Lucky Penny (Keegan-Paxton #5)

Dec 05, 2012 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

What a wonderful, heartwarming story. This actually had me in tears at one point, which is not at all easy to do. It has been too long since I've read one of Catherine Anderson's novels. I was thrilled to see this one come along at the library, and not the least bit disappointed when I stayed up too late last night reading it.

It's Colorado, 1891. Brianna Paxton is raising her twin sister's child as her own, doing the best she can for the child in a world that has no pity for unwed mothers. She...more What a wonderful, heartwarming story. This actually had me in tears at one point, which is not at all easy to do. It has been too long since I've read one of Catherine Anderson's novels. I was thrilled to see this one come along at the library, and not the least bit disappointed when I stayed up too late last night reading it.

It's Colorado, 1891. Brianna Paxton is raising her twin sister's child as her own, doing the best she can for the child in a world that has no pity for unwed mothers. She works several jobs, gets little sleep, and still goes hungry sometimes to feed her child. To protect them both, she made up an errant husband years ago by the name of David Paxton. She even sent letters to him at the Denver post office at the urging of her employer, who wanted to fire her so he could hir someone who would warm his bed.

Marshal David Paxton of No Name, Colorado received six years' worth of letters one morning, a few of them written in the childish hand of Daphne, who begged for help. Something in them got to him, and he had a terrible suspicion -- in his early twenties he was wild, frequently got drunk, and more than once woke with no memory of the night before. Could he have fathered a child and not known it?

He had to know for sure. He started by searching Denver for any record of another David Paxton. When he found none, he went to see Brianna, to put his mind at ease. But when he saw the child -- the spitting image of his mother -- he knew he could not walk away. He didn't even want to. He fell in love with "his daughter" at first sight.

One of the things I loved about this book was that the two characters did not lie to one another. Well, Brianna did right at first -- spinning the same tale she'd told everyone to protect herself and her child -- but the guy was nobody she knew or trusted. As soon as it became obvious that she could not shake him, she told him the truth... that he wasn't Daphne's father and in fact, she wasn't really her mother. He doesn't believe her, which is also understandable given the lies she spun out at first. Far too often in a novel like this, the whole thing is steeped in deception and the two main characters get together under false pretenses. Such was not the case here, a fact that made the characters more likeable, the situation more bittersweet, and the tension far more compelling.

The only reason I rounded down to 4 stars was that I felt some drag in this book, especially as we were waiting for truth to finally be established.

I thoroughly recommend this book to romance lovers, especially if you like historicals. And if you haven't read Catherine Anderson before, give her a try! Her books are high on emotion, very sweet, and not overly sexual. (Although she doesn't skip the sex scenes.) This book is further on in a series, so it might be an odd one to start with, but reading them in order isn't hugely important.

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Feb 16, 2012 Marisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

In Catherine Anderson’s new historical romance, Lucky Penny, we have a sweet and moving marriage-of-convenience with two unlikely people coming together under unusual circumstances and finding love. Ms. Anderson keeps the old west alive with the continuation of her Coulter/Keegan/Paxton family saga, this time with the story of David Paxton and Brianna O’Keefe. Both David and Brianna are exciting characters, and although they are as opposite as fire and ice, they slowly find their way to each oth...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

David Paxton’s pleasant life as a marshal in No Name, Colorado is disrupted when he receives a letter from a stranger claiming to be his wife and asking him to help her and their daughter. Brianna O’Keefe has make up a story that she is married to a gold miner named “David Paxton”. Suddenly, events spiral out of control and she agrees to live as David’s wife to keep custody of her orphaned niece Daphne.

I liked the character of David form the very beginning of the book. He is loyal, brave, tender...more David Paxton’s pleasant life as a marshal in No Name, Colorado is disrupted when he receives a letter from a stranger claiming to be his wife and asking him to help her and their daughter. Brianna O’Keefe has make up a story that she is married to a gold miner named “David Paxton”. Suddenly, events spiral out of control and she agrees to live as David’s wife to keep custody of her orphaned niece Daphne.

I liked the character of David form the very beginning of the book. He is loyal, brave, tender, and tough. He reminds me of Rhett Butler, Indiana Jones, and John Wayne all rolled into one! I wasn’t as quick to appreciate Brianna. David says it best when he says she is “the human equivalent of a prickly pear.” I realize she was raised in a convent, but I got tired of her constantly correcting David’s grammar and complaining about his foul language. As David comes to care about Brianna, and I started looking at her through his eyes, I began to like her so much more. Her prim exterior hides someone that had to become tough to survive adversity and will do anything to protect Daphne, and this is admirable.

