Book Review: Dragonmark by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dragonmark
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre: Fantasy / Romance / Urban Fantasy / Paranormal

Ages: 16 and up

Note: So, I haven't written a review in a long time. I have meant to, but work and my own writing have taken precedence lately. This book, however, made me so mad that I had to write a review just so I could stop complaining about it to everyone in my immediate vicinity (plus, it practically wrote itself in about 10 minutes I was so mad). I hate to do it, because Ms. Kenyon has long been a favorite of mine (particularly her League novels), but it had to be done. There are mild spoilers in this review.

Description:

Centuries ago, Illarion was betrayed– a dragon made human against his will, then forced to serve humanity as a dragonmount in their army, and to fight for them in barbaric wars, even while he hated everything about them. Enslaved and separated from everyone he knew and from his own dragon brothers, he was forced into exile in a fey realm where he lost the only thing he ever really loved.
Now he has a chance to regain what’s been lost― to have the one thing he covets most. But only if he gives up his brothers and forsakes the oaths he holds most dear. Yet what terrifies him most isn’t the cost his happiness might incur, it’s the fact that there is just enough human in his dragon’s heart that he might actually be willing to pay it and betray everything and everyone– to see the entire world burn in Dragonmark, the next blockbuster Dark-Hunter novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon.

My Thoughts:

I cannot remember the last time I felt so disappointed and angry after reading a book. I love Sherrilyn Kenyon, have read all of her books including the out of print, difficult to find ones. Not all of them have been great, but Dragonmark was just...bad.

I was so excited when I started Dragonmark, wondering what twists and turns and new character angst she would spring on me this time. It started out okay. Edilyn and Illarion were sweet and fun, if not quite as deep or exciting as I was hoping for. If there was less intensity to their story than Kenyon's usual style, though, I was sure that would improve as they became more developed. I just did not realize that development was never going to come. Instead, the hero and heroine become separated and almost the entire remainder of the book is a nearly word for word repeat of scenes from the previous two books in the series, with only the most halfhearted attempt to show them from Illarion's perspective. I waited for some sort of great personal revelations on Illarion's part to justify this, as there were in Styxx, but there was nothing. At the very end - and by that I mean the last thirty pages or so - there was finally a return to new material, but it was far too late to save this book.

What bothered me nearly as much as this lazy recycling, was the knowledge that if anyone picked up this book as their first Dark-Hunter series, it would look like an insane mish-mash of partial stories. It assumes that you have read the previous two books, Son of No One and Dragonbane, and yet it repeats them anyway. My first experience with the series was Acheron and, while I definitely missed out on some references, it at least made sense as a cohesive story.

If Illarion and Edilyn's story had been a novella containing the first 150 and last 30 pages with only a tiny bit of what came between, or if it instead followed Edilyn's POV, which sounded pretty interesting in the tiny glimpse I got of it, this book would have been fine. Nowhere near the best in the series, but anything would have been better than this. I went from eagerly hoping for books about a dozen or so other characters in the DH world to hoping Kenyon hurries up and brings on the apocalypse she's been threatening for so long so she can focus on the Chronicles of Nick and League novels, since she clearly has little interest in actually writing new DH material.

I will still be reading Ms. Kenyon's books - I LOVED Born of Legend and Invision, which makes it all the more surprising that this book was so bad - but the anticipation I always felt upon opening one of her books will now be tempered by fear that it will turn out to be another Dragonmark.

Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence

1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:

Probably a 7-8. I was honestly too horrified to pay much attention to swearing. Lots of mid-level words, a couple of f-bombs at least.

Sexuality:

I'd rate it a 6. It was pretty mild for a Kenyon book; only a couple of semi-descriptive scenes.

Violence:

I rate it a 5 for some fighting and death, but, as with the sexuality, it was pretty mild by Kenyon standards.

                                      Lieder Madchen

Spotlight Tour: Daniel's True Desire by Grace Burrowes + Giveaway!

Hello! Today I am happy to have the ever-talented Grace Burrowes visiting. I hope that you will enjoy her guest post on what constitutes a true gentleman, as well as the following excerpt from her latest novel, Daniel's True Desire.

The Joys of True Gentlemanliness… by Grace Burrowes

About twenty books ago, I lamented (whined) to one of my brothers that coming up with ways to challenge a romance hero into facing his worst fears and risking all to win the heroine’s heart was taxing my imagination. My brother, without a heartbeat’s pause said, “Make him choose between the competing demands of honor.”

