Shadow's Stand (Hell's Eight, #5)

Dec 02, 2011 Auntee rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of bordering on the erotic Westerns

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

Very enjoyable read. Took me a while to remember where the story left off with Shadow's situation (this is not a stand alone read), but once I got up to speed I started remembering why I like this series. Sometimes I find Sarah McCarty's writing a little choppy and her dialogue is not always easy to follow, but she does tell a good story. In this book, Shadow Ochoa (who is wanted by the law for a crime he committed in Tracker's Sin) is minutes away from being hung for stealing a horse, until a b...more Very enjoyable read. Took me a while to remember where the story left off with Shadow's situation (this is not a stand alone read), but once I got up to speed I started remembering why I like this series. Sometimes I find Sarah McCarty's writing a little choppy and her dialogue is not always easy to follow, but she does tell a good story. In this book, Shadow Ochoa (who is wanted by the law for a crime he committed in Tracker's Sin) is minutes away from being hung for stealing a horse, until a brave and beautiful young Chinese/American (Fei Yen Tseng) woman steps in and saves him from the hangman's noose. She needs a temporary husband (to help her with her gold claim), and Shadow will do just fine. But what she doesn't count on is having an attraction and burning desire for a man who could never be in the life she's destined to lead...

Loved the heroine in this one. Fei Yen, 23, was brave, smart, and passionate. I thought she clicked with Shadow, her Dragon, and taught him a thing or two about love. Loved learning about her Chinese culture and the things that were expected of her, and how she was 'limited' because of her mixed blood. Enjoyed her relationship with her 'full-blooded' Chinese cousin Lin too--some nice scenes with the two of them.

I liked our hero too. Shadow, 31, had a tendency to try to protect the people who loved him by pushing them away. He didn't think he had much to offer a woman because of the pain and violence in his past. But that didn't work with Fei Yen, or with the rest of his Hell's Eight 'brothers'. I was so happy when they appeared in the story to save his butt and to kick it! Nice bit of suspense at the end involving Fei, Shadow, the Hell's Eight guys, a corrupt Army general, a gold mine and some dynamite...had me biting my nails with worry.

The love scenes? Not too many, but steamy enough. Definitely passionate, and I could feel the love between the two. Very sexy wedding night...

"All right?" he asked, his voice harsher than he intended.
"Yes, oh yes."
"What do you need?"
Nails digging into his shoulders, she sighed. "More. Just more."

So, a pretty good addition to the series. Maybe not my favorite of the bunch (I still like Sam's Creed the best) but one that fans of the series should enjoy. It kept me turning the pages, which is enough for me. A solid 4 stars.

I received this ARC from Netgalley.(less)

like 16 likes · see review

Apr 27, 2012 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read, western-romance, forced-marriage, foreign-heroine, native-american-hero, convict, marriage-of-convenience, lightly-kinky, family-issues, steam-level-steamy, ykinmk, series-better-read-in-order

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

Expected Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HQN Books
Author’s Website: http://sarahmccarty.net/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 5, Hell’s Eight
Series Best Read In Order: Worked well as a standalone
Steam Level: Hot

While I don’t think I’m a prude (because really, how can one read as much steamy romance as I do and still be a prude?), I was a bit taken aback by the span...more

like 3 likes · see review

Feb 14, 2012 Keri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read, romance-historical, sarah-mccarty, reviewed

I do love the Hell's Eight series. I thought that Shadow and Fei Yen were an intriguing couple. Shadow, who is on the run from the military after the last book is in Kansas. He was caught "horse-stealing" and is set to hang. But pretty Fei Yen has other uses for Shadow and involkes a little used law that she will marry the convict. She needs his help in keeping her gold claim from being jumped. So our story goes on from there. The storyline is kind of all over the place and her usual hot as a fi...more

like 4 likes · see review

Oct 10, 2012 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: asian-hero-or-heroine, challenge-2012, dangerous-or-bad-boy, hr-american-west, latin-lovers, native-american, the-habanero-shelf, married-couple, virgin-heroine, lawmen-hr, my-4-star-romances

