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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This would not be my first pick but I thought of checking it out when the Learn the Trope podcast hosts mentioned it. The title is pretty corny.
Reading the blurb, I was even more skeptical since the tropes aren't ones I gravitate to: falling in love with the brother sooo forbidden romance. The idea of a mail order bride was offensive too. I haven't read many historical romances set in America either but then thought I would give it a try since it features a scarred hero.
After reading up on mail order brides, I found that it wasn't as one way as I thought. 19 year old Amelia posts an ad mentioning she wants to travel west and marry so Dallas Leigh replies and after writing to each other for awhile, she goes to visit him. His brother Houston is sent to fetch her instead because Dallas broke his leg. Houston wears an eye patch over his left eye and has scars on that side of his face and body from fighting in the civil war. He is very self conscious about his looks because people stare. I thought it was sad that men killed themselves because they could not stand how they looked. Later, I found out that an explosion caused his hearing in the left ear to be lost too.
Houston is stoic and a grump. Which isn't surprising with how uncomfortable he feels with his appearance but typical of a cowboy/rancher?
He holds alot of guilt for the past and doesn't have much confidence in himself: thinking of himself as not desirable, a failure and disappointment. His book is first in the trilogy of the brothers. I felt Amelia was way too young (she is still a teenager!) but perhaps it was common in that time period?
She is definitely a sunshine character or at least quietly positive. Her light is what attracts Houston. It was interesting to get into the mentality of a female who was on her way to meet a man she hardly knows but agreed to marry. But she has trauma from the war especially around confined places when soldiers come to her home. The romance starts quite fast as they fall for one another at the start. Honestly, I wasn't expecting her to remain faithful to Dallas as they have little intimate and sweet moments that definitely cross the line.
But I did like how she loves him as he is and despite his secret about the war, she shows empathy. I liked that she felt older than her age.
I thought the aspect of capturing mustangs was interesting and reminded me of the animated movie, Spirit which I loved as a child. I don't know much about rearing horses in the past so Houston attempting to rope these wild horses after Amelia convinces him to take a chance was great.
The dynamic between the three brothers is not close because their father was fierce and as a typical man, hated his sons to show emotions. But surprisingly, I liked how emotionally mature they all were. Austin, the youngest has these moments of wisdom and Dallas is observant enough to understand what is going on between Amelia and Houston. I liked how he has ambitions but did not lose his temper when he realises that they love one another. The way the relationship between the siblings grows as they learn about one another was lovely to watch. Amelia, Houston and Dallas go through dark times because of the war but they have compassion.
This was a pretty tame romance with kissing and only one sex scene I thought the end was predictable for a historical romance but I enjoyed a change from the British based historical.
Tropes: forbidden romance, close proximity, care taking
Reading the blurb, I was even more skeptical since the tropes aren't ones I gravitate to: falling in love with the brother sooo forbidden romance. The idea of a mail order bride was offensive too. I haven't read many historical romances set in America either but then thought I would give it a try since it features a scarred hero.
After reading up on mail order brides, I found that it wasn't as one way as I thought. 19 year old Amelia posts an ad mentioning she wants to travel west and marry so Dallas Leigh replies and after writing to each other for awhile, she goes to visit him. His brother Houston is sent to fetch her instead because Dallas broke his leg. Houston wears an eye patch over his left eye and has scars on that side of his face and body from fighting in the civil war. He is very self conscious about his looks because people stare. I thought it was sad that men killed themselves because they could not stand how they looked. Later, I found out that an explosion caused his hearing in the left ear to be lost too.
Houston is stoic and a grump. Which isn't surprising with how uncomfortable he feels with his appearance but typical of a cowboy/rancher?
He holds alot of guilt for the past and doesn't have much confidence in himself: thinking of himself as not desirable, a failure and disappointment. His book is first in the trilogy of the brothers. I felt Amelia was way too young (she is still a teenager!) but perhaps it was common in that time period?
She is definitely a sunshine character or at least quietly positive. Her light is what attracts Houston. It was interesting to get into the mentality of a female who was on her way to meet a man she hardly knows but agreed to marry. But she has trauma from the war especially around confined places when soldiers come to her home. The romance starts quite fast as they fall for one another at the start. Honestly, I wasn't expecting her to remain faithful to Dallas as they have little intimate and sweet moments that definitely cross the line.
But I did like how she loves him as he is and despite his secret about the war, she shows empathy. I liked that she felt older than her age.
I thought the aspect of capturing mustangs was interesting and reminded me of the animated movie, Spirit which I loved as a child. I don't know much about rearing horses in the past so Houston attempting to rope these wild horses after Amelia convinces him to take a chance was great.
The dynamic between the three brothers is not close because their father was fierce and as a typical man, hated his sons to show emotions. But surprisingly, I liked how emotionally mature they all were. Austin, the youngest has these moments of wisdom and Dallas is observant enough to understand what is going on between Amelia and Houston. I liked how he has ambitions but did not lose his temper when he realises that they love one another. The way the relationship between the siblings grows as they learn about one another was lovely to watch. Amelia, Houston and Dallas go through dark times because of the war but they have compassion.
This was a pretty tame romance with kissing and only one sex scene
Spoiler
at the end after they get married.Spoiler
(she gets kidnapped and needs to be saved)Tropes: forbidden romance, close proximity, care taking
lorraine heath has her own brand of angst god i wanted to cry the entire last 25% of this book
Why are so many historical romance novels so ridiculous? First... In Texas in 1850s these parents named their sons Dallas Houston and Austin...that there was almost enough to make me stop reading. Then in the course of a three week journey across Texas every stereotypical thing that could happen did...except being attacked by Indians...,they were caught in a terrible thunderstorm without cover. Lost their wagon crossing a rushing river...the girl got bit by a rattlesnake (of course the hero sucked the poison out)...then there was a stampede... Then they rounded up wild mustangs and brought them back. Then they swam together in 3-tiered waterfall filled pool,in just their underclothes (seriously, a three tiered 18 foot drop waterfall in west Texas).