THAT was great advice. Make the hero choose between the woman who needs him, and the military unit depending on him. Make him choose between avenging injustices from his past, or respecting the wishes of the pacifist woman he loves. Make him decide whether to be publicly vindicated or privately forgiving… Delightful stuff, for an author!

And yet, to travel along these brilliant character arcs, our hero must have one characteristic: He must have a well-developed sense of honor. To me, that means this fellow must be honest and kind. He can be poor, grouchy, lacking in charm, without prospects, unlucky in love—Daniel Banks is nodding his head—but ideally, he will still be a true gentleman at heart.

The true gentleman, alas for him, can be tormented from page one by the author and by the story, but from the start, the true gentleman will play by the rules of decency.

Rules are tough. The true gentleman will never misrepresent himself, which means Daniel Banks must inform Lady Kirsten that a) he’s married, and b) he won’t disrespect his vows. Too bad for Daniel, this honesty only raises him in the lady’s esteem, when he’s trying to emphasize his unsuitability.

The true gentleman will lend a hand—or an ear—to those in need. When Daniel Banks realizes that Lady Kirsten has been overlooked by her entire family, and is as lonely as an earl’s daughter can be, the least he can do is listen when she explains the misery in her past. Again, his respect for, and understanding of her increases, but what else could a gentleman have done?

The true gentleman is kind. He does not ignore the suffering of others, even if that means, he’s left with a bigger helping of suffering on his own plate. When Lady Kirsten needs a champion to fight her battles with an overbearing brother, Daniel steps up, though it might cost him his position. Once again, Daniel’s decency only gets him in hotter water, because now Kirsten’s brother is also viewing the impecunious, reserved, sometimes grouchy, vicar with renewed respect.

This business of being a true gentleman is darned hard, and darned heroic. What Daniel has to learn, though, is that true gentlemanliness begins at home. When he’s honest with himself, and shows himself the compassion we all deserve, all the inconvenient rules, tough choices, and honorable standards turn out to have been his second-best friends.

Lady Kirsten is, of course, his very best friend, being a true lady. But that’s another story…  

Excerpt from Daniel’s True Desire

Daniel Banks is the new vicar in Haddondale, temporarily a guest of Lady Kirsten’s family. They’ve dragooned him into tutoring some of the local boys, and Kirsten is managing the staff who’ll turn the dower house into a place of learning. What Daniel doesn’t know is how a married man, even one estranged from his unworthy spouse, can resist the allure of friendship with Lady Kirsten…

“I dread crossing the garden,” Lady Kirsten said. “Susannah has taken up reading old issues of La Belle Assembleé, Della is memorizing DeBrett’s, and the countess talks only of fashion. Nobody does anything.”

“Most would envy them their idleness,” Daniel said, though he did not. The earl gave a good account of himself, tending to significant acreage and mercantile interests, but the women were bored.

One of the women was mortally bored, though never boring.

“I want to take the vicarage in hand,” Lady Kirsten said, marching from the pantry. “I doubt I’ll have time before we leave for Town the week after next. Lemon and beeswax won’t cure rising damp any way.”

Nothing cured rising damp save for replacing every scrap of affected wood. “You’re leaving soon, then?”

The prospect of distance from Lady Kirsten should have been a relief. She was unconventional, discontent, and unpredictable. Worse yet, she was patient with small boys, had a strong streak of domestic competence, and could not dissemble even to appease appearances.

Most troublesome of all, Daniel liked her. A lot.

“I smell fresh bread.” Lady Kirsten’s pace increased, then she halted to twist a sachet from behind a curtain. “Nicholas told George that in addition to Digby and the Blumenthal brats, you’re to take on both of Squire Webber’s sons. He aspires to send them to public school, but they lack a foundation.”

And years of dedicated tutors had been unable to remedy that lack? “I think you had better join me for lunch,” Daniel said resuming their progress toward a hot meal.

“I believe I shall. I adore a hearty beef stew with bread and butter on a cold, rainy day. Cook uses Mama’s recipe, and I’m partial to it.”

Peasant fare, for an earl’s daughter. Daniel liked her entirely too well.

A scullery maid set places for them at a wooden table heavy enough to double as a threshing floor, while Lady Kirsten served up bowls of steaming stew and Daniel sliced the bread. Daniel held the lady’s chair, and then, without even a nod in the direction of further small talk, took shameless advantage of his companion.

