Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, #1)

May 03, 2013 Blacky *YA/NA addict* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: of-course, favorite-historical, favorites, mine, read-historical, 4-stars-for-quality, 4-stars-for-enjoyment

"Danger lurked around him in an invisible shimmer, so much a part of his presence, she didn’t even think he realized it. She knew he could kill as easily as he changed his socks, and she knew he wouldn’t worry overly much about it when he was done. Survival was a matter of course to him. He was a lot like the land that way—rugged, deadly and uncompromising. Those who understood that and respected it would survive.
Those who didn’t, would die."

Why oh why didn't I read more western books before?...more

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Jan 04, 2009 Isis FG rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, reviewed, info-full, series-hells-eight, genre-romance-erotic-historical, format-trade-pb, published-2007, stars-4

I can see why the reviews for this book are kind of all over the place. It's a good book, one I'm glad I read, but at the same time, there are things about it that are frustrating and annoying. I enjoyed it a lot, but there were just some things that kept it from being a five-star read.

Set in the mid 1800's in the western U.S. (Texas), Caine's Reckoning is a story about a group of men, one in particular, Caine Allen, who've survived hell (the massacre of their town) and a young woman, Desi, whos...more I can see why the reviews for this book are kind of all over the place. It's a good book, one I'm glad I read, but at the same time, there are things about it that are frustrating and annoying. I enjoyed it a lot, but there were just some things that kept it from being a five-star read.

Set in the mid 1800's in the western U.S. (Texas), Caine's Reckoning is a story about a group of men, one in particular, Caine Allen, who've survived hell (the massacre of their town) and a young woman, Desi, whose life has gone from privileged to hell in the blink of an eye. Once a spoiled rich girl, Desi family was killed by Comancheros and it wasn't long before she ended up in the hands of man who saw her as a sex slave. Then she's kidnapped and rescued by Caine. She begs him to let her escape, but instead, the two end up married. Caine takes her back to Hell's Eight land where he promises to protect her and cherish her. But Desi doesn't believe in good things anymore. And she knows her guardian will do anything to get her back. Just as Caine begins to make Desi believe she can trust him, her past comes back to haunt her.

One of the things I heard about this book before reading it was that it was very wordy, had a lot of filler. Which I agree with to a certain extent. The book is long, 473 pages in trade pb format. And there were times where scenes seemed to go on and on and on and I just wanted to say 'get on with it already!' I think the first 220 pages of the book take place over only a period of a day and half. That's a lot of pages for a short period of time. So yeah, I agree that things could have been condensed a little bit. But I wouldn't say it was a huge issue. All the description and whatnot gave this book much more depth than you typically get in a book with an erotic label. I liked that it was more involved, but at the same time, it did really drag at times when it took 20-30+ pages to get through a short scene.

Another thing with the writing...at times there was a bit of an awkward flow. Though I'm not sure that's the best way to describe it. But I'd be reading and then I'd get to a section that what I was reading didn't make sense according to what I'd just read before it. And I'd have to go back and reread paragraphs to try and figure out what exactly what going on. Maybe it makes more sense to say the sequencing and logic was off at times. Whatever it was, it got irritating.

I liked all the characters in the book. Desi was an interesting mix of fragile and innocent, and strong and independent. She kept things lively! That battle she had with the rooster was amusing. And Caine...well, he was a good guy, but more than once I wanted to whack him on the back of the head because of how he handled Desi. He just wasn't very intuitive when it came to what she'd been through and how it affected her. So he was frustrating sometimes. And I wish there had been more on his past, and the Hell's Eight group. There was some basic explanation, but I wanted to know more about how all eight of them joined up together, why they still stuck together, how close they were (or weren't) and all that stuff. For me, there were just some wholes in the whole Hell's Eight concept.

When it comes to the sex in the book...well, it was certainly hot! But something about some of the scenes, though, were...ill-fitting. Though I think it was more that Caine was always pushing and pushing for intimacy and doing really stupid things that just did not work considering Desi's situation. Then near the end, Desi suddenly becomes submissive and accepting of her darker desires and it was such a quick jump it didn't make sense. There needed to be more exploration of Desi accepting and embracing her sexual nature.

...and all I've done is criticize so far. But like I said in the beginning of this review, the book was good, but it had things about that bugged me. I did enjoy the book, though. It had a great premise, good characters and a nice romance. At times while I was reading, the book reminded me of a (much) more erotic Catherine Anderson story. There's a lot of emotion, tortured characters...just a lot to make you feel about the characters and the situation. The overall vibe just made me think of a CA book...those this one is much much more explicit ;)

So overall...a good book, but I would call it amazing or great. A little cleaner writing, a little better logical flow, and it's be great. I look forward to reading the next book, Sam's Creed, though I can't say I've got a burning desire to start it right way. I'll probably wait a little bit. For others, I wouldn't really recommend the book to those just wanting to read some erotic romance or erotica, because the book is much more than that. It's more like a historical romance with quite a few erotic scenes.

