No Place for a Lady (Zebra Historical Romance)

Rating:
Summary: Judge this book by its cover!
Review: First off, I have to say this book has one of the nicest romance novel covers I've ever seen. The picturesque setting of a farmhouse in a tranquil valley in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains invites the prospective reader to pick up the book in order to ascertain if what's inside can possibly live up to the beautiful cover. I'm pleased to report it does. In spades.

Molly Riordan has come to America as a maid accompanying Lady Elizabeth Summersby who is with child and has been brought to America to marry the child's father, Dirk Ballinger, in Colorado. Molly also sees this as an opportunity to find her father, Niall Riordan, who had left Ireland for America years previously. The stage carrying Lady Elizabeth and Molly to their destination is held-up by outlaws and when it is found that Lady Elizabeth is to marry Dirk Ballinger, Lady Elizabeth is taken hostage.

Meanwhile Dirk Ballinger comes to the rescue just in time to hear the mortally wounded stage driver say that Molly is Lady Elizabeth. Molly figures he must just be confused. Dirk thinks Molly is the one is confused and believes her to be Lady Elizabeth, the woman who his half-brother, outlaw Ray Lovejoy, got in a compromising position when he was in England masquerading as Dirk. Dirk is ready to do the right thing and marry Lady Elizabeth in Ray's stead to give the child the Ballinger name. Dirk is also convinced that it's Lovejoy and his men who have taken Lady Elizabeth.

After some convincing Molly is eventually able to convince Dirk that she is not Lady Elizabeth. But in order to help him find Ray Lovejoy and his gang, he asks her not to reveal her identity to anyone for the time being and she agrees. He embarks on a journey into the mountains to save Lady Elizabeth and Molly when she hears that he is going towards the town of Serendipity, Molly pleads with him to let her accompanying him as this was the town her father was last known to be. On the trip into the mountains Dirk and Molly cannot deny their attraction for one another even though they know he must marry another.

Ray, it appears is pretty much a reluctant outlaw and readers eventually see his softer, more human side. But no so for "Desperado" an outlaw who accompanied Dirk and his gang in the stage hold-up and who has more sinister motives.

Deb Stover has gifted readers with a fabulous story full of sexual tension, passion, and poignancy. Her secondary characters are as real and fully developed as the main characters and it is wonderful to see several additional romances emerge.

Particularly touching is the romance between Lance, the son of Dirk's housekeeper, and Elena, the daughter of his cook. For Lance, although a bit "slow" is a high-functioning young man afflicted with what we know today to be Down Syndrome. Their relationship is sure to put a smile the face of readers.

At a time when many have heard cries that the western historical romance is dead, Deb Stover has given us a story that certainly proves this is not the case. This is one of the best western historicals I have read in a very long time. I enjoyed everything about this book from the setting to the characters to the love scenes. The plot moves along in such a way revealing secrets just a bit at a time in order to keep the reader turning pages to find out what the characters' reaction is going to be to certain secrets already revealed to the reader.

Put quite simply, this is an outstanding read, one that happened to get this reviewer out of her reading slump. Brava Ms. Stover. Long live the western historical romance!

Rating:
Summary: Judge this book by its cover!
Review: First off, I have to say this book has one of the nicest romance novel covers I've ever seen. The picturesque setting of a farmhouse in a tranquil valley in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains invites the prospective reader to pick up the book in order to ascertain if what's inside can possibly live up to the beautiful cover. I'm pleased to report it does. In spades.

Molly Riordan has come to America as a maid accompanying Lady Elizabeth Summersby who is with child and has been brought to America to marry the child's father, Dirk Ballinger, in Colorado. Molly also sees this as an opportunity to find her father, Niall Riordan, who had left Ireland for America years previously. The stage carrying Lady Elizabeth and Molly to their destination is held-up by outlaws and when it is found that Lady Elizabeth is to marry Dirk Ballinger, Lady Elizabeth is taken hostage.

Meanwhile Dirk Ballinger comes to the rescue just in time to hear the mortally wounded stage driver say that Molly is Lady Elizabeth. Molly figures he must just be confused. Dirk thinks Molly is the one is confused and believes her to be Lady Elizabeth, the woman who his half-brother, outlaw Ray Lovejoy, got in a compromising position when he was in England masquerading as Dirk. Dirk is ready to do the right thing and marry Lady Elizabeth in Ray's stead to give the child the Ballinger name. Dirk is also convinced that it's Lovejoy and his men who have taken Lady Elizabeth.

After some convincing Molly is eventually able to convince Dirk that she is not Lady Elizabeth. But in order to help him find Ray Lovejoy and his gang, he asks her not to reveal her identity to anyone for the time being and she agrees. He embarks on a journey into the mountains to save Lady Elizabeth and Molly when she hears that he is going towards the town of Serendipity, Molly pleads with him to let her accompanying him as this was the town her father was last known to be. On the trip into the mountains Dirk and Molly cannot deny their attraction for one another even though they know he must marry another.

