Dusty Britches

Dusty Britches
Marcia Lynn McClure; Distractions Ink 2001

Summary:“…Dusty’s heart panged a twinge with she saw the bullwhip strapped to the saddle of one of the horses tied to the corral fence. “Why today?” she wondered. Why was her memory tarrying on a young cowhand from five years ago? 

…Well…now,” a deep, masculine voice said from behind her, “if it ain’t Miss Dusty Britches!” 

Dusty felt the color drain from her face…felt the blood seem to drain from the rest of her body and puddle in her feet. She was dizzy and nauseated all at once. 

…There was only one person on the whole of the earth who ever called her Dusty Britches, and that was the cowboy who gave her the nickname in the first place. ...Dusty slowly turned around to see standing before her a man whose eyes were those belonging to a boy she’d once known—a boy who had grown into a man.” 

Angelina Hunter was seriously minded, and it was a good thing. Her father’s ranch needed a woman who could endure the strenuous work of ranch life. Since her mother’s death, Angelina had been that woman. She had no time for frivolity; no time for a less severe side of life. Not when there was so much to be done—hired hands to feed, a widower father to care for and an often ridiculously lighted-hearted younger sister to worry about. No. Angelina Hunter had no time for the things most young women her age enjoyed.

And yet, Angelina had not always been so hardened. There had been a time when she boasted a fun, flirtatious nature even more delightful than her sister Becca’s—a time when her imagination soared with adventurous, romantic dreams. But that all ended years before at the hand of one man. Her heart turned to stone…safely becoming void of any emotion save impatience and indifference.

Until the day her dreams returned, the day the very maker of her broken heart rode back into her life. As the dust settled from the cattle drive which brought him back, would Angelina’s heart be softened? Would she learn to hope again? Would her long-lost dreams become a blessed reality?

My Review: This is one of my favorites by Marcia Lynn McClure. With Valentines Day approaching, I felt the need to read some of my favorite romances. Dusty Britches is a refreshing novel and a tender romance. It is definitely an old western love story. I think that is why I like it so much. Cowboys, rolling in the hay, cattle,  wagon rides, and a bit of sparkin'.

 I think out of all the characters in her books, I relate the most to Angelina. She is suffering  from a broken heart and because of her broken heart she has become stern and hard.  Deep down she knows she can be happy and care free like her sister, but that would mean she would have to open her heart again and risk it being hurt again. As the book goes on, you can see her come out of that hole, and open up. I seem to be in the same type of situation. Where you are at a cross road. Deciding whether or not to open up your heart again or stay the same and not get hurt again. 

Ryder is a beast of a man. I am going to name one of my future children after him. He seems to be so patient with Angelina and helps her tear down the walls she has built. And his kissing abilities could make any woman swoon.

Overall I quite enjoyed this book and have read it many times. Hopefully you will like it too!

Watch Out For: Fighting, Kissing, some violence, and mild cussing.

Untethered

By Marcia Lynn McClure; Distractions Ink 2012

Summary: As Cricket lay in the soft comfort of her bed, continuing to let her mind nest on thoughts of how truly wonderfully attractive Texas Ranger Thibodaux was, she giggled, thinking that looking at him was more refreshing than swimming naked on a summer Sunday afternoon. He was a tall drink of water—far taller than most of the other men in town—and his shoulders were as broad as the state of Texas itself. Sky-blue eyes, bronze skin, square jaw, and dark hair—and that smile! In truth, Cricket had only seen Heathro Thibodaux smile three or four times, but each incidence was something she’d never forget. His smile was bright and white, and the gold tooth he owned on the upper-right incisor of his smile only embellished the richness of it.

That one tooth. Cricket’s smile faded as she thought of it. Oh, no doubt the flash only added to the splendor of his smile. Yet it also served as a reminder to anyone who had ever read or heard of what had happened in Texas one year before. No doubt it was a powerful remembrance to Heathro Thibodaux himself—a visual indication of true barbarity, pain, and loss. 

In that moment, Cricket wondered—when Heathro looked in the mirror each morning and saw that tooth, did he think of eight dead girls buried in the bottom of a bleak and barren canyon? Did he think of the eight dead girls that he, for no fault of his own, had been unable to save?

