Romance books are works of fiction. We all know that there isn't a town in Texas, or this case Wyoming, where all the sexy guys live. There isn't a town where ever mercenary in the world meet up to retire and the Texas Rangers don't all run in on horses to save the day in modern times, but we like to read about that. That's why, even those people who get on Amazon and say the author just isn't writing good books anymore still buys them.
That being said, Wyoming Tough and Wyoming Fierce, may take you out of Texas, but you might as well be. The story lines run roughly the same, the heros are strong willed cowboys and the heroines are stubborn virgins ready to fight whatever demons come their way.
In Wyoming Tough, Diana Palmer spins off from her characters Kingston and Shelby Brannt. Some might remember them from To Love and Cherish which dates back to 2002. Now King and Shelby's children are all grown up. King is still as hardheaded as he always was and won't let his daughter work on the ranch, so Morie takes matters in her own hands. She leaves Texas and daddy's big ranch and go to work in Wyoming on another large ranch where she meets a man just as tough as her old man.
Mallory Kirk knows he isn't the best looking guy in the bunch and when he meets Morie he falls for her, but she just isn't what she appears. The other woman in his life convinces him that Morie is just after his money. He doesn't know that Morie is the daughter of one of the richest men in Texas.
In the second story, Wyoming Fierce, Mallory's brother Cane has come home from the war with a lost limb. He has lost his confidence with the ladies and for a ladies man like him that is a problem. He's not taking his lot in life so well. When he turns to drunken rages only his young neighbor, Bodie, can sooth the savage beast in him.
Bodie has loved Cane since she turned 18. The only problem is he still thinks of her as a kid. She's got worse problems than Cane at the moment. Her grandfather is ill and her stepfather is pressuring her for more money then she has. She doesn't want to ask Cane for the money, knowing how he feels about gold digging women. Feeling trapped and having no where to go, she does the unthinkable and changes her world forever.
Both these stories pretty much what you expect in all Diane Palmers books do, but it is a formular that has kept her going for decades and her book sales don't seem to suffer for it. I would say I liked the first better than the second. I liked Mallory and Morie as a couple better. While Cane and Bodie make a good duo as well, they both needed to step back and get a hold of their life a little better before attempting to get together.
I'll keep reading Diana Palmer for some time to come because her long-running Long Tall Texas series is still one of my favorites in the Western genre. It will also be interesting to read the final Kirk brother's story "Tank". I think he can turn out to be the more complicated brother of all.
Author: Diana Palmer
ISBN: 978-0373776290
Genre: Western, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN
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Description:
A cowboy through and through, ranch owner Mallory Kirk knows what it means to put in a full day's work. But does his new cowgirl? He has his doubts that Morie Brannt will be able to pull her own weight, even if the petite young woman does seem to have a lot of spirit.
As they spar over events at the ranch and a past that threatens their hopes for the future, sparks begin to fly, and Mallory can't help but notice Morie in a new light. But is this tough Wyoming man ready to love?
Wyoming Fierce
Author: Diana Palmer
ISBN: 978-0373776962
Genre: Western, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN
Description:
Ranch owner Cane Kirk lost more than his arm in the war. He lost his way, battling his inner demons by challenging any cowboy unfortunate enough to get in his way. No one seems to be able to cool him down, except beautiful Bodie Mays. Bodie doesn't mind saving Cane from himself, even if he is a little too tempting for her own peace of mind.
But soon Bodie's the one who finds herself in need of rescuing—only, she's afraid to tell Cane what's really going on. How can she trust someone as unpredictable as this fierce cowboy? When her silence only ends up getting her into even deeper hot water, it's up to Cane to save the day. And if he does it right, he won't be riding off into the sunset alone.