WARNING, this book contains: explicit m/f sex, anal sex, D/S, spanking, flashbacks/mentions of rape and torture. (less)

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Sep 01, 2008 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Erotic or Western Romances

Recommended to Julie (Mom2lnb) by: Cristel, BB, Nikki

Shelves: desert-island-keepers, erotic-romance, historical-romance, read-2008

Reviewed for www.thcreviews.com

"4.5 stars" In my opinion, many erotic romances have a tendency to suffer from an overabundance of sex and underdevelopment of plot. Fortunately, Caine's Reckoning has no such issues. It has an interesting and engrossing storyline while still maintaining the steamy sexuality that tends to mark erotic romances. The overarching plot of the series, that of eight mostly unrelated but sexy alpha men who have banded together as a “family” to fight evil and injustice, rem...more

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Nov 01, 2008 Collette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Collette by: Pamela(AllHoney)

Shelves: erotica, mccarty

Well let me start off by saying I totally understand why this book is all over the map when it comes to reviews.
My emotions did a rollercoaster ride throughout the whole book. I want to add here that I was glad I chose the ride but can't say I enjoyed the whole thing. :D
We have the classic "abused by men in the Wild West" heroine that is rescued by the "alpha tough cowboy" of the Wild West.
In this case the abused heroine has been severely used by some high dollar citizens. The hero rushes in w...more

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Jul 30, 2008 Blackbook rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cowboy-erotica

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 25, 2009 Holly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sarah-mccarty

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I just didn't enjoy this one as much as I wanted to. I thought it dragged on far too long. Desi truly has a lot of issues and she has my complete sympathy in regards to the rather horrific year she has endured. Caine was also a good man, he wasn't a lout or a sex crazed maniac. It wasn't just one individual thing, it was the combination of everything that made me unable to enjoy this.

While Desi has had a truly horrible year and has been as sexually abused as a woman could get, she's still eager...more I just didn't enjoy this one as much as I wanted to. I thought it dragged on far too long. Desi truly has a lot of issues and she has my complete sympathy in regards to the rather horrific year she has endured. Caine was also a good man, he wasn't a lout or a sex crazed maniac. It wasn't just one individual thing, it was the combination of everything that made me unable to enjoy this.

While Desi has had a truly horrible year and has been as sexually abused as a woman could get, she's still eager to be a good wife to Caine. *While I could easily misconstrue that as her wanting to please him so he would let her stay, I'm not going to.* Despite her abuse, she discovers she likes it when Caine is at his most intimidating best. *That seems unbelievable to me, but again, I'm going to ignore it.* Caine makes her feel feminine and alive when he presses himself against her and she's eager to know what sex is like when done right. Caine is just as eager to show her, but every time they make progress, an ugly memory surfaces and he immediately backs off. That got old real fast. It was this endless, "Oooo, I'm going to give it to you, baby. Hard and fast. Just the way you want it. Are you ready? Cause this is it. I'm going to give it to you just the way we both want.......tomorrow." They did this like three or four times and when the sex scenes are like 8-10 pages each, that's a lot of go-nowhere sex. If he's not holding back, then she is and vice versa and it was so annoying. This could have been easier to take if I could have read about more interaction between Caine and Desi throughout the day. Instead it seemed to me that Sarah McCarty was just using the day to day activities as filler until she could return to the bedroom. Desi has a lot of problems, and they weren't all sexual. She needed a stronger hand during the day, someone helping her to build up her self confidence again. Instead, Caine lets her figure things out on her own and that was just unnecessary, and dragged out her poor feelings of self worth, imho.

While the main plot about Caine and Desi's sexual relationship is worked through, there is a secondary plot regarding the men who helped destroy her family and made her life hell. I say secondary because the amount of energy that Sarah McCarty put into this wouldn't have powered a nightlite, much less a flashlight strong enough to light our way and I thought it was sooo disappointing. Plus Caine's was always saying how much he was going to put the hurt on the guys who used and abused his wife but when it came down to it, those guys had faaaaar too easy an end. There was another villain that pops up during the end of the book and at that point, I could have cared less.

It was at the very end where I lost it. Desi writes a letter to her sister and in it she says, "hey, remember that guy we knew? Well, he was the bad guy!" WTF? That's how Sarah wrapped up this story? That just made me mad and after 450 pages, I wanted and deserved more.

