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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating romance despite hero's despicable behavior, November 23, 2003
Linda Howard is one of my favorite authors. I have read nearly all of her books and have had A Lady of the West in my "to be read" stack for over a year now. I had not chosen to read it because of its three and one-half star overall rating. I wisely use the tools offered on this site and seldom read a book rated less than four stars. But I wanted to read another Howard book and picked up A Lady of the West. I was able to determine three things rather quickly:
First: This was unlike any of Howard's other books I had read.
Second: The hero's behavior is politically incorrect - to say the least. He is the first hero I have ever read who hit the heroine and he also plays the "forced seduction" game which many of us would consider rape.
Third: I quickly realized the overall rating on this book must be due to the hero's mean-spirited behavior rather than the quality of the writing. Sure enough, when I checked the reviews, most of the negative reviews are because of the second item detailed previously. Make no mistake - this is a dark book.Victoria Waverly is the daughter of a formerly wealthy, Southern family who has been impoverished by the Civil War. Victoria is basically sold into marriage to a wealthy rancher, Frank McClain, and is bravely attempting to do the right thing for her family. Once she meets her future husband, she is repelled and frightened. He is one bad villain and Victoria has no idea that he killed and literally stole the large ranch he now calls his own. But Victoria is ever vigilant - intent on protecting her family from literal starvation - especially the two family members who have come with her to live at the ranch. She must consider her cousin and her younger sister's situations as well. She believes that they will be safe and taken care of at the ranch. She is a strong yet gentle heroine written in true Linda Howard fashion. She is surprised to find that she is strongly attracted to one of her husband's main men, Jake Roper, and finds his actions towards her frightening yet very sensual. Jake Roper is a hired gun and one of the best. Twenty years ago, his mother and father were murdered; the two sons wounded and assumed dead, in a takeover of the large Sarratt ranch. He finds himself almost obsessed with his boss's new wife and finds it most inconvenient. You see - Jake is planning revenge on Frank McClain. He hates the man and will avenge his parents' death at the hands of this worthless thief and reclaim his family's home.
Actually, I found Lady of the West to be out of the ordinary with a fragile tenderness and strong sensual overtones. There was not a boring page and the book contains several strong and very interesting secondary characters. While considering the reviews, I read repeatedly that this book is a product of its time - written either in the 1980s or 1990 at the latest. It is a book that holds a common thread with many books written during that timeframe - mistreatment of women. Now, I was personally appalled when the hero struck the heroine. I had never read that before - at least not the heroine. But I also read it as part of the overall story. Yes, it was very wrong for Jake to treat Victoria in such a manner. But he was never glorified for it. He certainly was not proud of himself. I know situations such as this occurred much more often than we want to admit. This story takes place over a hundred years ago - women weren't always treated with a lot of respect. But I am certainly not defending the hero. He was definitely a tarnished hero - he never gets rid of that stain. And THAT is part of the story. This is a story that contains revenge, hate, and mistreatment by many more than the hero. Taken with the context of the story, a mean hero only plays out his part. I don't think that Jake is ever redeemed of this behavior. That is one thing that makes this an unusual romance - it's HEA ending has a few spurs - and the ending is probably closer to reality and therefore, the sting. However, buried in the midst of this mistreatment is one good story. As expected in a Linda Howard book, the sensual scenes are strong and rate 4.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). Somehow she pulls out a story that actually has three separate physical relationships developing without the book appearing as too sensual. Try to read this book within the context and I believe you will enjoy it. But remember - it is one tough story.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hooked on Howard!, December 30, 1999
A long time ago (like four years back), in a far away land (California), I was introduced to Linda Howard's books by my best friend ... and I hated them. I found them drab and terribly long and would've had more fun poking myself in the eye with a fork and swirling it around. Then, a few days ago, I was walking through my local grocery store, restless and in need of some greater fulfillment than what I had gotten from another book I had just finished. I stood in front of the book section for at least a half hour perusing their small selection. A bit reluctantly (but desperate now), I picked up the Linda Howard book, remembering how my best friend had oozed out praise for this author. So I thought, "Ah, what the hell," and man, was I ever shocked! A Lady of the West has been one of the best, if not the best, book I have read in years! It had everything a western