The Last Honest Outlaw (Historical)

Rating:
Summary: amusing yet action-packed exciting western romance
Review: In 1878 Denver, Daily Chronicle reporter Rozalie Matthews wants to become an investigative journalist, but her father, owner of the newspaper, feels that is too dangerous for a lady. He prefers she covers social events and marry Lieutenant John Harper or return to her aristocratic mother in Pennsylvania.

Rozalie prefers none of her dad's options and has gone so far as interview three witnesses to the murder of Albert Thompson; each one claims that Elli McCain killed the man. Eli insists he is innocent and that a look alike must have killed Albert. Instead of heeding her father's admonitions, Rozalie continues to make inquiries that bring her to the attention of the desperate Eli, who decides she is his best chance of proving his innocence; neither he nor his champion expected to fall in love.

THE LAST HONEST OUTLAW is an amusing yet action-packed exciting western romance that readers will enjoy because of the desperation of Eli and the feisty independence of Rozalie, a chip off her dad's block to his chagrin. The story line moves at a fast pace, but clearly belongs to the lead couple and a fabulous support cast that enhance the duet. Carol Finch provides sub-genre fans with a fabulous Americana tale that grips the audience from the moment Rozalie defies her dad until the final effort to prove her beloved is not an outlaw.

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: The man she wanted was a wanted man!
Review: Roz Matthews knew what she wanted in life - she wanted to be her own woman, independent, and not tied down to a man she didn't love or want! She had seen how painful love could be as she watched her parents' marriage self-destruct, and she didn't want any part of it. She just wanted to be a spinster and become a journalist just like her father. When she's abducted by a man she believes murdered her best friend's father, her first instinct is to flee at her first opportunity - but she is soon convinced that Eli isn't a guilty man, and she wants to clear his name.

Eli McCain doesn't fit into any world - he's half white, part Mexican, and part Cheyenne. He's spent the last decade or so of his life wandering around from town to town, job to job, never putting down permanent roots. Once he realizes that someone in Denver is framing him for murder, and that Roz may be killed because she may have seen too much, he abducts her for her own good. As he travels with her towards his adoptive father's cabin, though, he can't help but feel forbidden feelings for her. He may love her, but he'll have to leave her.

I thought this book sounded good, and it did have its moments. I found myself laughing aloud a few times, and the first few chapters held my interest. But after the first few chapters, the first half of the book was primarily devoted towards Eli and Roz's lust for one another. Seriously, much of the interaction between Roz and Eli was Roz trying to convince Eli to sleep with her and Eli trying to convince himself and Roz that he shouldn't. Of course, you know what happens. After that was resolved, the next half of the book was dedicated to an overly complicated, long, drawn out, and silly (at times) hunt for who was setting up Eli for murder. Roz, for being portrayed as a smart character, could be dense, and the independent beauty we saw in the first few chapters became a rather submissive and subdued woman who couldn't function without Eli around. I didn't care for Roz in the slightest, Eli was okay.

I just expect more out of Ms. Finch than this. I've read books by her before, and I was always drawn to them, but this just seemed below her usual writing level. The book was so predictable and I really had to work hard to finish this one. Hopefully her next book will be better.

Rating:
Summary: Great Action-Packed Read
Review: The review below gave a great description of the story. Let me add that I throughly enjoyed the story and once started I couldn't put it down. I love the characters in this book. Roz is fiesty and independent and not interested in marriage at all but wants to be a journalist. Her father is trying to marry her off and in frustration she takes off on her horse to go and think. She is hiding near a bridge when she hears voices then 3 shots, then sees two bodies fall in the river who look like the wanted man that killed her friend's father. One is floating down the river and one made it to shore. Believing the man on shore to be dead she goes for a closer look. All of a sudden (Eli) reaches out and grabs her and puts a hand over her mouth. She goes with him out of fear and believes him to be a wanted murder. As they travel together and she cares for his wounds (he was shot in the leg and a graze on the head) and they talk... she begins to doubt the validity of her thoughts that he is a cold blooded killer. He thinks she is sassy and independent but he respects her because of it. She begins to really feel drawn to him because of his inner strength and the fact that he likes her for who she is not because she has money or society connections. She nurses him back to health and lays out a plan to clear his name. It is this whole plan in which many mysteries come to light. Although they are each feeling drawn to each other he really feels that once his name is cleared he must leave her. He thinks that because he is a half-breed and not from society that she will be subject to gossip which he doesn't want to do to her. What will he decide???????

If you like action, humor, mystery and a happy ending then you will love this book. I thought it was a great read. I recommend it.