Guest Review: Wild Texas Rose by Jodi Thomas

I love historical novels. In fact, the very first romances I began reading years ago were historical romances–some were very extensive like Anya Seton’s novels, some from Jean Plaidy and Georgette Heyer, and others who are well known to most of us. I really didn’t care much for those set in the American past except I got hooked on a whole series of novels which were published back in the 70’s by John Jakes, that told stories that began with the French/Indian wars and carried on through all the American historical periods right up to contemporary times. They were absolutely wonderful, and I think I heard somewhere that they were being re-issued. Anyway, in that fine tradition, Jodi Thomas is giving us a series of books set in the American West that smack of that same kind of good writing and which draw readers into complex family units and community connections.

Here you have a woman who is prepared to be a friend to another who has never really learned how to be a friend in return, but who Rose believes is in trouble. Throughout the story the reader is drawn into the story of the owner of the general store, a circuit riding judge, his brother’s ghost–a man he had to leave on the battlefield of the Civil War and whose death he has never accepted, a bridegroom who doesn’t appear to care much for the bride and the bride’s father who apparently is forcing his daughter into an unwanted marriage, and Rose’s complicated relationship with her adopted “brother,” the Texas Ranger. Add in a couple of criminal, bank-robbing, outlaws who escape and who are determined to “rub out” Texas Ranger McMurray, and you have a hefty list of characters whose lives the author manages to intertwine with expertise. Some of these folks have left behind their dreams for the future. They were casualties of the Civil War. Others have come to believe that the beauty of love and family have passed them by. Yet in surprising ways each of these people are impacted by one another so that each must re-examine their self-perceptions and their beliefs about one another. The Old West was not an easy place to live and whether it was danger as posed by the wild and woolly criminal element or the lack of survival skills in a land that was largely unforgiving, life for nearly everyone was hard, especially for women and children. Yet at the core of these struggling communities were deep friendships and odd connections that were forged out of necessity and which sustained people in tough times

I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book all that well, but I have to confess that even though the story seemed disjointed at first, the strands of the lives of the various characters slowly began to be woven into a literary tapestry and most of all, I was hooked on the writing itself. The sections of the story were bound together flawlessly so that the reader wasn’t left hanging, wondering where the story line had gone. And while I know that none of us likes absolutely everything a particular writer produces, this is one Ms Thomas’ best that I have read so far. I like complicated stories that involve lots of people in close and distant relationships. This story has that in spades. It is also about hurting lives that either need to be or have already been redeemed by the healing power of authentic caring. The greatest surprise of all is the unfolding of Rose’s story, her own journey of self-discovery and the changes in her behavior these discoveries made for her.

I hope you will find this book as entertaining as I have. It’s well worth the time and effort to read, and if you haven’t been a fan of American historical romance, this would be a great place to start.

I give this book a rating of 4.25 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.