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Book Reviews of Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1)

Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1)
Caine's Reckoning - Hell's Eight, Bk 1
Author: Sarah McCarty
ISBN-13: 9780373605187
ISBN-10: 0373605188
Publication Date: 11/1/2007
Pages: 473
Rating:
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 180

4.1 stars, based on 180 ratings
Publisher: Spice
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

29 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 25 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
Even if you aren't into westerns but like the romantica/erotica genre you should try this one. Yes, McCarty's heroines do tend to have emotional issues but then women were treated like cattle in the good old days. This is a fairly long book and I found myself actually skimming during some of the steamy stuff simply because I wanted to know what was going to happen! I will read this entire series as soon as I can lay my hands on it. If you have been reading futuristic stuff you might give this a try. I didn't think I'd like it, not into historicals, but this doesn't really qualify. She's got a page turner here!
USMCwifey2002 avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. It had a good story line. Can't wait till Sam's Creed gets here from Amazon!
booksarelikecandy avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on
Helpful Score: 4
I loved this book - not sure what the negative comments by others really mean... it is a Spice book, written as it should be - very fun, very intriguing, had me so caught up I read it in one day!
izzybru avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 47 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This was an excellent book...The characters were interesting and the chemistry was expolsive. Loved it, can't wait for the Sam's Creed.
bombschell avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 214 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is a very LONG book. It's also very good, much better than McCarty's "Promises" books. It has a LOT of sex scenes, which could have been cut to tighten up the storyline and make it flow better. This is an 1800's western but the dialog is contemporary, which McCarty does much better with than trying to use dialog of the period. I think this is the first of "Hell's Eight" books. Can't wait to read more!
tam68 avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 32 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
OMG! Great read! Can't wait to get the next one!
robinmy avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 2046 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is the first book I've read by this author. I liked the author's writing style with good descriptions to get you into the story and lots of dialogue. My biggest problem was the length of the sex scenes. Some are 30-40 pages and just seem to go on and on. They could have been edited so the story would flow better. Overall I would give this book 3.5 to 4 Stars.
jacksgirl avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 26 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This Book Was Great! Caine Allen (hot texas ranger) admires Desi from first sight.
She is fighting like a corned wild cat aganist three of her kidnappers. When Cain and the other rangers get Desi and the other women free. The upstanding ladies don't want to travel with a tainted woman. After he returns All the women, find out Desi has been being foced to be a Whore ( as in being chained to a wall, naked with only a bed in the room) by her so called gardian and other upstanding men in the town.
Cain takes Desi home to Hell's Eight. She is hell's eight now and all the other rangers and every hand of the ranch will see to it she is safe and sound. Most of all the ones who have abused her will pay dearly. Caine will have revenge and Desi love all tied up together.
reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book. Not your normal western romance. It kept you interested the whole way through. The hero of the story is hot ( in my head he is ) and he is also an alpha male.
The men of Hell's Eight all feel unworthy of love because of the life they were forced to live because of circumstances beyond their control.
Caine is the leader of the group and the first to fall in love. It happens in an unusual way while he is trying to protect Desi from horrible men who she needs rescued from and that is precisely what he does with a little help from the town preist ( whom he owes a favor ) and his fellow Hell's Eight brother Tracker.
Desi was seperated from her family when they were attacked and has a sister that she always tried to protect and is afraid may be dead or also living in awful circuamstances. Caine vows to help her find her sister and so do his brothers.
Caine and Desi's relationship is a learn as you go kind of thing. She is a strong woman and he is an alpha male so the give and take is humerous, passionate and joy to read about.
I love everything that I have read by Sarah Mccarty and the Hell's Eight Series is no exception. Loved It!!
mshrm avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 144 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This author talks too much. Dont read me wrong, I like Sarah McCarty and will continue to read her. This was a good story but could have been told just as well with about 150 of the pages cut out. She obviously didnt have a good composition teacher in college that taught her that value of revision.

I read in previous reviews some harsh words for the heroine in the story but I disagree. I havent run across a more abused women in all my reading. For someone who has survived all that I think she is pretty darn strong. Im not sure I buy her "needs" towards the end of the story, but only because it seems to contrary to what someone would want after all that abuse.

Another weakness in the books was the lack of story line. There was not much resolved at the end. Ofcourse there is a sister out there still so I assume the resolution comes with that book.
joyfilledspirit avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on
Helpful Score: 1
I LOVED this book!
barbsis avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 1076 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
AWESOME! This was really something. Caine Allen is the perfect hero. He is a Texas Ranger and his friends are called Hell's Eight...for a reason. They come across Desi fighting desperately for her life and Caine is seriously impressed by her fortitude in fighting against her kidnappers. Caine falls instantly and hard for Desi and proceeds to do whatever is necessary to help her get over her brutal imprisonment. This is supposed to be an erotic tale and I guess there is a bit of sex in it but it is really a romantic love story. I can't wait to pickup book 2 in the series and see which of the Hell's Eight is next.
reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 69 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
one of the best books i've ever read!
reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 76 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
My first erotic western. I liked it. Will continue to read the series to see what happens to all eight of Hell's eight. Worth the read.
reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good balance of romance and action. The characters were fully developed and pulled at my heart strings.
kalynnick avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 65 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I really wanted to like the book but it was SO boring. The plot was not that very interesting and I thought the way the evil guys died was way too easy. I also agree with people on the whole love scenes being way TOO long, after a while I started skipping them to get on with the story.
reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 55 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I struggled to finish this one. As much as I love a good damaged hero, I have problems with stories that headhop (multiple povs within a scene without a break). It ruins the immersive experience for me, and this one was pretty rife with it, starting with the second chapter.
nanaruss avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 16 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Sarah McCarty's heroines have to many emotional problems for me. I enjoyed her Promises books more than this one.
reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Good story. Very graphic sex scenes. If you like that, this is one you'll want. Several characters to develop further in books to follow. Looking forward to seeing what happens with them.
ra7 avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 1006 more book reviews
I will put up with a bad book if it's for a challenge and I didn't know what else to read for the category.

