Search - Prairie Moon

This book was much better than I was expecting. The characters are very interesting and the author gives the story an surprising twist.

Maggie Osborne has written some of my favorite historical romances and I love her tough & crusty heroine's but this book was a bit of a letdown. It features a heroine who I found very unoriginal and very un-Osborne-like. Still, a mediocre Maggie Osborne is still better than most of the stuff on the shelves . . .

Grade: C+

Della Ward has lived an isolated existence since her husband was killed in the Civil War. Living in a remote western farm she spends her days regretting the last letter she wrote to her husband. James Cameron is haunted by his past as well. He has spent the last ten years struggling with the decision to go to Della Ward and give her a letter and photo that her husband had on his position when he died. James struggles with the death of Della's husband, but he will have to tell her the truth if he is ever going to move on with his life. He owes Della that much, at least.

Prairie Moon is a very tender and sad love story. Della and James both have an incredible amount of baggage. I like that Ms. Osborne doesn't reveal everything at once to the reader but rather dished it out a little at a time to keep the reader interested in what is going on. Once the reader does discover what both of these characters have gone through, especially Della, their heart will break for them.

There were a few things about the book that kept me from giving it a higher grade. James keeps a very big secret from Della for most of the book and the reader knows that eventually Della is going to find out James motivation for coming to her. James allows Della to make untrue assumptions about how her husband died and he doesn't correct her. When the truth does finally come to light Della reacts just the way James had feared. That bothered me about her. After everything she had learned about James and all the time she spent with him she should have handled it better. Eventually these two do get their happy ending, but boy did they have a long journey of heartbreak to get there.

Delightful as usual from Maggie Osborne!

Living on a run-down farm at the edge of a small Texas town, Della Ward is haunted by the bittersweet life she once lived with an adoring husband who died too soon. Once a laughing, carefree soul, Della is now a widow with only guilty memories for company. Until the day she sees a rugged stranger riding across the prairie toward her house. His presence awakens Della's heart, but she can never imagine the ways this man will forever change her life.

Lawman James Cameron believes in settling debts and living by honor. It may have taken him ten years to arrive at Della's door, but he's finally here and he's determined to tell her the truth about the day her husband died. But one look at the woman whose picture he has carried with him for years, and he knows that the truth may destroy them both. For Cameron will have to face the past and force Della to do the same before either of them can have a future...or each other.