The Courting of Widow Shaw

Being a minister's daughter, little Gloria Mae Shaw was dead set on closing all of the brothels. With a good? reason - she laid the cause of the death of her father to the Madam of "Rainbow House". This she could not forgive. Steven Harding was the son of Lorene Harding, the cause of her father's death. She would have nothing to do with him. Imagine her surprise when he tenderly tended to her wounds. And he remained a complete gentleman through-out his hiding and protecting of her person. Being hidden in "Rainbow House", Glory came into contact with the "girls" and given time made cautious friends with them. At 19, she held onto her prejudice against prostitution and its corruption of the young women but then how the mighty fall. She secumbs to hormones and doesn't see anything wrong with hoping into bed with Steven even though she does not forsee a life with him. Yup! here we go again. A good read as stories go but for me it seemed to drag. I could see the growth of her character but not the strength of her convictions. Ah well. Recommended --M

Virginia City, Nevada 1869 In the dead of the night, Steven Harding recognized the brilliance of fire. With dread in his heart, he realized it came from the direction of her home; his secret love since childhood. She is Gloria "Glory" Mae Shaw, the daughter of the late Reverend Caldwell. Discovering the battered and bruised Glory laying unconscious on the ground with a bloody knife in her hand, he knew he had to do whatever it took to protect her, even if that meant hiding her in a brothel. His mother's brothel: The Rainbow House. Glory believed Steven's mother was responsible for her father's death, but what secret about that night lay waiting to be discovered? Having survived the nightmare of that fateful night of brutality that ended with fire, Glory woke to a more disturbing reality; her dead husband. The previous year, the beautiful Glory married the sweet-talking miner, Boone Shaw. Although marriage to Boone was not all it promised to be, she certainly didn't wish him dead. Now wanted for questioning in his murder she couldn't recall committing, she scarcely believed being rescued and safeguarded by the one man who had reason to let Glory suffer the consequences. That person is Steven. But was shielding Glory from the long arm of the law more dangerous than possibly surrendering his secret of loving her from afar? And how can she call him "enemy" when her traitorous heart revealed otherwise? What surprises are in store? This tender story is very enjoyable! It's also quick and easy to read. Don't pass up this tale!