MAVERICK WILD
ISBN: 978-0-373-29480-0
Harlequin Historical
Stacey Kayne
Cora
Mae Tindale was looking for sanctuary from her conniving mother and
where better to find it than at her stepbrothers' ranch, even if she
hadn't seen them for twenty years. Though she'd only known Chance
and Tucker Morgan for two years before they left when she was nine,
those two years were the best of her life. When she first spies
Chance covered in mud and angry as a grizzly bear, she's set to
reconsider her memories and her plan. Chance
can't believe his eyes when they light on the curvy, auburn beauty
witness to his tousle with a neighboring ranch foreman in the middle
of town. But when he finds out it's his stepsister Cora Mae come for
a visit, he can't believe his ears either. She's hiding something
and he's sure it has to do with her mother who made life hell for
two twelve year olds too many years ago to count. Guilty from having
left her behind in the hands of her despicable mama, he is too wary
of what sweet Cora may have become to trust she hasn't arrived with
ulterior motives. She'd never been able to lie to him before and she
wasn't doing a good job of it now. Cora
starts to feel like part of the family as she pitches in and helps
Skylar and Tucker with the children. Even Skylar's younger brother,
Garret, has a crush on her. But it's Chance that concerns Cora, both
his wariness and her unwelcome attraction to the man who as a boy
had always been her protector. Tension
mounts as Chance makes it clear he is unsettled by her presence. His
attraction to her is getting more and more undeniable and the fact
she's keeping him at a distance and has made it clear she has no
interest in marriage with anyone, least of all him, has made it
harder, not easier to keep his hands off of her. When he finally
discovers the reasons why, it may be too late to save her or his
heart. Chance's
edgy, dark stoicism combines with a longing for love he'd never
admit to make a complex and compelling hero. Cora is filled with a
quiet strength and a determination to make her own way that chafes
at Chance because he's expecting just the opposite-a dependent,
manipulative female like her mother. Second
in the series, Maverick Wild is a romantic, sexy story with just the
right amount of grit to please western romance fans. Stacey Kayne
has a knack for creating multi-dimensional characters and
intriguing, fast-paced plots that keep you turning those pages. This
was one of those books I couldn't put down and never wanted to
end-with several nights of reading well into the morning to prove
it. With Maverick Wild, Kayne demonstrates she's a western romance
writer with staying power and stamina, just like the characters she
writes about. Definitely a keeper that I've already enjoyed a second
time! |