This isn’t the first time a plot of a romance novel includes a marriage of convenience that has the potential to lead to true love. However, I think Catherine Anderson puts a fresh spin on it. David is determined to do the right thing by his daughter and her mother, and doesn’t realize Brianna is really telling the truth when she tells him he isn’t Daphne’s father. It’s sweet to see them slowing becoming a loving, if unconventional family, even if it does take a while. There are some steamy love scenes toward the end, but David and Brianna spend most of the book arguing and misjudging the other, while sneaking in an admiring glance here and there.

I don’t mind the slow build and the romance works for me. However, the historical part of the book could be better. I’m not historian by any means, but many of the things the characters say and do don’t seem to fit with the times. I just don’t think things like “awesome” and “no worries” were common expressions in 1891. A great historical novel transports you to another time and place, but this book didn’t have that effect on me. It seemed more like modern characters put in costumes and placed on horseback. That being said, the book has an interesting plot and likeable characters, especially David and his family. So, overall, I think it is a good book even though the 1890s atmosphere wasn’t as realistic as I would have liked.

This review was originally written for The Season E-Zine. (Original rating: 3 1/2 stars) The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Jun 21, 2012 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blonde-hero, challenge-2012, hr-american-west, cowboys-ranchers, twins

The fifth book in the Keegan-Paxton series. Catherine Anderson takes us back to the old west with this one. It wasn't a bad read and quite good in comparison to many westerns I've read but not quite up to the enjoyment level I normally expect from her. I loved David Paxton but I was less thrilled with Brianna. While I understood her motives I just thought honesty would have served her better from the start. The story ran a bit slow for me at times.

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Mar 10, 2012 steph rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

So Catherine Anderson is one of two authors I will buy off the shelf (the other is Julia Quinn), with not looking at the reviews or synopsis or anything because hello, it's Catherine Anderson. I was pretty excited when I find out last year that her latest novel was going to be David's story, since Keegan's Lady and Summer's Breeze are untold favorites of mine and I love taking a step back in time to see the Coulter/Keegan family in the 1800's. That said, this book is probably my least favorite o...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: family-issues, child-or-children-play-a-big-part, western-romance, historical, steam-level-steamy, 2013-read, forced-marriage, pretend-parenthood

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: January 31, 2013
Publisher: Penguin
Imprint: Signet
Author’s Website: http://www.catherineanderson.com/
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 5, Coulter’s Historical
Series Best Read In Order: Works Well As A Standalone
Steam Level: Steamy
Pet Peeves: Overly-Sacrificing Heroine
Favorite Tropes: Forced Marriage

The romance was very slow building, and was far more family-centered th...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Dr. Lin Stepp rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was so entertained by this book by Catherine Anderson that I rated it a five. What a great story!
Brianna O'Keefe makes up a husband when she moves out to Colorado with little Daphne ... but who could imagine there really is a David Paxton and that he would get his hands on letters she sent to a Denver post office, and come to find her! David, a marshal, believes strongly that Daphne is his child, despite Brianna's denials. How this couple work through their difficulties and misunderstandings a...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Anna Marie rated it 1 of 5 stars

So. Disappointed.

First, I knew going in that I was getting a Catherine Anderson book, but it was historical, so I thought that a) maybe it was written before she lost her ability to write or b) maybe it would be better because it wasn't about her beloved Coulters. I'd read the blurb on Amazon, and decided to try it... and when I got home with the book, y'know what it said on the bottom? "A Coulter Historical Novel." Oh, gag and truss me right now.

The thing about the Coulters that you have to kno...more So. Disappointed.

First, I knew going in that I was getting a Catherine Anderson book, but it was historical, so I thought that a) maybe it was written before she lost her ability to write or b) maybe it would be better because it wasn't about her beloved Coulters. I'd read the blurb on Amazon, and decided to try it... and when I got home with the book, y'know what it said on the bottom? "A Coulter Historical Novel." Oh, gag and truss me right now.

