It's a good book, but, for CK, it's generic. But, this wrapped itself around me and kept me warmly entertained for several hours and made me slightly emotional to boot. Apr 29, Heller rated it liked it Shelves: Lots of really grim historical medical accounts and the ending is super ambiguous, not for Joe and Suzie who actually have quite a lovely HEA but for all view spoiler [who left Fort Laramie and w 3.
Lots of really grim historical medical accounts and the ending is super ambiguous, not for Joe and Suzie who actually have quite a lovely HEA but for all view spoiler [who left Fort Laramie and were caught up in the events of Custer's last stand. He had to kill her with a overdose of morphine to end her suffering. Susanna became a pariah when she was beaten by her drunken husband and lost sight in one eye.
Her husband sued her for divorce and denied her access to their son when she sought medical attention. She was forced to move west to start her life over. She's really a stellar writer who can just sink you into history so you just feel like you're living in the reality of it. No rose coloured glasses here for the time period but the relationships and interactions are tremendously layered. No one is a hero and people are just people who make mistakes but who also find love and redemption where they can.
Always a great read with this author but the end was brutal. I guess it was better to stop things on the satisfying HEA note but it made it feel a bit unfinished for me. View all 3 comments. Mar 02, Joy rated it really liked it Shelves: Why I love Carla Kelly--she shows you don't need to be a dominating alpha or a jerk to be a real man. This charming love story set in Fort Laramie during the Indian wars is about a woman who has divorced her abusive husband and attempts a new start as an Army schoolteacher, and the surgeon who takes her under his wing.
There is an absolutely awesome supporting character, and several subplots that would make interesting books in themselves I suspect. The ending is kind of abrupt, but given the re Why I love Carla Kelly--she shows you don't need to be a dominating alpha or a jerk to be a real man. The ending is kind of abrupt, but given the rest of the story it doesn't really matter.
Jun 07, Katie Kofemug rated it really liked it Shelves: If there is one consistent theme in Carla Kelly's books it is this: Everyone bends and we try not to break. Bending without breaking is a hard lesson, usually learned over and over and over in life. I am always grateful when the wind blows the other direction and reminds me, by the grace of God, I am more supple than I thought.
Kelly's books feel like a rush of affirming wind for me. Overall, the writing is excellent, the dialog genuine, and the narrative tenderly handled.
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Secondary characte If there is one consistent theme in Carla Kelly's books it is this: Secondary characters are human, flaws and all, and worth the time spent on them. The sense of place and historical details are wonderful without info dumps or neglect of little things we forgot we knew. The friendships and romance was given time to develop and are laced with both humor and determination.
This isn't a book for skimming, reading on a commute, or beginning late in the evening [unless you don't work the next day]. It is a put dinner in the crock pot, turn off the phone, and curl up read, definitely for the Keeper file. This book touched me deeply, both in the crafting of the characters and the plot of the narrative. A divorced woman myself, with children now grown, I could easily imagine the relentless clawing of separation from a child that you not only knew was in danger, but had no legal or familiar resource to turn to for help.
Kelly never lost sight of what abuse and judgment does to a woman's spirit and self-esteem. The energy and courage required to start over are perfectly captured here without spiraling in to maudlin or reality TV drama. Susanna grows to the realization that she is not only stronger than she knew but also softer, and that's all right.
Her baby steps - that felt like giant leaps to her - in this regard are believable. Her moment of decision was a bit "just add water" without the need of "rinse and repeat" of real life, but this IS a romance novel and not a psychological analysis of frontier life. She was definitely a woman of her times, but also a woman of gentler temperament and the fact she ran to save her life is probably the only out of character behavior she ever exhibited.
I imagine readers with different temperaments or modern perspective will find her That's all right, there are plenty of books with fiery, feisty, and bold women to read instead.
Publisher Series: Mills & Boon Masquerade Historical Romance
Quite courage that plods along has its place in the world as well as romance land. Joseph is a Kelly Hero and one of the many reasons I love her books. He had his own demons and doubts but he walked through the nightmare days and reached this side of numb by the time he met Susanna.
His charming manners, stout humor and good-natured nagging is precisely how he did so. That, and a great deal of work with perhaps an extra helping of pride on those really bad days, kept him sane and functional. He would not make his sacrifices be for nothing or diminish his wife's worth by spiraling into despair. From concern to curiosity to attraction and then love; Joe did not rush his own emotions any more than he did Susanna's. I appreciate that respect for the reader as well as the characters. As Susanna healed and learned to let go of hurts; Joe walked with her.
Admitting his own weaknesses and strengths, taking those same steps because he wanted to be sure, not because he was compelled by the ache in his groin or the lust in his belly made him a believable hero for me. Their romance progressed from an emotional connection to physical attraction; from tentative friendship to earnest commitment and I think Ms. Kelly portrayed this very well. Finally, mindful of spoilers, there are no dangling threads or forced march epilogue - Thank You So Much! The story does leave you certain that whatever the future brings, they will manage to live, and love, without hesitation.
