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Rating: 
Summary: Definitely Not For Everyone - ** Grade: B **
Review: 500 pages and I bailed out early. Yup, at page 300, I bailed out of Rosanne Bittner's OUTLAW HEARTS. Not something I'm proud of, but something I had to do. Why? The story is too gritty, too depressing, and too filled with raw emotion. But boy, can Rosanne Bittner write one hell of a story.
Jake Harkner is the product and the result of a miserable childhood. A dark childhood filled with relentless beatings, rape, and finally murder. He is a hard-fisted, gun-toting outlaw who defends his property, gets revenge, fears nothing, and most of the time is downright nasty. BUT cold-hearted Jake Harkner loves sweet, gentle Miranda Hayes.
Miranda Hayes is a proper woman, living the hard-life, in the American West. This proper woman should disapprove and avoid Jake Harkner, but instead she finds herself attracted to, lusting after, and loving this hard, violent man.
Realistically, and this is a bonus for Bittner, the author did not suddenly reform this turbulent man. Instead Rosanne Bittner, showed her reader, Jake Harkner's flawed and gentle side, as he struggled with his feelings for Miranda -- here Bittner demonstrates a brilliant writing maneuver. This maneuver, combined with a great writing style, and her excellent storytelling ability, makes OUTLAW HEARTS choice material. So, why the bail out? For this reader, the story proved to be too much of an epic, it was too much of a journey, and it just took too much inner strength to go on.
When I decided to stop, "The Wild Bunch" came to mind. This movie was Sam Peckinpah's provocative, brilliant, yet very controversial western -- an unrelenting tale of the savage American West. It was shocking, yet truly realistic! How well I remember my husband praising the action, while I sat there stunned. So, I guess my vision of the old west lays more in the "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" mode of thinking -- westerns with a little humor and a little milder, perkier type of gun play.
OUTLAW HEARTS may not be everyone, but it confirms that Ms. Bittner is a very talented author and I will read her again. Grade: B
Reviewer for: www.romancedesigns.com
Rating: 
Summary: Incredibly romantic!!!
Review: A Love-Conquers-All tale, set against the backdrop of a gold mining town and the Californian pastures. Miranda is willing to sacrifice all to follow the man she loves - Jake, the outlaw willing to reform himself and build a new life with Miranda. Theirs is a story of commitment, of strengths and passions, of outlaw hearts and redeeming virtues.
Rating:
Summary: Rollarcoaster ride of emotions...
Review: I have been a Bittner fan for about 11 years now. She always writes with such feeling and tenderness that you don't find in the romance writing genre. She brings characters to life, and spans wide ranges of emotions with them. This book is no different. It's a heartwrenching story of an outlaw who wants and needs to start his life over, and he does it with the help of one very determined woman, Miranda. Miranda lost her husband in the Civil War, and lost her father in a rebel raid on their ranch. She meets Jake (the outlaw) by accident. He is haunted by a terrible past that is tearing his life apart. Miranda makes him see he is good inside and loves him no matter what. This story takes us through the Midwest, the Oregon Trail, Nevada desert, the valleys of California, and the boomtowns of Colorado in a span of over 20 years. It shows the hardships they endure and the heartbreak of Jake being a notorious outlaw. I cried on parts and smiled on some too. My heart felt like it was on a rollarcoaster ride. The emotions this love story evokes is incredible. I would love to see this book on the Big screen. I am sure it would be a blockbuster. This is well worth the money and reading time. I will read this over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Rollarcoaster ride of emotions...
Review: I have been a Bittner fan for about 11 years now. She always writes with such feeling and tenderness that you don't find in the romance writing genre. She brings characters to life, and spans wide ranges of emotions with them. This book is no different. It's a heartwrenching story of an outlaw who wants and needs to start his life over, and he does it with the help of one very determined woman, Miranda. Miranda lost her husband in the Civil War, and lost her father in a rebel raid on their ranch. She meets Jake (the outlaw) by accident. He is haunted by a terrible past that is tearing his life apart. Miranda makes him see he is good inside and loves him no matter what. This story takes us through the Midwest, the Oregon Trail, Nevada desert, the valleys of California, and the boomtowns of Colorado in a span of over 20 years. It shows the hardships they endure and the heartbreak of Jake being a notorious outlaw. I cried on parts and smiled on some too. My heart felt like it was on a rollarcoaster ride. The emotions this love story evokes is incredible. I would love to see this book on the Big screen. I am sure it would be a blockbuster. This is well worth the money and reading time. I will read this over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: I wish the rating system went above 5*'s..........awesome bk
Review: I wish there was something to say that would do this book and author justice. Bittner is the western-civil war-frontier diva. No one does it better. Her characters are so real. They are filled with all of the emotions the human soul can have. This 500 pages held me in constant thrall. The uniqueness is the depth of the characters, especially jake. He is tormented and his despair leads him into a horrible and unhappy life. Enter Miranda, who is almost too good to be true. Although this is not about religion, the depth of her belief in Jake and her belief that God will indeed help him is inspiring. It's a story that brings real hope and an awareness that we are each responsibile for what we make of our lives. That we can bring about change and that forgiveness and love are the most important gifts we can be given..And that unless we intervene, mistakes will repeat themselves. If you only read one book a year.......make it this one........thank you Roseanne . You are a gifted, compassionate writer.