I'm really glad I read Sam's Creed before I read Caine's Reckoning, because this reckoning was pretty lackluster. It chugged along, depending far too heavily on loosely connected bedroom scenes to fill it out and I just can't recommend this one. I wanted to love it. Heck, I would have settled for just liking it, but this one just rubbed me the wrong way. I kind of went back and forth on what I felt this book deserved and finally I went with 2 stars. I didn't like it. :((less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Vallsykes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: how-the-west-was-won, more-than-3-almost-4-stars

3.5 stars
Sometimes, the desperation and sheer grit of the era of the Western Frontier truly grabs me. I used to watch old westerns with my uncle. I was engrossed by stories like the Alamo, Wyatt Earp and Jessie James. I got into TV shows and movies like Deadwood, The Missing, and even the Hallmark channel's Love Comes Softly series (Is it oo corny or inappropriate to add I loved Little House on the Prairie, at one point?(The dad in that show was hawt! I don't mean to offend:).

Anywhoot! There's...more 3.5 stars
Sometimes, the desperation and sheer grit of the era of the Western Frontier truly grabs me. I used to watch old westerns with my uncle. I was engrossed by stories like the Alamo, Wyatt Earp and Jessie James. I got into TV shows and movies like Deadwood, The Missing, and even the Hallmark channel's Love Comes Softly series (Is it oo corny or inappropriate to add I loved Little House on the Prairie, at one point?(The dad in that show was hawt! I don't mean to offend:).

Anywhoot! There's got to be an honorable mention of the era that lends it's credence to the Gold Rush, railroad expansion and lawlessness, while also the age that brought about a melting pot, very unlike the cities the the Midwest and the East, but no less significant. Native Americans, newly freed Negroes, Mexicans and Chinese, as well as European immigrants and Whites from the East, looking for adventure and new beginnings in the West, lived together, though among extreme prejudice, and worked together to further meld what is the United States.

So if you can appreciate all that plus the addition of erotica and romance, then Caine's Reckoning is a good enough read. The history of what is “Hell's Eight” and the depiction of this group of men as Texas rangers, who are hawt as hell and ridiculously alpha, is a treat. The men are of a few ethnicities as well.

Caine, the hero of this one, is unapologetic and reminds me of Wyatt Earp or the Seth Bullock of Deadwood. He doesn't give up and makes the right call when needed, a trait that initially made him the leader of this bunch. His love is Desdemona, or “Desi.” She survives a terrible ordeal wrought by a virulent business of prostitution and greed, which, in this novel, harshly outlines the brutality and disregard handed to women who lived in this era, in this part of the country. Caine is not as gentle with Desi as some readers may want, but he does protect her with a fierceness that shines through in this author's writing. The ferocity of his “ownership” and eventual love of Desi is extended in his brothers, not menage style but with a strong sense of family and belonging.

In all, this first book is a great enticement to read on in the series. Sometimes, the plot is too muddled with half-bake notions of the enemy and unfinished conversations. The heroine's awakening is awkward and not exactly smoothly written. Yet, the emotions of the characters are given some relevance that read, at times, poignantly.

Though I liked the second book in book in this series because the chemistry of the couple was more infectious, the setting, meeting and epic-ness of Caine and Desi's story is as memorable.

(less)

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Mar 09, 2009 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of historical western romance/erotica

Shelves: cowboy-stud-fever, erotic-romance-erotica-romantica, sarah-mccarty, favorites, yowza-hotness, i-read-own-faves-keepers, made-me-cry, 2009-reads, hero-alpha‎, best-top-favorites, historical-romance-western, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, favorite-romance-series, im-a-cover-hottie-ho, series-hells-eight, captive-kidnapped-hostage-slave, enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract, cop-bodyguard-govop-merc-military, bdsm-kink, hero-cold-cruelbrute-dark-dangerous, hero-stalk-me-baby-possessive, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-expert-skilled-voracious-lover, historical-romance, historical-romance-americanfrontier, married-couples-married-convenience, backdoor-action-lovin-playin, hero-dom, 5-stars-or-higher, a-all-time-best-of-best-fave-dik, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, heroine-heiress-socialite, hero-silent-quiet-type-reticent, hero-brooding

5+ stars – Western/Historical Romance/Erotica

I L-O-V-E-D this book and find it interesting that the reviews are so mixed. Caine’s Reckoning is the first book in McCarty’s Hell’s Eight historical western romance/erotica series about a group of Texas Rangers who have banded together after losing their families in a brutal massacre of their town years before. They own thousands of acres in the Texas territory in the late 1850’s (known as Hell’s Eight land) and fight injustice and right wrongs on th...more 5+ stars – Western/Historical Romance/Erotica

