Published: 1986
Illustrator: Robert McGinnis
Book Series: Stratton Family #1
Published by: Avon
Genres: Historical Romance, Western Romance
Pages: 368
Format: eBook, Paperback, Hardcover
Buy on: Amazon, ThriftBooks
Reviewed by: Introvert Reader
VERY MILD SPOILERS 😉
The Book
I just realized I had Johanna Lindsey‘s western romance A Heart So Wild on my Kindle. Since I hadn’t read it in 25 years, I figured why not give it a re-read?
And you know what? I loved this book more the second time around than the first.
The Plot
Why did I enjoy A Heart So Wild that much?
- Heroine & hero “meet” when the heroine, Courtney, is getting sexually assaulted by an outlaw. What does the hero do? He sees a man messing with a woman and right away shoots the bad guy dead.
- Enigmatic hero with a mysterious and tragic past.
- The heroine needs a gunslinger to guide her through hostile Indian territory to find her missing father.
- The hero, Chandos, fights, beats, and kills men who try to kidnap or try to rape the heroine.
- A snakebite where the heroine sucks the blood out of the hero’s wound for an hour (!), and then he gets sick, revealing more in his fever dreams than he would if he was fine.
- Quick love scenes that express passion, aren’t too purple in prose, and don’t go on for endless pages.
This western trek romance takes us through the deserts and wilderness as Courtney and Chandos travel to find her long-lost father. A Heart So Wild is more of a character-driven than a plot-driven romance, which is fine by me.
I’m so glad I gave this one a reread, as it made me remember why for such a long time, Johanna Lindsey was my favorite author: she’s easy to read. Sometimes reading is a chore, and it shouldn’t be if it’s a hobby I supposedly love.
The Characters
Courtney is a pleasant enough type. She grows on you as the story develops. And Chandos is just… Well, he’s the kind of hero that made Lindsey sell tens of millions of books.
He’s a hard nut to crack, but once Chandos falls, he falls hard and forever. Still, he retains that stubborn arrogance that was a trademark of the heroes in the first half of Lindey’s career.
“You’re my woman, cateyes. You’ve been my woman since I first laid eyes on you.”
That didn’t satisfy her. “Say it!”
He grinned and jerked her down onto his lap, where she sat stiffly, waiting, until at last he said, “I love you. Is that what you want to hear? I love you so much I’ve got no direction without you.”
“Oh, Chandos.” She melted against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love—”
“Uh-uh.” He stopped her. “You better think real carefully before you say anything, cateyes, because if you give me your love, I’m not going to let you take it back. I can’t keep worrying about whether or not I can make you happy. I’ll try my best but there isn’t going to be any changing your mind later. Do you understand what I’m saying? If you’re going to be my woman, there’s no way in hell I’ll ever let you go.”
Final Analysis of A Heart So Wild
Chandos is a wonderful Lindsey hero. Courtney is a likable, strong-willed heroine. Together they make for a sizzling combination.
Johanna Lindsey would revisit Courtney and Chandos in All I Need Is You, which tells the tale of their bounty-hunter daughter. That book was okay.
A Heart So Wild is one of Lindsey’s best, of which there are many!
| Rating Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Plot | |
| Characters | |
| Writing | |
| Chemistry | |
| Fun Factor | |
| Cover | |
| Overall: | 4.6 |
Synopsis:
Courtney Harte is certain her missing father is a alive, lost somewhere deep in Indian territory. But she needs a guide to lead her safely through this dangerous, unfamiliar country, someone as wild and unpredictable as the land itself. And that man is the gunslinger they call Chandos.
Courtney fears this enigmatic loner whose dark secrets torture his soul, yet whose eyes, bluer than the frontier sky, enflame the innocent, determined lady with wanton desires. But on the treacherous path they have chosen they have no one to trust but each other–as shared perils to their lives and hearts unleash turbulent, unbridled, passions that only love can tame.
A HEART SO WILD by JOHANNA LINDSEY
***