Helpful Score: 7
Marsha Canham has described this novel as her foray into "Silverado territory". What she came up with in Under the Desert Moon is actually much better written than the storyline in Silverado, and steamy enough to fog up the stagecoach windows on even the coldest desert nights.
Aubrey Blue is a woman with a past: a cardsharp, a hustler, a tragic heroine, on a very personal mission that she's well aware just might cost her her life. Disguised as a spectacle wearing schoolmarm, she's traveling on a westbound stage to her final showdown with the man who murdered her family and destroyed her life, when she meets Christian McBride, a hunky (if slightly dusty) plainsman with a past, and a personal mission of his own involving the same villain. In true Marsha Canham style, Aubrey and Christian take one look at each other, sparks fly, and the adventure begins...
I loved this book. I loved the fact that Christian notices Aubrey immediately, in spite of the presence of a blonde bombshell who tries almost as hard to get his attention as Aubrey tries to avoid it. The plot twists were as unexpected as they were engrossing, the bad guys as nasty as they get, the love scenes steamy and well written. Canham has shown time and again that she can write, and write well, in any romance sub-genre there is, and while I've never been a big fan of western-themed romances, this one is one of my very favorite romance novels, and has a permanent home on my keeper shelf. VERY highly recommended!
Grade: A+
Sensuality Rating: R
Aubrey Blue is a woman with a past: a cardsharp, a hustler, a tragic heroine, on a very personal mission that she's well aware just might cost her her life. Disguised as a spectacle wearing schoolmarm, she's traveling on a westbound stage to her final showdown with the man who murdered her family and destroyed her life, when she meets Christian McBride, a hunky (if slightly dusty) plainsman with a past, and a personal mission of his own involving the same villain. In true Marsha Canham style, Aubrey and Christian take one look at each other, sparks fly, and the adventure begins...
I loved this book. I loved the fact that Christian notices Aubrey immediately, in spite of the presence of a blonde bombshell who tries almost as hard to get his attention as Aubrey tries to avoid it. The plot twists were as unexpected as they were engrossing, the bad guys as nasty as they get, the love scenes steamy and well written. Canham has shown time and again that she can write, and write well, in any romance sub-genre there is, and while I've never been a big fan of western-themed romances, this one is one of my very favorite romance novels, and has a permanent home on my keeper shelf. VERY highly recommended!
Grade: A+
Sensuality Rating: R
Helpful Score: 5
Aaahhh, one of my favorite writers. I love her books, so colorful, so expressive; they draw me in so that I am completely lost. Though I am not a fan of westerns, I absolutely loooovvveedd this one. The characters are fully developed, robustly drawn, but still have their secrets without all the melodramatic angst that are found too often in other romances. The plot was interesting, with a few twists to add a bit of spice. Heartily recommended to anyone who wants to appreciate good writing.
Helpful Score: 5
Beautiful Aubrey Blue dons a prim school teacher disguise and heads to Santa Fe in order to exact revenge on Maxwell Fleming, the man who killed her family years ago. Plainsman Christian McBride also has a score to settle with Fleming, and while sharing a stagecoach on the way to their mutual destination, the sparks fly. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The heat between Christian and Aubrey was instense, and the secret that Aubrey reveals at the end will blow you away.