I L-O-V-E-D this book and find it interesting that the reviews are so mixed. Caine’s Reckoning is the first book in McCarty’s Hell’s Eight historical western romance/erotica series about a group of Texas Rangers who have banded together after losing their families in a brutal massacre of their town years before. They own thousands of acres in the Texas territory in the late 1850’s (known as Hell’s Eight land) and fight injustice and right wrongs on their terms. In Caine’s Reckoning, Texas Ranger/Hell’s Eight leader Caine rescues a kidnapped young woman, Desi, only to discover later that she has been viciously raped and abused by her gambler guardian and the men of her town, so she refuses to go back to them. He has no choice but to marry her and bring her back to the Hell’s Eight ranch to protect her, but she fears her former guardian will come after her. Caine and Desi’s relationship is tentative and slow-building. Caine vows vengeance against those who have hurt Desi, and she worries that her past will keep them from having a future together. Certain aspects of the story reminded me a little of Lonesome Dove (with some steamy sex thrown in of course). Caine is a tough yet tender honorable Texas Ranger, Desi is a strong heroine who prevails in spite of suffering unspeakable brutality at the hands of men, and the evil villain Apache Jack reminded me of Lonesome Dove’s Blue Duck. Some reviews mention the amount of violence in the story and extensive abuse suffered by the female protagonist, but I think both are accurate for a historical western with its time and setting. I mean, Texas in the 1800’s was harsh and unforgiving, especially for women. This book is a heavy historical western with slow-developing romance and a few very hot, explicit, erotic sex scenes, but not really an erotica novel; so I wouldn’t recommend it for those who are mainly interested in a romance/erotica and not actually fans of historical westerns. I thought it was one of the best western romances that I’ve read in a long, long while, and I’m really looking forward to more books in the series. Caine’s Reckoning is now one of my very favorite westerns/romances…I loved it! Oh yeah, and the cover is seriously H-O-T!!(less)

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May 07, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

So first my confession – I’ve had this book in my TBR pile for almost a year. I bought it at the Borders going-out-of-business sale (the cover might have swayed me) and it went right into the to-be-read pile. I found myself wanting to read something a little different and definitely naughty so I picked it up and kept smacking myself with the book wondering why I waited so long to read it! The story and the characters drew me right in and while a few of th...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

So first my confession – I’ve had this book in my TBR pile for almost a year. I bought it at the Borders going-out-of-business sale (the cover might have swayed me) and it went right into the to-be-read pile. I found myself wanting to read something a little different and definitely naughty so I picked it up and kept smacking myself with the book wondering why I waited so long to read it! The story and the characters drew me right in and while a few of the sex scenes maybe pushed my belief based on Desi and her past, overall it was such an enjoyable read that I have the rest of the books in the series ready to go.

To say Desi’s past is horrific is an understatement. Her wealthy, high-class family was heading west when they were ambushed. Desi’s parents were killed and she and twin sister were taken, raped and held for months. Desi was sold to local men and separated from her sister. Desi’s life didn’t get any better, being chained to a bed and raped repeatedly until a random run in with the Hell’s Eight happened. These Texas Rangers came upon Desi trying to defend herself, wearing next to nothing and having no weapon other than the rocks she could grab. Caine is one the Rangers who helps get Desi out of a bad situation. Instead of returning her to the town she’s a captive in, he marries her to get her away from the town’s “claim” on her and takes her to his Hell’s Eight compound.

The one thing that I was so glad about was the rape that Desi had to endure is not detailed out, much. She does have one nightmare/flashback and it’s more than enough to understand just what she went through. This story was about her healing with the help of Caine and feeling a sense of security that she lost. She’s jumpy, she’s convinced that Caine won’t want someone like her who isn’t pure and she’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop, the one that sends her back out on her own. Caine has news for her – he’s kind of a big softy when it comes to Desi and he wants nothing more than to bring the fire and spirit back out in her and he sets out to prove to her that she can trust him and he and his men will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. The men she escaped from still play a part in the story and this provides the suspense throughout the book.

With Desi and her horrible past, sex plays a huge role. Even though she suffered so much, she starts to feel more and more comfortable around Caine and the sex gets more and more intense, for lack of a better word. It takes Desi a long time to actually let her guard down to enjoy sex and Caine pushes her. Maybe a little too hard at the start, but when she trusts him and wants more from him their scenes reflected that. She got more adventurous and their sex did as well.

