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A review by allingoodtime
Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have so much to say about this book, so hang in there. I’ll start with the Confederacy because some people may not want to read the book after finding out it is set post-American Civil War and the main characters not only lived through the war, but the MMC was in the war on the side of the Confederacy. Now, although the FMC is from the South and the MMC was a soldier, both were children and there is no mention of their feelings about the reasons for the war and no real mention of slavery, but that’s just how we used to whitewash history in our romance books, and still sometimes do. I didn’t think this through going in, or I may have realized this about the characters. Something to think about before deciding if you want to read this one.
There were two reasons I decided to pick this book up. The first is that I enjoy Lorraine Heath’s more current books and wanted to go back to read her library of work. The other reason is that I think I actually already read this book when it was released. I think this is one of the first adult romance books I read. (I read a lot of Sweet Valley High and that sort other YA type of romance in the late 80s and early 90s) I wanted to read it and see if it rang any bells. It definitely felt familiar.
Now about this story. Oh, the yearning! These two want each other so badly and know it’s not possible. Over and over my heart broke for them. They are perfect for each other, yet circumstances and loyalty stand in their way. So many butterflies flew through my belly while reading this book.
Amelia is a very strong heroine for a book published in the 90s. It wasn’t yet the norm for that to be the case, but Amelia proved she was no shrinking violet. She may have been small and not very strong, but she had determination and grit. She did what needed doing, even when Houston wanted to hold her back. And she was very astute. Not only with Houston, but with all of the brothers once she met them.
I loved Houston so much. He was carrying around a wounded and abandoned child inside himself. He didn’t even realize the extent of the damage the war had on him because he thought everything was about his outside scars. Inside, there was much more damage done. Most of it was done by his father.
Any mentions of the war in the way of them being from the South or the losers of the war took me out of the story. But when it comes to the characters and their struggles and them falling in love, this book was amazing. Honestly, it would be a 5-star read if that other stuff didn’t bother me so much.
There were two reasons I decided to pick this book up. The first is that I enjoy Lorraine Heath’s more current books and wanted to go back to read her library of work. The other reason is that I think I actually already read this book when it was released. I think this is one of the first adult romance books I read. (I read a lot of Sweet Valley High and that sort other YA type of romance in the late 80s and early 90s) I wanted to read it and see if it rang any bells. It definitely felt familiar.
Now about this story. Oh, the yearning! These two want each other so badly and know it’s not possible. Over and over my heart broke for them. They are perfect for each other, yet circumstances and loyalty stand in their way. So many butterflies flew through my belly while reading this book.
Amelia is a very strong heroine for a book published in the 90s. It wasn’t yet the norm for that to be the case, but Amelia proved she was no shrinking violet. She may have been small and not very strong, but she had determination and grit. She did what needed doing, even when Houston wanted to hold her back. And she was very astute. Not only with Houston, but with all of the brothers once she met them.
I loved Houston so much. He was carrying around a wounded and abandoned child inside himself. He didn’t even realize the extent of the damage the war had on him because he thought everything was about his outside scars. Inside, there was much more damage done. Most of it was done by his father.
Any mentions of the war in the way of them being from the South or the losers of the war took me out of the story. But when it comes to the characters and their struggles and them falling in love, this book was amazing. Honestly, it would be a 5-star read if that other stuff didn’t bother me so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism
Moderate: War
Minor: Rape, Grief