GRR Reviews To Have and To Hold: Sensuous Western by Charlene Raddon

To Have and To Hold is a Historical Western Romance that combined several tropes, but relied on implied (and actual) violence on women, as well as a pretty plain "heavy" antagonist (whose motivation seem to be mainly due to his mixed heritage and the chip on his shoulder). The chemistry between the FMC Tempest and the MMC Buck was interesting, and the way fighting a marriage of convenience by faking a different marriage was interesting. However, way Buck tries to work around the problem barely makes sense in the context of the problem.

Tempest Whitney has two children, a barely running ranch, and no husband. To make ends meet she had to take out a loan, then a scheming man with a gang of toughs and a huge chip on his shoulder bought up the debt and gave her an ultimatum: get kicked out... or marry him, and he's the kind that'd gladly use fists to force her to comply. Then on the wedding day, a man showed up claiming to be her dead husband... That guy's name was Buck Maddux. He spent two years in jail for a crime he did not commit, and he made a promise to a dying man to take care of his family. He was fleeing his past, and he did not plan to stay, but he was compelled to help defend this feisty beauty from a marriage she did not want. Buck wanted a family, but he felt very undeserving of such from his past sin. But he can offer Tempest safety by helping her locate the mythical treasure in the canyons... If the evil schemer doesn't kill him first...

Buck seems to be no stranger to violence, yet he'd rather romance Tempest than to kill the bad guy, but instead, kept letting the bad guy take shots at him, Tempest, or the kids. And the idea that they can go off to look for the treasure when they knew the bad guy has a whole gang of bad guys backing him, is just ridiculous. I mean, Tempest was nearly raped MULTIPLE times in this book! The end was almost by luck!

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Guy Poses As Woman's Husband to Protect the Family; and Came to Love Her and Must Protect Her From Evil Men

Tropes: woman in peril, protector

Overall Rating:  2/5