“I want to know every detail you can share about my scholars, Lady Kirsten. They’re shaping up to be a pack of ne’er-do-wells, scamps and scapegraces. One wonders if the parish isn’t attempting to run me off rather than welcome me.”

She snapped her serviette across her lap. “They’re out and out rotters, every one save for Digby, but George says he’s showing dubious potential. Don’t steal all the butter.”

Daniel passed her ladyship the plate of butter, small golden molds in the shape of roses.

“Your butter, and Lord-we-thank-Thee-for-this-food, amen. Now tell me about these scoundrels.”

Lady Kirsten sat back, her smile indulgent. “I’ve known them since they were babies, Mr. Banks. They’re full of energy and mischief, and there’s not a Latin scholar among them. They are truly, truly awful.”

She loved these rotten boys, and—greatest possible inconvenience—Daniel regarded this her most attractive quality of all.

***

About the Book:

An honorable life

Daniel Banks is a man of the cloth whose vocation is the last comfort he has left-and even his churchman's collar is beginning to feel like a noose. At the urging of family, Daniel attempts to start his life over as vicar in the sleepy Kentish town of Haddondale, family seat to the earls of Bellefonte.

Challenged by passion

Lady Kirsten Haddonfield has resigned herself to a life of spinsterhood. Then the handsome new village vicar, Reverend Daniel Banks, becomes a guest of the Haddonfield family while the vicarage is being renovated, and Kirsten finds herself rethinking her position. Lady Kirsten does not know that Daniel's past is about to cast a shadow on love's future.

Buy Links

Amazon - Barnes and Noble - iBooks

 

Author Biography

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes' bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish and Lady Eve's Indiscretion. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.

Social Media Links

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

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Book Review: Tremaine's True Love by Grace Burrowes

Tremaine's True Love
by Grace Burrowes

Genre: Romance / Historical

Ages: 17 and up

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description:

Wealthy wool magnate Tremaine St. Michael is half French, half Scottish, and all business. He prowls the world in search of more profits, rarely settling in one place for long. When he meets practical, reserved Lady Nita Haddonfield, he sees an opportunity to mix business with pleasure by making the lady his own.

Nita Haddonfield has a meaningful life tending to others, though nobody is dedicated to caring for Nita. She insists the limitations of marriage aren't for her, then Tremaine St. Michael arrives-protective, passionate, and very, very determined to win Nita's heart.

My Thoughts:

I am sad to say this book was a disappointment. I love Grace Burrowes, but this book was just...a little off. It was still an entertaining read, but not up to her usual standards. The story wandered a little, the path littered with conversations largely concerning either sheep or medicine or both, leaving me with several questions and the realization that I would rather have been reading a book about the much more interesting side plot. Now that I've finished complaining, I'll tell you what I actually liked about it.

Nita is a great heroine. Her passion for healing and her empathy for the unfortunate made her instantly likable, and her strength against the disapprobation of her won me over completely. Tremaine was likable as well, if a little bland in comparison to Grace Burrowes' other heroes. He has a tender heart that he doesn't want anyone else to know about and shows a huge amount of respect for Nita throughout their courtship.

The side characters stole the stage more than once, particularly George Haddonfield, Nita's wayward younger brother, and Elsie Nash, their widowed neighbor. I would have liked to see more of them and less sheep.

Overall, this book was okay so long as you don't get your hopes up too high.

Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:
I give it a 4.10 for some mild to mid-level profanity.

Sexuality:
I rate it 7.10 for a couple of scenes of varying explicitness as well as several references and some innuendo.

Violence:
I give it 4.10 for attempted murder (sort of), illnesses and injury.

                                   Lieder Madchen

Book Review: The Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrowes

The Duke's Disaster
by Grace Burrowes

Genre: Romance / Historical

Ages: 17 and up

Note: I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description:

Noah Winters, Earl of Anselm, spent months sorting and courting the year's crop of debutantes in search of an ideal bride. When the sweet, biddable young thing he selected accepts another's proposal, Noah decides to court her companion instead.

Thea Collins, though, is anything but biddable. She has learned the hard way that men are not to be trusted, especially the handsome ones. When she reluctantly accepts, Noah rushes Thea to the altar before she can reveal her deepest secret. Can she finally move on from her past, or will it come back to haunt her?

My Thoughts:

I really, really liked this book. Don't let the cover fool you; Grace Burrowes books aren't really bodice rippers, even if they sometimes look like it. Which is not to say that they don't have plenty of steamy romance - because they do. It is just that the term 'bodice ripper' implies a certain amount of shallowness that her books do not possess. While I have loved all of her books that I have read so far, The Duke's Disaster is one of my favorites.

