Sunday, June 28, 2015

REVIEW: Larkspur

Larkspur
by Dorothy Garlock

Publisher: Warner
Page Count: 407
Format: Mass Market Paperback

Hot got: personal library ($0.25 @ a garage sale)

First attention getter: taking place in Big Timer, MT - always love a HR set in MT

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

Miss Kristin Anderson had never left home before, but no one could stop her from going to Montana to take possession of Larkspur, the ranch she had inherited. At 23, she was considered a spinster, but she stood tall, wound her braids primly around her head, and tucked a derringer in her purse and set out for Big Timber, Montana.

She didn't know she'd have to outsmart gunslingers and a land grabber named Forsythe the moment she arrived. And she never dreamed that Buck Lenning, the "old" foreman at her ranch, was a young, lanky, secretive cowboy taking care of his elderly pa.

Soon Kristin and Buck were butting heads, hunkering down to protect Larkspur from Forsythe's henchmen, and discovering that they both wanted the same thing - a home and a love worth fighting for.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 4

Typical and predictable plotline for a historical romance: girl gets ranch in inheritance, meets sexy cowboy, ranch dude, bad guys try to get her ranch, struggle ensues, hijinks in the local town, big showdown, happily ever after. So no surprises there.

I liked Kristin, for the most part. She started out strong, knowing how to shoot her way out of problems and having the intelligence to see through Forsythe’s schemes very early on. As the story progressed, there were times where she regressed into the damsel in distress model, having to be rescued by Buck multiple times. There were times I was mentally shouting at her to carry her god damn gun more and shoot the balls off any guy trying to kidnap her. Yet, at least she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and stand up for herself in some capacity.

I also liked the author’s careful attention to setting and environment. I’ve personally been to this area of Montana: Big Timber, the Crazy Mountains, and the Sweet Grass Creek (where it runs through Melville, MT). A ton of the towns and areas mentioned I’ve also been to or seen on a map: Helena, Miles City, and Billings. In my humble opinion, the Crazies are the most majestic and gorgeous of Montana’s mountains and serve as a fitting backdrop for this story. I could see why Buck and Kristin would like to live out here.



With a predictable, typical plotline and a heroine that slides into the damsel-in-distress mode more often than I like, I don’t think I’d say this is a favorite romance or one that stands out among the crowds. Yet, it’s got some good points with a story, though predictable, is still enjoyable, a heroine who at least has a backbone at times, and a great setting. So not jaw-dropping in its awesomeness, but still an enjoyable historical romance.

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