A Wanted Man (Stone Creek, Book 2) (Hardcover)

by Linda Lael Miller (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The author of more than 60 books, bestseller Miller pounds out another frontier romance loaded with hot lead, steamy sex and surprising plot twists. Rowdy Rhodes is the handsome hunk newly arrived in Stone Creek, Arizona Territory, in 1905. He's living under an assumed name and trying to change his criminal ways, but his plans to go straight go awry when he meets pretty Lark Morgan, a sophisticated local schoolteacher who is secretly on the run from a rich, abusive husband back in Denver. As they flirt, spar and try to keep their own secrets, felonious family members and other more lethal pursuers threaten them both. When Rowdy is tasked with catching the gang of train-robbing outlaws led by his own father, he is in a real dilemma. Between trysts with Lark under the horse blankets and aided by an unlikely tip, Rowdy saves the day after a terrific shootout. He can't, however, save Lark, whose salvation comes in an unexpected and satisfying plot twist. After the last owlhoot hits the dust and the smoke and secrets are cleared up, this zippy horse opera comes to a predictable and comforting ending. (July)
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From Booklist
Arizona ranger Sam O'Ballivan, from The Man from Stone Creek (2006), sends for Rowdy Rhodes to help hunt down a gang robbing trains. Now a lawman, Rowdy shows up in Stone Creek with his old dog, Pardner, even though he has a price on his head due to his family's train-robbery business. Rowdy finds his pa running a saloon and making plans for his youngest son, who never knew his family were notorious outlaws, to go to college. Lark, Stone Creek's new schoolteacher, is terrified when Rowdy turns up because she is hiding out from her ex, an abusive railway baron. Following the heartwarming formula she used in the previous novel, Miller once again provides an entertaining western romance featuring admirable characters, community, kindness, and a little hot sex. Tixier Herald, Diana

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: HQN Books; First Thus edition (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037377236X
• ISBN-13: 978-0373772360
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #556,786 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wanted Man , August 21, 2007

By	M. Nix "Joyfully Reviewed" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wanted Man: A Stone Creek Novel, July 15, 2007

By	J. Wunsch (Elizabeth, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another well-told tale by Miller, August 29, 2007

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

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.