"A young woman's willingness to help a friend also helps her realize her own destiny."
Reviewed by Kay Quintin
Posted September 11, 2012
Western | Romance Historical
Beautiful and smart twenty-five year old Rose McMurray is
venturing from her adoptive family's Whispering Mountain
ranch in Anderson Glen alone and at the specific request of
her friend, Victoria (Tori) Chamberlain. Her spoiled
friend
is getting married in Fort Worth and Rose senses she is in
trouble. Packing a Colt she arrives in Fort Worth where
her
"adopted" cousin shows up in her room. A Texas Ranger and
a
lawyer, he has protected Rose since childhood.
Learning that Victoria is caught in a forced marriage by
her father it soon becomes apparent that August Myers is
only after Tori's family money and the social status the
family connection will afford him. Victoria's heart
belongs
to another and she has other ideas clearly involving Rose.
Rose has shunned every proposal of marriage herself and
believes herself a coward. This proves unfounded as the
gun
toting female otherwise proves. Giving Duncan a run for
his
money in his endeavor to protect her, it soon is apparent
the close "family" feelings they each have are not what
they
thought. Since having played their part in Victoria's
rescue and
aid to find happiness, can they continue as cousins and
deny their true feelings?
Another installment in the Whispering Mountain
WILD TEXAS ROSE is full of excitement, mystery and a very
feisty
and extremely confident woman. The many other characters
in
the novel are also unique in their own way. I do feel this
story was not as much about Duncan and Rose as it was about
Victoria and the other characters. WILD TEXAS ROSE is the
first I have read of this
series but will not be the last. The plot and characters
are colorful and exciting and gives the unexpected at every
turn.
SUMMARY
Twenty-five-year-old Rose McMurray may be beautiful, smart,
and capable of running her family's ranch at Whispering
Mountain, but she's backed away from marriage three times
without giving anyone reasons. Everyone thinks she is a
coward, afraid of any adventure, including falling in love.
She's never done a single wild or reckless thing in her
life...until now. Duncan McMurray, like Rose, was adopted into the family. As
a Texas Ranger, he swears he'll never settle down and marry.
He's been Rose's guardian angel since they were kids but for
the first time in their lives he's the one who has caused
her to be in danger. Somehow, he has to protect her from an
outlaw gang determined to kill her without letting Rose know
of the danger she's in. He's convinced that her heart can't
take the stress if she knows...the only question is can his
heart take the nearness of her. When opposites collide the adventure begins...
ExcerptPrologueTexas, 1876 As the train pulled away from Anderson Glen Station and
headed toward Fort Worth, Rose McMurray folded her gloved
hands in her lap and tried to remain perfectly still. She
knew she looked the part of a proper young woman all
starched and pressed from her navy traveling suit to her
polished boots. No one saw inside her where fears
threatened to choke even the shallow breaths she took. I could do this. I could leave Whispering Mountain Ranch.
I could go alone. Cold January rain tapped on the coach windows drawing her
attention, demanding she look out into the moonless night.
No lights beyond offered one last memory of all she knew
and loved. The wheels of the train picked up speed,
whispering ‘beware' in rapid heartbeats. Smoke rolled passed her just beyond the glass, pulling a
memory with the same sounds and smells of a nightmare that
had haunted her since she'd left Chicago with her mother
almost twenty years ago. Rose couldn't remember why her mother had packed her and
her two sisters up and run for the train that cold night,
but even at five years old she'd known they were running
for their lives. Something frightening followed them.
Something far worse than the unknown they rushed toward. "Emily, hold Rose's hand," their mother had ordered as she
carried the baby on her back and a carpet bag atop a small
trunk in her arms. "Hold tight, girls, until we're on the
train. Then we'll be safe. We'll be away." They moved into a river of people at the station.
Everyone seemed to be yelling, running, pushing. Smoke billowed across the platform as Rose saw her mother
step onto the train and vanish. She heard Emily scream.
Someone shoved them, scattering them as if the girls were
no more than dust mites whirling in the frozen air. Then her big sister let go of her hand and Rose was alone. In one horrifying moment something had shattered inside
her, forever scarring across her heart like a razor sharp
blade. She screamed and screamed until she felt like her
ears were bleeding. Even when she was safe back in her mother's arms, Rose
couldn't be comforted. Fear still rocked her thin body. Now, twenty years later, the memory returned full force
like a north wind that had just been waiting around the
corner....waiting for a chance to catch her alone once
more...waiting to frighten her to death. She'd told herself she was an adult. She could travel
through the night to help a friend in need. Only as her
home and all those she loved grew farther and farther away,
Rose wasn't sure. What if she lost control of her world again and this time
when fear claimed her, it wouldn't let go? Would the
terror of the night kill her, or was there something more
in the darkness waiting to do the job? Waiting unseen to
cross out of her dreams. She sat stone still, her hands clasped tightly in her lap,
and counted the seconds until dawn.
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