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fi_c's review against another edition
2.75
**Most of my reviews contain detailed Content Notes (including CW/TW) sections, which may include spoilers. I have tried to mark them appropriately, but please use caution.**
2.75
Audio (Rebecca Mitchell)
Summary: After returning from fighting in the American Civil War, Cade finds tPilar and her grandmother who both belonging to a rival family have taken up residence with his grandfather. Despite their connexion to his enemy - a traitor who caused the deaths of his friends - he finds himself drawn to Pilar.
Stats: HR Western, M/F, open door, part of a series but could stand alone (with a slightly unresolved non-romance plot)
Notes: Well… this has aged and not very well. The characters are a bit odd, the plot slow and rather repetitive, and there’s a bit of a struggle for me to get over the dissonance of a Confederate hero at this point in my reading journey - especially with how much the “Lost South” narrative plays into the plot. I’m not rating it low for that necessarily - I could have and perhaps should have DNF’ed when I realised it wasn’t working for me - but overall, it certainly didn’t help matters. I had some interest in books later in the series but decided to start from the beginning, and now I’m not sure I’ll care to continue. The narration was not my favourite either - and really didn’t hold up to the increased speed that I prefer.
OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:
Former confederate MMC, veteran MMC, war, death in war, prank kidnapping, family conflict/tension, xenophobia/racism from side characters (fairly mild), child engagement, golden child sibling, parental abandonment (brief reference), classism, financial problems, sexism/misogyny (mostly from side characters), mentions of gelding and “horsebreaking” including hobbling, mentions of religion, branding of cattle, fist fighting, firearms, gun violence, some crazy talk, alcohol, slutshaming of FMC (not by mmc), threat of sexual assault (not by mmc) general manhandling, death, shooting, fake engagement, mc is arrested, jealousy, planned arranged marriage, death of parents (mentioned), FMC is hit (not by mmc), dog attack (little description, not of MC), DV/IPV between MCs (MMC shakes FMC “violently”, knife violence, stabbing, 1865, age gap (several years)
2.75
Audio (Rebecca Mitchell)
Summary: After returning from fighting in the American Civil War, Cade finds tPilar and her grandmother who both belonging to a rival family have taken up residence with his grandfather. Despite their connexion to his enemy - a traitor who caused the deaths of his friends - he finds himself drawn to Pilar.
Stats: HR Western, M/F, open door, part of a series but could stand alone (with a slightly unresolved non-romance plot)
Notes: Well… this has aged and not very well. The characters are a bit odd, the plot slow and rather repetitive, and there’s a bit of a struggle for me to get over the dissonance of a Confederate hero at this point in my reading journey - especially with how much the “Lost South” narrative plays into the plot. I’m not rating it low for that necessarily - I could have and perhaps should have DNF’ed when I realised it wasn’t working for me - but overall, it certainly didn’t help matters. I had some interest in books later in the series but decided to start from the beginning, and now I’m not sure I’ll care to continue. The narration was not my favourite either - and really didn’t hold up to the increased speed that I prefer.
OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:
loverofromance's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
First Impressions
Texas Homecoming is the first book in the Night Riders series by this fantastic male romance author. I have a goal of reading more of Leigh Greenwood this year. I just love his work and adore the books that he has crafted here. This is a story that surprised me in such a delightful way. From the first few minutes of listening I was so drawn into this audiobook. I really was drawn into the sense of the plot that had a theme of revenge. This book takes place right after the civil war, so it enters the reconstruction era and I really enjoyed seeing this author implement this so well into her story here. There were so many factors that seemed to blend so well together in this one. And it was a interracial romance with a White hero and a Latina heroine and what a beautiful blend of a romance that this one turned out to be. It had a sassy mix of tropes and undertones that worked just right for this couple. I was very curious to see how Leigh Greenwood would handle this romance and see how they would find their way past this BIG hurdle but it was done quite well actually, and I am once again impressed with the talent of this author to pen such a romance as this and just make it work so well.
