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Strong,
determined and not afraid of hard work, Mercy Clarke never let
obstacles stand
in her way. Such is the case when she
has to get her hundred head of cattle across miles of terrain to make
it to Abilene.
There were no
hassles getting there and she got top price for the cattle she sold, so
Mercy
should be on top of the world, right?
Not necessarily, as the two cowhands she had quit
and she and her
sister, Miranda now have to travel back home alone. Women on their own
are easy
prey for thieves and other unsavory types, especially when one has over
a
thousand dollars in her saddlebags.
Thanks to a
family friend, Thad Buchanan is tagging along to see Mercy and Miranda
safely
home. However, Mercy is hardly thankful as she doesn’t trust Thad and
she feels
she can take care of herself and her sister just fine. Mercy is doubly
threatened by Thad since she feels more than she knows is wise for him.
As a widow
for years, Mercy has focused on her ranch and hard work. She doesn’t
need a man
around, especially one she believes to be a gambler or worse…
Thad
Buchanan wants to see his sister after years of separation and will pay
any
price to get to Abilene
to see her. But the price is high when Thad has to deal with the
prickly woman,
Mercy Clarke. She is a woman determined to make her own way and take
care of
herself. But Thad, who believes women should be taken care of, tries to
cooperate with Mercy and leave her alone. Only, the tension between
them is
thick and Thad desperately wants to be … Loving
Mercy.
New western
romance author, Teresa Bodwell is a star on the rise if this, her first
book, Loving Mercy is any indication.
The lands, the ways of the early 1800s are spectacularly depicted, and
the
enriching characters shine brightly. Mercy, Thad, Mercy’s sister
Miranda and
Harold, plus other secondary characters add everything to this story
that is
wonderful. The relationships are strong and profound. Ms. Bodwell pens
a driven
and sensual heroine in Mercy, which balances well and the power of this
woman
is greatly written. Set after the Civil War, times were hard on
everyone and
Ms. Bodwell showed the difficulties that were very realistic to those
times.
As Mercy
bet on Thad’s love, I bet that readers are going to love Theresa
Bodwell’s
romances for a long time to come. Loving
Mercy is most definitely worth the trek across the wilderness
with guns
afire, hearts racing and the bonds of home and of love amazingly strong.
Reviewed by Tracey West
for The Road
to Romance
December 23rd,
2004
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