The fifth addition to the Hell's Eight series by Sarah McCarty. After being disappointed in the last book I read in this series, I was hesitate to jump back on board and continue the series. But I did and I am glad. This was actually pretty good. Not great, mind you, but good. The hero and heroine are not your typical hero and heroine. Shadow Ochoa is a half breed (Indian/Mexican) man on the run from the law. He ends up in Kansas and is getting ready to be hung for horse thief. Enter Fei Yen, a...more

like 1 like · see review

May 29, 2012 Shawkae rated it 5 of 5 stars

courtesy of Happy Endings Reviews

“She was bad with orders, but hell on wheels when it came to dynamite.” (105)

This title continues from the cliff hanger you get from Tracker’s Sin. The main hero, Shadow Ochoa is on the run from the law, The Texas Rangers. The heroine, Fei Yen Tseng, convinces Shadows’ captives that he is under orders to marry her – this is a poly to get him to safety and from the hanging rope. Fei now has leverage over Shadow but he has other plans. Shadow is waiting for a prope...more

like · see review

Apr 11, 2012 Book Binge Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars

He's huge and he's gorgeous, bearing the obvious appearance of one of mixed heritage--Native American and Mexican--and a man who has been defamed and insulted on that basis alone. Now he is dangling at the end of a rope for horse theft, when in deed he was retrieving his own horses. His only hope: if a woman wishing to marry him cuts him down. (Only in the American West, eh?) And that's just what happens, when a woman who is half Chinese and half American decides that she needs him to protect he...more He's huge and he's gorgeous, bearing the obvious appearance of one of mixed heritage--Native American and Mexican--and a man who has been defamed and insulted on that basis alone. Now he is dangling at the end of a rope for horse theft, when in deed he was retrieving his own horses. His only hope: if a woman wishing to marry him cuts him down. (Only in the American West, eh?) And that's just what happens, when a woman who is half Chinese and half American decides that she needs him to protect her as she tries to work out a very complicated set of circumstances which involve, in part, freeing her Chinese cousin from an unprincipled man to whom Fei Yen's father has sold her. (The American West wasn't a good place for any women, it would seem.)

The continuing stories of Hell's Eight, a finely tuned group of strong and independent warriors with the Texas Rangers are some of Sarah McCarty's finest. Strong, Alpha-type men who have come through hell--thus the name--as their families were massacred and their community plundered, barely surviving and only with the help of a few individuals who reached out to them. Now they are each having to deal with their inner demons, and none more troubled that Michael (Shadow) Ochoa, a man of strange extremes and one who is not afraid to show strength one minute and tenderness the next to strangers, but is scared stiff of opening his heart to a little Chinese American woman who is wise beyond her years and who loves him without reserve. The only thing she insists on is complete honesty and her fearless pursuit of the real person who is Shadow Ochoa is almost his undoing and the death of the tenuous relationship they call a frontier marriage.

I have long delighted in Ms McCarty's stories after having read one of her other American Western historical series and found her writing to be stimulating to the imagination and a treat for the brain, but also heart warming and resonating with genuine human qualities, with characters that speak of the best and worst that people can be. She does not paint the American West with a gilded brush, choosing to deal realistically with persons and situations that often existed outside both legal and moral boundaries which celebrating relationships that could only have existed where a greater amount of legal and moral freedom was to be found. Life was hard and it was even harder for women. Consider that a woman was of mixed race, and she was even more invisible and thought to be even less of a person of worth. Yet this story's heroine knows how to deal with the issues she knows are hers, the burdens of society's prejudice, and yet she is willing to beggar herself in many ways in order to bring the best to this man whose inner wounds have never turned him loose.

Lastly, the continuing story of the loyalty and friendship that binds Hells' Eight together form a very important part of this story. For each of these men and especially for Shadow, their relationship, their support, their friendship and regard are his true "home." And even in the darkest moments of this novel, the existence of those ties are what keep Shadow sane and possibly just a little hopeful. Best of all, each of these men can be trusted to do whatever it takes to do right by one another, even if that means telling truths that don't want to be heard, crashing into situations where their presence can be unwanted, or dragging one of their compatriots out of circumstances where they wrongly choose to be. They are, in a word, true friends. As an ancient text proclaims: "Greater love has no man than this: that a man will lay down his life for a friend." Such a love is at the heart of this story.

