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kbranfield's review
3.0
3.5 stars. Emma Lang’s newest release Circle Eight: Caleb is a fast-paced and action filled historical romance. Please click HERE to read my review in its entirety.
lisajo85's review
4.0
CALEB, the third installment in Emma Lang's Circle Eight series is a sexy western romance! Together, this large family of characters makes for an entertaining journey of love, danger and adventure in the Wild West!
Texas Ranger Caleb Graham has spent the last four years serving his government. He lives an isolated life, involving danger at every turn, which is exactly what he wants. His next assignment involves removing the blacksmith Rory Foster off government-owned property. Anticipating a challenge with little difficulty, he's shocked when he meets the blacksmith—Mrs. Aurora Foster.
Recently widowed, Aurora will do anything to keep Texas from taking away her parents' property. Since her husband died, this land and her job are the only things she has left to claim. If she has to fight a Texas Ranger to keep it, she will. Unfortunately, she is inadvertently injured in the midst of their disagreement and Caleb immediately seeks help to save her. Yet another shock is waiting for Caleb when they reach the neighboring ranch. Forced to flee the place that saved Aurora's life, they are now on the run from an evil and vengeful man. Along the way, the two grow closer than they ever expected to and realize home may have a whole new meaning for them both.
Ms Lang creates an absolutely fantastic pair with Aurora and Caleb. After reading the first two installments of this series, you realize what a kind and strong man Caleb is, but how stubborn and obnoxious he can be too. Who better to pair with him than the spitfire lady blacksmith with guts and strength? These two went toe-to-toe plenty of times and it clearly demonstrated their fabulous chemistry. It was hard not to love their banter that demonstrated that they were such strong, yet compatible characters. As the book moved on, it was interesting to see how their relationship showed their vulnerabilities and demonstrated their emotional and sensitive sides.
After arriving at book three in the Circle Eight series, I am falling hopelessly in love with the Graham family. This family is made of strong, unique individuals and together they are a force to be reckoned with. As with most large families, each member adds great character and a different dynamic to the mix. Of course I love the sexy cowboys, strong heroines and the romance, but I adore this family just as much. They become even more endearing with each installment of the Circle Eight series. Each novel can be read as a standalone, but I encourage anyone and everyone to read every installment just because they are great novels and sexy love stories. They all have their own unique brand of craziness that is just enjoyable to read.
CALEB is not as steamy as Ms Lang's previous novels, but manages to still pack a punch. The story line moves fairly quickly and really doesn't allow for much intimacy but even so, the novel doesn't lack for anything a fan of Emma Lang or Beth Williamson has come to expect. There are still plenty of toe-curling moments to leave readers panting. There are also a few shocking twists in this novel that affect everyone in the family and add plenty of emotional drama. The villain of this novel plays a major part, but is rather more of a shadowed threat than physical presence until the very end. It worked well for Caleb's story because it allowed ample time to strengthen the romance between the two protagonists.
As always, I am left pleasantly satisfied after reading another superb Emma Lang novel. CALEB is a great western romance with a sultry cowboy and a fierce heroine that take you on one wild adventure. Readers must be prepare to fall in love not only with a great hero and heroine, but a family that cleverly welcomes you into their lives and welcomes you home. Ms Lang's latest installment in the Circle Eight series, CALEB is a fantastically fun ride from the first page to the last. Buckle up and prepare yourself for a novel with a great cast of characters, witty dialogue and a passionate romance. You will certainly be happy you took the time to get to know this crazy, wonderful family.
Lisa Jo @ The Romance Reviews
Texas Ranger Caleb Graham has spent the last four years serving his government. He lives an isolated life, involving danger at every turn, which is exactly what he wants. His next assignment involves removing the blacksmith Rory Foster off government-owned property. Anticipating a challenge with little difficulty, he's shocked when he meets the blacksmith—Mrs. Aurora Foster.
Recently widowed, Aurora will do anything to keep Texas from taking away her parents' property. Since her husband died, this land and her job are the only things she has left to claim. If she has to fight a Texas Ranger to keep it, she will. Unfortunately, she is inadvertently injured in the midst of their disagreement and Caleb immediately seeks help to save her. Yet another shock is waiting for Caleb when they reach the neighboring ranch. Forced to flee the place that saved Aurora's life, they are now on the run from an evil and vengeful man. Along the way, the two grow closer than they ever expected to and realize home may have a whole new meaning for them both.
Ms Lang creates an absolutely fantastic pair with Aurora and Caleb. After reading the first two installments of this series, you realize what a kind and strong man Caleb is, but how stubborn and obnoxious he can be too. Who better to pair with him than the spitfire lady blacksmith with guts and strength? These two went toe-to-toe plenty of times and it clearly demonstrated their fabulous chemistry. It was hard not to love their banter that demonstrated that they were such strong, yet compatible characters. As the book moved on, it was interesting to see how their relationship showed their vulnerabilities and demonstrated their emotional and sensitive sides.
After arriving at book three in the Circle Eight series, I am falling hopelessly in love with the Graham family. This family is made of strong, unique individuals and together they are a force to be reckoned with. As with most large families, each member adds great character and a different dynamic to the mix. Of course I love the sexy cowboys, strong heroines and the romance, but I adore this family just as much. They become even more endearing with each installment of the Circle Eight series. Each novel can be read as a standalone, but I encourage anyone and everyone to read every installment just because they are great novels and sexy love stories. They all have their own unique brand of craziness that is just enjoyable to read.
