Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Shadow’s Stand-Sarah McCarty

Shadow’s Stand


Sarah McCarty

Harlequin HQN, Jan 31 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9780373777051



In 1859 West Texas Territory, Fei Yen Tseng revoked her father Jiang’s heritage when he sold her cousin Lin to pay a debt. Now, Fei invokes a rarely used law to claim Shadow Ochoa as her husband before the sheriff and a mob can string him up as a horse thief. The vigilantes are angry at her but need Jiang, a dynamite expert, to help them with a tunnel through the nearby mountain. Fei leaves with her groom chained to her buckboard as he is only a front to her business empire.



However, Shadow is not a Hell’s Eight Texas Ranger for nothing. He challenges his owner who fears her passion for her incarcerated spouse will cost her independence. Meanwhile he finds himself falling in love with his captor who he distrusts with his life. Before they can figure out their feelings, bounty hunters plan to collect on his hide and her father does not sit well with his daughter’s insult.



The fifth Hell’s Eight western romance (see Sam’s Creed and Tucker’s Claim) is an exciting tale due to the unique Chinese heroine. Although the male protagonist is somewhat interchangeable with his brothers in arms like Tracker and Caine, Fei brings freshness with her need for independence and her skill at running a business empire from the shadows. Adding in her Chinese nationality, she makes for a strong pre Civil War entry.



Harriet Klausner

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