Noah is adorable. He's a grouchy bear of a man who is honest to a fault, slow to anger, and eminently cuddle-able. Thea is very nearly as good a character with her practical attitude and mysterious past. Each one of their conversations was wonderfully realistic and made me want to hug them both as they struggled to learn to trust each other and slowly fell in love.

What I really loved the most about this book, though, was the beautiful writing. Every single word was perfectly chosen, painting a luxuriously detailed picture of characters and setting alike. I don't think I've ever seen an author convey emotion so well.

Overall, this book was great. Thea's 'dark secret' could have been resolved faster, but I understand why it wasn't so that is a very small complaint, easily washed away by the spectacular writing and characters. I highly recommend this book to lovers of Gaelen Foley, sweet romance, and emotional angst.

Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).


Profanity:
I rate it a 4.10 for some mid-level swearing and name-calling.


Sexuality:
I give it 7.10 for a few scenes of varying explicitness.


Violence:
I rate it 5.10 for references to rape, attempted rape, kidnapping, and fighting.


                    Lieder Madchen

Blog Tour Book Review: A Will of Iron by Linda Beutler

Hello from California! Today I'm happy to have Linda Beutler's brand new book on Songs & Stories. It has made for a great vacation read on my road-trip down the west coast. Thanks to Jakki Leatherberry for hosting the tour!

A Will of Iron

by Linda Beutler

Ages: 17 and up

Genre: Romance / Historical / Austenesque / Pride & Prejudice Re-telling / Mystery

I received an e-copy of this book as part of a blog tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description:

The untimely death of Anne de Bourgh, only days after his disastrous proposal at the Hunsford parsonage, draws Fitzwilliam Darcy and his cousin Colonel Alexander Fitzwilliam back to Rosings Park before Elizabeth Bennet has left the neighborhood. In death, Anne is revealed as having lived a rich life of the mind, plotting rather constantly to escape her loathsome mother, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Anne’s journal, spirited into the hands of Charlotte Collins and Elizabeth, holds Anne’s candid observations on life and her family. It also explains her final quirky means of outwitting her mother. Anne’s Last Will and Testament, with its peculiar bequests, upheaves every relationship amongst the Bennets, Darcys, Fitzwilliams, Collinses, and even the Bingleys! Was Anne de Bourgh a shrewder judge of character than Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy combined?

My Thoughts:

This story grabbed me right away, pulling me through its myriad twists and turns all the way to a satisfying conclusion. It had touches of gothic drama, macabre mystery, and wonderfully sweet romance.

The first half of the novel kept me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out what was going to happen next. The second half was a little calmer, more focused on the various romances. I really liked all of the romances. Col. Fitzwilliam stole the stage a couple of times with his less-than-well-thought-out attempts to choose a wife.

Col. Fitzwilliam might have stolen the stage a couple of times, but Anne de Bourgh was the true main character, even if she was only shown through her journal entries. Her thoughts were at times sweet, sad, funny, and disturbing. She was superbly written, though not always likable.

I would have liked to see more Darcy and Elizabeth in A Will of Iron. It wasn’t that they didn’t have enough page time, but rather that the focus was so spread about between them, Bingley, Anne, Charlotte, and Lady Catherine that there were few places to just enjoy a full chapter of the couple. Every scene that did focus on them, however, was thoroughly lovely.

My only minor complaint is that the transition between the intensity of the first half and the far more laid-back tone of the second half was very abrupt. It took me a couple of chapters to settle into the new pace. 

Overall, A Will of Iron was a very entertaining read that I would recommend to those who enjoy darker, less conventional P&P variations.

Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence

Profanity:

I give it 4.10 for a few uses of mild profanity and a couple mid-level words.

Sexuality:

I rate it 7.10 for a couple of mid-level scenes, a fadeaway or two, some references, and innuendo.

Violence:

I give it 6.10 for multiple murders and attempted murder.

About the Author:

 

Linda Beutler is an Oregon native who began writing professionally in 1996 (meaning that is when they started paying her...), in the field of garden writing. First published in magazines, Linda graduated to book authorship in 2004 with the publication of Gardening With Clematis (2004, Timber Press). In 2007 Timber Press presented her second title, Garden to Vase, a partnership with garden photographer Allan Mandell. Now in 2013 Linda is working with a new publisher, and writing in a completely different direction. Funny how life works out, but more on that in a minute.