The thing about the Coulters that you have to know is that they're myriads of men who are all the exact same personality and dialogue. Every. Single. Book. It doesn't matter WHAT storyline she comes up with, the heroes are good ol' boys with a heart of gold, a stubborn streak, a bad boy charm and a penchant for swearing. Every. Single. Coulter. And each book has at least six of them in it - the Coulter clan (whether called the Paxton branch or the MacKendrick branch or WHAT the heck ever)... you get six guys, all identical, not a shred of imagination from the writer.

In this version of the Coulter Crap, David Paxton (sheriff of No Name, Colorado) gets a bag full of letters that make NO dadgum sense at all. Some woman has written hundreds of letters to him, all the same (like Anderson's characters), all saying "Please come and get us." WHY did the heroine send the letters? Because her boss made her. WHY did he make her? Nobody has a clue, and it's really contrived and stOOpid. I was hoping the letter angle would be done well, with insight as to her character that would speak to him. Apparently not.

So David goes to her town to get to the bottom of things, spies her little girl, and decides it's his daughter and he must've had a drunken fling with this woman, based on a BIRTHMARK - which is THE dumbest literary ploy, ever. Birthmarks are NOT so heredity that everyone in a family has the exact same shaped one in the exact same spot. This book is like being stabbed to death with a plastic knife. David won't buy Brianna's story that she'd made up a fake husband to write to, and hauls her before a drunk judge and has a mock wedding (wouldn't hold water, ANYWHERE), then hauls her off to No Name. The whole journey is painful to the Nth, with Brianna fighting him (and hurting herself) the whole way. Ever poke at a wound? That's what this book is.

David finally realizes that it's NOT his kid, and by then he's head over heels with Brianna (why, we don't know - she hates him, acts like a nun, and is as obnoxious as a sprained ankle the ENTIRE book)... long, blah-blah make-up scene leading to happy, happy ending. R'something. Honestly, it was all so contrived, even withOUT the Coulter BS to pixx me off. I will further and henceforth completely AVOID *anything* with Catherine's name on it.(less)

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Oct 20, 2012 Sara rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-real-eye-roller, unsatisfying-conclusion, disappointment

Yeah, I gave this one star. Probably gonna get some very odd looks for this, given the rave reviews I've read so far. I wanted to like this one, I really did, but the annoying behavior of the leads ruined any love I may have had for any part of this book.

Brianna redefines prissy. Everything David does is somehow dirty or offensive and I quickly grew tired of her correcting his language and yelling at Daphne that she wasn't allowed to spend time with the man. Of course, David himself was no prize...more Yeah, I gave this one star. Probably gonna get some very odd looks for this, given the rave reviews I've read so far. I wanted to like this one, I really did, but the annoying behavior of the leads ruined any love I may have had for any part of this book.

Brianna redefines prissy. Everything David does is somehow dirty or offensive and I quickly grew tired of her correcting his language and yelling at Daphne that she wasn't allowed to spend time with the man. Of course, David himself was no prize pig. I wanted to punch him in the face when he mocked Brianna and continually accused her of lying when she told him the painful backstory behind Daphne's birth. For a guy who acts like he knows people so well you'd think he'd realize she wouldn't make up such a story, especially if he could tell it was VERY painful for her to share it! Not to mention the way he kept going "Haha, the law's on my side, if you keep saying otherwise I'll take your kid away!". (Then again, the scene in court with the drunk judge threatening to put Brianna in jail if she didn't marry the guy was made of fail as it is)

His POV made me feel sorry for Brianna, and vice versa. I'm a fan of Slap Slap Kiss romances, but this was beyond annoying. The only character I didn't constantly want to slap was Daphne, and even she could get tiresome with her cutesy antics.

Then somewhere around the last third of the story, it starts sucking less. Or at least the leads stop acting like first-class twats. And there are kittens. And finally, finally David starts to realize that Brianna is telling the truth, I did like the scene where he discusses the situation with Ace. And at least he still acknowledges Brianna as Daphne's mother even if she didn't give birth to her.

Then there's the romance. Now that David and Brianna aren't constantly sniping at each other, they're pining and wangsting over their UST and of course Brianna has Trust Issues With Men, and then when David discovers the truth about Daphne's parentage Brianna tries to leave simply because David has no reason to be with her anymore. Because it just wouldn't be a Catherine Anderson book without the woman running away. But I've got to admit it's a pretty sweet scene when they finally confess their love for each other, and the love scene is pretty nice once Brianna finally loosens up. Between that and the Final Giant Trauma we have a nice lull in the eyerolling, the calm before the storm.

