Captive Angel

I loved this book. At first I was annoyed by all the narrative and the fact that there was very little dialogue. We get it. Her life sucked. But as the story progressed, I really began to feel connected with these people, especially Angel. I have read more romance novels than I can possibly count, but I have never before felt so happy for a character at the end of the book. This novel is a credit to the writer and the genre.

Angel Devlin is not your typical romance heroine but you will be a fan of hers from the beginning to the end. The trials she must endure include ones that I have yet to find in other novels. Porter offers characters that are flawed enough to be real but deep enough to be loved. This is my first Cheryl Anne Porter novel. I am so excited to find her and plan to pick up her other novels.

Captive Angel is a wonderfully-written novel about a young woman's search for love and acceptance in the 1870s in Texas. It is a harsh life for both men and women. The heroine is subjected to travesities that shock you, and you yearn for her to win over her unbearable circumstances. Ms. Porter is an excellent writer. I felt as if I were transported back in time agonizing and cheering for this beautiful young woman, who finally finds what's she yearning for. . .a home of her own and love.

In 1870 Texas, Angel Devlin mourns the death of her mother, a woman who worked the upstairs rooms of saloons. However, before she can truly grieve her being left alone in the world, the eighteen-year-old defends herself from the advances of a drunk by killing the inebriated rancher. Rank proves more important in the hierarchy of Texas justice than circumstances. Being the daughter of a prostitute leads to her conviction and the sentence of hanging for the killing of a rancher. Just before the rope is placed on her lovely neck, rancher Wallace Daltry, a stranger to the teen, rescues her. He explains afterward that he promised her mother to keep Angel safe. Though bewildered by the events and intervention, Angel goes to Wallace's ranch. However, by morning, an assailant kills Walter. Jack, Wallace's half breed son, accuses Angel of the crime. She knows she did not kill her benefactor. Angel wonders if Jack, who had the most to gain with Wallace's death, killed his father. That mutual mistrust fails to stop the duo from falling in love with one another. CAPTIVE ANGEL will captivate the hearts of western romance fans due to lead protagonists who garner much empathy. The story line is exciting, romantic, and loaded with a who-done-it that enhances a warm novel. Cheryl Anne Porter demonstrates that her highly regarded trilogy (JACEY'S RECKLESS HEART, HANNAH'S PROMISE, and SEASONS OF GLORY) was not a passing fancy, but the real thing.Harriet Klausner