Don't miss this one. It is truly a keeper. I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Judith.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Mar 22, 2012 Alisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

The following review was posted to my blog as today's Thursday Book Review. www.learningtosubmit.com

Shadow's Stand is a fast-paced, racy romance novel by acclaimed author Sarah McCarty, and I liked it quite a lot.

In this 5th book in the Hell's Eight series, we find our leading man, Shadow Ochoa, about to be hanged after being wrongly accused of being a horse thief in 1800s Kansas. To his great surprise, a pretty woman named Fei Yen intervenes, calling on a little-used law that allows her to take...more

like · see review

Jan 31, 2012 E. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica, western

4 3/4 stars Sarah McCarty's “Shadow’s Stand” is part of her Hell’s Eight series and tells the intriguing tale of Shadow Ochoa and Fei Yen Tseng. Each of these two unique characters has had to overcome the stigma of being a mixed breed in a society that disdains minorities. Fei has struggled against discrimination in two different countries as she dutifully accompanied her strict Chinese father and complied with his demands. Their somewhat elevated status amongst the rough characters that build t...more 4 3/4 stars Sarah McCarty's “Shadow’s Stand” is part of her Hell’s Eight series and tells the intriguing tale of Shadow Ochoa and Fei Yen Tseng. Each of these two unique characters has had to overcome the stigma of being a mixed breed in a society that disdains minorities. Fei has struggled against discrimination in two different countries as she dutifully accompanied her strict Chinese father and complied with his demands. Their somewhat elevated status amongst the rough characters that build the railroads is only due to an expertise with explosives but Fei has had to hone her skills secretly in a society that looks down on her because of both her heritage and her gender. A desperate gamble causes her to rescue Shadow as he is about to be hung, but it is questionable whether he is going to comply with her demands since he has his own strict code of behavior. Shadow is inexplicably drawn to the woman who has such sharp contrasts between the meekness expected from one of Chinese descent and the sharp-tongued woman who is determined to save herself and her family from the fate that seems inevitable. Shadow himself is a wanted man and has spurned the overtures of his twin brother and the rest of the Hell’s Eight in a misguided effort to protect them but he has no problem invoking their protection for the woman who becomes a significant part of his life, however short it may be.

This is a fast-moving tale of the intriguing intersection between cultures forced by the rapid expansion across the country. Despite the connection to previous events, this can be read as a stand-alone book with no problem although it will be enriched by familiarity with the series. The deliciously hard-bitten heroes of the series and the women who manage to tame them into some degree of civility form a excellent basis for a vision of the rough and ready society that includes Texas Rangers, gold miners, railroad workers and the influx of exotic Chinese into frontier life. Shadow is a stubbornly determined product of his background but runs into another person who is a fascinating mixture of headstrong rebel and untouched innocent. Their tale is mesmerizing and a fantastic read that will keep one up late at night. I am anxiously awaiting the next story in this seductive series.
© Night Owl Reviews(less)

like · see review

Jan 10, 2012 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review:Shadow's Stand by Sarah McCarty
4 STARS
I loved the story but too much sex scenes in it for me to be comfortable with.
Fei is part chinese part american. Shadow is indian. We first meet them at Shadow's hanging. Fei fools everybody to thinking her father wants her to marry Shadow so rescues him and marrys him.
Fei has fooled a lot of people thinking her father was still strong and working with dynamite. Instead she has been dressing up and blowing things up.
Fei also has a gold mine discovers...more

like · see review

Dec 07, 2011 Madame X rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, bait-and-switch

SHADOW’S STAND is basically a really good story that’s been ruined by filler.

It starts off with a bang. A really neat, memorable beginning. Shadow is about to be hung for horse stealing. Fei interrupts at the last minute, citing a law that allows her to save him from the gallows if he marries her. Shadow isn’t as eager as he could be, and the village rabble were looking forward to a hanging. They start to kick Shadow’s horse out from under him, pulling the noose taut, and Fei has to climb up hi...more SHADOW’S STAND is basically a really good story that’s been ruined by filler.

