Classic 1990s Category RomanceTHE STORY: Mariah MacKenzie has come back to the Rocking M ranch looking for the brother from whom she was separated from 15 years ago. After years of not belonging, Mariah is looking for a home. She ends up meeting Cash McQueen, her brother's best friend. The attraction between Mariah and Cash is fierce even as Cash has a deep distrust of women.OPINION: This is the weakest of the Rocking M romances. This book has many of the qualities that I love in these romances: the dreamy elaborate language and emphasis on the couple to the exclusion of having only a basic plot. I felt that Mariah was a much weaker character than the other women from the series. She has little purpose except to follow Cash around. I am torn about this book because I love so much about it but her character keeps this book from being super. The presence of the recurring characters raise the rating from a 4 to a 4.25.WORTH MENTIONING: This book was first published in the early 1990s as a category romance and thus has limitations in length and in the story typical of books of that era and format.FINAL DECISION: I liked this book although I find Mariah to be the weakest heroine of the series. This book preserves the dreamy romantic quality of the other books in the series but this one has more holes than the others.CONNECTING BOOKS: GRANITE MAN is the third contemporary book in the MacKenzie-Blackthorne or Rocking M series. There is also a historical prequel. None of the prior books are necessary to this book although the historical especially gives some background to this book.STAR RATING: I give this book 4.25 stars.
Like a lot of Elizabeth Lowell's oldies, this one was entertaining, but scored a little high on the angst scale. Mariah was taken away from her father and the brother, Luke, she dearly loved. Mommie Dearest interrupted any attempt at communication between them. Mommie dies and evil step-dad dumps her out on her own. Mariah makes her way to the Rocking M ranch to reunite with Luke. She meets up with Cash, Luke's brother-in-law, and does not make a favorable impression on him. Cash thinks all women are users, thanks to an ex-wife, and since Mariah has a dead car and no money, he thinks she is just out to use Luke. Of course, Mariah falls for Cash and he betrays that love, but in the end it is happily ever after.
What do You think about Granite Man (2001)?
I read this when it was first released as a paperback, for Silhouette in March, 1991. I bought all four of this series (at the time there were only four) and the paperbacks have moved with me through many states and many re-readings. Now that they are available as Kindle books, I purchased them again and am reading them on my Kindle.I have to say, this IS a good book, but I wasn't impressed with Mariah and frankly I hated Cash periodically throughout the story. Nonetheless, I like the series, love the Rocking M and still love all the Blackthorn brothers even if they weren't MC's in this.
—T.
