Heart's Delight

There are a few spots in the story that are a stretch, nevertheless, this story will hook you and you won't want to put it down. A little romance, a little suspense, and the usual twists and turns to a great ending.

Wisconsin 1890 -- Was it really this wild in 1890?? Molly, 29 was raising her brother's daughters, Sarah, 14 and Delia, 10 - seems like red hair runs in the family - then Charity, 6 was given to her and then little Flora's mother just left her, a baby, with Molly and took off for parts unknown, Flora is a little outspoken sprite that just "seems to know" things. U.S. Marshal Hodge Egan, 36, was called out of a hot card game in Chicago because of the killing of a bank manager/owner, another party and the law officer in Wisconsin. He swears that this is his last job. [You can read how the rest of the story goes] how Eli Otto, a bank robber and killer mesmerizes Sarah and takes off with her, even with a broken leg? Oh by the way, silly Molly lets herself be seduced by Hodge yet that gives her an insight toward helping Sarah heal. Little Flora is quite the character and so enjoyable. Another crazy act on Molly's part, she takes all three girls on the trail of Hodge and Eli. Yet she appears to be well prepared for in supplies. [grin - who saves who?] [I just can't imagine that kind of rough terrain in Wisconsin.] but then I have never traveled there. The characters are great - Sarah's blushing interest in Samuel Schroeder - Flora's insight - the wonderful bonding love in this family of females. This is a very delightful read - never saw a 36 year old as portrayed on the cover [these cover designers need to get real]. I do Recommend Heart's Delight to enjoy [and hey look, no vulgar language, way to go Ruth]

I enjoyed this book, but it was only a 1 day read. I have read several of Ruth Ryan Langan's books. It would have been nice for this to have a little more substance. If you are looking for some really good reads from this author, try to get "The Jewels of Texas" family series, Diamond, Jade, Pearl, Ruby and Malachite (authored under the name of Ruth Langan). These were ones that I could NOT put down. They are out of print, but you can get them from used book sellers. Totally worth the purchase! Try to get all 5 because you won't want to stop and wait for the others to arrive

At twenty-nine years of age, Molly O'Brien has earned quite a reputation for her unorthodox decision to raise four orphans alone. Between working her farm and raising her girls, there's no time for a man or romance in her life - a fact which she's never regretted. U.S. Marshall Hodge Egan has decided that it's about time for him to retire. At thirty-six years of age he's ready to leave Illinois and live the `good life' in California - gambling, drinking good whiskey and enjoying pretty women. A bank robbery in Wisconsin sets him on a path that will forever change his life. Molly and the girls are returning from one of their rare trips to town. The girls lament not being able to spend more time in town and are already looking forward to the next time they'll be able to make the trip. When they come across two bloody bodies, both men are still alive - barely. Molly decides to take the men home and nurse them back to health. The girls aren't enthusiastic about the prospect of caring for the men until Molly mentions that if they die they'd take the bodies back to town. Flora even goes so far as to hope for the mens deaths. Neither of them dies - which disappoints the girls - but it's the knowledge that one of the men is an outlaw and the other is a lawman that has them baffled. Neither man was wearing anything that could positively identify them. Molly discovers information about both men in their possessions she finds near where she found the men - but there's no way of knowing which items belong to which man Molly is determined to not trust either man until she can figure out which one is the lawman. She's hidden both mens clothes and weapons which truly annoys Hodge - after all, how can he protect Molly and the girls from Eli Otto if he's naked? Hodge is grateful to Molly for saving his life, despite the fact that she still believes he may be the outlaw. What will it take to convince her that he represents the law? What will happen when Molly's and Hodge's protective instincts collide and they discover a mutual passion that won't be denied? Ruth Ryan Langan tells a compelling story in HEART'S DELIGHT. At a time when women were expected to marry, Molly opts to blaze her own trail and raise orphaned children alone. She's a wonderfully warmhearted woman who readers are going to love. I loved the confusion over the men's identities and how Molly and the girls react to both of the men. Hodge is cocky enough that you can't help but love him, especially when he goes out of his way to antagonize Molly which leads to some pretty comical situations. Eli Otto is the perfect bad guy! You'll just love to hate him! The girls are all very different from one another and as a reader I truly enjoyed getting to know each of them. I've never read any of Ms. Langan's books before but I'll definitely be checking for more of her writing in the future. Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)