But of course that happiness must be ruined, and of course the Evil Other Woman must humiliate Brianna because she was soooo clever by finding out the truth via SNEAKING INTO DAVID'S OFFICE AND TAKING THE DAMN REPORT. Brianna, though, wins a bit of respect from me by sticking it to the bitch and slamming a pie right in her face rather than collapsing in a melodramatic weeping fit or running away in tears. Instead the running-away-in-tears job goes to Daphne, and even I'm not so cynical enough to roll my eyes at that. She's just a kid and she had to hear the ugly truth of her origins from a screaming harpy. That's just not right.

Of course Daphne flips out and hates David AND Brianna for lying to her, but they manage to smooth things over and all is right with the world! In the epilogue we find out exactly how Daphne resembles Dory Paxton, and the explanation is contrived and convoluted at best but at this point I'd stopped expecting much from this book.

I won't comment on Poor Brianna's Endless Suffering because really, what else is there to say? She's an Anderson heroine, of course she's going to suffer endlessly before her One True Love swoops in and rescues her. But Brianna does have more salt than the typical Anderson heroine and once she shows it WITHOUT throwing endless tantrums I kind of like her.

The sad thing is, I had high hopes for this book after peeking at the last few chapters. I thought Brianna would join Laura and Loni on my list of Anderson heroines I genuinely liked. The love scene brought some new things to the table (the lady taking initiative and pleasuring the man). The story description didn't seem too bad. But alas, it wasn't to be. Disappointment is a big factor in my giving this one such a low rating.(less)

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Oct 15, 2012 Nancynova rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: oct-dec-2012, catherine-anderson

rabck from DVG, A Paxton/Coulter historical that I hadn't read. After her sister dies in childbirth from a rape, Brianna flees Boston with her neice to Colorado. For decorum in her housekeeping job, she pretends that he husband is a gold-digger in Denver named David Paxton. Her employer forces her to write him letters - and when Daphne is old enough, she writes too. Brianna never believes there REALLY is a David Paxton in Colorado, and when six years of mail catches up with this marshall, he set...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Laurie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, back-in-time, cops, cowboys, favorites, historical-romance, touch-of-hot

To support her orphaned niece, impoverished Brianna O'Keefe accepts work with a Colorado rancher. To guard herself from unwanted attention, she resorts to a harmless little lie: that she's married to a Denver gold miner named David Paxton. But when her "husband" shows up, Brianna is stunned--not the least by her desire.

David is a stand-up hero in a relationship based on lies. He is sure of himself and wants to do right by the Mother of his child and his daughter. There is a twist at the end tha...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Julie Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lucky Penny by Catherine Anderson
Story is about a women and her daughter. She works for a local rancher and he's wanting to marry her and have more kids but she tells him she's married to David. She thinks David Paxton might be at a mine in Colorado and she's sent him letters.
She gets no replies but a man with the same name shows up and claims the daughter as his own-maybe he was drunk one night and took her for his own. He never knew the girl existed.
He files for custody and it goes to court a...more

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Feb 06, 2012 The_Book_Queen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, arc-copy, nor, read-in-2012, romance, historical, america, western, reviewed

The review that follows is a partial review. To read my full review, please visit:
http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspo...
~*~*~
What length would you go to for the sake of family? Would you live a lie, dig out of trash cans for food, pretend to be someone you're not—all so your promise to a dying relative will be upheld? Brianna O'Keefe has done all of these things, and more, for her “daughter”. And she won't give her up, no matter what!

David Paxton, a small town marshal, is surprised when he is...more The review that follows is a partial review. To read my full review, please visit:
http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspo...
~*~*~
What length would you go to for the sake of family? Would you live a lie, dig out of trash cans for food, pretend to be someone you're not—all so your promise to a dying relative will be upheld? Brianna O'Keefe has done all of these things, and more, for her “daughter”. And she won't give her up, no matter what!

David Paxton, a small town marshal, is surprised when he is given a bag of mail, all sent from a woman, Brianna Paxton, who claims to be his wife, and Daphne, who is supposed to be his daughter. Problem is, David's never heard of the woman, nor does he have any children. He sure as hell isn't married....unless he got extremely drunk one night during his younger years. What if Daphne really is his? How can he ignore their letters, especially should she prove to be his? He sets off to find out the truth—but nothing could have prepared him for what he'd find in Glory Ridge. Brianna, though a bit prim-and-proper, is a beauty and sweet Daphne has the Paxton looks, right down to the birthmark on the neck. So how is it that Brianna can look him in the eye and tell him he's not her father?