What drew me in and kept me into the story was simply Desi. I love reading about a tortured character recovering and rebuilding their life and we meet Desi at her lowest point. The Hell’s Eight are a group of alpha men, all with issues of their own. We meet them, but don’t get a lot of details as the story was pretty much centered around Caine and Desi. There is a continuing storyline with Desi’s lost sister and I can’t wait to get her story. I thought this was a satisfying story and a nice start to the series. (less)

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May 11, 2008 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of romantic erotica

Shelves: romantica-erotica

Historical romantic erotica set in the Old West in Texas (1858). My, my, imagine all the wonderful possibilities (grin)! If this is your cup of tea you will love this novel. It’s got action, romance, and lots of sex.

I was really looking forward to this one because many of my Goodreads friends loved it. However this novel also has a horrifying amount of torturous rape scenes presented as flashbacks in almost every chapter. Not my thing. There was also so much padding (about 100 pages worth) that...more

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Jul 22, 2008 Kathrynn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kathrynn by: Auntee

Shelves: own, 2008, erotic, romance-western-historical, reviewed

This was a dark western romance chalked full of horrible abuse and treatment. I found it to be depressing and sad. The main character, Desi, had some horrific memories and it's a wonder to me that she didn't have some kind of disease. The other main character, Caine, was a good man and did his best to help Desi heal. But, he/they were into dominance "games" and for me with Desi's background, it's a wonder she ever trusted a man again little lone allowed herself to be dominated.

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Nov 01, 2008 librarygirl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

I wanted to love Caine's Reckoning. I'd read so many rave reviews I thought for sure I would! I just didn't feel attached to the characters, I wasn't sucked in. The sex scenes were a bit too wordy for me. The writing was a little hard to follow in some places. I found myself having to go back a few pages to figure out what the heck was happening/happened. I'm on the fence about whether or not to move on to Sam's Creed.

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Oct 14, 2010 Cynthia (aka Artemis) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cynthia by: Laurie

Shelves: erotic-romance, cowboys, historical-romance, western, own, favorites

Caine's Reckoning is Book One in Sarah McCarty's Hell's Eight Erotic Adventure Series. When I see those words on a front cover of a book that is what I expect to read, and that, is exactly what I got.

Hell's Eight - A group of eight men brought together with a common purpose: To survive the wilds of Texas during the mid 1850's. Caine, Tracker, Sam, Shadow.... just to name a few.

Erotic - The relationship between Caine Allen and Desdemona "Desi" doesn't start off in the usual way. Although, Caine i...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Jackie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: didnt-even-finish-it, january-11

Hopefully the rest of the heroes in this series aren't pushy assholes who pressure their sexually abused wives into compromising positions.

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May 04, 2009 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica-romance

I would give this 3.5-4 stars. The reviews turned me off and I decided I didn't want to read it. However, I had forgotten to cancel my request through the library. So I checked it out and thought I would give it a try. It was good! I love cowboys and men's men. It is historical in nature, which I usually don't enjoy, but it is in the 'old west' which is fun.

A lot of people commented on the rape and sex scenes in the book. The rape issues are a fact of the heroine's past, so there are a few flash...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Laura (Kyahgirl) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: part-of-a-series, western, romance-historical

2.5/5; 3 stars; B-

If I could give a book a rating for 'potential' I'd give this one a higher score. There was the definitely the potential for a better book here. I liked the characters in the story, for the most part. But, I did have a strong objection to some of the behavior of Caine. On one hand, he is supposed to be this strong ethical guy who would never hurt a woman, yet on the other hand, he's completely insensitive and stupid when dealing with Desi on several occasions. It bothered me a...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Darcy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

The couple of books that I have read by this author I really liked, but I had a little trepidation with this series. I am not a big fan of historicals and this is a cowboy story from the mid 1800's. But I was very quickly sucked in.

Desi is a spitfire, one where we see her personality right from the start. Desi is in a situation where things aren't very good, but they sure as hell had been worse, so she really has nothing to loose. Caine is a Texas Ranger, a group called Hell's Eight, a group th...more

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Sep 28, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic-western-historical-romance

2 ½ stars. Intriguing characters. Good first sex scene. Excellent plot, but weak execution - needed more events and action.

STORY BRIEF:
Desi and her twin sister Ari were kidnapped by Indians and raped. Some “respectable” white men paid the Indians for Desi. They kept her naked and chained to a bed as their private sex slave. Somehow a gang of men kidnapped Desi and three ladies. Caine and two of his partners were traveling nearby and heard screams. They saw two men trying to rape Desi. They kille...more 2 ½ stars. Intriguing characters. Good first sex scene. Excellent plot, but weak execution - needed more events and action.

