballivan assigns Rowdy to catch the thieves. However Lark's darkest secret surfaces as the outlaws arrive in Stone Creek. Only Rowdy can keep her safe from the abuse of her past, but he may not survive High Noon.

Although the twentieth century seems too late for a tale of the Old West (keep in mind that Wyatt Earp died in 1929), using 1905 as a setting adds freshness to a fine western romance that fans will enjoy as two people attracted to one another hide secrets from one another. The lead couple is a fine pairing as each falls in love even as they suspect the other of duplicity. Though revelations and resolution seem too simple, Linda Lael Miller provides an entertaining early twentieth century romantic suspense.

Harriet Klausner

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Harriet Klausner