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AAR started posting reviews online in January of 1996! This is one of the very first reviews we ran on January 1, 1996.
A Taste of Heaven is a wonderful mail-order bride romance, set in the fictional town of Heaven, Montana, in the 1880’s. Our lovely heroine, the widowed and destitute Libby Ross, is left stranded in the small town with no job and no prospects.
In desperation, Libby accepts a job as a cook offered by the hands at the Lodestar Ranch – even though they know full well their boss will be deadset against having a female on the ranch. Ranch owner, and our hero, Tyler Hollins, has eyes as bright as the Montana skies and a soul as dark as night. After the death of his wife and unborn child, the only human contact he allows himself is a weekly “visit” with the local saloon owner.
Against his better judgment, he allows Libby to stay until the cattle drive. That deadline gets pushed back again and again and each time he extends her time at the ranch, the tension between these characters is heightened. Even as they struggle to keep their distance from one another, circumstances inexorably bring them closer together. Initially convinced that Libby is not strong enough, Tyler comes to realize that this woman does indeed have the strength and determination to survive the rugged wilds of Montana.
As Libby continues to cook for Tyler and his cowboys, they begin to fall in love, although both continually fight their feelings. Tyler takes to chopping wood at night to release the tension and Libby also finds it hard to get a good night’s sleep. Alexis Harrington deftly weaves Libby’s and Tyler’s stubbornness, pride, past hurts and tragedies into a strong fabric of mutual trust and growing love. Scenes of farewell, confrontation, and passion are deeply intense and deeply satisfying.
When the hero and heroine do finally give in to their passion, a simple note undelivered and a casual conversation overheard threatens to unravel their love. Past hurts come hurtling back, resulting in a tumultuous fight scene. Even though we know their fight will inevitably result in passion, the author manages to avoid cliches. In many books, this would have been the end of the story. But Ms. Harrington has one more tragedy in store for us, which serves well to wrap up all the remaining questions and loose ends.
Keep a supply of tissues nearby – this book is a weeper. You’ll want to store it where it’s easily accessable because it’s also a read-it-again book.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.