Linda lives the gardening life: she is a part-time instructor in the horticulture department at Clackamas Community College, writes and lectures about gardening topics throughout the USA, and is traveling the world through her active participation in the International Clematis Society, of which she is the current president. Then there's that dream job--which she is sure everyone else must covet but which she alone has--Linda Beutler is the curator of the Rogerson Clematis Collection, which is located at Luscher Farm, a farm/park maintained by the city of Lake Oswego. They say to keep resumes brief, but Linda considers Garden With Clematis her 72,000 word resume. She signed on as curator to North America's most comprehensive and publicly accessible collection of the genus clematis in July 2007, and they will no doubt not get shut of her until she can be carried out in a pine box.

And now for something completely different: in September 2011, Linda checked out a book of Jane Austen fan fiction from her local library, and was, to put it in the modern British vernacular, gobsmacked. After devouring every title she could get her hands on, she quite arrogantly decided that, in some cases, she could do better, and began writing her own expansions and variations of Pride and Prejudice. The will to publish became too tempting, and after viewing the welcoming Meryton Press website, she printed out the first three chapters of her book, and out it went, a child before the firing squad. Luckily, the discerning editors at Meryton Press saved the child from slaughter, and Linda's first work of Jane Austenesque fiction, The Red Chrysanthemum, published in September 2013. Her second work of fiction, From Longbourn to London was published in August of 2014.

Linda shares a small garden in Southeast Portland with her husband, and pets that function as surrogate children. Her personal collection of clematis numbers something around 230 taxa. These are also surrogate children, and just as badly behaved.

Find the Author:

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Buy the Book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

I'm Published! Check out Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer!

 

Check it out! This lovely anthology of Austenesque short stories includes stories by some of my favorite authors in the genre as well as several new ones I am very excited to read for the first time, and, da-da-da-daaa, a story by me!

Description:

If you desire a little heat, a summer flirtation, or an escape to bask in your own private sun, this whimsical collection of original short stories is inspired by all things summer. In collaboration with some of Meryton Press’s most popular and award-winning authors, this anthology debuts other promising and emerging talent.

• In KaraLynne Mackrory’s Shades of Pemberley, Mr. Darcy, with some fantastic assistance, discovers Elizabeth Bennet in a most unlikely place. 

• Karen M. Cox’s Northanger Revisited 2015 modernizes Northanger Abbey at a fictionalized seaside in Georgia.

• Linda Beutler takes us to Paris as a young gentleman is schooled in the ways of amour in The Incomplete Education of Fitzwilliam Darcy.

• In Spyglasses and Sunburns, J. Marie Croft takes the Miss Bennets to the seaside where they chance upon handsome acquaintances.

• In Abigail Bok’s A Summer in Sanditon, a little sea bathing seems just the thing to cure what ails Anne de Bourgh.

• In Natalie Richards’ Midsummer Madness, an honest confession and a promise between strangers at a masque ball mend a misunderstanding.

• Sophia Rose re-imagines a modern-day Persuasion in Second Chance at Sunset Beach.

• In Morgan K Wyatt’s Dream Spinner, a near-death car accident and an unlikely trucker bring new perspective to a young co-ed’s life and love.

Contemporary and Regency alike, each romance was dreamt as a perfect summer refreshment to bring a smile to your own sun-kissed face.

Sun-Kissed is available on Amazon.

There is a launch party tomorrow on Facebook and everyone is invited! There will be music, games, Q&A and lots and lots of giveaways! Each author gets an hour slot, starting at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time (mine is at 6:00) and running until 8:00 p.m., so you can stay all day or just pop in and say hi. Check it out here! I hope to see you there!

                              Natalie, aka Lieder Madchen

Series Review: Outlaw Hearts + Do Not Forsake Me by Rosanne Bittner

Outlaw Hearts and Do Not Forsake Me
by Rosanne Bittner

Genre: Western / Romance / Adventure / Historical

Ages: 16 and up

I received advance e-copies of these books through NetGalley in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

Outlaw Hearts:

Miranda Hayes has lost everything-her family, her husband, her home. Orphaned and then widowed, desperate to find a safe haven, she sets out to cross a savage land alone...until chance brings her face-to-face with notorious gunslinger Jake Harkner.

