Review: Angel by Johanna Lindsey

Angel (Wyoming #3) by Johanna Lindsey


Release Date: April 3, 2001
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Adult, Romance, Western
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased by Reviewer
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Hoping to cool off a twenty-five-year-old feud between two neighboring families, Cassie Stuart only succeeds in pouring kerosene on the flames. Both sides have warned her to get out of Texas pronto. . .or they will burn her father's ranch to the ground. What Cassie needs is a peacemaker but she ends up with a widow-maker instead.

He is called Angel , a ruggedly handsome hired gun with eyes as black as sin. Unwanted and unwelcomed by his ungrateful employer, he would just as soon leave Cassie to fend for herself. But a stubborn sense of duty , and a desire to taste the sweetness of her kiss steels Angel's resolve to make Cassie want him, come hell or high water. . .and for more than his gun alone.


Disclaimer: I am shifting how I rate books. I typically stay within the 3-5 star range, but I have found that I need to widen the scope to allow for varying gradations of books.

Do you like westerns?

Do you like gunfights?

Do you like shotgun weddings?

If yes, this is the book for you!

The story of Angel and Cassie is definitely entertaining. There is never a dull moment in their relationship. From the moment he rides up to her ranch and her panther (yes, panther) spooks his horse, they are at odds. She is a willful woman and he is a stubborn man, and other than their ass-like personalities, they have little in common. But you know what they say about opposites attracting.... ;)

Angel is a gun for hire that is repaying a debt. A friend of his asks him to go down to Texas (Whoop!) to protect the daughter of a family friend. Cassandra Stuart is an independent young woman who just can't seem to stop meddling in other people's lives—a quality that has gotten her into a serious amount of trouble. Due to her pertinent nature, two families are both coming for her head. She really should have just let the feud continue.

Angel isn't particularly fond of Cassie's iron will and would love to just leave her to fight off ten-or-so wrathful Texans, but his debt keeps him at her side. That, and the fact that she seems to grow more beautiful every time he sees her.

In a moment of stupidity and panic, Cassie declares that Angel is her fiancee to the two families, trying to conceal that he is a deadly gunfighter, and goes the extra-mile to prove it: she kisses him right then and there on her front porch.

He never stood a chance.

As Angel battles his growing attraction to her and Cassie tries to conceal her desire for him, they discover more and more about each other.... (That was an innuendo... just to be clear). Eventually, they simply cannot deny their mutual desire, and fate happens to put them in a position where they can act upon it....

Okay, I enjoyed the story, but there were a lot of idiosyncrasies that bothered the heck out of me! For one, the culture of the time was way-off. I'm no historian, but I do believe that Cassie's behavior was out of line for a woman in the early West. Don't get me wrong—I love how independent she was—but a lot of what she does simply wouldn't be tolerated.

And she has a panther. In 19th-century-Texas. And an elephant roams the grounds of her family's ranch in Wyoming. What the hell? The only explanation (granted, there are two books in the series before this one) is that she has an eccentric grandfather who travels the world and gave her a panther.

Um...thanks, grandpa?

And Angel! I don't object to him personally. Given his background, I understand why he acts the way he does. However, if he tried to pull a stunt with me like he did with Cassie, I would've shot him. End of story. He may be a loner, but he should try and have some decency on occasion!

I don't mean to detract from the story—it really was enjoyable; it just wasn't remarkable. I wouldn't reread it, but I don't regret reading it.

So take my review with a grain of salt. If you're interested in the premise, please, by all means, proceed with it! If nothing else, you can laugh at the historical inaccuracies! :)

About the Author

Johanna Lindsey is one of the world's most successful authors of historical romance. Every one of her previous novels has been a national bestseller, and several of her titles have reached the no. 1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list.

Ms. Lindsey lives in New England with her family.