Rating:
Summary: I wish the rating system went above 5*'s..........awesome bk
Review: My sister and an Amazon friend (Ambrangel) suggested this book to me months and months ago. Honestly, I was a very hesitant in buying this book 'cuz of the Frontier/Western setting, plus R. Bittner is new to me. From time to time, I do enjoy these kinds of settings, however, I've always preferred England/Scotland locations. Since I was too stingy to buy this book, my sister decided to lend me her copy for trial. In the end, I bought a copy for my own collection and a bunch more of R. Bittner's work. What a stubborn dolt I am, huh? I should have listened sooner! I totally agree with the reviewer Ambrangel, from Attleboro, MA. This book is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. It's fast-phasing and filled with electrifying adventure. Lots of heart breaking circumstances yet oh so full of LOVE too. I have never read a book that's so tragic and yet so magical at the same time. The obstacles & sacrifices they've been through will ache your heart. Their faith and the power of their love will amaze you. Miranda and Jake's love for each other and their children will truly touch your heart and your soul. Indeed, OUTLAW HEARTS is unique! I've never read a book that spanned 20+ years of the hero/heroine's life story. From the time they've met, all the way to them being grandparents... No epilogue needed here! It's complete and utterly satisfying. Read this one (with tissue on hand, by the way) and you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: A Lifetime of True Love...
Review: My sister and an Amazon friend (Ambrangel) suggested this book to me months and months ago. Honestly, I was a very hesitant in buying this book 'cuz of the Frontier/Western setting, plus R. Bittner is new to me. From time to time, I do enjoy these kinds of settings, however, I've always preferred England/Scotland locations. Since I was too stingy to buy this book, my sister decided to lend me her copy for trial. In the end, I bought a copy for my own collection and a bunch more of R. Bittner's work. What a stubborn dolt I am, huh? I should have listened sooner! I totally agree with the reviewer Ambrangel, from Attleboro, MA. This book is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. It's fast-phasing and filled with electrifying adventure. Lots of heart breaking circumstances yet oh so full of LOVE too. I have never read a book that's so tragic and yet so magical at the same time. The obstacles & sacrifices they've been through will ache your heart. Their faith and the power of their love will amaze you. Miranda and Jake's love for each other and their children will truly touch your heart and your soul. Indeed, OUTLAW HEARTS is unique! I've never read a book that spanned 20+ years of the hero/heroine's life story. From the time they've met, all the way to them being grandparents... No epilogue needed here! It's complete and utterly satisfying. Read this one (with tissue on hand, by the way) and you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I have ever read, it's my absolute favorite!!!
Review: One of my favorites of Ms. Bittner, and I've read many I'm a die hard fan, this book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster through the years of these two wonderful characters. Ms. Bittner writes with a reality that you don't often find with historicals, and you feel not only that you've lived the lives of her characters but learned something about what life was like for people in those days. She is my favorite writer and I'm never disappointed when I pick up one of her books. Please don't stop writing Ms. Bittner, the historical romance genre can't afford to lose you!
Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss This One
Review: One of my favorites of Ms. Bittner, and I've read many I'm a die hard fan, this book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster through the years of these two wonderful characters. Ms. Bittner writes with a reality that you don't often find with historicals, and you feel not only that you've lived the lives of her characters but learned something about what life was like for people in those days. She is my favorite writer and I'm never disappointed when I pick up one of her books. Please don't stop writing Ms. Bittner, the historical romance genre can't afford to lose you!
Rating:
Summary: Best book I have ever read, it's my absolute favorite!!!
Review: Outlaw Hearts is my favorite book. I own a copy and have read it over and over throughout the years. The romance between the characters is so real I felt like knew them. I didn't want the book to end. This is a must read for all Roseanne Bittner fans.
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