Brianna made a promise to her twin, Moira, when she was on her deathbed. She would raise Daphne as her own, caring for her like she would a child from her own womb. She's kept this vow all these years, and nobody else knows the truth. But when David Paxton, her made-up husband, suddenly appears at her doorstep, her life of lies is in jeopardy. Though she won't admit it to David, she can't deny the overwhelming family resemblance between Daphne and David—but Brianna knows better. He's not the father of her dead sister's child. But then how does one explain the looks? Or David's determination to claim her as his own and Brianna as his real wife?

There is more to this story than what is appears, and only after the details are told and the lies picked out can we see the whole truth—and some of it will come as a surprise, even to Brianna!

The storyline for Lucky Penny was unique and very well done. I couldn't help but feel for Brianna and Daphne after reading of their hard life. I wanted David to be Daphne's dad, even though I knew it was impossible (biologically, that is). But this story taught Daphne, Brianna, and us readers as well, one very important thing—family and love is not determined solely by blood.

....
~*~*~
This review is property of NightOwlReviews.com(less)

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Feb 11, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Brianna's been writing to a fake husband for six years, coerced by her cruel employer, and is surprised by the real-life David showing up to claim his kid. I haven't read a new good romance in quite a while. You definitely have to be okay with the classic Catherine Anderson plot of incredibly-fantastically-down-on-her-luck-really-more-than-is-believable-down-on-her-luck heroine being completely rescued by her cowboy knight, but I obviously am. There's a too-precocious child and a tacked-on blown...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Andreasoldier rated it 2 of 5 stars

Old timey Western.
Irish convent-bred orphan is raising her twin's daughter, moves west and pretends to be a widow. Her boss makes her write letters to pretend husband who is panning for gold in Denver. Letters reach marshal who owns the name of fantasy spouse. He thinks he may have fathered kid while drunk before he took up the straight and narrow. She's uppity and Eastern, he a clean-up saddle-bum with trash math. You know where it's going. Ending is a little far-fetched (there's a question th...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Ellie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lucky Penny by Catherine Anderson
Grade: B+

“You’ve got more sand than an ocean beach, and I think you’re one hell of a lady.”

Brianna O’Keefe promised her dying sister that she would raise her daughter Daphne as her own and done everything in her power for the last six to do just that. To fend off unwanted advances from her former employer Brianna made up a husband, David Paxton, and spun a huge lie about him mining for gold outside of Denver. Her employer forced her to write letters to her fake h...more Lucky Penny by Catherine Anderson
Grade: B+

“You’ve got more sand than an ocean beach, and I think you’re one hell of a lady.”

Brianna O’Keefe promised her dying sister that she would raise her daughter Daphne as her own and done everything in her power for the last six to do just that. To fend off unwanted advances from her former employer Brianna made up a husband, David Paxton, and spun a huge lie about him mining for gold outside of Denver. Her employer forced her to write letters to her fake husband which some how get delivered to the sheriff David Paxton of No Name, Colorado. David comes looking for the wife and daughter he never knew he had and after one look at Daphne he is convinced she is his and he will stop at nothing to take care of her.

David Paxton can’t remember ever laying eyes on Brianna O’Keefe-Paxton but he is for certain her little girl is his. Much to his surprise the wife who wrote him letters begging for him to come take her with him is now refusing that Daphne is his and that they’ve never met. Never one to back down David does everything in his power to get Brianna and Daphne back to No Name where they belong. What David never expected was to fall for the wife he doesn’t remember marrying but convincing her to stay with him will be a much harder task then he ever expected.

I am not usually a fan of historical romances, especially not ones set in the wild west of America but I loved Lucky Penny. There was something different about this book from all the other historical romances that I’ve read and I just devoured this story. Usually I also try to not read books over 400 pages but Lucky Penny kept my interest the entire time and I was actually sad when the story ended.

David, Brianna and Daphne are great characters and I loved every single one of them. I found myself emotionally invested in the outcome of their story and found myself getting teary eyed at times. I loved Daphne and she really helped show the best sides of her parents. I love reading about men who are great fathers and seeing them interact with their children. The chemistry between David and Brianna is electric but it seemed to drag on a little longer then needed before they acted on their feelings.