I'm surprised my eyeballs didn't fall out of my head for all the rolling they were doing. There wasn't even any good sex scenes...if I'm going to read a trashy romance novel, there should at least be some "trashiness" in it.
I'm surprised my eyeballs didn't fall out of my head for all the rolling they were doing. There wasn't even any good sex scenes...if I'm going to read a trashy romance novel, there should at least be some "trashiness" in it.
This was a sweet love story set in post-Civil War Texas. The romantic hero, Houston Leigh, is unconditionally lovable, despite his disfigured face, and it is obvious that he and Amanda Carson will end up together. But their journey makes for an enjoyable read. I'll probably read the rest of the trilogy, which focuses on Houston's brothers Dallas and Austin (yes, cheesy names). 3.5 stars.
A wonderful romance by Ms. Heath. The longing between Amelia and Houston was really palpable. This was a really well-done beauty and the beast trope. . Houston's backstory was sad because his self-worth is tied to what happened during the war (and also his face). Amelia was the soothing balm that he needed.
Steam factor: Low steam. Only one intimate scene after 80% mark. Kisses scenes littered throughout the book, though.
Spoiler
I didn't think that Ms. Heath would actually allow Amelia to marry Houston brother, Dallas but they did get married. The marriage remains unconsummated though, because Houston barged in on them at the most inopportune timeSteam factor: Low steam. Only one intimate scene after 80% mark. Kisses scenes littered throughout the book, though.
[b:Texas Destiny|1814627|Texas Destiny (Texas Trilogy, #1)|Lorraine Heath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1309286770l/1814627._SY75_.jpg|462221] is my first Lorraine Heath and my first Western Historical Romance. Lately, I haven’t had much luck trying new-to-me authors, so I went into this with low expectations—it exceeded them! The humor tickled my funny bone in just the right way. The characters were flawed and interesting. I was enjoying the road-trip adventure so much in the first half, I worried their arrival at the ranch would bore me. But there’s plenty of action in the second half, too, and Houston’s younger brother, Austin, was a delight. I also loved the contrast of Houston and Amelia living in a kind of dream state together, then finally being forced to face reality.
It does get a little too angsty there for a while, what with all the internal conflicts going on. Houston is a scarred hero with a tortured past. Because of his actions during the Civil War battle that killed his father, he believes himself to be a coward and not worthy of Amelia. The she’s too good for me narrative in the romance genre has grown a little tiresome for me. However, I think Heath handled it fairly well here. Given his upbringing and his experiences during the war, it makes sense that he would lack self worth. And given his isolated life after the war, it makes sense that his negative self image would remain unchallenged until he met Amelia. There’s also the added layer of Houston’s loyalty to and fear of betraying his brother. It’s not as simple as Houston getting over his own insecurities. As frustrating as it was that Houston held his peace for so long, the pay off when he finally confronts Dallas and confesses his true feelings for Amelia is worth it.
Between Amelia, Houston, and Dallas, there’s a lot left unsaid. I was impatient for those assumptions, feelings, and motivations to be spoken aloud. Some readers will probably see miscommunication as the crux of the story’s conflict. However, I thought each of the character’s internal struggles were resolved in an organic way and at the right point in the story. It never felt like Heath was keeping her characters from saying what needed to be said just to prolong the angst and drama. It really was a complicated situation that needed space and time to untangle.
Finally, I want to mention how strong the sense of place was in this, despite the writing not being very detailed. I had no problems imagining the wide, open landscape, the campsite, the horses, and the ranch. I felt how long and grueling their journey was. The historical context and setting informed the characterization, lending the whole story a believable, down-to-earth atmosphere.
Low Steam · <1
It does get a little too angsty there for a while, what with all the internal conflicts going on. Houston is a scarred hero with a tortured past. Because of his actions during the Civil War battle that killed his father, he believes himself to be a coward and not worthy of Amelia. The she’s too good for me narrative in the romance genre has grown a little tiresome for me. However, I think Heath handled it fairly well here. Given his upbringing and his experiences during the war, it makes sense that he would lack self worth. And given his isolated life after the war, it makes sense that his negative self image would remain unchallenged until he met Amelia. There’s also the added layer of Houston’s loyalty to and fear of betraying his brother. It’s not as simple as Houston getting over his own insecurities. As frustrating as it was that Houston held his peace for so long, the pay off when he finally confronts Dallas and confesses his true feelings for Amelia is worth it.
Between Amelia, Houston, and Dallas, there’s a lot left unsaid. I was impatient for those assumptions, feelings, and motivations to be spoken aloud. Some readers will probably see miscommunication as the crux of the story’s conflict. However, I thought each of the character’s internal struggles were resolved in an organic way and at the right point in the story. It never felt like Heath was keeping her characters from saying what needed to be said just to prolong the angst and drama. It really was a complicated situation that needed space and time to untangle.
Finally, I want to mention how strong the sense of place was in this, despite the writing not being very detailed. I had no problems imagining the wide, open landscape, the campsite, the horses, and the ranch. I felt how long and grueling their journey was. The historical context and setting informed the characterization, lending the whole story a believable, down-to-earth atmosphere.
Low Steam · <1