May 10, Erica Anderson rated it liked it Shelves: I've read just about everything that Carla Kelly has ever published. And I feel more than a little disloyal saying that her heroes and heroines are starting to sound the same to me. As any Kelly fan knows, historical setting is her forte. In this novel, Kelly moves to Fort Laramie, Wyoming, where the divorced heroine, Susanna, goes to start over.
Susanna is a classic Kelly heroine--she has been brutalized I've read just about everything that Carla Kelly has ever published. Susanna is a classic Kelly heroine--she has been brutalized by life and she is frightened and untrusting. The support of a good man is what enables her to find her own strength to carry on. In this case, that good man is Joe Randolph, the fort surgeon.
He is, like every Kelly hero that I can think of, a beta male. He wants to help, he's self-effacing, and he's nice. About two-thirds of the way through this novel, I really lost interest. Because I know exactly what's going to happen. Although both Susanna and Joe are lovely, good people, they're also, well, boring. Okay, there, I've said it. I'm glad that Susanna and Joe get together. I'm glad that she's able to get over her distrust and conquer the small, nasty gossips of Fort Laramie.
I'm glad that Joe finally lets go of his beloved first wife. I'm happy for them, really. Because they're both very nice. But neither one is very interesting. I recommend this book if you're in the mood for a sweet romance with a strong historical foundation. Or if you like Western romance. I think Kelly is spot on with her portrayal of the treatment of divorced women in the late s and of the shame and humiliation such women probably felt.
I also like her choice of a surgeon as hero, since I've enjoyed her depictions of surgeons in other books e. But ultimately, this wasn't a keeper for me. I still like Marrying the Royal Marine best, and strongly recommend it if you like your romances gritty and historically accurate. Sep 16, kate rated it liked it. I like carla kelly but to me she has one flaw in her books. I'm sorry but I don't know one 12year old boy that would sit on another man's lap. Oct 31, OLT rated it liked it. This release is set in Fort Laramie and is a change from her usual English setting during the Napoleonic wars.
This, unfortunately, is the only thing that sets this romance apart from her other novels. Although in a different time and place, the characters were not outstanding. Our hero is a noble good guy doctor, an absolutely sterling character. That's good, but nothing sets hi Maybe 2. That's good, but nothing sets him apart from any other noble Kelly hero. The heroine is a put-upon, suffering woman who has run away from her very abusive husband and left her year-old son behind in her desperation.
She reminded me quite a bit of the desperate widow of The Admiral's Penniless Bride Harlequin Historical , although that widow had lost her son to death, not to a custody battle. The conflict here is in the prejudice the heroine, who has arrived to be the Fort's schoolteacher, faces when the fact of her divorce and desertion of child becomes known, and the already-established prejudice the hero has been facing for 1 being a Virginian, and 2 his action during the Civil War of turning away from a dying Union soldier to help a Confederate soldier who could be saved.
Kelly supplies the usual varied cast of characters, some good, some not so good, some quirky, and a heartwarming story, yet my heart didn't warm as much as usual when reading a Kelly book. The characters seemed too bland and many of them were not fully fleshed out. Our heroine was almost too passive and the hero almost too good to be true. It's a realistically developing romance and, compared to many another author's romances, is admirable. Mar 17, Emily rated it liked it Shelves: May 23, Susan rated it it was amazing Shelves: I was drawn into the story from the beginning.
I really liked both Susanna and Joe as characters. Susanna has come to the West to start her life over. She fled her abusive husband who then divorced her accusing her of abandoning their son. Divorced women are not treated well during this time period and Susanna has a miserable time of it. She meets Joe when he gives her a ride back to the fort.
Her cousin lives there too and has told people that Susanna is a widow not divorced whi Fantastic book. Her cousin lives there too and has told people that Susanna is a widow not divorced which causes problems later. I loved Susanna's strength. She had the courage to leave her husband when he nearly beat her to death.
She had to leave her son behind and that constantly wears on her. She worries about his safety and misses his presence in her life. After her divorce she headed West to be a teacher. She is very cautious around men thanks to her husband. When she meets Joe she is struck by his kindness and gentleness. On the journey to Ft. Laramie she comes to like and trust him. Her arrival at the fort shows her the lie her cousin told and she has a feeling that it will cause problems but she doesn't know how to fix it.
She discovers that fort society is even more judgmental than her hometown was. I really liked the way that she did not join in the snobbishness of her cousin. Susanna is the kind of person who is good all the way through. She spends a lot of time helping out in the hospital and with the women of the fort. I loved the way that her own troubles made her more empathetic with the ladies she made friends with.
When her past became common knowledge and people were cruel to her she first started to give up, but thanks to Joe decided to live her life her way. I loved the way that she and Joe started out as friends and then their feelings began to grow into love. It is a gentle sort of love that grows, not one full of heat, but it is strong.
Joe had lost his wife in a horrendous accident and has closed off his heart ever since.
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He is a good doctor and a kind person. He recognizes Susanna as a kindred spirit who has known great loss and sorrow. He finds it very easy to be nice to her. He is aware of her past and it makes him understand what she has been through. I loved the way that he is there for her in small and large ways. He finds things for her to do that will keep her busy. He also introduces her to women that will not judge her and who become good friends to Susanna. I loved seeing the way that his feelings for her change and grow.
They also help him come to terms with the loss of his first wife.
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