Texas Glory

Rating:
Summary: A CLIFFHANGER ENDING MAKES IT UNIQUE
Review: I'VE ENJOYED PREVIOUS BARBIERI BOOKS AND WHILE THIS ONE ISN'T PACKED WITH TRAFFIC STOPPING SURPRISES IT DOES HAVE A SPECIAL TWIST TO IT THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE."TEXAS STAR" (THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS POST CIVIL WAR ERA TRILOGY) IS THE NAME OF THE HUGE SPREAD OWNED BY AGING, WOMANIZER BUCK STAR. WHEN HIS WIFE DIES AND HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER, BONNIE, IS KILLED, BUCK HAS A FALLING OUT WITH HIS 2 SONS, CAL AND TAYLOR. CAL LEAVES THE RANCH FOR PARTS UNKNOWN AND TAYLOR IS PUT IN A BOARDING SCHOOL BACK EAST BY HIS CONNIVING STEPMOTHER.IN "TEXAS STAR" CAL GETS A CRYPTIC NOTE: "HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN BONNIE? IT'S TIME TO GO HOME." AND HE DOES ALTHOUGH HIS DAD HAS DISOWNED HIM. THIS 2ND BOOK, "TEXAS GLORY" VEERS OFF A BIT. BUCK'S ILLEGITIMATE DAUGHTER, HONOR, HEADS TO THE TEXAS STAR LOOKING FOR VENGEANCE AGAINST THE FATHER WHO DOESN'T KNOW OR CARE THAT SHE EXISTS. HONOR CAN LOOK OUT FOR HERSELF AND DOESN'T SUFFER FOOLS GLADLY, MUCH LIKE HER FATHER. SHE'S AS GOOD WITH A GUN AS SHE IS IN A KITCHEN! UNFORTUNATELY, HER PLAN STALLS WHEN SHE SEES THIS ILL AND FRAIL MAN UNDER THE EVIL THUMB OF HIS YOUNG CONNIVING WIFE. EVEN WITH ALL THE PAIN HER PAST HAS PUT HER THROUGH, THE TOUGH GAL WITH THE SOFT HEART CAN'T CARRY OUT HER PLAN. COINCIDENTALLY THE ONCE LUCRATIVE TEXAS STAR RANCH IS STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE. (BUCK'S WIFE AND HER VOODOO NANNY FROM NEW O'LEANS ARE POISONING BUCK AND SABOTAGING HIS RANCH.) ENTER THE NEW COWHAND, JACE WHO IS ALSO TORMENTED BY HIS PAST BUT IS INSTINCTIVELY DRAWN TO PROTECT HONOR. BUT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO KILL JACE AND HONOR'S RIGHT IN THEIR PATH! THE PLOTS ARE SEPARATE BUT BARBIERI GETS THEM TO INTERTWINE NICELY. IT IS AN EASY READ AND YOU KEEP HOPING THAT BUCK, DESPITE HIS LESS THAN ADMIRABLE PAST, WILL FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON. THE CHARACTERS ARE VERY REAL AND THE DIALOGUE IS NATURAL AND WITTY. HONOR AND JACE OVERCOME THEIR PASTS TO FALL IN LOVE, AND THE BAD GUYS WHO ARE AFTER JACE GET CAUGHT BUT THE STORY ENDS WITH LOTS OF LOOSE ENDS!! WHERE IS THE SECOND SON, TAYLOR? WILL BUCK FIND OUT ABOUT HIS WIFE'S ATTEMPTS TO POISON HIM AND INHERIT HIS RANCH? WILL CAL AND HONOR BE ACCEPTED AS BUCK'S CHILDREN? AND WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR BONNIE'S DEATH? I USUALLY DON'T READ THE 'TEASERS' ABOUT THE NEXT BOOK, BUT HAD TO WITH THIS ONE. IT SEEMS THAT MISSING SON TAYLOR, A PINKERTON AGENT, GETS A WIRE THAT SAYS : "HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN BONNIE? IT'S TIME TO GO HOME?"....

Rating:
Summary: enjoyable historical romance
Review: In 1869 with the death of her beloved mother, Honor Gannon decides it is time to confront her biological womanizing father for ruining her mom and ignoring her. She travels to Logan, Texas where instead of finding a virile aging Lotharios, she meets an ailing Buck and his wife.

Even worse than her sympathy towards her dad, Honor is attracted to his new hand Jace Rule. As she obtains work at the Texas Star, she vows not to allow passion or love to cause her the heartache that her mother suffered through when Buck chose to stay with his spouse. However, Jace is quite persistent that Honor will be his.

The middle book in the Texas Star trilogy is an enjoyable historical romance starring two magnificent lead protagonists and a fine support cast starting with the ailing Buck. The story line is fun to follow as Jace has his work cut out for him to persuade his beloved that his intentions are honorable as she fears being a chip off the old block. Though less dark and with no major conflict unlike the first tale, TEXAS STAR, Elaine Barbieri provides a solid story built around whether Honor will stay or not with Jace.

Harriet Klausner