Whirlwind Wedding

Jericho Blue is a Texas Ranger and mentioned in the previous book as being a cousin to Riley Holt and his brother, Sheriff Davis Lee Holt. His story continues the chase of the McDougal brothers who turn out to be vicious killers, at least Angus appears to be. Catherine Donnelly has just come from New York where she has been working with a doctor and caring for the wounded. And had to fight off a stalker. Leaving her a bit traumatized. She can't stand for a man to touch her. Her mother has died, leaving her much younger brother, Andrew at loose ends. He has been paling around with Miguel Santos and Creed Carter, the son of Pete Carter, owner of the saloon. The problem is that Jericho has followed the hoofprints of one of the McDougal gang to Catherine Donnelly's home. He has been severly wounded and his partner, Hays has been killed. In trying to present Catherine with a warrant he passes out. Catherine is afraid to trust him. But she can't let him die. Her instincts take over until she can get Doctor Butler out from the fort. Doc didn't give Catherine much incouragement at to Jericho's living out the night. This starts the intrigue and romance of this couple with a few men thrown in to complicate Jericho's emotions. when he regains consciousness he is worried about his manhood, was he injured down there? The wound in his thigh being so close. Jericho knows that Andrew is hiding something with his nightly disappearances that Catherine is trying to curb. Jericho is determined to catch Andrew with some connection to the McDougal gang. Catherine is determined to bond with her brother, not knowing the kind of trouble he is getting into. Then there is a rash of thefts around Whirlwind. A butchered cow, a theft of food from Haskell's General store and ammunition stolen with a bullet showing up in Catherine's barn. Three quarters of the book deals with the emotional upheaval between Jericho and Catherine with Sheriff Davis Lee and Sergeant Lucas Ryan and Jake Ross thrown in. Then finally we get the run-down chase of the McDougals after they force Catherine to doctor Ian who has consumption. Oh, yes by the way Ian [the sick one] escapes. Definitely an excellent follow-up to Riley's story and now onto Davis Lee's story. Should be interesting with his hang-up about lying, beautiful women.

I agree with one of the other reviewers, I loved the book but no where in the whole book was there a wedding mentioned. But the book is really good. I read it in one sitting. Looking forward to reading Whirlwind Groom. I have come to love the families in these stories.

I loved both Whirlwind books and look forward to Whirlwind Groom that comes out in January 2005. I just finished Whirlwind Wedding and never came across a wedding in the book. Was I missing pages? Did anyone else notice this? Like I said I loved this book even though I never did come across a wedding.

In 1884 in Whirlwind, Texas, Ranger Lieutenant Jericho Blue arrives at the home of Catherine Donnelly to question her about the McDougal gang that killed two lawmen and have been seen in the area. However, Jericho faints from bullet wounds. Catherine, a former worker at New York's Bellevue Hospital stops the bleeding while her twelve year old brother Andrew got Dr. Butler. The physician tells Catherine she saved the lawman's life though he still might not make it. When Jericho regains consciousness and begins to heal, he believes that Andrew is the boy he saw with a weapon. He wonders how Catherine and Jericho are connected to the McDougal gang even as he is falling in love with his healer. The second Whirlwind romance is an enjoyable Texas historical tale that hooks readers due to the delightful lead couple falling in love, but afraid to trust one another with her brother being the key element leading to suspicion. The story line is action-packed with readers gripped on two fronts: how will this couple overcome their wariness and what about the McDougals, which takes a back seat to the love story (it is a romance first and not a western). Debra Cowan's' fans will want to read the first tale, WHIRLWIND BRIDE, after tasting this fine novel.