My Review:  Right on Marcia! Right on! I don't know how she does it every time, but she can just set my little heart a fluttering with giddiness. Love her and loved this book. This has made it to my top five favorites of Marcia Lynn McClure books. 

First of all the main character Cricket was such a lovable character. She was a do-gooder with a kind heart. Her love for people and her bravery was a  great  example to all. Especially me. 

Now to Heathro! What a delightful man. Good heavens, he was  such a beast. He knew how to treat a woman and be a man. He was one of my favorite male characters. He was strong and fought for what he wanted.

I thought this was one of Marcia's best. It didn't feel like the same ole Marcia. It was better. Trust me Marcia Fans, you will want to read this one!

Watch Out For: fighting, kidnapping, and  passionate kissing scenes

Bloody Jack

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy

By L.A. Meyer; Harcourt 2004

Summary: Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas.
There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life--if only she doesn't get caught. . . .

My Review:   Jacky Faber (Mary) is a spunky girl with a sense of adventure. In her debut Bloody Jack  we can see her spirit and her sense of adventure. She is a fighter and survivor! Jacky Faber is girl involved in a man’s world.  O how I love her. She truly grows in the series and she deals with so much. This whole series is great! If you love pirates and adventure you will love this book and series. L.A. Meyers draws you into a historical fun adventure. I really enjoyed it!

Watch Out for: Pirates, death, mentioning’s of women’s periods, violence, beatings, attempted rape, and some fighting. 

Bright Young Things

Bright Young Things
By Anna Godberson; HarperCollins 2010

Summary: The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the roaring twenties. Letty Larkspur and Codelia Grey have escaped their small Midwestern town to chase their big city dreams. In New York, they meet Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have everything she could ever want.Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls’ fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart.

My Review: Anna Godberson is one of my favorite authors. She has a way of drawing you into a time period full of excitement, romance, and adventure. She is accurate with details and descriptions about the time era. Her characters are relate able  and you find yourself becoming attached to them. I am not that big of a fan of the story line in this novel. I prefer The Luxes Series over Bright Young Things. I am a romantic and this one wasn't as romantic as the other series. It was mostly about the two girls struggling and getting what they wanted. I bet most people will generally like this book, but I thought it was an ok book. I can guarantee I will read the others coming out in this series, just cause I want to know what happens, but overall the first book is just ok. I really hope the series gets better and there will be more drama. 

Watch Out For: Scandal, Drama, Murder, Mild Violence, Sexual content, Murder.

The Bronze Bow

The Bronze Bow
By Elizabeth George Speare; Houghton Mifflin Company 1961

Summary: Daniel is a young Jew who has an intense hatred for the Romans. He lives with in an outlaw band in the hills where he works as a blacksmith and as a freedom fighter. When his grandmother dies, he must move to the village to take care of his sister, who hasn’t left the house since their parents died. While living in the village, he works as a blacksmith and secretly starts to recruit members for an uprising against the Romans. He finds the friendship of Joel and Malthace, twins, who make a vow to live and die for God’s Victory. There is miracle worker named Jesus who speaks and helps many people in the villages and Daniel wonders if this teacher may be the leader who will help him in his vengeance.

My Review:
WOW! This is such a well done book. It is in no way a
difficult read. It flows nicely and keeps you on your toes as you follow the life of this incredible boy named Daniel. Daniel is quite serious and determined to continually try to seek vengeance against the Romans. I felt so sorry for him most of the time because he was so full of hate.

Hate Vs. Love is a strong theme in this book. Daniel struggles between the two throughout this entire book.
Now the title of this book plays a part in the story. The bronze bow is a password that Daniel and his gang use to communicate. It is taken from a psalm of David. Hate can try to bend a bow of bronze, but the question is can love do the same thing? (Guess you’ll have to find out!)

The only thing I struggled with was the ending. I felt that it was rushed and it wasn’t the ending I expected at all! I was kind of hoping that there would be more to the story. But alas, it was an appropriate ending I guess. You decide for yourself if you like it or not.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book for all ages. It truly is an excellent read and the story is amazing!

Things To Watch Out For: Revenge, death, killings, religious, mentioning’s of demons, vows, a little racism, romantic tension, Hate, etc…