Red Thunder Reckoning

I must admit that I gave a five star due to the authors excellent writing but found it hard to tolerate the heroine's obsession with the horses. Horses first, in her book that was the priority.Ellen has come a long way from her treatment by Garth but still was very insecure. Again was surprised with the way she dealt with Kevin's omissions. With both fighting their attractions, they still hopped in bed with flimzey excuses.Was great to meet up with Chance and Taryn again. Could understand the brothers' reactions to each other but both were there for each other in time of need.Garth [deliciously] was the same old scuzzball. And the new evil was another emotionally and psychologically messed up person.Not quite as many people involved in Red Thunder Reckoning as in Chance's story but still it worked well - kept you on edge somewhat and had a new twist with the horses.Unanswered question! Was Ellen affected the same way the horses were? If not, why? Didn't she lose any? Did love Blue coming to the rescue.Will definitely Recommend the set as an excellent read - characters great - stories move at an excellent pace.Had to be excellent because I couldn't stand Ellen's obsession so the author did come across quite well in her characterizations.

Sylvie Kurtz's Flesh and Blood duet concludes in book two, "Red Thunder Reckoning." Years after he caused an accident that almost killed his brother and the woman he loved, Kevin Ransom returns to Texas. That night on the Red Thunder River left him with severe injuries and a new face. No one recognizes him, not even Ellen Paxton, the woman he always loved. Ellen needs his help more than ever. With a dangerous villain targeting her ranch, can she rely on a familiar stranger?"Red Thunder Reckoning" is a good follow-up to "Remembering Red Thunder," though not as extraordinary. Anybody who hasn't read the first book should read it before this one or you might not understand everything. I don't think this book would have been as easy to follow if I hadn't read the other a few weeks before. The best part of "Red Thunder Reckoning" is the strong, emotional romance between Kevin and Ellen. Both are wonderful characters, two tough, determined people hiding wounds that only the other person can heal. Ellen is another great heroine who has been through a nightmare (in book one) and now isn't about to stand by and let someone terrorize her life again. Unlike some of the other heroines in this month's Intrigues, there's a good reason for her stubbornness and refusal to back down, so she comes across as strong, not stupid. Kurtz does a good job building the chemistry between Kevin and Ellen, so we can feel how they are meant to be together and how strong their connection is. This is an excellent romance.Unfortunately the suspense plot is not as strong. The author told us who the villain was in "Remembering Red Thunder" from the very beginning and it really added to the suspense. She does the same thing in "Red Thunder Reckoning" and it doesn't work so well because this villain is nowhere near as scary. So there's not as much suspense. Plus, by constantly taking us into this person's point of view and showing us what is being planned before it happens, it took some of the surprise out of what was going to happen next. However, the author has come up with a very creative motive for the intrigue that most readers won't have seen before. Her characters will keep readers eagerly turning the pages to see them triumph in the end."Red Thunder Reckoning" is a wonderful story and a good ending to the saga started in "Remembering Red Thunder."