Desperado by Tina Leonard
Series: Deep in the Heart (# 2)
Release Date: December 17, 2013 (originally pub in June 1998)
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Pages: 284
Source: book provided by the publisher for review
She’s about to make things rough for a smooth-talking man.
Let a lavender-haired city slicker use his ranch for a movie set? Cody Aguillar has an answer for her: It’ll be a cold day in hell. But he can’t deny Stormy Nixon is too cute for words, and though he had no intention of giving her what she wants, her determination is beginning to earn his admiration—and wear down his resistance.
Soon he can’t get her out of his mind. When the set lights go hot, Stormy won’t be the only one calling “Action.” But when it’s time to call “That’s a wrap,” will their attraction grow cold…or will something permanent be branded on their hearts?
This Retro Romance was previously published by London Bridge in 1998.
Warning: Contains a bad boy rancher who never thought he’d be any city girl’s hero, and an unconventional heroine who’s acquiring a taste for lariats and leather.
Review: Thankfully, in the digital age older titles that would have ordinarily gone out of print have found new life and a new audience with digital reissues. On many occasions these older titles, if approached with an open mind, stand the test of time beautifully, but some just do not translate well into modern times.
For me Desperado , which was published originally in 1998, fell somewhere between the two, often reading like an up to date contemporary, but at other times badly showing it’s age. I still see blue or purple hair from time to time, and multiple piercings, but it’s hardly head turning anymore, even in small towns. And while the townsfolk we were introduced to were funny, and their parts were written in a comedic vein, it was as kind of corny and not a true representation of small town vernacular.
The best part of the story involved thirteen year old Mary, who struck up a friendship with Stormy while going through a rough patch. The two became friends while Mary tried to adjust to huge changes in her family dynamic while dealing with the angst of being a teenager. Stormy became an unlikely role model to the starstruck Mary, with mixed results.
The country boy versus city girl is still a valid romance trope, but the relationship between Stormy and Cody just never quite solidified for me. He was a jerk from the start, and rarely softened, even after the most intimate of moments, he often appeared angry or irritated, and Stormy’s sudden response to him after they got off to such a bad start, felt forced. They say opposites attract, but in this case the pair were just too different and did nothing but argue and clash and couldn’t manage to get it together until the bitter end. Cody’s last minute decision didn’t feel true to his character, and I wondered if he would really be happy with his choices in the end. Even after all was said and done, I felt like the couple was still on shaky ground, plus, the ending was kind of off kilter and very rushed through.
Overall there was nothing especially memorable about this one. I was just OK.