Hunted by the law and haunted by a brutal past, Jake has spent a lifetime fighting for everything he has. He's never known a moment's kindness...until fate brings him to the one woman willing to reach past his harsh exterior to the man inside. He would die for her. He would kill for her. He will do whatever it takes to keep her his.

Spanning the dazzling West with its blazing deserts and booming gold towns, Jake and Miranda must struggle to endure every hardship that threatens to tear them apart. But the love of an outlaw comes with a price...and even their passion may not burn bright enough to conquer the coming darkness.

My Thoughts:

Western romance is not my usual cup of tea; while I read a few every once in a while, it is rare that I have enough to say about one to fill a review. Outlaw Hearts, however, caught my attention. It took almost half of the book to do so, though. Miranda Hayes, Randy to her friends, is a sweet, likable, almost too-perfect heroine. Jake Harkner is her opposite with a plenty of flaws and a dark enough past for three romance heroes. I liked them well enough at first, and the story was entertaining, but there was no pop.

The 'pop' I was looking for never really showed, but the story and characters gradually grew in intensity and depth until I was engrossed. I confess I came close to tears at a couple of points in the second half. It caught me by surprise, which was nice. I always love a story that manages to exceed expectations.

The story has several very dark elements such as rape and murder, but despite that there was a peculiar sense of innocence to it, even during the sex scenes. The villains and heroes were always very easy to tell apart; the only morally ambiguous character was Jake, and even he took to the high road with relative ease. There are gently placed Christian themes throughout, no heavy-handed preachiness.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It turned out to be unexpected and refreshing, both sweeter and more dramatic than anticipated.


Do Not Forsake Me:

Miranda Hayes' life was changed the day she faced down infamous gunslinger Jake Harkner...and walked away with his heart. Their fates have been intertwined ever since. Hunted by the law, fleeing across a savage land, their desperate love flourished despite countless sorrows. Now, twenty-six years later, their family has finally found some measure of peace...balanced on the knife's edge of danger.

Jake has spent his years as a U.S. Marshal atoning for sins, bringing law to the land he once terrorized. But no matter how hard he fights the demons of his brutal past, the old darkness still threatens to consume him. Only Miranda keeps the shadows at bay. But when outlaws looking for revenge strike a fatal blow, Jake risks losing the one woman who saw past his hard exterior and to the man inside.

He always knew there'd be the devil to pay. He just never realized he might not be the one to bear the ultimate price.

My Thoughts:

While the first part of Jake and Randy's tale just got better and better, part two, Do Not Forsake Me, did the opposite. It started well enough, though there was the minor annoyance of a certain character dying off-page for no good reason...Anyway, I liked the new side character, Jeff, a writer who wished to pen the true story of notorious outlaw turned lawman Jake Harkner, but other than him this book had very few redeeming qualities.

The core story was okay. Not great, but okay, maybe even good. However, it could have been told with maybe 150 fewer pages. It was the sheer repetitiveness that really got me. Every time something happened, the author showed every single character's reaction to it. Separately. This might have been okay once or twice, or maybe if the characters' reactions had varied, but it happened over and over again and their reactions were nearly identical. Yes, Randy is sick and it may be serious, let's show Jake's reaction, their son's reaction, their daughter's, a neighbor's, another neighbor's, etc. The repetitiveness was not limited to that, though; there is a guy who is in love with Randy but who will never do anything about it because he's so noble and knows she loves Jake, exactly like in the first book. *facepalm* I could go on, but then I would just be ranting.

My other biggest complaints are the moral plot holes. The male characters make a big deal over trying to be less violent and not kill people, yet at the end they basically just shrug off shooting an unarmed man in the back and promise each other not to tell the women! He may have deserved to be shot, but still, it was painful.

For the redeeming factors, there was Jeff (mentioned above), and Randy. Her storyline was the only one that kept me reading; I had to know how sick she was, but that curiosity was mostly leftover from enjoying her story in the first book.

Overall, this book was pretty bad. It tried copying Outlaw Hearts too much rather than trying new things, the characters quickly dulled as they repeated the same conversations over and over again and even though it was not an unusually large book, it felt way too long. My advice would be to read Outlaw Hearts and just skip this disappointing sequel.

Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:
I rate it 7.10 for several uses of the f-word as well as quite a bit of mild to mid-level swearing.

Sexuality:
I give it 7.10 for multiple scenes of varying explicitness.

Violence:
I rate it 7.10 for rape (not graphically described), murder, violence against children, fights, torture, etc. Little was described with gruesome detail.

                         Lieder Madchen