It starts off with a bang. A really neat, memorable beginning. Shadow is about to be hung for horse stealing. Fei interrupts at the last minute, citing a law that allows her to save him from the gallows if he marries her. Shadow isn’t as eager as he could be, and the village rabble were looking forward to a hanging. They start to kick Shadow’s horse out from under him, pulling the noose taut, and Fei has to climb up his body to saw through the rope before she can lead him away.

This scene is fantastic. It’s taut, raw, dramatic, and creates this vivid, compelling picture of who our hero and heroine are. Fei’s mixed ancestry, her bravery and guile, her fierceness. Shadow’s pride and stubbornness. I was so ready to see those two clash their way to a happily ever after.

And then Sarah McCarty threw away all the goodwill she’d earned with her fantastic opening by rambling on for who knows how many pages while Shadow and Fei ride off to Fei’s hidden gold claim. They’re supposedly discussing what this impromptu marriage is going to be like, but mostly trade insincere melodramatic declarations. You know, one second Fei announces that she intends to keep Shadow as a husband. The next she declares that they’re not going to have sex. A page or two later they’re kissing. Call me crazy, but I don’t think a character who’s been established as strong-willed and determined should flip flop so much in the space of a couple hours.

Sarah McCarty continues along the same lines with the rest of the book. She tosses in a few really cool scenes and then, just when you start to get excited, she reverts to the pondering and the flip-flopping and the navel-gazing and it’s a snooze.

As the book trundles towards its conclusion, the good story stays good whenever it actually crops up but the stupid filler changes and McCarty does two things that I really hate in a romance.

(1) she lets everybody else tell the hero what his problem is and how he needs to change, basically outsourcing his personal growth, which I think his cheating. One person after another is like, “Hey, Shadow, here’s your problem and here’s what you need to do about it!” and Shadow is like, “Shut up!” until finally he’s like, “Oh, okay.” I like it when characters can turn to their friends for help and advice, but a hero who needs it all spelled out for him? Multiple times? Is not a hero.
and

(2) she does a bait and switch with her characters. When I pick up a story about a girl who will climb all over a dying man to attack the rope he’s hanging from and a guy who describes himself as a “stone-cold killer,” I do not want to be reading scenes like the following.

“You prefer a woman with more…” Cupping her hand in front of her chest, she made her point.
How the hell had she gotten there? “I prefer you.” He kissed her hard and fast. “And me.” Another kiss. “Going at a speed we both can enjoy.”

Look, if I wanted to read about sensitive, modern men I’d buy a book about a sensitive, modern man. The hero would be an architect or maybe a carpenter and he’d have all this lingo down pat. Instead, I reached for the book about a hero who blazes into existence at the end of the noose and I do not want to hear him respond to a woman’s insecurities by respecting her needs and offering to take it extra slow.

Final judgement? A book that’s 1/3 great and 2/3 awful is not worth recommending.
(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jan 30, 2012 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, alert-knicker-wettingly-hawt-cover, cowboys-yee-haw, lover-the-cover, mad-bad-and-dangerous-to-know, netgalley-arc, pdf-kindle, western-romance

I love a hero who thinks he is a cold hearted bastard, when really he is a big fluffy marshmallow on the inside. All he needs is the love of a good woman to bring out all his softer side, soon he will be feeding stray kittens (if he isn't already) and helping elderly women across the street (again, if he isn't already!) Shadow Ochoa is that kind of guy. So when Fei Yen saves him from the gallows and marries him so he will protect her whilst she corrects her crazy father's wrongs, he is a goner....more I love a hero who thinks he is a cold hearted bastard, when really he is a big fluffy marshmallow on the inside. All he needs is the love of a good woman to bring out all his softer side, soon he will be feeding stray kittens (if he isn't already) and helping elderly women across the street (again, if he isn't already!) Shadow Ochoa is that kind of guy. So when Fei Yen saves him from the gallows and marries him so he will protect her whilst she corrects her crazy father's wrongs, he is a goner. It would all be a very quick happily ever after, if only there wasn't such a large bounty on Shadow's head and Fei's gold wasn't wanted by any scavanger who hears about it.