should have: shoot outs, legends, bloody revenges, ranches, cowboys, the whole nine.The book starts with a short history of Sarrat's Kingdom, and how things came to be the way they were, taking the reader back more then a hundred years. Then Howard goes to tell of how the Sarrat's became over thrown and how the evil Major came to get a hold of the land. The time frame is post-civil war, and out of sheer desperation to save her family from starvation and death in the war ravaged South, Miss Victoria Waverly allows herself to be sold in marriage to the Major. She takes West with her her little sister, Celia, and her cousin, Emma (who was left with no other relative but the Waverlys by the war). There, for the first time, she meets her husband and Jake Sarrat (kept incognito to his nemesis by the name Jake Roper). The intent (plot) of the book was clear from the beginning: Jake Sarrat, who's parents were killed by the Major 20 years ago, has come back to take back what belonged to him. What kept me glued to the book until the wee hours of the morning was the "how", not the "what". How was he going to do it? And one was kept waiting to see what was going to happen next. The romance was a bit slow to start and perhaps could have been done a little more smoothly with more interaction between the two main characters and the hero's "sudden warming up" to the heroine I thought defied his character (he melted too fast) but the story going on around them was good enough to the point where how they fell in love and/or whether they fell in love was second place. Towards the end, their misunderstandings and emotional misunderstandings became frustrating to me. Why didn't either one just spit it out, get on with it! Come on now! But their pride and ignorance kept bumping heads and had me bumping heads with the wall right along with them. Howard's sometimes brutal reality was definitely one of the elements that kept me turning pages. She spared no one from reality. All too often in romance novels, next to nothing horrible happens to the hero or heroine themselves. No real great lost or tragedy to them, just to the people around them. Howard brings you to the pinnacle then saves you just in time. Through out much of the book, I was caught in a series of "Oh no.. Oh no! .. Oh ... no... I can't believe this is happening! She (Howard) can't let him do this! She (Howard again) has to save them! " and gasps of shock then of relief when by what HAD to be fate, the plot twisted and temporary respite was found. I would definitely rate this book a 4. This book was so good, I snuck it to work just to read what was going to happen next! (And I have NEVER done that before with any other book!) I only keep it from gaining a 5 star rating because I thought the hero's feelings were a bit forced to create a romance. I have definitely changed my tune about Linda Howard now though and will be writing my best friend to thank her for trying to introduce me to her books oh so many years ago. Her attempt to convert me into a Howard fan was slow coming, but successful.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
5 Stars all the Way!!!!, November 3, 2004
I have not picked up a Linda Howard book and not liked it. This book was no exception. I had looked at the reviews and was not sure how this book would be. Hearing how he hit her and all he did was "want" her and all that. I thought the story would have Jake as the biggest butt and Victoria as weak willed, under Jakes thumb. Not so, was the case. It took just a little while to get started, but once I got through the first 30-50 pages, it all came together and took off on a wild ride. I loved the lead heroine. Vicotria was great. She did not take Jake's crap and gave as good as she got. Yes, Jake does hit her but first of all, it did flow with the story line, he did not get away with it what so ever. He never thought it was OK. No, none of it makes it right, but you can see how it fits in there and the outcome the action is surprising. Yes, Jake did talk an aweful lot of "wanting" Victoria, but it was to the point of obsession, something the reader should be able to figure out is not just lust. That he does want not just her, but all of her, and that he equates feelings with sex. So, while you know how Victoria feels, you have to look at Jakes actions to see how he feels. Very intraciate. I love how it all got blended in together. Jake was very dominate, but such a sweetheart, I couldnt help but love him. It took me not even a day to read this book. Near the end of the book I cried. When it was over wanted it to go on for just a few more chapters. This book is not like her newer releases, not a romantic suspense. The story does have its own darker plot, but nothing too serious. This book was great! I loved it and it will go on my keeper shelf. I dont know when I will get to read it again, it made such an impression, I dont think I am likely to forget this story any time soon. Victoria is one of my all time favorite heroeins. I really liked her, Jake was a great guy too. Usually the guy is too much of something, overbearing, rude, mean, too cockey, something, not Jake. And Victoria was strong and very likeable. They had an underlying heat through out the whole story. You could feel it. Please get this book and you'll love it. As long as you dont expect it to be like every other story (I dont know why people do that. Stories are suppose to be different with different plots.) Lady of The West has it all.
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