STORY BRIEF:
Desi and her twin sister Ari were kidnapped by Indians and raped. Some “respectable” white men paid the Indians for Desi. They kept her naked and chained to a bed as their private sex slave. Somehow a gang of men kidnapped Desi and three ladies. Caine and two of his partners were traveling nearby and heard screams. They saw two men trying to rape Desi. They killed the men and took the women back to town. Caine learns that the territories’ crookedest judge gave Desi to James (a gambler) as her guardian. Caine decides to take her to his ranch for safety, but the local priest says Caine can’t take her from her legal guardian unless he marries her. So Caine marries her on the spot. Caine and his seven partners own the ranch called Hell’s Eight. They are also Texas Rangers, giving them license to kill bad guys. The white men are unhappy at losing Desi. They put out a reward for anyone returning her. Bad guys come to the ranch to try and take her. Meanwhile there are many long sex scenes between Caine and Desi. They are mostly about Caine bringing pleasure to Desi, and Desi being reluctant due to her year of being repeatedly raped. The sex scenes include spanking, rear door activity, torture, and rape.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
There was a lot of potential. Intriguing characters – good and bad. Good first sex scene. Excellent overall plot, but weak execution. Not enough happened. It needed more events and action. At the end, there was an unfinished feel. Some readers will be uncomfortable due to torture, rape and other sexual acts.

The first sex scene between Caine and Desi was intoxicating and memorable. He was giving her a bath, washing her hair and then slowly, methodically massaging her body. Some of the other sex scenes were less interesting and too long. Many of them felt cutoff, leaving you wondering. A couple of times I was tired of Desi’s nervousness and reluctance. I didn’t like her logic on page 315. As she started liking Caine, she decided she was not going to experience sexual pleasure with him because “if she let go she’d lose herself in him and nothing would be the same again” – whatever that means. Several days later she just changes her mind and decides “she wanted to give herself the way he needed her to, but for her pleasure, not his” (page 368). Why did she change her mind? I don’t know. The author didn’t do a good job justifying this conflict or resolution.

I did not like the heroine doing something stupid for the sake of the plot. She knows bad guys are coming to the ranch to try and take her. Sam is her current guard. When he goes to the outhouse for a few minutes, he tells her to stay inside the house. She doesn’t. She decides she wants to gather some eggs to bake a cake. She sneaks out of the house, and of course something bad happens.

My main problem with the book was too much sex and not enough story. I wanted more details about Caine and his partners getting revenge on the white men. There was one scene with Caine and his partners going after some of Desi’s rapists that was unsatisfying. I was expecting cunning, skills, suffering, and revenge but got none of that. It’s like the author couldn’t think of anything interesting to say, so she used a convenient, easy and boring end to the bad guys. At the end of the book, the “worst rapist” (who offered the reward) was still out there. I wanted something to happen to him and learn about his motive, but nothing happened. That part of the story was unfinished. The epilogue conveniently provided some information about him which was told rather than shown.

There wasn’t enough story about bounty hunters coming to the ranch for Desi. I would have liked seeing more of them or groups of them coming to the ranch and fighting Caine and his buddies.

One of Caine’s partners told Desi he would find and free her sister Ari from the Indians. I was expecting something to happen but was disappointed to learn that a sequel will have to do that story. However, to date there have been two sequels and neither one of them is the Ari story. “Sam’s Creed” has Isabella as the heroine. “Tucker’s Claim” has Sallie Mae. Will we ever have closure regarding Ari or the “worst rapist”?

DATA:
Story length: 465 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious words. Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: 12. Total number of sex scene pages: around 102. Setting: 1858 Texas Territory near Los Santos. Copyright: 2007. Genre: erotic western historical romance.(less)

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Feb 04, 2010 Jacqueline rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: sony-reader, western-historical-romance, erotica-or-romantica

I had several problems with this book. (Just FYI I listened to an audio version.)

First this woman had just been kept tied to a bed as a sex slave for a year. Caine rescues her and marries her and that night (one and a half days later) he has her naked in the kitchen of the farm house where anyone could walk in and starts up some anal play. Really? This girl should have been running screaming from him. He knows about her abuse and still is on her all the time (and not in a gentle careful way mi...more

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Jun 20, 2009 PT rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance, scarred-hero-heroine, western