What I love about Romancelandia is that the bigger and tougher the heroes who claim to love nobody are, the more and more they talk/think about their tender feelings and how they couldn't possible have any. Men *sigh* even in highly romanticized fiction they can be dumb as rocks. But, despite that little factor making me smile a little, I did really enjoy this book. I have read Sarah McCarty before, and loved her other historical western series Promises and I thought this was just as good. It had a little more action and adventure in it then her Promises series, which I thought added a lot od excitement to the book but also a very sweet romance.

If you like your heroes, talk, dark, broody and very very sexy, which luckily I do, then Shadow will be the guy for you. There are plenty of his kind of character around so don't expect anything too original, but that didn't stop me liking him. Fei was also good, I like a heroine that doesn't always expect the hero to save her and has a mind of her own, and Fei definitely did, armed with dynamite and a few matches she can pretty much take care of herself!

I haven't actually read the other titles in the series, but if you have, characters from the previous books pop up, and now I have read a little about them I am definietly intrigued about their own stories and will be reading the rest of Hell's Eight as soon as I get the funds!

A good historical western, nothing original but the romance is sweet, the sex is hot and the action is exciting, there are worse ways of passing time!(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Dec 01, 2011 LorettaLynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Title: Shadow's Stand
Subtitle: Hell's 8 Series
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HQNBooks
Pub Date: January 31, 2012

Author: Sarah McCarty
Category: FICTION - ADULT: Romance: Contemporary
18 and older

Received from NetGalley.com

I simply loved how this story was put together.
This is the first of the Hell’s 8 Series I read; But believe it or not I dint get lost after I started reading it. Some series you have to start from book 1. The charters where great, There was so much happing right...more

like · see review

Mar 27, 2012 ♡ Sassy ~ Amy ♡ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, cheesy-romance, cowboy, arc

HA! Read this a while ago and forgot to review... Trying to organize my reads! Anyway... this is going on my feed, so hence the commentary...

Well, this was the second book from sarah mccarty I've read & I was seriously trying to give her another chance. But... It didn't fly well for me. Maybe it's the genre. I am not sure.

Sooo... The hero (Shadow) is about to be hung for horse stealing. The heroine (Lei) decides she must save him and calls forth a law that if someone is willing to marry the...more

like 1 like · see review

Apr 01, 2012 July rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: home-library

Fei Yen has decided to save the man being hung. It is a little tricky to lie and say her father wants this. But it is the only way to get a husband of her choice and his name on paper to hold the claim to the gold she has. And she needs the gold to save her family and save face. Now she is off to town to save the big handsome man. Everyone is yelling that he is a thief and a indian and will kill her. He will not marry her until she tells him she wants him. In the mean time he is hung and she bar...more

like · see review

Jan 08, 2012 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, 2012

Fei has struck gold (literally) and needs a husband to help her secure her new future. When she comes across Shadow who is seconds away from being hung, she see's in him the stubborn and ruthlessness or as she calls it a Dragon and hopes that he is just the man to help her out. However, Shadow is a man who is on the run from the law and has no desire to stick around for long. He will help Fei out since she saved him from death but only until he is sure she is safe.

Even though this is number 5 in...more

like · see review

Aug 22, 2012 J. Leigh Hunter rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical, erotica, western

Story and Writing style
Can one submerge oneself in an author’s seemingly spastic or difficult writing style? Can one treat a writing style like a language, something that can be learned and deciphered over time? Because I remember being thoroughly confused by some of the exposition in “Caine”, book #1 of this series, and having to go back and reread it. That was a difficult story to explain, with most of it as description of their physical relationship, as the heroine was a rape victim that had...more Story and Writing style
Can one submerge oneself in an author’s seemingly spastic or difficult writing style? Can one treat a writing style like a language, something that can be learned and deciphered over time? Because I remember being thoroughly confused by some of the exposition in “Caine”, book #1 of this series, and having to go back and reread it. That was a difficult story to explain, with most of it as description of their physical relationship, as the heroine was a rape victim that had to learn love and trust through the gentle hand of Caine. Perhaps it was because there was so little dialogue that I got lost a few times, which happened again for a bit with “Sam” and “Tucker” and “Tracker”.

