CAINE'S RECKONING - Sarah McCarty
La Grande Mort
Hell's Eight, Book 1
Spice (eHarelquin.com)
ISBN: 978-0-373-60518-7
November 2007
Erotic Historical Romance

Texas Territory - 1858

Texas Ranger Caine Allen has been asked to find a woman kidnapped by bandits and return her to her guardian. When he tracks them down, he gets a shock. Desi is fighting off her attackers like a wildcat, even though she is clearly outnumbered. After the men who have taken her have been dispatched, Caine must chase after an escaping Desi. She assures him that she would rather face the Comanche’s, the wilderness, and bandits than return to her guardian. When Caine meets her guardian and his group of refined thugs, he knows that he can't leave her to face their abuse. The town priest insists that the only way Caine can leave town with Desi is by marrying her. Caine's sense of justice, as well as the favor called in by the priest, finds him heading home a married man. Now all he has to do is convince Desi that she can trust him to protect her and, ultimately, love her.

Feeling safe isn't something Desi has done in a very long time, but she feels it with Caine. When her well-to-do family headed to Texas, they had no idea of the horror that awaited them. Desi's parents are dead, and her twin sister is missing. Caine knows that she was abused, but has no idea of the extent and horror of her ordeal. Desi knows that her so-called guardian will come after her and will take out anyone in his way. When the other ranchers of Hell's Eight offer to find her sister, Desi will do anything to make it happen. She lets Caine know that she can never trust a man again, but she will do whatever he asks of her until her sister is found. As she begins to feel safe and her hope grows, Desi also finds that her unexplainable attraction to Caine is so much more. He is treating their marriage as a real and tangible relationship, and for Desi that may be the biggest threat she faces.

Also along for the ride are Tracker, Sam, Shadow, Ed, and Tucker, some of the other men who run Hell's Eight; Tia, the woman who keeps the ranch and its men civilized; Boone, a very particular hound that adopts Desi; and an unknown villain, the vicious monster who masterminded the destruction of Desi and her family. Each character helps Caine and Desi learn about each other and begin to bond.

CAINE'S RECKONING is a can't-put-it-down adventure story. Caine is a tough, rugged survivor who lets down his unemotional facade for Desi and is kind, tender, and dominating all at once. Having faced his own nightmare loss years ago makes him deeply compassionate toward Desi. Desi grew up spoiled and refined; she was also constantly in trouble for her unladylike demeanor and sensibilities making her a perfect sparring partner for Caine. Moments of humor lighten the hardships of their fight and the isolation of the land. Intimate encounters are highly erotic and intense as Desi learns to overcome the damage done by her abusers. Superb writing and characterization, along with a well-described setting, bring the story alive and pull readers into the action. This exceptional first-in-series book has this reader eagerly anticipating future stories and earns it the RRTE La Grande Mort rating. CAINE'S RECKONING is a hands-down winning tale that is not to be missed.

Jennell