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Like most of the other reviewers, I had very mixed feelings regarding this book. In general, I enjoy historical fiction and picture myself leading a simpler life in olden days. This book, however, did not make me wish for the "good ole days." They just didn't exist in this book.
The hero,Caine, is a hardened Texas Ranger living amongst a group of eight men who have endured great sufferring and are now living life just this side of the law. They all boast internal and external scars to attest to...more Like most of the other reviewers, I had very mixed feelings regarding this book. In general, I enjoy historical fiction and picture myself leading a simpler life in olden days. This book, however, did not make me wish for the "good ole days." They just didn't exist in this book.
The hero,Caine, is a hardened Texas Ranger living amongst a group of eight men who have endured great sufferring and are now living life just this side of the law. They all boast internal and external scars to attest to their painful pasts. The heroine is an even more tragic case. She and her twin sister had lead very spoiled lives until their parents decided to take off west for adventure. Both parents were killed and the daughter were separated. Desi, the heroine of our tale, was sold off to white settlers as a kept woman who was chained naked to a bed and brutalized/raped at the whim of the local menfolk. Her sister was given over to Indians and Mexicans for similar, if not worse, treatment. They meet while Caine and a couple of his Ranger cohorts are rescuing Desi and a few other "respectable" local women who have been kidnapped. What follows is numerous unsuccessful escape attempts by Desi to get away from the Rangers and her previous life. Upon arrival in the town, Caine and the other Rangers finally realize the truth of Desi recent existence and Caine marries her to "save" her.
Following the wedding, Caine and Desi return to his home where they endeavor to make their marriage work. Desi "learns" the ropes of being a Ranger's wife and struggles with her fears of the bedroom. Caine thinks that continuous forays into seduction will overcome his wife fears and insecurities. The book meanders for the first 400 pages, after which, the story wraps up a little too hastily. Plus, the fact that the Rangers were all headed out in search of the sister seems a convenient strategy to introduce their individual stories.
My opinion, however, is biased because I do not like books where the heroine are victims of past or present rape. This is not appealing to me at all.
That being said, I will probably follow-up on McCarty's website to see who the sister, Ari, ends up with. I think Tracker would be the most obvious choice as he made a pledge to Desi to find her sister and he would probably be the most accepting of a fallen woman as his mother was a similar background.(less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Carolyn F. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book, erotic, western-romance

Why oh why don't women stay put when everyone is telling them to? Why do they get all stupid stubborn and say, "Yes, evil men are out to get me and in fact one was out here yesterday, but I want to make a cake and I need eggs and no one is going to tell me what to do!" They are so unbelievably stupid and they put people's lives in danger and they may have a little remorse but it's never enough. LISTEN TO THE MEN WHO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT! IF THEY SAY DON'T GO OUTSIDE, DON'T GO OUTSIDE!...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Manuela rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: venduto, storico

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 07, 2013 Alina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Right, first off, I'll confess that if I had to rate this book on EVERYTHING (including its marketing) the star rating would be lower.

The fact that it appears on Amazon's kindle list with the bracketed words (for fans of Fifty Shades by E.L.James) after the title would normally have been an immediate red flag for me. I have a particular bugbear with publishers who lump authors together and attempt to trade off the success of another book/series.

The price was also another 'pause' point for me. It...more Right, first off, I'll confess that if I had to rate this book on EVERYTHING (including its marketing) the star rating would be lower.

The fact that it appears on Amazon's kindle list with the bracketed words (for fans of Fifty Shades by E.L.James) after the title would normally have been an immediate red flag for me. I have a particular bugbear with publishers who lump authors together and attempt to trade off the success of another book/series.

The price was also another 'pause' point for me. It's on the high side of what I pay for my kindle titles. Of course, that could just be my in-built Yorkshireness showing through - we're notoriously careful with our money!

In fact, if it wasn't that I came to this title through the comments/ratings left by two reviewers here on Goodreads, I probably wouldn't have bought this book. Which would have been a shame.

This story is so much more than a romantic/erotic western 'romp'. The characters have depth, the plot is engaging and the descriptions and observations are spot on. Yeah, the sex is HOT and Caine a hunk of badass, but if that's all you get from this, I'd be very surprised. This author has talent, and it shows in the language she uses.

For example:

'Caine hunkered down beside the saddlebags and fished something out of the depths. Firelight flicked shadows over his big form, elongating his silhouette into the deeper gloom between the rocks. Making him more than he was, but more distant, too...'

and

'They were on the edge of a cliff and before them, seeming to spread outward from their very feet was... the universe. The star-studded carpet stretched out in front of her, endlessly embracing the moonlit landscape below. Dark hollows wove between swells of granite that glowed with a ghostly edge above the single, sparkling ribbon of light that rippled through it all. It was timeless.'

See what I mean? This story has moments of real beauty in it.

So, I'm sorry Mr Publisher, but although the sex scenes definitely put this book in the erotic section on the romance shelves, saying it's like Fifty Shades is doing it a disservice. It's WAAAY better! :)
(less)

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Feb 28, 2010 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good read. Historical western setting. Despite numerous action sequences, this is a relationship driven book.

