Review: Paradise Valley

Paradise Valley by Rosanne Bittner

Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Casablanca
Genre:  Western Historical Romance
Pages: 352
ISBN-10: 1402280971
ISBN-13: 978-1402280979

(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

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Excerpt from Paradise Valley, courtesy of the author.

Synopsis:

Maggie Tucker has just gone through hell. Outlaws murdered her husband, looted their camp, and terrorized Maggie before leaving her lost and alone in the wilds of Wyoming. She isn't about to let another strange man get close enough to harm her.

Sage Lightfoot, owner of Paradise Valley ranch, his hunting for the men who killed his best ranch hand. But what he finds is a beautiful, bedraggled woman digging a grave. And pointing a pistol at his heart.

From that moment on, Sage will do anything to protect the strong-yet-vulnerable Maggie. Together, they'll embark on a life-changing journey along the dangerous Outlaw Trail, risking their lives...and their love.

Thoughts:

Author Rosanne Bittner returns to historical fiction with her latest western romance, Paradise Valley. Paradise Valley is Bittner's 58th novel, set in the American Old West. Bittner's exhaustive research has taken her to every site depicted in her novels and this time takes her on an adventure along the famed Outlaw Trail. Paradise Valley introduces readers to a gritty heroine, Maggie Tucker, who endures many hardships before finding her happy-ever-after. A western romance with a flair for the dramatic, Paradise Valley is a must read for Bittner fans!

Rosanne Bittner is a highly acclaimed western author who knows how to depict the men and women of the American West. Bittner's ability to characterize the indomitable spirit and determination within her heroes and heroines is legendary. Many of her fans have waited for over ten years for a new release from the author and will be extremely pleased with the outcome. Good things are worth the wait and Paradise Valley certainly falls into that category. 

Heroine Maggie Tucker is a plucky character to say the least. She is challenged with overcoming some very difficult circumstances. It is 1886 and she finds herself in the wilds of Wyoming, where she experiences everything from the loss of her husband to kidnapping, rape, and finding a new love. Maggie is one of those women that readers will find gritty and full of the kind of backbone it took to settle the untamed west. Maggie can't seem to catch a break. Even after she meets hero Sage Lightfoot owner of the Paradise Valley ranch, she is still in for quite a ride. Readers will follow her adventures with baited breath wondering what in the world is going to happen to this poor woman next.

I liked the setting and the premise of the story. The sense of place in the novel is exciting and draws the reader in from the first page. The Outlaw Trail provided the right kind of edginess that this novel needed. I thought it was obvious that this subject and area was something that meant something to this author. Bittner conveys a sense of urgency and need in this novel. The quest for revenge turns into something a lot less easy to define as Sage and Maggie track the men who killed her husband and stole from both of them. 

It is apparent that the hero and heroine both have secrets and hurts that make their happy-ever-after all the more sweeter for readers. My one criticism for this book isn't exactly a criticism. I would liked to have seen more of those romantic moments we have learned to expect from Bittner in this novel. Granted there are some, I just wanted more... LOL! I liked all the twists and turns and obstacles Maggie and Sage were subjected to, but I wanted a little more bonding and romance. I look forward to whats to come from Bittner. She has definitely shown she has a lot more stories to tell!

Paradise Valley is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

Check out Rosanne's answers to my interview questions later today for your chance to win a copy of Paradise Valley.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Award-winning novelist Rosanne Bittner is highly acclaimed for her thrilling love stories and historical authenticity. Her epic romances span the West-from Canada to Mexico, Missouri to California-and are often based on Roseanne's personal visits to each setting. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two sons.