Caine is a Texas Ranger and a member of Hell's Eight. Desi is the woman he rescues and marries. Desi was repeatedly a victim of trauma and sexual assault. Does she get time and space to work out her trauma? Yeah, nope. This has the trope of the magic penis that heals. Don't like to be touched? Well, let's get it on! It's not romantic, it's abusive.

Then there was the bad guys. That's it really? It was too easy. And it's not helped that there was still the mystery sadistic evil guy that had no name that didn't get his. He is still free. And the whole issue of the who/why of Desi and her twin sister Ari (who is not in this book and is alive/dead (who knows!) and suffered/is suffering the same fate that Desi did) kidnapping. For the length of the book, it left a lot of unanswered questions. But you know what? I don't really care and would very much like to burn this trash. I won't be reading any more of this series.

It's sad that the best thing about this book was Boone, the loyal dog, and Cantankerous, a randy rooster.
reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 929 more book reviews
I was very impressed with this book. McCarty is a relatively new author for me and I've only read a few things by her.

The book was very detailed, mostly about Caine and Desi overcoming obstacles to their relationship. For the most part, it was about developing trust and moving on from Desi's horrible abuse. There was a small element of danger and I wished McCarty would have spent a little more time with that. Regardless it was still a very good read.

I'm very interested to see how the series go.
grammy4 avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 110 more book reviews
Wow!! Good story, fell in love right away with the characters! The plot is fast moving as is the romance. New author for me..on to the next one from this series, Hell's Eight, "Sam's Creed"
keno avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 866 more book reviews
i loved this book! i'm going to look up her other books on the hell's eight. i loved the whole story-and can't wait to see the one with tracker and her sister.(i mean tracker and ari that should be smokin')
glenna
Tazlvr avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 30 more book reviews
This is the first book I've read by Sarah McCarty and it won't be the last. Hooks you quickly and keeps you there. Desi has been through hell and back. Caine went through hell and back when he and his friends were little,but is now a Texas Ranger.

I liked Caine from the first page. I found his hard exterior very attractive, but when he showed his sensitive and caring side that was when I fell in love with him. He wants to please and he doesn't disappoint there either!

Together Desi and Caine find what they both want, this story is of hope and love,laughter, family and having the gall and determination to see the problems through.

This book is an erotic historical/western romance. If you like this kind of book then I definately recommend this!
reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 123 more book reviews
I am a bit confused as to why this is not just a Romance, I had to buy it new and was in formed it was "Erotica"... OK??? truethfully I loved the story and can't wait to read the rest, but not because it was steamy... for me, I'll get that from the Dark Hunter series, Now, those are steamy, which can be found in any bookstore in the romance section, OYE!!!

I'd recommend this book.....
frazerc avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 672 more book reviews
Good read. Historical western setting. Despite numerous action sequences, this is a relationship driven book.

The heroine was raised as a princess with lots of money, lots of training in propriety and expected to be pretty and ladylike in return. Then her father takes the family West [Texas] where they are attacked and her parents and brother killed. She and her twin sister are dragged off. Desi, our heroine, is 'rescued' by supposedly Good People - who enslave her, keep her,torture her and abuse her as their private whore. And all that is before the book starts...

Caine, the hero, is a Texas Ranger and part owner of Hell's Eight - a ranch he and his friends have founded. He ends up married to Desi and takes her back to the ranch. It's obvious to him she's glad to get away from the slime that had her but [for obvious reasons] she has sexual and self-worth issues and is still terrified that her previous 'guardians' will come and get her back. He spends a lot of time trying to convince of two things - she's not responsible for what was done to her and therefore is NOT a whore and that feeling pleasure when he touches her doesn't make her one either.

I enjoyed the book and the plot kept me turning the pages. The sex scenes are well done and actually support the plot. There are fun bits. Desi's battles with the rooster as she tries to gather eggs and her riding lessons are cute and a lot of the dialog is amusing. Desi is a heroine with grit and spunk as she tries to become the person she could be and Caine is caring and has a soul-deep integrity. On the other hand Desi's past is horrific and the reader gets occasional flashbacks when something panics her. If someone has personal issues, this book would be a really uncomfortable read.

Hell's Eight Erotic Adventures
Caine's Reckoning (2007)
Sam's Creed (2008)
Tucker's Claim (2009)
reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 103 more book reviews
A page turner. Really good story line and a great set up for future books in this series.
kjs2012 avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 26 more book reviews
I'm not a big fan of the books set in the wild west back in the 1800's, but I have liked other stuff by Sarah McCarty so I thought I would read it. I'm glad I did. I really liked this book which did surprise me a little. I really liked the fact that Caine wasn't afraid to take responsibility and apologize when he screwed up in his dealings with Desi. I really felt for Desi and everything she went through and found that most of her interactions with Caine were reasonably believable. It was a well written story that was difficult to put down to go to bed. I'm sure I will ready it again in the future. This book has a home on my keeper shelf.
princessdiana34691 avatar reviewed Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, Bk 1) on + 361 more book reviews
yeehaw! love the texas rangers!