June 20, 2016
Eden (Hope Springs) unites a spirited markswoman and a tough-as-nails lawman, each vying to be sheriff of the town of Savage Wells, in this chaste and tender historical set in the rugged Wyoming Territory of 1875. Acting sheriff Paisley Bell brought down a notorious gang in her normally peaceful town, but the mostly absentee sheriff got the credit. Now Paisley has to prove that a woman can be a full-time sheriff. She’s competing for the job against Cade O’Brien, a legendary lawman whose reputation sends criminals running. Paisley loves protecting her gossipy, quirky, and well-meaning neighbors, and she also needs the income to support her father, whose dementia is worsening every day. Complicating matters, there’s money missing from the bank, and Paisley’s ex-fiancé shows up. Sparks fly amid witty banter between Paisley and Cade, enhancing a slow-paced, character-centric Old West tale that emphasizes personal journeys. Readers who favor a gentler historical with verbal sparring and modest flirting will find this novel appealing.
July 15, 2016
When small town Savage Wells aims to hire a sheriff, the competition includes a legendary lawman and the woman who's been thanklessly doing the job for months.Savage Wells is chock full of eccentric characters and in need of a sheriff, since the last one left for Oregon to become a lumberjack. While he prepared to go, he left much of his work to Paisley Bell while taking credit for all her successes. Paisley is hurt when the town council overlooks her and advertises for a new sheriff, and annoyed when they seem bewildered that she wants to throw her hat into the ring. Her biggest competition--if anyone would take her bid for the job seriously--is Cade O'Brien, the man reputed to have cleaned up towns across the West. In fact, the only person who seems to understand the good work she did is O'Brien himself. There's an attraction between the two, and while the competition convinces Cade that Paisley might be the woman he's been waiting for, it also drives her away when he's given the job and she has to figure out a way to make a living, since her father is sliding into dementia and she'd been hoping for the sheriff's salary. Cade wants to court her but isn't sure how to move forward, given their antagonistic start, and things get really complicated when her ex-fiance--who abandoned her years ago--shows up to work at the local bank and is suspected of stealing. Suddenly the town is under attack, and Cade wants nothing more than to survive and claim Paisley as his partner in every way possible. Author Eden offers a fun, heartwarming Wild West tale that rises above its shaky romantic conflict through great writing, an unexpected plot, a quirky heroine, and the larger-than-life man who loves her. A clever, entertaining romance, especially recommended for readers who prefer a chaste storyline without an overtly religious message.
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August 1, 2016
Eden brings a lively tale to the multiple-author Proper Romance series. Formidable lawman Cade O'Brien is looking for peace and quiet. After years of going from town to town and ridding them of gunslingers, robbers, and other dangerous outlaws, he just wants to find a quiet, uneventful place to be sheriff. He beliefs Savage Wells fits the bill. However, when Cade arrives, he soon discovers that the extremely competent acting sheriff, Paisley Bell, has no intention of leaving her temporary post. She truly loves her work and the town's oddball denizens. And she needs the money. But in a rousing show of male unity, the town council gives the job to Cade, who then realizes that the town is hardly quiet; perhaps there is a reason for its name. Filled with snappy dialogue and lots of humor, this is a timeless tale of the war of the sexes. Paisley's relationship with her rapidly declining dad, who has dementia, adds an emotional thread to the fabric of Eden's very funny western romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)