Ray, it appears is pretty much a reluctant outlaw and readers eventually see his softer, more human side. But no so for "Desperado" an outlaw who accompanied Dirk and his gang in the stage hold-up and who has more sinister motives.

Deb Stover has gifted readers with a fabulous story full of sexual tension, passion, and poignancy. Her secondary characters are as real and fully developed as the main characters and it is wonderful to see several additional romances emerge.

Particularly touching is the romance between Lance, the son of Dirk's housekeeper, and Elena, the daughter of his cook. For Lance, although a bit "slow" is a high-functioning young man afflicted with what we know today to be Down Syndrome. Their relationship is sure to put a smile the face of readers.

At a time when many have heard cries that the western historical romance is dead, Deb Stover has given us a story that certainly proves this is not the case. This is one of the best western historicals I have read in a very long time. I enjoyed everything about this book from the setting to the characters to the love scenes. The plot moves along in such a way revealing secrets just a bit at a time in order to keep the reader turning pages to find out what the characters' reaction is going to be to certain secrets already revealed to the reader.

Put quite simply, this is an outstanding read, one that happened to get this reviewer out of her reading slump. Brava Ms. Stover. Long live the western historical romance!

Rating:
Summary: Story for a Cold Winter's Night
Review: If the weather outside is frightful, grab a copy of NO PLACE FOR A LADY and curl up near the fireplace for an evening of reading bound to take your mind off the double-digit negative wind chill factor.

Molly Riordan's employer, Lady Elizabeth Summersby is in a bind. Literally, her clothes are getting tight and reason for this will make itself known in about 7 or so months. Seems Lady Elizabeth had a brief lapse of descretion at a masked ball and now must face the prospect of traveling to America to wed her partner in imprudence. She insists on taking Molly with her, a decision Molly rejoices in when she discovers that Lady Elizabeth is to travel to the region Molly's father fled to years earlier in hopes of making his fortune.

Our travelers encounter problems and setbacks, compounded by the fact that upon reaching their destination, they are set upon by murderous bandits. The stagehand, mortally wounded, intentionally misrepresents Molly as Lady Elizabeth and thus begins an adventure to unravel the mystery surrounding the two women.

There are several simultaneous misunderstandings, but the biggest is in regards to Molly's real identity which, when all is revealed, sounded completely plausible to me. In the cast of secondary characters, Lady Elizabeth and Ray Lovejoy are the most enjoyable and the hero's brother, Lance (afflicted with Down Syndrome), is lovingly portrayed.

I closed the book with a good feeling; it was definitely not a waste of time to have read it. It is the first book by this author that I've read, but it won't be the last.

Rating:
Summary: Great storytelling
Review: In 1888 London, Lady Elizabeth Summersby learns that it takes only one indiscretion to become pregnant. Her one night stand lover Dirk Ballinger had returned to his ranch in America when Elizabeth's father sends him a letter informing him that he impregnated his daughter and expects the honorable action of marriage. Though it was not Dirk who went to London, he knows he must marry because his nefarious outlaw relative impersonated him in England.

When a gang holds up the coach containing Elizabeth and her maid Molly Riordan, they take the lady as a hostage. Dirk finds an injured Molly and thinks she is his betrothed. He rejects her explanations and marries her. They begin to fall in love, but how can she persuade him to help her find her Irish émigré father and the missing Elizabeth while he must convince her he was not the rascal in London.

NO PLACE FOR A LADY is an amusing, exhilarating western romance that engages the audience from start to finish due to the strong cast. Readers will enjoy the battle of wits between the genders as love blossoms amidst the lead couple and a secondary duet. Deb Stover provides her usual delicious tale that Americana romance readers will conclude is a delightful treasure.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Western Historical
Review: In 1888, Lady Elizabeth Summersby leaves London to travel to Colorado where she is to wed Dirk Ballinger, the father of her unborn child. Though they only met once at a London ball months ago, Dirk agreed by letter to marry Elizabeth upon her arrival at his ranch. But the stage on which Lady Elizabeth is traveling with her maid, Molly Riordan, is held up, and Ray Lovejoy, half-brother to Dirk, kidnaps the pregnant lady.

Thinking that Molly is a disoriented Lady Elizabeth, Dirk marries her after he discovers her at the site of the abandoned coach. When he discovers her true identity, they are already wed, and they are forced to keep her identity a secret as together they search for the kidnapped Lady Elizabeth.

With the magnificent setting of the Rocky Mountains around them, love evolves between Molly and Dirk, even as his previous promise to Lady Elizabeth threatens to keep them apart. And along with the romance are several elements of intrigue: Will Molly find her father? Just who is the true father of Elizabeth's child? And where did housekeeper Ida and rancher Clyde meet before Ida came to Ballingers' ranch?

