Never Love a Lawman

TEST

Never Love a Lawman sat in my Amazon shopping cart for three months as I anxiously awaited its release. I love western romances – and I mean love them – and it’s rare that I connect with today’s offerings. But somehow, I just knew Jo Goodman would deliver a satisfying western tale and I wasn’t disappointed.

When impeccably attired Rachel Bailey walks down the street of Reidsville, Colorado, men stop what they’re doing to take in the sight. With her decisive walk and eyes focused straight ahead, Rachel is perfectly cordial to those she greets, but she never stops to pass the time of day. She kindly refuses any offers of help because she simply doesn’t want the company. However, the townspeople still accept the reclusive woman, especially considering her impressive skills as a seamstress. And Rachel is quite content in her solitary world as she creates garments for both the most respectable women in town and for Miss Rose LaRosa and her girls.

Wyatt Cooper is a man of many talents who is satisfied serving in the capacity of town sheriff in a community with little serious crime. The easygoing Wyatt exudes a mellow confidence and is deliberate in his actions, even when he appears to just be taking one of his regular naps in front of his office. He’s taken notice of Rachel as she marches elegantly through town, but effectively conceals his interest.

When Rachel sees Sheriff Cooper at her door, she doesn’t welcome the sight. He’s come to deliver a telegram notifying Rachel of the death of her benefactor, railroad baron Clinton Maddox. Startled to find out that Wyatt knows of her relationship with Maddox, Rachel is distressed further when Wyatt informs her of the written agreement he had with Maddox to oversee the construction of her home (before Rachel was even aware she was moving to Reidsville) and to look after her once she arrived in town. There’s much more to the agreement between Wyatt and Maddox, but suffice it to say that Rachel has little choice but to go along with decisions made by these two men.

A strong character trait shared by Rachel and Wyatt is that of determination. Wyatt’s determination comes in the form of a silent firmness that carries with it the message “take no notice of me – success will come,” while Rachel projects hers in a more aggressive “look at me – you’re not pushing me around” manner.

Initially I was put off by Rachel’s seemingly rude and aloof nature, but as I learned more of her situation, I understood her need for isolation and that her pricklish nature must come naturally. Wyatt refers to her as a “regular termagant,” while enjoying her temper and allowing her to believe she is in control. And this is one woman who wants to be in charge of everything.

The most pleasing aspect of the book for me by far was the sigh-worthy lawman. Wyatt doesn’t get a bit ruffled about Rachel’s attempts to stay emotionally removed from him. No one runs over Wyatt and he has no problem letting others take credit for good he’s done. In short, he’s a beta male with a will of iron and no need to brag.

Unfortunately, my enthusiasm waned on and off throughout the book as events seemed to just run in place at times – particularly the romance. Wyatt and Rachel’s relationship looked one-sided more times than not, with Wyatt making most of the moves and Rachel doing her darnedest to remain detached.

Reidsville is not your usual small Western town in that the residents mind their own business and refuse to judge each other harshly. The reasons behind this almost Pollyanna existence are gradually revealed, along with an understanding of why the town is so determined to keep their mining interests a secret.

For the most part, I really enjoyed Never Love a Lawman. Reading about Rachel’s repeated attempts to evade Wyatt while he, in turn, silently pressed his advantage was entertaining and the Colorado setting perfect for that old west feel I longed for. Yes, this one filled my yearning for a satisfying western romance…for the moment. Oh, that there were more.

Reviewed by Lea Hensley

Grade: B

Sensuality: Hot

Review Date: 17/10/09

Publication Date: 2009

Review Tags: Reidsville series

Recent Comments …

  1. excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.

guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments