Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Western Ladies, Book 2
Publisher: Pocket
Hero: Lucas Cochran
Heroine: Dee Swann
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: January 1, 1998
Started On: October 9, 2010
Finished On: October 14, 2010
Surprisingly, this is one book by Linda Howard that I do not remember ever reading. I do however remember reading the first book in the Western Ladies series, A Lady of the West which I have the mind to re-read again sometime.
This story takes place in the town of Proper in Colorado. Lucas Cochran upon the death of his father is the new owner of the Big Double C ranch which he has high hopes and big dreams of turning into an empire one day. One of the things that stands in his way and one of his many contentions with his father when he had been alive had been the issue of buying the land through which Angel Creek the most abundant source of water that ran through the surrounding mountains into the valleys. Lucas, a hard man who does not budge once he has made a decision has mapped out his life to the extent that he has decided on the woman whom he would marry, Olivia Milican, the daughter of the town’s only banker in order to take his life along the path he had chosen. What Lucas hadn’t counted on is the desire to claim and posses that unfurls and rages out of control as soon as he meets the Dee Swann, the feisty owner of the land through which Angel Creek runs.
Dee, whose parents had moved to Prosper when she had been a fourteen year old school girl had only known of Lucas in passing. Eight years older than Dee, Lucas had already been a grown man and had left Prosper shortly after she and her family had arrived and settled down. Life had thrown its fair share of tragedies at Dee when Dee’s mother who had been a school teacher had died when she had been at the age of sixteen closely followed by the death of her father when she had barely turned eighteen. At first the sheer aloneness which she had found herself in had frightened her to no end. But Dee, a passionate and strong woman had quickly learnt to safeguard what’s hers and take care of herself by growing a garden of vegetables which saw her through the year. Men turning up with offers to buy out her land wasn’t something new for Dee, but the strong tug she feels towards blue-eyed Lucas Cochran is something she had never ever felt before.
With two people who are as strong-minded as these two, coming together is an explosion that is waiting to happen which Linda Howard as always handles superbly. I swear, Linda Howard writes the hottest love scenes, sometimes much racier than the most explicit erotica, racier in the sense that you feel more whilst reading these scenes than you feel when reading erotica that is done not so tastefully.
Dee falls head over heels in love from the moment Lucas claims her as his though Lucas takes a bit of time to identify that what he feels for Dee is not something that he would find with just any woman. But Angel Creek and the deep abiding love that Dee feels for the land that surrounds her and brings her peace unlike anything else is a source of contention amongst the two until another party who showed his interest in the land suddenly decides to take matters into his own hands when drought threatens to take away everything he has built from scratch.
With rage and fear coursing through Lucas at Dee nearly been snatched away from his life because of the dreaded land, Lucas presumes to know what would keep Dee safe above everything else which nearly drives them apart in the end. There are two side stories that go hand in hand with Lucas and Dee’s story, both equally interesting in their own rights. And as usual, being the sucker for epilogues that I am, I loved reading about how all the couples fared in the end knowing that each found true love and happiness with their life partners in the end. There’s nothing more a true romance reader could ever hope for!
There were several things I loved about Dee. She is headstrong, not your meek average heroine who would grate on your nerves. Rather, she is the sort of woman who knows what she wants and works hard to achieve what it is that she desires. When true love does strike, Dee doesn’t strive to change who she is so that she can fit into Lucas’s plans. Rather she takes whatever time she has with the man she loves, consequences be damned! Lucas sometimes made want to hit him a time or two on the head, but he is a man who is in love and lust with the woman who is made for him. And I am always a sucker for a hard man who can treat a woman gently enough and goes crazy enough to lose their iron clad control. So all in all, a great read though I took my own sweet time in finishing up. You all can blame my busy work schedule for that!
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble
A Maldivian's Passion for Romance 
I read one of Ur reviews: Defy Not the Heart by Johanna Lindsay so in turn it bought me back to. Linda Howard’s Angel Creek I read the book but loved the audio version.
With Ms. Howard’s story it pulled me in. I was there I had emotions & feelings that interact with those that were involved in the Read. This story fed my cravings for what my taste called for. a delicacy that’s became mine own acquired taste on my tongue. The kind of love & passion my heart does yearn.
I think she has a pleasurable way through her work of feeding U some good stick ta ya rib cuisine. I like to call it filet mignon with potatoes whereby the same token having U huger for a moiré..! Dee/heroine in Angel Creek was a spit fiery woman
she didn’t apolized about it, her passion shine & burn through her witch eyes it drawed in any red-blooded virile man too, but there was a soft vulnerable side to her.
For I can truly can say it’s not a good feeling to bury a parent U see I unexpectedly found my Mother dead it was an ordeal I never thought I’d face.(2 yrs now) This kind of pain hurts way down to the bone it’s not one U gets over easy or could be taken likely.
.Maybe if Ms.Howard would gave more food for though in word upon the Romance pages would it really allow the Reader to see into the heart of the Heroine?
Most average people can read about certain tragedies but does it penetrate the Readers heart?
Does it deeply touch them or it Only effect them if it’s someone they care about?
Another author that work that does penetrate ones heart deeply is Catherine Anderson. She rocked it out with *Annie’s Song*..wowweee U felt Annie’s pain) I think Dee needed the healing power of Love as well.
Dee didn’t have time to lie down & die. That inner strength she may have inherited sprang upward like an endless fountain. Yes indeed,she’s a Woman I consider of great substance. Dee definitely was an independent trying to single handedly holds the fort down.
I consider Dee a strong willed breed woman ,as was the Hero Lucas Cochran all alpha breed. Dee character is what I truly L@@k for a special kind of traits that’s apart of the DNA one of my favorite heroines DNA carries.In so being qualifies her to be.. A full fledge Sheroooo!
With that being said the book Defy Not the Heart seems to have similarities as well…hmmmm.
I found Dee to be the most endearing Heroine.
She was that diamond in the rough.
Literally speaking ((giggle)) given because of the setting or Western era.
During that time I encountered folk to be superstitious, I thought some thought that there was a mysterious aura that surround the heroine, a striking young woman with the witch green eyes but I thought she in all her way exudes that personification; an undiscovered Jewel that was looked over, belittled or pushed aside & not appreciated for neither her beauty nor her great value. From head to toe all around, a living breathing liberated Woman.
It makes me think about others/heroines of her nature back then where they were who they were or were R they…helloo Romance Writers out there.
Frankly speaking I am in utterly orgasmic Awe, when I read about such great women of this time. U dag blasted blue blazzin’ Right by all means, it’s safe to say my interest & appetite is peaked Evidently on my part being a hopeless Romantic I for one always crave want to feed this insatiable huger for more Reads especially of such heroine greats !
In a time when…helloooooo women did not have a voice!
I’ am honored Time after time when I lovingly go back reread Angel Creek especially“Sarah’s Child” my forever Love**It’s with the utmost greatest of pleasure to revisit these 2 considering there R a lot of Ms.Howard I’m gifted to enjoy for my reading pleasure thereby I have the Right moreless the privilege to my choosing .
A colorful array of a humongous amount of Fabulous Reads to pick from past, present time even now!
Dee one of my many, many favorite heroines to choose from collection of Linda Howard’s greats.
Dee is one of those amazing women to behold also of her time with unique strengths &gianamorous courage ta boot! In my opinion it would not have matter if her Happy Ever After ended with her bare foot & pregnant included a house filled with kids.nope, no Dee paid her dues earned her right pound for pound in flesh the weight in Gold her blood.
Rightly soooo deserving with any Woman I can see in Past & Present time NOW has every right to follow their dreams, life’s love & passion. Go for it let it do what it do!I Felt extremely deeply touched by her life situation within her story.
I saw her harsh labored sweat& ever single tear shed also she cried down through the years.
Even though Dee doesnt wear her heart on her sleeves (some probably would have called her a whiner or spineless woman.) I dont know why but it seems in society it’s still a taboo for a woman to complain about how she feels..hmmm..women R human too!
Within the book I felt comprehend that proverbial image of the pink elephant with poke-a-dots pass by ever so often to let me know it was awful for Dee..sigh*
I saw did as I would see other women as well as me Free spirits whether by my own choosing in the world.
If she decided to become or was a sheep herder or started her on Circus I’d be cheering her on ‘U go for it sister friend cause she’s one of my most favorites of heroine, my Shero!
Lastly I loved Lucas Cochran the hero a hard lovin’ & powerful passionate man. Now that’s my kinda man. Much kudos to Linda Howard for killin’ the pages.
ANGEL CREEK is superbly tight Read whether it’s Audio or regular Book form! I most definitely by all means would buy another historical Read I cherish my Death Angel Audio*sigh* thankQ Ms. Howard
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OOOPS..sorreee didnt NO how 2edit from here but the begining of that review should read as wise:::::
” I read a Reviewers review : Defy Not the Heart by Johanna Lindsay so in turn it bought me back to.
Linda Howard’s Angel Creek I read the book but feel head over heels in *love* with the audio version….”
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