Dear Linda Lael Miller,
First let me say THANK YOU. I spent many hours when I was in college reading your work and thoroughly enjoying it. You helped me to get out of a funk more than once, and you took me away from my real life when I was in some, well, not-so-happy situations. So regardless of any of your future work, I will always remember the past work you did and how enjoyable I found it.
That’s why I was honored when chosen to review Creed’s Honor, a new book in your newest series. The synopsis sounded intriguing:
Conner Creed knows exactly who he is: a hardworking rancher carrying on his uncle’s legacy in Lonesome Bend, Colorado. Maybe a small-town cowboy’s life isn’t his dream, but he owes the man who took him in as a kid. Until the identical twin brother he’s been estranged from for years reenters his life.Conner struggles with identity issues as he gets to know his wilder brother. And then he meets Tricia McCall, a beautiful woman who knows a thing or two about living someone else’s dreams. Together, they just might find their own dreams right here in Lonesome Bend….
Ah yes, a cowboy romance. Yes, please! You’ve gotta love reading romance stories that focus on hard-working men (and if they wear chaps it’s definitely a plus) and strong-willed women.
Let’s start by talking about characters. I loved Connor, especially the fact that he and his twin brother have been estranged for such a long time. I love how you let the reason behind their estrangement unfold slowly (although I figured it out pretty quickly, other readers may not), and how you made sure that neither brother came off as the bad guy. And then there’s the romantic streak that Connor has. It’s just too sweet!!
Tricia is a good character as well. Unfortunately I didn’t like her anywhere near as much as I liked Connor, but she was still a good character, and the time she spent with her honorary niece are some of my favorite parts of the book (aside from the parts that feature just Connor and Tricia, that is).
Connor and Tricia are both good characters, but unfortunately the story isn’t quite as wonderful as I hoped it would be. While it’s a solid tale, and it is definitely worth reading, it just feels incomplete. I wanted much more between Connor and Tricia. I wanted to see many more scenes between the two of them, and unfortunately that’s not something that the story provides. It’s like eating a piece of fried chicken and only getting the crunchy, crispy outside. While the outside is always delicious, it’s the juicy meat that makes the fried chicken so good, and this tale just didn’t have enough juicy meat in it.
While this is definitely a solid tale, Ms. Miller, sadly it’s not your best work. I am, however, hopeful that the next book in this series will have a bit more of the juicy meat on it!
Best Wishes,
Randi
If you want to read Creed’s Honor, it will be available for purchase May 31, 2011.
