Rating: 
Summary: EXCELLENT!!
Review: I love Linda Howard's books. This book had everything: tears, love, fighting and more. I loved it!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Not Howard's usual.....
Review: I love Linda Howard. However, this was the first book I have read where her lead man, Jake, fell short. This book reminded me of a Diana Palmer read, which often includes rough and abusive *heros*. I took issue with the physical abuse, which included slapping a pregnant woman and knocking her over, forcing sexual situations and emotional battering that went on throughout the book. I am a big fan of Cry No More and Kiss Me While I Sleep - this book was not of the same type.
Rating:
Summary: Howard's kingdom...
Review: I put off buying this novel many times just because of the negative reviews I read. But, what a surprise that the story is so compelling and heart stopping and such love...hmmm...
Jake's and Victoria's hard to gain love is the center of the tale and although some might says that the way Jack shows his love is brutal, I found it romantic and real. Howard's precission on development of the relationship is perfect, not to mention that the plot of the story is never flat boring. I enjoy reading this novel so much that I read it in two seats!
The truth is "a Lady of the West" talks realities, passion, love and understanding of the era of 1860s in Texas. It begins with the intro to the SARRAT's half million land of ranch kingdom, the families to be borned on the land and the killing to possess the land. then of course... the healing of a new generation. It is a very unique story, wouldn't mind to reread again..
Rating:
Summary: This is a very exciting book and the romance really sizzles.
Review: I really enjoyed this Howard book. The story moves and the characters crackle with emotion. I had trouble putting it down. The lady in the story is delicate and strong with a backbone to match the hero, who happens to be very much larger in size than she. I love ladies who can meet the challenge of a strong man and make him see the error of his ways. That happens in this book, he is laid low and I applaude her for introducing us to another heroine who will not lie down and be walked over. Bravo Linda!
Rating: 
Summary: did not like it at all
Review: i was put off when he slapped her, no man should ever hit a woman no matter how angry. that was when the writer lost me. the hero is irrational and cruel. and the heroinne was a weak person that put up with her physical and emotional abuse. He slaps her and she sits in the grass and sews?
Then when she wont go back to their bedroom he gets angry? i guess i can understand that years before women were treated badly, but it doesnt mean one likes to read a romance about it.
then he forces her to have sex when she is kicking and screaming, if that's been me i would have shot him where it would have hurt. So after he forces her to sleep with him he cant understand why shes not panting after him for a treat like some dog. The mysteries of life!
It was kind of disappointing cause i always like l howard books, even the recent ones that no one likes. She has an amazing talent of grabbing your attention and not letting go till the last page, so i guess i'll keep reading her books despite this one, i'm no one to judge, i just don't like men who hit women, so if i sound a little mean in my review i guess its just my temper =), oh well.
Rating:
Summary: A BIG Mistake >_<
Review: I've enjoyed lots of Linda Howard's books, but I must say that there are quite a few that left me disappointed. A common problem being, the hero gets away too easily after treating his lady shabbily. I was thoroughly disgusted by the hero in this book. He actually slapped her so hard, she slammed into the wall!! Gosh.... and he got away with it later, as if it was just a petty quarrel over who's to do the dishes! For a great story, try Son of the Morning or Midnight Rainbow. There are many other great stories from Ms Howard, but I enjoyed these 2 the most! ^_^
Rating: 
Summary: A devoted fan of Linda Howard.
Review: I've loved Linda Howard's books ever since i first read After the Night, which remains my favourite book EVER!But unfortunately i didn't like this book at all, or more accurately i didn't like the main characters. Jake didn't have that special quality that all of LH's other male characters do...tenderness combined with strength, he was very harsh and i really objected to the part where he hit Victoria. Victoria was okay but again she just didn't have those special qualities that make me admire Linda's female characters so much. To anyone who's never read Linda Howard i strongly reccomend you read her other books before you read this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Buying "Linda Howard" is almost a guaranteed good read.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating romance despite hero's despicable behavior
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating romance despite hero's despicable behavior
Review: 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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