This book is part of a series called the Coulter Family but can definitely be read as a stand alone. I loved the plot and the flow of the writing so much that I plan on going back and reading more books by Mrs. Anderson. This book was a great escape form the massive piles of paranormal romance books that I have been reading and I loved every single page and encourage everyone to read it.(less)

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May 01, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

I should start this review by saying that I don't like historical romances and whilst this sounds a bit dim, I didn't realise I had bought one until it arrived! I had enjoyed Ms Anderson's Coulter series and thought this was a continuation. This book had been sitting on the "to read" shelf with dust collecting until I decided to give it a go on Sunday.

And I am glad I did! I really engaged with these characters and enjoyed the plot and have even ordered the first in the "historical coulter" serie

...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Tonya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, lunch-break-books

I wanted a light and easy read and I found it in Lucky Penny. I don't often read romance, but when I do I've found I like Catherine Anderson's style and can usually get through her books without being utterly disgusted by the heroine's asinine actions.

I enjoyed this one, it was light in the right places, somber in the right ones and only just a little over the top near the end but still a solid easy read.

All in all I enjoy some good, but not overly dramatic and a dash of fluff , romance occasio...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Auntee rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of American historicals

Shelves: catherine-anderson, western-romance, part-of-a-series, 2012_reads

Typically beautiful storytelling by Catherine Anderson, with some nice background details and featuring a wonderful father/young daughter relationship that warmed my heart. Not much in the romance department (things didn't get going in that respect until late in the book, which was a bit of a disappointment) but the storytelling almost made up for that.

This is 30 year-old rancher/US marshal David Paxton's (half brother of Ace Keegan -- Keegan's Lady; brother of Joseph Paxton--Summer Breeze; brot...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Laura Summers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance, read-in-2012, bcc-reviewed

Reviewed for www.bookchickcity.com

It’s no secret that I’m quite an Anderson fan. LUCKY PENNY is her latest historical novel that weaves the tale of the Coulter family. In general, I think her contemporary books are better, but I can never resist picking up a new release of hers.

The story is of single mother Brianna, who is raising her orphaned sister’s daughter as her own in difficult times. In order to give herself a cover story and measure of respectability, she fabricates a fake husband – Da...more Reviewed for www.bookchickcity.com

It’s no secret that I’m quite an Anderson fan. LUCKY PENNY is her latest historical novel that weaves the tale of the Coulter family. In general, I think her contemporary books are better, but I can never resist picking up a new release of hers.

The story is of single mother Brianna, who is raising her orphaned sister’s daughter as her own in difficult times. In order to give herself a cover story and measure of respectability, she fabricates a fake husband – David Paxton – whom she writes fake letters to in order to appease her employer.

Of course, we all know in a romance things are never that easy, and the letters find themselves in the hands of the real David Paxton. A man who is astonished to discover he has a wife and child. Being a marshal and a decent man, he sets out to find the woman and child and if the child is his, determines to do the decent thing.

This isn’t a light and fully romance, Anderson’s books rarely are. But she has a very readable, rich writing style. However, what makes me love her stories so much is her depth and insight into human emotions.

Brianna’s plight as a single mother in times where women were expected to be married, respectable wives is well written and clearly depicted. It was easy to grasp her poverty and sense of desperation. A mother who has to raid garbage bins for food for her child really is desperate and it was painful as a reader to witness.

Enter David on his white horse, he didn’t have a suit of armour, but he does have a Stetson and a gun. What more could you ask for? A part of the story I did struggle with is how David believes so strongly that Daphne is his daughter that he doesn’t listen to Brianna’s story of her parentage for a long time, and it made me what to hit over the head with the aforementioned Stetson. That aside he is the perfect, gentlemanly hero. I loved his sweet, caring nature, his generosity and his sense of responsibility and family.

The romance between David and Brianna is a real slow grower, it’s not really until the last third of the book that we begin to see any *ahem* ‘action’, so if you’re a lover of spice and sizzle this probably isn’t for you. Me, I rather love a good slow builder, so I sat back in my comfy chair and just enjoyed the ride.

The story takes a few unexpected turns, but overall it’s a steady Cinderella story, of love conquers and redeems all. Oh, plus, there is a very cute dog! Every book needs a cute dog in my opinion!

