Mountain Laurel

a huge Jude fan, and would read any of her novels based on hr authroship alone. But this book stands alone in her series and no romance book I've ever read makes me cry so much, laugh so hard, or fall in love with the same man so often (just don't tell my future husband that). 'Ring isn't dreamy, he's too straitlaced and perfect. Tall, dark, handsome, devoted to his duty as an army officer and to his men he needs excitement. Enter LaReina, the singing duchess. She's actually a mountain girl, daughter of famous explorers who's sister Laurel has been kidnapped. For ransom she must transport gold in her giant coach under the cover of a singing tour. Her friend sent for one man to escort her but since he died Ring the tight-butt comes along to spar verbally with her and warily watch her three hired companions. Filled with beautiful descriptions of Native Americans, really colorful secondary characters, and great humor that will have you giggling this is a timeless escape. And the love between these two characters is so real it will instantly make you remember how it feels to fall in love. No hate-love here it's simple attraction and two very well rounded characters with their own wounds and insecurities coming together in desperate times. The sex is very minimal and towards the end but this is the most sensual thing I've ever read. The anticipation that builds between these two will have you chasing your honey that night. How I wish they'd make a movie of this novel! But for now, I'll keep reading it, and it would be so terrible if you missed this one. Admitedly, the follow up "Wishes" about their son is very funny but lackluster in comparison, but you revisit with these heroes. And twenty some odd years later in the second book, you feel their love just as strongly. Don't miss this or you will be sorry!

This is one of my top five favorite Jude Devereaux books. `Ring Montgomery is a priceless character; a sexy, stubborn Dudley DoWright. I love his little cameos in Jude's other books. Enchanting, hilarious reading.

It's been 10 years since I read Mountain Laurel for the first time, and since then I have read too many many romances to remember. However Mountain Laurel has stayed with me - the one reason for that is simply Maddie and her voice. Yes `Ring is a great hero (he really is) but the whole framework of the novel revolves around the fact that Maddie is the greatest singer in the world. Her voice, her talent, is a character in itself with a past, history and progression all its own. Maddie's voice plays an integral part of Maddie's life, shaping her past and her present, her current quest, even `Rings love for her. Her voice has such influence because it is a voice better than any the world has ever known. Maddie herself is not extraordinary but her voice is and she acknowledges this not with conceit or with vanity, but simply as fact. Without this fact, Mountain Laurel would be just another western-type romance - a good, funny, witty love-story yes, but not one that forces you remember it 10 years after you've read it, and definitely not one that makes you yearn for another heroine with an extraordinary talent that you just cannot forget - even if that talent is only fiction.

The hero in this book is my favorite in all the Deveraux books I've read. He is absolutely a dream. And the heroine is gutsy, loving and brave. I almost never read a book more than once, but this is one that I would consider reading again, because I enjoyed it so much! And it has some great humor in it as well!

I have read every single one of Jude Deveraux's books, and I can honestly say that the humor in this book is some of her greatest. From captivating twists, and "shaking shakes" this is undoubtedly one of my favorite books.