Summary
Cade is the captain of the Night Riders and it’s his responsibility to protect his man. But he never thought in a million years that one of his men, and a man he grew next door to, would be the one to betray their unit and 26 men lost their lives due to one man’s greed, and those soldiers left to forge a bond tighter than any foiled rope ever could….its as strong as steel and they made a pact to get justice for what happened and find the peace they fought so hard for in the war. Their trail leaves them back to Cade’s home where they lie in wait for the man who betrayed them because everyone eventually comes home. But circumstances become a bit more complicated when he sees that their next-door neighbors and the girl he once admired is servants to his grandfather having been run out of their own home. Pilar diViere, grew up in an aristocratic Latino family, she had always known wealth and prestige until the war happened, her brother left, and vagrants overtook their Hacienda and ranch and were left with no one to turn to except Cade’s grandfather whom they are servants to where they once had riches and wealth. Pilar has always had a determination to never let anything get her down and to make the best of a bad situation. But then the man she once was charmed by as a girl returns home, a man who despises her brother for a reason she doesn’t know, and her grandmother have forbidden any interaction with him. But there is a spark that has never died between Cade and Pilar. But can Cade forget that it was Pilar’s brother that betrayed them? Or can love be the moving force towards forgiveness and a new way of being?
What I Liked
There were quite a few things that I found that this book worked out so well for me here. The first is the setting and time era of the story. I just ADORE the reconstruction era, because it’s seeing the power of rebuilding after the destructive force of a war of a country fighting against each other. It also takes place in Texas and I love Texas as a setting, there is something so raw and rich about having a Texas setting, and most particularly in a historical romance. I also quite adored seeing this revenge plot being so unraveled here. I will say that I had a blast seeing the various complexities that it drew out in such a wonderful way. The romance was such a solid focus and I loved the connection that Cade and Pilar had together. They definitely have some sparks and such fire. Even though this author is tamer in the number of sex scenes that he does, as there is like some foreplay and like one sex scene BUT he does write some moderate heat that balances out the story so well. I found there was this amount of humor that really lightened the mood in unexpected ways. There is such a great bond between these men who have experienced so much together. The angst between the grandfather and grandmother was so ON POINT, they were so hilarious, they fought like cats and dogs and it was quite entertaining to see how it unfolds between them. But their characters were awful. Like there is nothing good about them, to be honest. Both are stubborn, prideful, and are so set in their ways that scream toxicity, and it’s a wonder that Cade and Pilar became such wonderful human beings.
What I Struggled With
There wasn’t too much that I struggled with, I mean it definitely didn’t make it to a five-star read. I think that is mostly because there was so much ANGST in this book and it did get drawn out much longer than I would have liked. Also, I didn’t like how Cade kept his secret of killing Pilar’s brother for so long, there is a moment in the story where she comes completely clean with him, and he didn’t with her and I didn’t feel like he was sincere in the grovel at all later. And while I really liked Pilar’s spirit, I felt like she could be too hard-hearted. You see her trying to throw off convention but she pretty much lets her grandmother control her and I just didn’t connect with the heroine like I wanted to. Especially in what she was willing to do to Cade just because her grandmother was so bitter and couldn’t see the truth of life. She took a bit too long-standing up to her grandmother and took a stand on what she wanted in life.
Overall Outlook
I found Texas Homecoming to be such an enjoyable read that had its own style of country charm that delves into some difficult topics of morality and honor, the romance was the perfect blend of chemistry and feels which is guaranteed to curl your toes in such a delightful way. If you have a fondness for historical westerns, what are you waiting for? Grab this one up and you won’t be disappointed.
First Impressions
Texas Homecoming is the first book in the Night Riders series by this fantastic male romance author. I have a goal of reading more of Leigh Greenwood this year. I just love his work and adore the books that he has crafted here. This is a story that surprised me in such a delightful way. From the first few minutes of listening I was so drawn into this audiobook. I really was drawn into the sense of the plot that had a theme of revenge. This book takes place right after the civil war, so it enters the reconstruction era and I really enjoyed seeing this author implement this so well into her story here. There were so many factors that seemed to blend so well together in this one. And it was a interracial romance with a White hero and a Latina heroine and what a beautiful blend of a romance that this one turned out to be. It had a sassy mix of tropes and undertones that worked just right for this couple. I was very curious to see how Leigh Greenwood would handle this romance and see how they would find their way past this BIG hurdle but it was done quite well actually, and I am once again impressed with the talent of this author to pen such a romance as this and just make it work so well.
