Cactus rose by Samantha Harte

[Birdlady1950]

Rosie Saladay raced into town in her worn out wagon and worn out horses on a mission. She needs a husband, and she needs him today. The local gambler, Wesley Morris, is determined to practically steal her land and mysteriously her husband was killed last week. Everyone believes there is gold on her land, she has something more valuable to history, ancient cliff dwellings; her husband, Abner, swore her to secrecy.

Del Grant riding thru town, drinking and gambling decides to marry Rosie even without “boots under the bed” as they said in the west, a marriage of convenience and protection for Rosie who believes she will be the next one killed for her land.

Rosie, a mill girl, had come west to find her future husband, found he didn’t want a wife, only a housekeeper, so he could research the dwellings and artifacts. She lives a lonely almost destitute existence. I could feel Del’s emotions rolling off of him as he listened to Rosie describe her life. I could feel Rosie’s desire that her late husband had felt a little something for her, fear of what was to become of her, and her determination to safe guard her husband’s legacy. The author poured emotion throughout this book, as we watched Del and Rosie grow into the people they were destined to become.

Del has secrets and he is not sure how to tell Rosie. Rosie has a secret also; she is falling in love with Del. Watching Rosie and Del dance around each other was entertaining as they fell for the each other in a desolate land full of cactus and sand. These are two people who have wanted to be loved for their entire life’s; it was sad and emotional to hear each of their histories; they both deserved to love and be loved. Ms. Harte did a wonderful job pacing the story, the love between Del and Rosie, the mystery of the cliff dwellings, the mystery of Del and his secrets that could finally break Rosie, that snake Wesley Morris, and the manner of Rosie’s first husband Abner death revealed. Ms. Harte pulled the story together, tied up all the ends, and gave us a good book with a wonderful ending.

I would recommend this book for anyone that like western romance. The loves scenes were very tastefully done, more hinted at than descriptive.

I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an honest opinion.