This month’s TBR Challenge is Westerns. I like westerns, especially western historicals, and because I do, I don’t usually have any on my TBR. But I collect/buy/acquire Sandra Brown whenever I go to my local library used book store, often re-buying and re-reading the same titles. Shadows of Yesterday, formerly published as Relentless Desire (and that information is right on the cover!) fits my definition of a contemporary western, allowing me to tick off some of my categories: setting, Texas; hero, wears a cowboy hat sometimes; ranch, yep, even if it’s still run by his parents … and most importantly, the hero has a kick-ass dangerous career. Chad Dillon is the guy who caps oil rig fires, can’t get much more dangerous than that. Is it worth your time to read a book from 1983 since thirty years old can be even more than another century sometimes? I would say yes because Sandra Brown is incapable of writing heroines who don’t have a spine, a mouth that says what they’re thinking and almost always, a career. Leigh Bransom and Chad meet cute – he delivers her baby in the flatbed of his truck. Leigh’s a widow (and unfortunately, romance-cliché rears its typical head: her first husband never made her feel like Chad does. Yeah yeah). Leigh is resilient and sensible. After her husband dies, she relocates to a smallish community and establishes a life for herself and her newborn. Career? Leigh is a holiday decorator for malls and upscale communities, designing the look and managing the crews who install her visions. Their conflict is over Chad’s career. Leigh's first husband was in law enforcement and died on the job. She is not up for round two of worrying constantly about her husband’s safety. Chad is an invaluable employee, always on call, and he relishes the constant challenge and danger. I liked that in the words of the country song, they “met in the middle” when it came to figuring out a life that worked for them both.
I thought the biggest issues I would have with this book would have been the dated writing (it is 30 years old) or the dead exes (a troupe I do not like). Yes - heroine was a bit of a prude and dressed and spoke funny. Totally not 1980s style or atmosphere. Maybe 1950s? But whatever. She was thrilled about the Linx coat. Ok I can deal. But no real fur people!!!! Shearling is plenty warm! The dead exes were handled in a way that I could handle and I appreciated that.So why did this book get 2 stars? The hero is a manipulative, lying, secretive jackass! I can handle some secrets in the beginning of a relationship. Sure. But to continue to dole them out util the very end?! NFW! Omission is a lie. And the heroine put up with it and kept putting up with it. What a wimp! Once again we have the golden preen making up for being a platinum douchbag! And one person does not make MAJOR life decisions without consulting the other. That is as bad as lying. It is high handed and arrogant. Chad buddy - you may not be a cheater, but you sucked!Oh and the women fawning all over him everywhere they went got really old. Normally that type of things bothers my GR buddies more than me, but it really ticked me off.I have not read Sandra Brown but I am going to give her another shot. The writing and plot were good. Very predictable, but good. Just disliked the moral character of the hero and the lack of spine in the heroine.Safety gang safe
What do You think about Shadows Of Yesterday (2015)?
I enjoyed Shadows of Yesterday by Sandra Brown. this story opens with our heroine, Leigh Bransom, a widow who lost her husband, an ATF Officer, 8 months ago on the job. She is terrified and alone on a Texas highway about to deliver her first child, 2 weeks early, when a rugged stranger in a pickup truck stopped to help her. This fateful meeting on a lonesome highway brought a handsome, new man into her life...yet Chad was a man with secrets and the power to break her heart again. He was part of a team who fight oil fires. A very dangerous business, He becomes instantly attracted to the brave lonely widow whom he helps deliver her daughter. This was a quick simple romance. Boy meets girl except girl is a widow and delivers a baby in the back of the boy's pick up truck. I really liked these characters. And if you are looking for a simple romance story I would recommend Shadows of Yesterday. It is not a blow your socks off romance read but overall it was ok. Sensual level I would rate it a 7.
—Lovetoread
This was almost a 5 star book for me, but fell just a little short of that. I don't like it when the main characters in a romance book where it takes forever for the main characters to realize that they are in love and then there are a few pages and the book ends. This book was relatively short so it couldn't have been that long, but it was relatively early in the book even though months had gone by after the birth of the baby at the beginning of the book.I really liked the character of Chad, if
—Gjbates
2.5 – 3 StarsWell, I am not sure what to say about this one so I will keep it short.Sandra Brown is one of my favorite authors and of all the books I have read by her they have been 4 or 5 star ratings.Shadows of Yesterday was just a ho-hum read for me. Nothing got me excited but maybe that is because the book was written over 30 years ago. Honestly, when I started reading it I didn’t realize that. I probably wouldn’t have been tempted to start it.There was a bit of And a lot of And then there was Sarah :) If you are looking for an older romance novel then I guess you would probably enjoy it. I think from here on out I will limit myself to her books starting in the mid-1990’s.
—♥Sharon♥
