Review - The Bounty Hunter

Title: The Bounty Hunter
Author: Cheryl St. John
Publishing Date: 2005
Genre: Western
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I received a used copy from Paperbackswap.com

Nick Harding after years of being a bounty hunter, finally decides that he would like to settle down somewhere and possibly start a family and become part of a community. He accepts a position for Sheriff in the mining town of Thunder Canyon where he meets Miss Lily Divine the owner of The Shady Lady. Lily insists that she is running a legal saloon and nothing else but the Sherriff is slow to believe her as he fights his growing attraction.

The Bounty Hunter is a touching story that explores the possibilities of love once trust is given. While Nick is very attracted to Lily it takes him a long time to trust her. This is one of the things that frustrated me with this book. He was willing to have a physical relationship with Lily and yet keep himself emotionally distant from her at the same time. It also bothered me that he couldn't see Lily for who she was right away. It took him too damn long, in my opinion.

I think that Lily was the stronger character. I really enjoyed her personality. She was very independent for a woman of that time period and she had a lot of confidence in herself and the choices she had to make due to life's difficult circumstances. The Bounty Hunter had good characterization and the town seemed like a character all on its own. Ms. St. John does a very good job of immersing the reader in Western town life. Overall, I enjoyed the story. However, Nick just needed to get a clue.

Review - His Secondhand Wife

Title: His Secondhand Wife
Author: Cheryl St. John
Publishing Date: 2005
Genre: Western
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I won this book from a contest at Leslie's Psyche.

Katherine's husband left her to go find work. Weeks turn into months and he doesn't come back home. Noah his brother comes one day to announce that her husband has been killed and that he will take her to his ranch. Soon Noah realizes that Kate is pregnant and offers to take care of her and the baby. Kate having no other options accepts this very generous offer from the silent scarred man.

His Secondhand Wife is a very sweet romance that brings two people who have always felt like outcasts together and gives them a sense of belonging. Noah is physically and emotional scarred from an accident that happened when he was a boy. It left him disfigured and so he withdrew from people. He never goes into town and he completely avoids any kind of social activity with the townsfolk.

Katherine too was an outcast in her town. Katherine's father left her Mother when she was a young girl. She and her mother were very poor and did laundry for the wealthier town people. Katherine, unlike Noah very much wants to be a part of society. She has a very optimistic outlook on life even though she has been dealt a less than pleasant life. Slowly Katherine and Noah come to know and appreciate one another. They each become the family that the other never had.

Noah and Katherine complement each other very well. Katherine is very talkative and sees the beauty in the most simple of things. Noah hardly talks at all, but is content to just sit there and listen to Katherine's chatter. He sees the world through her eyes in a new, fresh way. As if he is seeing it for the first time again. Cheryl St. John has done a wonderful job of telling a simple yet beautiful story.


Here is what others had to say:

The Good, The Bad, The Unread
Rosario's Reading Journal
Renee Reads Romance

This book can be purchased in print by Amazon

Review - Joe's Wife

Title: Joe's Wife
Author: Cheryl St. John
Publishing Date: 1999
Genre: Western
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: Received a used copy from Paperbackswap.

Meg Telford's husband died while fighting in the Civil War. She refuses to give up their farm. Knowing that she has no hope of keeping it unless she marries, she proposes to Ty Hatcher. Ty recently returned to Aspen Grove after fighting in the War. He was always ostracized by the townsfolk because he never knew his father. One of the only citizens who were ever nice to him was Meg. She always had a smile for him even though others shunned him and now she is asking him to marry her. It was a dream come true, until he realized he would be filling a dead man's shoes.

Joe's Wife was an absolute treat to read. It is one of those stories where the reader easily gets lost in the characters. Meg is grieving the loss of her husband and doesn't want to give up his dream - which was to make a success of their farm. Joe wants to prove to the townsfolk that he is worthy of their respect even though he is technically a bastard. Meg and Joe start off their marriage as one of convenience but eventually come to love one another. It is a beautiful journey between two people learning to come to terms with who they are and their new life together.

Leslie has written a really wonderful review, which influenced me to read this book. I just would like to point out one thing in addition to what Leslie said. I really appreciate that the love scenes are integral to the development of Meg and Joe's relationship. They are sensual, yet they are pivotal in moving the relationship forward. I love how Meg and Ty work through their problems. Even though the sex is great, they eventually have to talk about it! If you are in the mood for a wonderful Western or Marriage of Convenience, don't miss this one!

Leslie's Psyche
Impressions of a Reader

This book can be purchased in print format from Amazon

.