I’m not saying McCarty is a poor writer by any means—she’s got her own flair, and her stories are beautiful and rich. I just feel that when I was initially confused at what was going on in the first book, I got progressively more comfortable with the story and the characters as the series waned. “Shadow’s” story was wonderful to read, and McCarty’s description of the gold claim cave at the end, specifically, sticks out in my head. Fei’s heritage immediately incites the smell of warm spice and the color red in my mind, which performed a wonderful backdrop to the story. Braiding the Chinese way of life with that of the American Frontier and a strong female character fighting to overcome adversity and family dishonor will keep this story alive in my memory.

Characters
I kept picturing Shadow and Fei as a beautiful juxtaposition of colors and attitude—Shadow being an Indian/Mexican mix, and Fei Chinese/White –and I know they would work well together. Fei’s feistiness belied her traditional Chinese upbringing, and I liked how that matched Shadow’s chipped shoulder. Shadow got soft, however, and not in a good way. The brute you remember from the previous tomes didn’t shine through very much, although I loved his thought process and the scenes involving his hangings. Very intuitive of an ex-con with a heart of gold, walking both sides of the law like a pro.

Sex
As far as the nookie-nookie is concerned, I am disappointed with the series thus far. (This was book 5 of 8.) It seems that the sex scene intensity, variety and hotness lessened significantly with each Hell's Eight novel. These are gritty books, and so I expected some gritty sex scenes to go along with it. And while I can say that the sex was a bit awkward and uncomfortable in some parts of “Caine”, book #1, it was much more steamy than “Shadow”, where the title character could have put a lot more half-breed oomph in his emotional and romantic interactions with the beautiful Fei. While more-or-less hot in parts, it was vanilla sex with no originality in terms of toys, technique and dialogue. And there were only two sex scenes, and maybe one or two heavy-petting scenes before that (like, NO tension to be had). Strangely, Fei seemed reserved and Shadow even more so. I wanted some gritty, sweaty sex where the two characters could fuck their frustrations out over the social discrimination they’ve been forced to endure their whole lives. Because, I assume, surely one “lowly” half-breed could feel the tension and really want the companionship of another, wouldn't they? To be honest, I was kinda blue-balled.

I just don’t know, Ms. McCarty. I’m loving your stories and characters, but you have taken “erotica” rather loosely in these last few books. Can't wait to read the final three in the Hell's Eight Series.
(less)

like · see review

Feb 02, 2012 Dabney rated it 2 of 5 stars

Dear Ms. McCarty,

In general, with the exception of Deadwood, I have never been a fan of the western. I’ve read good things about your Hell’s Eigh t series, however, so I thought I’d see if perhaps your book Shadow’s Stand might be the western that changed my mind. After finishing it, I am open to reading another western. That said, I don’t think it will be one of yours.

My struggle with Shadow’s Stand began with the opening scene. The time is the summer of 1859; the place, the West Kansas territo...more Dear Ms. McCarty,

In general, with the exception of Deadwood, I have never been a fan of the western. I’ve read good things about your Hell’s Eigh t series, however, so I thought I’d see if perhaps your book Shadow’s Stand might be the western that changed my mind. After finishing it, I am open to reading another western. That said, I don’t think it will be one of yours.

My struggle with Shadow’s Stand began with the opening scene. The time is the summer of 1859; the place, the West Kansas territory. Fei Yen, a young Chinese American woman, needs a husband and she needs him fast. There’s a new law that forbids Chinese from holding mining claims and Fei has a claim on which she’s found gold. (Were you were referencing the Foreign Miners Tax passed in California in 1850 that taxed any non-citizen—which meant non-white–claim owners at astronomical rates?) There’s also, in your book,—I couldn’t find any mention of such a law after a cursory internet search so I’m taking your word for this—a law that allows a woman to take a condemned man as a husband thus saving him from death and giving her a spouse. This law also states that should the woman become displeased with her convict, she may return him to the gallows where he will be immediately hung.

