Secret lives, hidden dreams, and forbidden sex in the Old
West—what’s a woman of nobility to do when a handsome rancher tears through her
world like an Owyhee dust devil?
Most of you know I’m a fan of Jacquie Rogers’ books. The one
I’m reviewing today is my favorite, though. Of course, I think that each time she releases a new one. Readers can’t go wrong with any of
her books, but I’m partial to western historical romance. I enjoy romance with action
and adventure as well as a dose of humor. MUCH ADO ABOUT MUSTANGS has all of those in one very entertaining book.
Josh McKinnon has just recovered from the gun shot he
received in a previous book. He is out of sorts, though, because his family
members have trapped him into playing the male lead in the local production of
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, which will star the lovely and famous actress Lady Pearl
Montford. He wants nothing to do with a snobby British woman, especially not
after she insults his mother Esther and him at his mom's book shop.
The townsfolk are as excited as Josh is disdainful. To make
his mood even worse, Old Man Linstad reneged on his promise to sell him his
ranch and now is only deeding over half the ranch—and it’s not
the half with the buildings. Oh, but he wants the same amount of cash. Now Josh has a bunch of fancy horses arriving and no barn to house them.
Lady Jane hides a huge secret that could ruin her career. She and her brother are really
Pearl Jane and Jasper Evans from Kentucky. The pair formerly appeared in a
Cossack’s trick riding show. She is especially gifted and loves to ride. For
years she and Jasper have looked forward to owning their own ranch. They sent
money to their grandfather to buy their yearned-for ranch. Their grandfather
assures them he’s found them the perfect place.
In the meantime, Pearl and Jasper are searching for their
long lost brother, Micah, who supposedly joined Pinkertons—or did he? When it appears their lives may be all set,
an evil man appears from their past and threatens their future.
Well, that’s all I’m saying because I don’t want to spoil
your enjoyment of this superb book. I can tell you that Jacquie Rogers did a
lot of research for this book. She can
back up everything in the book with examples.
For instance, in the late 19th century, many
small towns had a theater and a thespian group. When a famous actor or actress
toured, locals filled out the cast. Another example is the Cossack group. There
were such groups touring. Wild West shows were all the rage and they often
included a group of Cossacks as well as Native Americans.
