Customer Reviews

Wanting You

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

 

 

In 1885, Texas Ranger Captain Russell takes a young white girl he found living among the Apaches to dwell at the Border Convent in Nogales, Arizona. All she owns is a locket with the initials M.S.H. engraved on it. Over the next five years, Mary as the nuns call her tries unsuccessfully to escape several times. In 1890, a dying Father Fitzgerald visits the convent to say his good-byes to the sisters. When he sees Mary, he recognizes her as looking identical to the Regent family, extremely wealthy members of his flock in Texas.

The Regent matriarch, eighty-one years old LaDextra is ecstatic that her long lost granddaughter, Anna Regent Wright, has been found. Everyone welcomes Anna, who stands to inherit a million prime acres and fifty thousand heads of cattle. That is everyone except LaDextra's step-grandson Britton Caruth, who runs the ranch. Even though Anna seems to have insider information, he believes she is a fraud.

Nan Ryan has consistently been one of the best writers of Americana romances in this decade. Her story lines are classic, spellbinding tales that leave her audience desiring more from this incredible talent. Ms. Ryan's latest tale, WANTING YOU, will provide sub-genre fans with immense pleasure from wondering along with Brit whether Anna is the missing heiress or a brilliant con artist? Brit is a typical late nineteenth century Texas rancher; in other words, he is a hunk. This novel is historical romance at its award winning best.

Harriet Klausner

Nan Ryan can write one mean romance story and I mean that both as a compliment as well as a literal description of many of her books. I have only read four Ryan books to date but believe she majors in dominant, cruel heroes and shy, quiet yet eventually vindictive heroines. Her books, despite this familiar line can be rather diversified in the story line. In Wanting You, I discovered an intriguing and spicy western romance that I didn't want to put down. The hero only simmers at the rude level and the heroine doesn't go too far in imagining her revenge.

The Regents are a wealthy family who own a million acre Texas ranch. They have suffered from the loss of many of the family members and only the matriarch, LaDextra, and her step-grandson, Bret remain. Bret skillfully manages the huge ranching empire and possesses many qualities we desire in a romance hero - he is physically fit, popular, unbelievably handsome, desirable, and alpha extreme. He is good at what he does and loves the life of a rancher. That is - until life at the Regent ranch is disrupted by the return of LaDextra's granddaughter, Anna, who was believed to have been killed by the Apache when she was a small child. LaDextra is overjoyed at the return of her long lost granddaughter and immediately accepts her into the family. Bret however, is not so accepting. He rather suspects that Anna is an imposter looking for a large inheritance and he intends to expose her.

Anna is a likable heroine and although we really don't know if she is an imposter for the majority of the book, we still believe in her. After many horrible, tortured years with the Apache, she had spent her last five years in a convent. A priest at the convent believes she is the lost Regent heir and enables her reintroduction to the family. Anna has little memory before her life with the Apache. Now Anna lives at the Regent ranch, accepted as a family member, and is totally satisfied with her new life. She is happier than she ever thought possible. Until, much to her dismay, she finds herself extremely attracted to Brit. For some reason, he seems too interested in her while all his attentions towards her seem laced with sarcasm and derision. Brit resents Anna's presence mostly because he fears the grief his grandmother will inevitably suffer once Anna's pretence is uncovered.

And of course, in the background of it all, Anna and Brit's attraction to one another only grows stronger. Anna fights it with all her might because she wants nothing to upset her new life and she senses Brit would prefer her gone from Regent ranch. Brit, on the other hand, is becoming almost obsessed with the thought of having Anna. He is thinking that same old stupid hero line (will these heroes ever learn?) that if he can only have her once then he will have her out of his system. Secondary characters occasionally add a touch of humor and the repartee between the leads is quite entertaining at times. However, the overall tone of the book remains serious throughout. Things get quite hot and heavy between Brit and Anna and these sensual scenes rate a high 4.5 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). Nan Ryan knows well how to write these moments and infuses true emotion in Wanting You - providing sincere romance rather than just sensual scenes.

I highly recommend Wanting You. It is a fun read despite its serious overtones. Anna's acceptance into the family is heartwarming and the entire story is well rounded. This is a romance - that is the main emphasis - and that is the way I like it best. It is currently out of publication but is easily available online through sites such as this. I am still eagerly reading through Ryan's backlist. Of her four books I have read, I have given two five star ratings and two are essentially three star ratings. I think there is a lot of undiscovered great reading yet to come from her backlist.

I just finished the book about an hour ago. It took me three days, and I love the book . No reason to not buy it unless you hated Burning Love. Simply since it's plot is practically identical to Burning Love-only w/ a different atmospere.Happy Reading!PS-can anyone tell me how to get a copy of Burning Love? lost mine.

This could have been better. My problem with this book was Anna. She was kind of...conceited, and then not so conceited. Sometimes she said things that were out of her character. Besides a female lead who was unpredictable in a bad way, I'd say this book was okay. Certainly not great, but not bad. I will read more of Nan Ryan.

I've read a few of Nan Ryan's books but I just couldn't get into this love story between Brit and Anna. I didn't like the "herione". She was supposed to be feisty but to me, she was just plain annoying. I didn't like the hero (that's a first for me by the way) I thought he was hypocritical and too domineering. I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters. Face it, Nan Ryan writes some really hot love scenes but the ones in this book... didn't enjoy them really. I couldn't get pass the hatred for the Indians either. I could understand it coming from Anna and LaDextra but anyone else, sorry, I didn't get it. I guess I'm bias since I'm an avid fan of Indian romance books. This book was all right, not great but ok.

Yes, the two main characters are hot and heavy for each other. Anna thinks she is the long lost heiress and Brit doesn't. A battle of will ensues where they fall in lust and have mind blowing sex (like this isn't predicitable)...Anna regains her memory just as Grandma dies...true love reigns and they both live happily ever after.