Fei, who has just locked her literally crazy father in the cellar and has no one to turn to, rides into town and claims the half Mexican, half American Indian Shadow Ochoa just as he’s about to be hung. Shadow, though, despite the noose around his neck, refuses to be claimed by Fei until she actually asks him to marry her. The sheriff, racist asshole that he is, starts to hang Shadow before Fei has a chance to say anything. Fei grabs up a knife conveniently sticking out of a nearby boot, runs up Shadow’s body and, as he is choking to death, saws through the noose around his neck and, in the literal nick of time, cuts him down. Even after she’s saved his life, he still won’t take her up on her offer until she gasps out “Marry me,” to which he replies, “I thought you’d never ask.”

None of this made much sense to me. If Fei needs someone who could legally protect her claim, why pick Shadow, a non-white? Won’t he run up against the same prejudices and laws limiting the Chinese? The men hanging Shadow are violent racist drunks; Fei, a young unmarried attractive “half-breed” Chinese with an out of it dad, lives near them and yet none of these cretins have managed to rape or harm her. Shadow viciously fights the men trying to hang him, despite having his hands tied behind his back, and yet, when offered escape, he refuses it. This seemed unlikely to me. One moment he’s fighting for his life and the next he needs to be wooed?

After the two are (maybe legally, maybe not) married by a drunken “padre,” Fei, who married Shadow so she’d have protection, then asks the same men she’s worried will harm her and steal her claim to put Shadow in shackles and toss him in her wagon. Fei puts the key to the shackles “into the lace-trimmed pocket above her breast” and Shadow thinks “Of all the things that pissed him off about the last day, it was her drawing attention to her breasts that he resented the most.” REALLY? Being beaten, hung, knifed, and shackled all rankled less than having to notice his new wife has breasts?....

If you'd like to read the rest of my review, please go to Dear Author:

http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...(less)

like 1 like · see review

Dec 17, 2011 Sobia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay...I've been waiting ages and ages for this to be released and seeing it on net galley damn near made me jump for joy... My thoughts are still a little jumbled, but here goes....

...is it worth the wait? I certainly think so :D
It is an advanced uncorrected copy, so there were a number of grammatical/ editing mistakes which will hopefully not make it to the final copy, but by and large 'Shadow's Stand' was a fast paced,fun, entertaining, and quick ride!

I'll be honest and say for one reason or...more

like · see review

Mar 16, 2012 The_Book_Queen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, e-book, erotica, western, netgalley, read-in-2012, historical, america, one-of-my-favorites, reviewed

4.5 Stars. The review that follows is a partial review. To read the full review, please visit:
http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspo...
~*~*~
Shadow.... *sigh* Oh, how I shall forever dream of you!

I first read Sarah McCarty's work a few years back when Caine's Reckoning, book one in the Hell's Eight series, came out. Right away, I fell for all of the dangerous men introduced to us in that book. I looked forward to their own stories, and counted down the days until I could read them. And then...so...more 4.5 Stars. The review that follows is a partial review. To read the full review, please visit:
http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspo...
~*~*~
Shadow.... *sigh* Oh, how I shall forever dream of you!

I first read Sarah McCarty's work a few years back when Caine's Reckoning, book one in the Hell's Eight series, came out. Right away, I fell for all of the dangerous men introduced to us in that book. I looked forward to their own stories, and counted down the days until I could read them. And then...something happened (life) and I never did pick up book two...or book 3... or..Well, you get the idea. So when I saw Shadow's Stand up on NetGalley, I jumped for it, eager to finally have another taste of the Hell's Eight men! :) Let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed!

While reading Shadow and Fei's story, I was once again reminded of all the reasons why I love McCarty's books: wit, banter, action, steamy-hot lovin', dangerous heroes that I'd steal away in a heartbeat and fierce heroines that I want to have as my friends. Oh, and did I mention the freakin' hot passion? Yeah, there's tons of that in Shadow's Stand and you won't find me complaining about it one bit!