CALEB is not as steamy as Ms Lang's previous novels, but manages to still pack a punch. The story line moves fairly quickly and really doesn't allow for much intimacy but even so, the novel doesn't lack for anything a fan of Emma Lang or Beth Williamson has come to expect. There are still plenty of toe-curling moments to leave readers panting. There are also a few shocking twists in this novel that affect everyone in the family and add plenty of emotional drama. The villain of this novel plays a major part, but is rather more of a shadowed threat than physical presence until the very end. It worked well for Caleb's story because it allowed ample time to strengthen the romance between the two protagonists.
As always, I am left pleasantly satisfied after reading another superb Emma Lang novel. CALEB is a great western romance with a sultry cowboy and a fierce heroine that take you on one wild adventure. Readers must be prepare to fall in love not only with a great hero and heroine, but a family that cleverly welcomes you into their lives and welcomes you home. Ms Lang's latest installment in the Circle Eight series, CALEB is a fantastically fun ride from the first page to the last. Buckle up and prepare yourself for a novel with a great cast of characters, witty dialogue and a passionate romance. You will certainly be happy you took the time to get to know this crazy, wonderful family.
Lisa Jo @ The Romance Reviews
scorchingnix's review
5.0
I love, love, LOVE this series. In this book, Emma Lang (AKA Beth Williamson) has blended the perfect amount of American Frontier plotlines with sexy romance and it kept me hooked from the start. It is a series which should be read in order as the overarching series arc is vital to the sub-plots within the individual tales.
Caleb has decided that serving the state of Texas and searching for his little brother is more important than living with his family. When he goes to “evict” Rory from her forge (because women couldn’t own property at this time so the land had defaulted to ownership of the state of Texas), he doesn’t expect to find someone as feisty, or female, working as a blacksmith. I loved the fact that she amused him rather than shocked him. She wore trousers, did a man’s job and swore like a sailor but he didn’t bat an eyelid as he saw the woman that she felt she had to hide to succeed in her career. He seemed to understand, and even respect, her lifestyle choices. When she got hurt, and had to be taken to the baddies ranch to be treated, he didn’t baby her or treat her as a lesser being. He cajoled and supported her in such a way that she was able to help herself as much as she could and I swooned. J
Writing strong heroines is something that Emma Lang is very good at and Rory is amazing. She is larger than life without becoming a cartoon character. She portrays herself in a way that she feels she needs to, but has had to suffer the consequences because of it. I felt that she didn’t know how to feel like a woman and I adored that Caleb made her feel slightly more feminine. Throughout the tale, she was strong and compassionate when she needed to be and it made me want her to get her happy ever after. I knew her home was gone (stupid laws) and I got so angry that she was forced away from everything because of gender; it made her HEA even sweeter.
The romance was well fleshed out and completely satisfying. As Caleb and Rory transitioned from enemies to lovers, I was willing the story on at every step of the way. I loved the way that Caleb complimented her character without ever belittling her choices and I loved the way she made him softer. They made such a dynamic couple I wanted to keep reading about them. There were no real obstacles to them getting together as the conflict come more from the external storyline. I enjoyed the fact that I could sit and relax into the budding romance, content in the knowledge that these two wouldn’t fall foul of any communication issues. The sex scenes were scorching hot; neither of these two was shy about getting pleasure from the other. They were a fascinating couple to read about in a brilliant storyline....I do adore this series.
Overall this was a compelling story just like I knew it would be. With a dreamy cowboy hero, who just wants to make his family whole again, and a heroine who just wants to do the job she loves inspite of her gender, this was bound to keep me interested! I would highly recommend this book.
Caleb has decided that serving the state of Texas and searching for his little brother is more important than living with his family. When he goes to “evict” Rory from her forge (because women couldn’t own property at this time so the land had defaulted to ownership of the state of Texas), he doesn’t expect to find someone as feisty, or female, working as a blacksmith. I loved the fact that she amused him rather than shocked him. She wore trousers, did a man’s job and swore like a sailor but he didn’t bat an eyelid as he saw the woman that she felt she had to hide to succeed in her career. He seemed to understand, and even respect, her lifestyle choices. When she got hurt, and had to be taken to the baddies ranch to be treated, he didn’t baby her or treat her as a lesser being. He cajoled and supported her in such a way that she was able to help herself as much as she could and I swooned. J
Writing strong heroines is something that Emma Lang is very good at and Rory is amazing. She is larger than life without becoming a cartoon character. She portrays herself in a way that she feels she needs to, but has had to suffer the consequences because of it. I felt that she didn’t know how to feel like a woman and I adored that Caleb made her feel slightly more feminine. Throughout the tale, she was strong and compassionate when she needed to be and it made me want her to get her happy ever after. I knew her home was gone (stupid laws) and I got so angry that she was forced away from everything because of gender; it made her HEA even sweeter.
The romance was well fleshed out and completely satisfying. As Caleb and Rory transitioned from enemies to lovers, I was willing the story on at every step of the way. I loved the way that Caleb complimented her character without ever belittling her choices and I loved the way she made him softer. They made such a dynamic couple I wanted to keep reading about them. There were no real obstacles to them getting together as the conflict come more from the external storyline. I enjoyed the fact that I could sit and relax into the budding romance, content in the knowledge that these two wouldn’t fall foul of any communication issues. The sex scenes were scorching hot; neither of these two was shy about getting pleasure from the other. They were a fascinating couple to read about in a brilliant storyline....I do adore this series.
Overall this was a compelling story just like I knew it would be. With a dreamy cowboy hero, who just wants to make his family whole again, and a heroine who just wants to do the job she loves inspite of her gender, this was bound to keep me interested! I would highly recommend this book.
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