The heroine was raised as a princess with lots of money, lots of training in propriety and expected to be pretty and ladylike in return. Then her father takes the family West [Texas:] where they are attacked and her parents and brother killed. She and her twin sister are dragged off. Desi, our heroine, is 'rescued' by supposedly Good People - who enslave her, keep her,torture her and abu...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Tricia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books

I have to start by saying that as a child I was raised by my Grandparents, and my Grandpa had a deep love for westerns and comedies. I have watched countless western movies with him, and eventually developed a taste for them. This was the first western themed book I have ever read and it was pretty great. Putting all the sex aside, and believe me this book was chalk full of sex, it was a pleasently surprise how comfortably I slipped back into the world of gunslinging ruffians. It was something...more

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May 07, 2013 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Cowboy porn fans

Recommended to Kristin by: Audible

2.5 - 3 stars. I can't decide. Maybe after I've had some time to ruminate on the book, I'll come back and be able to decide definitively on a rating. For now, I'll err towards the upside because the book did hold my attention for the most part. This had real potential but Sarah McCarty ruins it with her excessively, lengthy descriptions of everything.

I thought Shades of Grey was bad with it's constant sex scenes. I mean, how many men do you know that can have sex ten times a day like Christian...more 2.5 - 3 stars. I can't decide. Maybe after I've had some time to ruminate on the book, I'll come back and be able to decide definitively on a rating. For now, I'll err towards the upside because the book did hold my attention for the most part. This had real potential but Sarah McCarty ruins it with her excessively, lengthy descriptions of everything.

I thought Shades of Grey was bad with it's constant sex scenes. I mean, how many men do you know that can have sex ten times a day like Christian Grey? Well, if Shades of Grey offers quantity than Caine's Reckoning offers "quality"???? I guess it depends on your definition of the word. I mean some of these scenes just went on and on. I pretty much was skimming it towards the end trying to get to the story and there is a story there. It started out pretty strong with Caine and his fellow Texas Rangers rescuing Desi and a bunch of other women who were kidnapped from their town. But then it hobbled to the end with a noticeable limp.

The whole story took place over the span of a few weeks (I think...maybe less than that) and there sure was a lot of progress made in those few weeks. Our tortured, battered and bruised heroine, Desi, went from caged sex slave to the happy, doting wife of a complete strange in less than a month. I know, she's supposed to be resilient and all, but give me a break. She had a horrific backstory. You don't get over something like that so quickly (maybe not at all). And the way she built Desi's character. Gimme a break. She went from strong and applaud worth to downright annoying (frankly confusing in many spots).

Usually, I can take a book like this at face value and enjoy it for what it's worth, but McCarty takes her characters and her prose much too seriously. Sometimes less is more. In this case, a lot less (maybe a 100 pages less) would have been perfectly fine by me.

PS The Kindle version of this book is absolutely butchered. I'm not sure what was wrong with it, but there were many words that were broken down in syllables with spacing issues that made it hard to follow sometimes. I also think that there were supposed to be breaks in some chapters that were non-existent in the digital version. It would go from one person's point of view to another's from one paragraph to another. I don't know what happened, but it could use a lot of fixing.(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Tonya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay, I may be a little behind in getting to this series, but wow! This was a hot one! I'm not really one for cowboys, or maybe I am. Or maybe I just like Sarah McCarty's Texas Rangers! They are a smokin' hot bunch! The story was really good, and Caine is just a dream. A very good, wet one! He was totally awesome in every way he tried to deal with Desi. He was gentle and understanding, but firm. He saw when she was holding back and he could read her so well. He was honest with her, and I think t...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Paige rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, 2012-books

I really think this 466 page book took more away from the bigger picture than it did adding to the story. This book deals with severe sexual abuse and I love that it took so much time for Desi to open up to Caine, but maybe a little time warp would have been better.

Caine Allen and seven other men make up Hell’s Eight. They have banned together after surviving the massacre of their families during their youth. Now, they work for Texas Rangers and their current mission is two rescue women who hav...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Shannonreads rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica, romance-historical, romance-western

I really vacillated between 2 and 3 stars on this book. I really wanted to like it, to love it. I liked the characters, their backstory, the settings but the writing just kept pulling me out of it. The first 1/2 of the book was slooooow and I felt nothing happened. I stuck with it because I was hoping it would pick up. It did and I enjoyed the last part of the book.

I agree with some other reviews that some scenes seemed disjointed (particularly some of the sex scenes) and I had to flip back (whi...more

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Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight #1)

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