Summary
Cade is the captain of the Night Riders and it’s his responsibility to protect his man. But he never thought in a million years that one of his men, and a man he grew next door to, would be the one to betray their unit and 26 men lost their lives due to one man’s greed, and those soldiers left to forge a bond tighter than any foiled rope ever could….its as strong as steel and they made a pact to get justice for what happened and find the peace they fought so hard for in the war. Their trail leaves them back to Cade’s home where they lie in wait for the man who betrayed them because everyone eventually comes home. But circumstances become a bit more complicated when he sees that their next-door neighbors and the girl he once admired is servants to his grandfather having been run out of their own home. Pilar diViere, grew up in an aristocratic Latino family, she had always known wealth and prestige until the war happened, her brother left, and vagrants overtook their Hacienda and ranch and were left with no one to turn to except Cade’s grandfather whom they are servants to where they once had riches and wealth. Pilar has always had a determination to never let anything get her down and to make the best of a bad situation. But then the man she once was charmed by as a girl returns home, a man who despises her brother for a reason she doesn’t know, and her grandmother have forbidden any interaction with him. But there is a spark that has never died between Cade and Pilar. But can Cade forget that it was Pilar’s brother that betrayed them? Or can love be the moving force towards forgiveness and a new way of being?
What I Liked
There were quite a few things that I found that this book worked out so well for me here. The first is the setting and time era of the story. I just ADORE the reconstruction era, because it’s seeing the power of rebuilding after the destructive force of a war of a country fighting against each other. It also takes place in Texas and I love Texas as a setting, there is something so raw and rich about having a Texas setting, and most particularly in a historical romance. I also quite adored seeing this revenge plot being so unraveled here. I will say that I had a blast seeing the various complexities that it drew out in such a wonderful way. The romance was such a solid focus and I loved the connection that Cade and Pilar had together. They definitely have some sparks and such fire. Even though this author is tamer in the number of sex scenes that he does, as there is like some foreplay and like one sex scene BUT he does write some moderate heat that balances out the story so well. I found there was this amount of humor that really lightened the mood in unexpected ways. There is such a great bond between these men who have experienced so much together. The angst between the grandfather and grandmother was so ON POINT, they were so hilarious, they fought like cats and dogs and it was quite entertaining to see how it unfolds between them. But their characters were awful. Like there is nothing good about them, to be honest. Both are stubborn, prideful, and are so set in their ways that scream toxicity, and it’s a wonder that Cade and Pilar became such wonderful human beings.
What I Struggled With
There wasn’t too much that I struggled with, I mean it definitely didn’t make it to a five-star read. I think that is mostly because there was so much ANGST in this book and it did get drawn out much longer than I would have liked. Also, I didn’t like how Cade kept his secret of killing Pilar’s brother for so long, there is a moment in the story where she comes completely clean with him, and he didn’t with her and I didn’t feel like he was sincere in the grovel at all later. And while I really liked Pilar’s spirit, I felt like she could be too hard-hearted. You see her trying to throw off convention but she pretty much lets her grandmother control her and I just didn’t connect with the heroine like I wanted to. Especially in what she was willing to do to Cade just because her grandmother was so bitter and couldn’t see the truth of life. She took a bit too long-standing up to her grandmother and took a stand on what she wanted in life.
Overall Outlook
I found Texas Homecoming to be such an enjoyable read that had its own style of country charm that delves into some difficult topics of morality and honor, the romance was the perfect blend of chemistry and feels which is guaranteed to curl your toes in such a delightful way. If you have a fondness for historical westerns, what are you waiting for? Grab this one up and you won’t be disappointed.
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