"I stopped trying to predict where the story was going, it was too much fun to just enjoy the ride"
Now here is a western with a difference. In fact, it's a
western with a lot of differences, where the author has
taken the notion of what makes a "hero" and a "heroine" and
forces us to take a real good look at them. We have four main characters in this book. There is Clint
Randolf, the epitome of the western range detective,
handsome, a fast draw, every woman's dream. And then there
is his side-kick, Sam Blake. Sam's a big man, lots of hair,
hasn't been with a woman since the last one threw him out
of her room after seeing the size of his...well you get the
idea. When trouble brews and the local authorities hire the
pair to come in and clean things up, it is Clint they are
looking for. But Sam is the man with the college education,
who makes the plans that help them catch the bad guys. Sam
is the brains of the pair, Clint the window dressing. Clint
may be the faster draw, but Sam always hits what he shoots
at. And Sam is getting a little tired of being overlooked
because of his more charismatic buddy. Prudence Hofheinz is the schoolmarm in the little town of
Rincon, Texas. She hates teaching school, but what else is
there for an overweight thirty-year-old spinster without
resources to do? Her best friend is Arabella Morgan, the
beautiful daughter of the richest rancher there. When
Clint and Sam show up to capture some rustlers, it is love
at first sight all around. Okay, everyone knows what happens next, right? Clint gets
together with Arabella, Sam with Pru, everyone lives
happily ever after. Wrong. Yes, the love at first sight happens and up to the
end of the first section, things are pretty predictable.
But then Sam gets terribly injured and Clint betrays him.
Pru's reputation is shot and she could care less, she goes
off to help Sam. Arabella ends up married to Clint, and it
isn't all roses, in fact it's closer to cow manure. The bulk of the book is a fascinating study about living
through adversity, learning to make the best of what you
have, the joys of second chances, and what really makes a
hero or heroine. After a while, I stopped trying to predict
where the story was going, it was too much fun to just
enjoy the ride. For a western romance with a lot of
differences, The Hero's Best Friend is one book to try. Janet Miller © Copyright 2002
for ParaNormal Romance
Reviews
Reviewed by Janet Miller
Posted May 11, 2002
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The Sidekick and the Schoolmarm: Two people destined to go
unnoticed through life, overshadowed by their more
attractive best friends. When Sam Blake and Prudence
Hofheinz meet that Spring in Rincon, Texas, it seems like a
miracle. But Sam and Prudence must face a villain's
deception, a partner's betrayal, a small town scandal and a
serious injury that threatens to tear them apart before
they can find the forever kind of love that can sometimes
happen not just to the Hero, but to the Hero's Best Friend.
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