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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love found by wagon, July 10, 2004
Jessamyn Johnston was traveling west by herself in a wagon after caring for her dying father for the last three years of her young life. She was independent and didn't need any help until the man over the wagon trail told her she couldn't be on there without a husband...and in step gorgeous italian Tony Wichester a horse breeder from Kentucky. Not wanting to sleep under the wagon or bunk with another couple he says that he's Jessamyn's husband to her shock and dismay.As much as she tries Jess can't fight her attraction to the sexy and witty Tony. As the journey gets further their loves grows eventually the other members on the wagon trail find out they aren't married and they are forced to marry one anohter. Each still try to fight the attraction, but they eventually give in to a passionate night of sex. This is a amazing book Susan Kay Law has the ability to pull you into each and every page with Jess and Tony. You will feel the pain each one goes through until thier love is realized. If you get a chance to read this book take it.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Susan Kay Law's first book--not anywhere near the quality of her later books, February 11, 2007
From the back cover:
Where the heart is...
For three years, fiesty young Jessamyn Johnston had cared for herself and her dying father. She was determined to make a fresh start and travel west by wagon, but to do so she had to pretend to be the wife of Tony Winchester.
The dazzling horse breeder from Kentucky could charm his way into any woman's affections. All Tony desired from a woman was a good time a simple farewell, for he was a man haunted by heartache. Jessie could be no more than a friend to him, according to their bargain. But mere rules could not prevent him from tasting her soft fresh lips. Soon he knew he'd trade the vengeance that drove him to California for a passion hot as the desert winds and sweet as the rustling prairie grasses.
Jessie though she was heading for a broken heart--yet it was too late to turn back. Little did they know that the splendor of love awaited them on the journey home.
And my review:
I bought this book solely because it was written by Susan Kay Law, who is currently on my auto-buy list. I recognize that this is her first book, so it's understandable that it doesn't stand up to her later works, as most authors improve over time. But even after taking that into consideration, I was still rather disappointed by JOURNEY HOME.
For one thing, I felt that the story was very slow-moving for the most part. Nothing really seemed to happen, and parts that were probably supposed to be dramatic and engrossing weren't. Also, the character development was very lacking. I never really felt like I knew who Jess and Tony were, beyond the most basic character sketches. Apart from their physical chemistry, the author never really showed why these two should be together, to the exclusion of all others. It felt more like they were together because it was convenient, and not because of anything compelling or real. I just never really felt like there was much drawing them together except for sex. Not that this was a lust-soaked book (it wasn't), but it felt like the author relied on the physical to the exclusion of other aspects of the relationship. Also, the hero's motivations and the whole "vengence" plot were not explored for a very long time.
There were many parts of the story that read like they could have come straight out of a history textbook. I like historical detail, but only as a backdrop to the romance, not as the main focus of the book. Also, the writing style was rather awkward in places, and I really disliked the way the author was constantly switching points of view numerous times within each scene. It was rather jarring and confusing to go from Jess' thoughts to Tony's to a bystander's, to a villian's, to anyone else who happened to be around, back to Jess', over to someone else's...well, you get the point. The story was written in a hodgepodge of different people's thoughts, and that can get rather annoying after a while. But again, this is the author's first book, and she got a lot better at avoiding this pitfall in later books.
Also, I was rather disgusted when the hero, after being noble enough not to take advantage of the heroine while she's intoxicated, goes off by himself and masterbates. Ewww! That's not romantic, it's gross. I kind of lost interest in the book after that, and ended up skimming the rest of the book to see what happened. Not many surprises there, either. Just another typical historical western romance.
I would not recommend buying this book, especially if you've never tried Susan Kay Law before. It's not the best sampling of her work. Try one of her later books, like Marry Me, or The Bad Man's Bride: Marrying Miss Bright instead. Those are much better, with more humor and much bettern character development. Or if you want a really good historical western romance, try Victoria Lynne's Chasing Rainbows, Cheryl Anne Porter's Sara's Bounty, or Shelly Thacker's Into the Sunset.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Journey Home, April 5, 2000
A book so wonderful that you NEVER want to put it down. Susan has a way of putting you right there in the book with Tony and Jessie. Even learn some Italian in the process. The setting of Journey Home puts you in the days you wished you still lived in. When Jessie's wishes to go west put her in contact with Tony Winchester...you KNOW you're in for a trip with a hunk of a guy. 5 stars is not a high enough score!
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