THE REBEL AND THE LADY
Author: Kathryn Albright ISBN: 0373295138 9/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: HARLEQUIN
Time Period: 1836 Texas Territory
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Victoria Ruiz is on the run. Fleeing Santa Anna's army, which is invading Texas. But Victoria is a lady, of aristocratic descent. And this is no place for a lady.
Jake Dumont is a rebel. A loner. And a crack shot. He's never stayed in one place for long. Never let anyone close enough to break through his guarded heart. Until now…
When Jake lays eyes on stunning Victoria, he's rocked to the core. Here is a woman who will lay her life on the line for what she believes. Finally he's found something worth fighting for. The lady has stolen his heart. But can a rebel gunslinger claim an aristocrat as his bride? |
 RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS: 
THE REBEL AND THE LADY by Kathryn Albright has everything a lover of historicals set in this place and time could want. It is a romantic read filled with adventure, daring and the struggle of a people to overcome oppression. I loved it. The only sad moment for me came when I reached the end. Although the ending was perfect for the story, and very satisfying, I hated to say goodbye to these wonderful characters.
Victoria Torrez comes from a long, aristocratic lineage. She can trace her ancestry back hundreds of years so when she's thrown together with a man whose own family can only be traced two generations, including his own, their attraction seems almost ludicrous. Toss in the fact that Santa Anna's soldiers are invading and the only hope for anyone is to escape, give warning and find help, all hope for any romance feels like a dream. But Jake Dumont isn't a man who is easily put off, especially not once he gets a taste of something he really desires. Victoria and Jake, the Alamo and the Rio Grande, as well as Davey Crockett, Jim Bowie and a host of other larger-than-life characters come together to make the action in this story so spellbinding, it feels like an adventure film.
I enjoyed every bit of this tale. Victoria is a heroine anyone would be proud to be associated with. She's smart and courageous, and willing to do whatever it takes to right the world she believes in so strongly. Her sense of family obligation never deters her or blinds her. Jake is irresistible, and when he kisses Victoria in a corral, it is so flat-out sexy it's almost impossible to remember he's trying to send her away and keep her safe. Their interplay, each fighting for the same thing but in different ways, makes the adventure seem very realistic and I found I learned or was reminded of historical things I'd all but forgotten. Reading this story is like taking a trip back in time, but it's filled with so many wonderful characters that there's nothing that's dry or dull about this history lesson.
THE REBEL AND THE LADY is intense, fast-moving and suspenseful, with realistic characters and enough romance to satisfy even the most steadfast romantic reader. A real pleasure to read!
Kay James |