Warm, tender romance with just the right amount of tension makes this a read to be savored. Molly Riordan's Irish wit and stubbornness make her a heroine to be proud of; as she risks her heart to be with the man she loves. And Lady Elizabeth, as a supporting character, is colorful in her own right, as she is forced to swallow some of her arrogance to become the woman of her destiny. Readers will want to keep watch of this rising star of historical romance.

Rating:
Summary: A must read -- Very highly recommended
Review: Molly gave up the green isle of Ireland years ago to become a lady's maid when fate intervened in her dreams. In service to a selfish, spoiled woman, Molly endures careless abuse at the hand of her lady. But fate intervenes again when Lady Elizabeth becomes pregnant as the result of a tryst in a carriage with a mysterious man with strikingly green eyes. Now she will forsake the glitter of London to become a rancher's wife in the wilds of Colorado. Molly holds her own dreams of Colorado, the land where her father disappeared many years ago.

The journey is uneventful until the final leg when highwaymen overtake their carriage. The Lovejoy Gang robs them, and murder several witnesses, including the driver who dies in Molly's arms. Lady Elizabeth is kidnapped by Lovejoy to be held for ransom. Molly doesn't know the driver Slim is actually her father, and his well-meaning aid results in great confusion. As she lays wounded nearby, Molly and Lady Elizabeth's identities are reversed. With a concussion and dosed with laudanum, it takes a while to correct the mistake, by which time she's married to Dirk Ballinger, Lady Elizabeth's betrothed.

The high mountains and passes of Colorado are NO PLACE FOR A LADY in Deb Stover's latest achievement. Webs of deception and delightful conundrums result in a passionate romance with marvelous depth. The secondary plots weave a complexity that reflects and strengthens the main plot with powerful characterizations and startling details. Indeed, Stover is a writer of graceful imagination and intense passion, creating masterful work romance lovers will find enchanting. Sexy and irresistible, NO PLACE FOR A LADY comes very highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best!
Review: Set out west in the late nineteenth century, Molly Riordan accompanies her employer, Lady Elizabeth Summersby, to meet her husband-to-be, Dirk Ballinger. Lady Elizabeth is eight months pregnant following a tryst in a carriage with a masked man claiming to be Dirk. When Lady Elizabeth's father writes to Dirk about his daughters condition, Dirk offers to marry her to prevent another illegitimate Ballinger from being born. Lady Elizabeth and Molly are not aware that the father of the baby is Dirk's illegitimate half-brother, Ray Lovejoy. The Lovejoy gang ambushes the carriage in which Lady Elizabeth and Molly are traveling. The driver and the other passenger are killed, and Lady Elizabeth is kidnapped. Molly survives but she is unconscious when Dirk arrives at the scene. Mistaking Molly for Lady Elizabeth, Dirk weds her when she is unconscious. After Molly recovers, she and Dirk agree to continue masquerading as husband and wife while searching for the real Lady Elizabeth. The story also follows the dealings of Ray Lovejoy, the housekeeper and her endearing son (who has down's syndrome), an old wrangler on the Ballinger family ranch, and Molly's search for her father.
This is one of the best novels I have read in a long time. What an enjoyable read! The action is not hard to follow and is broken down in a way that all the story lines are resolved together in the end. The number of long-lost relatives is improbable, but provides for a satisfying, though far-fetched, conclusion. 5/5.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best!
Review: Set out west in the late nineteenth century, Molly Riordan accompanies her employer, Lady Elizabeth Summersby, to meet her husband-to-be, Dirk Ballinger. Lady Elizabeth is eight months pregnant following a tryst in a carriage with a masked man claiming to be Dirk. When Lady Elizabeth's father writes to Dirk about his daughters condition, Dirk offers to marry her to prevent another illegitimate Ballinger from being born. Lady Elizabeth and Molly are not aware that the father of the baby is Dirk's illegitimate half-brother, Ray Lovejoy. The Lovejoy gang ambushes the carriage in which Lady Elizabeth and Molly are traveling. The driver and the other passenger are killed, and Lady Elizabeth is kidnapped. Molly survives but she is unconscious when Dirk arrives at the scene. Mistaking Molly for Lady Elizabeth, Dirk weds her when she is unconscious. After Molly recovers, she and Dirk agree to continue masquerading as husband and wife while searching for the real Lady Elizabeth. The story also follows the dealings of Ray Lovejoy, the housekeeper and her endearing son (who has down's syndrome), an old wrangler on the Ballinger family ranch, and Molly's search for her father.
This is one of the best novels I have read in a long time. What an enjoyable read! The action is not hard to follow and is broken down in a way that all the story lines are resolved together in the end. The number of long-lost relatives is improbable, but provides for a satisfying, though far-fetched, conclusion. 5/5.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific read
Review: With its wonderful characters, interwoven storylines, and sizzling sexual tension, Deb Stover's NO PLACE FOR A LADY is a thoroughly satisfying read.