The title of this novel is what drew me to it in the first place but it was the book blurb that cinched it for me. I liked the idea of a one night stand that left a hero quaking in his cowboy boots over the heroine and a desperate urge to find her and when he does find that his playboy charm doesn’t wash and must resort to serious wooing to win her heart.
However, that’s not really how it plays out. The elements are there but the story weaved is a little different. Derringer Westmoreland, high on painkillers, ends up sleeping with a woman he should recognize but doesn’t. Both hero and heroine are at fault in the one night stand: the hero for taking too much medicine and for pursuing the heroine (who called herself Puddin’ Tame for goodness sakes) and it’s the heroine fault for taking advantage of the situation to lose her V-card… the whole matter bugged me. Out of your mind sex, shouldn’t actually be when you’re out of your mind.
When he wakes up, he’s only keen on finding the woman to get revenge, not to get into her panties, and to make sure she doesn’t slap a paternity suit on him… but then changes his game plan over the course of the first date. Considering how angry he was over the paternity suit gambit, it should surprise you as it did me to learn that he was more than happy to have unprotected sex repeatedly. Idiot. The heroine’s not much better in that regard. Safe sex was not on the menu.
I did like that the pining away for years aspect on the heroine’s side wasn’t actually one sided. If it had been I’m not sure I could have bought the hero’s switch in his plans. As it was, Derringer had been warned away from Lucia on two separate occasions by her father. Derringer might be a ladies man, but he has a few morals and standards, and now that Lucia is old enough to make her own choices things are different.
I also didn’t mind that the heroine was 29 and still a virgin, though I know this will bug some contemporary readers who could buy it in a historical more easily. I think that’s a great life choice if that’s what a person wants, though the heroine was clearly saving her virginity for the hero and not marriage (which is not a bad thing either).
Rating: 
Buy: A Wife for a Westmoreland (Harlequin Desire)
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A Wife for a Westmoreland by Brenda Jackson NEW |
US $8.66 | Sale |
This post was written by...
Keira – who has written 1169 posts on Love Romance Passion.
Keira's favorite type of heroes are blind, scarred, and tortured... yes, she understands those should be separate, but all 3 at once is also nice! She enjoys historical romances best and adores audio books because great narrators turn books into auditory/mental movies (and she loves her romantic dramas like Pride and Prejudice/North and South!) Learn more about Keira in My Instant Turn Ons, Offs, and Ifs.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I agree with you, the blurb sounds yummy. To bad it didn’t deliver on that. Thanks for the review!