VERDICT:

I stand by my earlier statement, I still prefer Anderson’s contemporaries, but she is an author who sits firmly on my auto-buy list. She has written better, but this is a rich historical romance with depth, emotion, love and compassion. Every single mum and little girl deserves a hero like David.

RATING: 4/5(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Jeannie L rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've been loving the earlier books in this series and this is no different.

David is just so easy to fall in love with and I especially love the rapport and relationship he had with Daphne. Brianna was feisty and definitely didn't make it easy for David but I really felt they complimented each other really well. I love how David and Brianna worked through their misunderstandings. Having Daphne in the story was really perfect. She is so sweet and lovable.

A sweet story that warmed my heart.

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Nov 01, 2012 Lulu rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Any Romance reader who enjoys a good story

Shelves: romance, catherine-anderson

A strange case of mistaken identity and a woman who is too proud to explain leads to an unexpected turn of events. The name "David Paxton" was just a lie to Brianno O'Keefe and started out as as a way to fool her employer so she could keep her job. But by a change of fate, the real man shows up and mistakens her daughter ,Daphane for his own and is determined to take her back to No Name, Colorado. Together, this unlikely pair learn the true meaning of love and belonging.

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Jul 17, 2012 Mareli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Delicious story from the very beginning. We have a woman, married to a "David Paxton" with a delicious daughter. When our David Paxton receives a bunch of letters, asking him for some help for "his daughter" how can he resist? Especially after looking at "her daughter" and seeing her a portrait of his mother.

Now the only thing he has to resolve is when has this happened? He doesn't remember anything!

A great conclusion (so far) of this great series, totally recommended!

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Jun 14, 2012 Barb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Good story! It is one of Catherine Anderson's historical novels in the Coulter family. This is the story of Ace Keegan's half brother, David Paxton. The marshal of Denver brings a stack of letters addressed to David Paxton, written by Brianna Paxton, pleading that her husband, David Paxton, come to rescue she and her daughter, Daphne. David does research and cannot find another David Paxton in the area. He seeks out Brianna to meet her for himself, but first accidentally meets her daughter, Daph...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, novel, american-set-historical, coulter-s-historical, catherine-anderson, read-in-2013, read-in-january-2013, 4-5, rt-top-pick, rt-nominee-2012

Wonderful! Just when you think you live in a big frontier, what happens? There coincidentally is a real "David Paxton" out there who looks like your daughter's child's father..! I mean, really? What are the chances she looks so similar to him and his mum?!

At about 40 pages from the finish, I thought "That's it! Excellent!" but oh, no.. Catherine Anderson wraps up every loose end and does it like a most-revered writer. She is so good!

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Feb 28, 2012 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another solid, sweet, love story from Catherine Anderson. The Heroine is strong and self assured, raising her sister's child as her own and struggling through trials and tribulations. I liked the book alot. Everyone grows together with just enough action to keep the reader moving through the book. I like her books as well because the main characters aren't hooking up in the first two chapters which can be rather refreshing.

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Feb 25, 2012 Nonieღserenity2bliss rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another winner by Catherine Anderson for me! ♥

I really like that she took the time to develop the relationship between the two main characters. I rather enjoy that the father-daughter relationship was the highlight first then the romance between David and Brianna came after the second half of the story. It made the entire thing much sweeter and charming.

And yes, there were moments that made me teared up with sadness and joy :)

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Sep 06, 2012 Soapykitty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book, romance, historical-fiction

I was suprised that I liked this book so much because I normally don't like romances where one of the main characters is a little kid (I'm weird that way).The story started to drag on a little when they were traveling to No Name,and David's family seemed a little to perfect and happy. I also wish we could have heard more about Brianna's life at the orphanage.

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Jun 22, 2012 Bette rated it 3 of 5 stars

The author, Catherine Anderson, is a good writter and she has a good story, but she seems to always throw in sex scene that she decribes in detail. TMI! I like reading her books, but this is the last one I will read because of that. I read one other book written by her, Coming up Roses, and it had the same problem. Sorry, Ms. Anderson.

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Mar 01, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

I generally prefer Ms. Anderson's contemporary romance books, but this historical is gripping with a plotline that is different. I lost some sleep over it two nights running, since it was hard to find a spot in the book where you could put it down without worrying about what was going to happen next. I loved seeing the Paxton family again, too.

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title link	preview: Lucky Penny
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Lucky Penny (Keegan-Paxton #5)

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