Even though I missed a few books prior to this one, this series is one that can be picked up at any point along the way without getting lost. However, I would strongly encourage you to read it in order (as you should with any series), although I can't say much since I keep making this mistake again and again... The men from Hell's Eight are all tied together, at first through a promise for revenge when they were younger, and now from loyalty and brotherly love (though they are not blood relatives, with the exception of Shadow and Tracker). Their stories are intertwined, partly because they are always there for one another when something goes wrong (and it almost always does), but also because for all of them, the Hell's Eight ranch is home, and always will be.

....

~*~*~
This review is property of TBQ's Book Palace (The_Book_Queen)(less)

like · see review

Feb 23, 2012 Heather in FL rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-i-own-it, audio, elements-cowboy-ranch, elements-historical, elements-erotic-smut, elements-suspense, mix-m-f, z-from-audible

Well, oddly (considering the rest of the series), there wasn't much sex in this one. But, just as oddly, I didn't really notice it until the end. So this wasn't super smut like parts of the rest of the series has been, but it was a pretty good story. I liked seeing how Shadow was such a caring guy. He seemed standoffish and cruel and harsh, but it was always for the benefit of someone else. And Fei saw right through him. Eventually. :-) And talk about a strong woman. It must have been difficult...more

like · see review

Nov 22, 2011 Elizabeth marked it as to-read

Shelves: historical-romance-wishlist, book-wishlist

Hoping that the book being published under the HQN imprint won't impact the steam level! It would be odd to have this one be much more tame than the previous four. Will wait and see:-)

Revised note 11/22/11

like 1 like · see review

Jun 10, 2012 Maureen Hoar rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was a fun ride all the way. Shadow Ochoa was a running, hiding man. He was hiding from the law and his brother hood...Hells Eight. One day he finds himself facing a hanging for horse theif when Yen Fei comes along and saves him. She needs a husband so she can free her cousin and repair the family name with a gold mine that she has found. Women in that day and age could not stake a claim on their own. They needed a man (I know lame). Shadow is very happy to save his neck but he is not s...more

like · see review

Mar 12, 2012 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jen by: Edie

Shelves: historical-romance, interracial, read-in-2012, owned

I haven't read McCarty in YEARS; I read the first Hell's Eight book and it was a completely forgettable experience.

But then I found out that her latest in this series has a Chinese heroine, a rarity in historical romance, or romance in general, really. She's not quite a gun-toting sassy smart-talking whip, but she encompasses these qualities in dangerously subtle ways. For one thing, she knows how to use dynamite. So she could kill you in the most extravagant way, and most discreetly.

The book is...more

like · see review

Feb 27, 2012 willaful rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, forced-arranged-or-conv-marriage, multiracial-multiethnic, ping-pong-conversations

As a half-Chinese woman in a white man's world, Fei needs support and can think of only one way to get it -- by saving a man about to be hanged and "marrying" him. She picks Shadow Ochoa because he's a "half-breed" and less likely to look down on her mixed heritage, but when she sees him for the first time, her resolve falters: "Dragon. She had enough dragons on her back. She didn't need another one..." But Fei is desperate: her cousin Lin is in danger, her father is useless, and it's illegal fo...more

like 2 likes · see review

Mar 03, 2012 Bayareabookaholic rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, romance-streak

Appealing characters. Love a half blood Chinese woman, who can impersonate an explosives expert with the early railroad teams. Desperately needing protection from claim jumpers and really just the randy men about the site, Fei saves Shadow (half Mexican half Indian) from certain death by hanging, first by claiming him as a husband (I didn't know you could do that) and then by literally pulling him from the claws of death.
These two prickly souls team up to outsmart the US Army, claim jumpers, an...more

like · see review

Feb 09, 2012 Betty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sarah McCarty's Hell's Eight series is one of my favorites. So I was very eagerly awaiting book #5, which is Shadow's story. Ms McCarty did not disappoint. Another fabulous read. Shadow was a supporting character in the first four books, but was most definately in the background. I was curious to see to how his character would be "fleshed out". Another Alpha, and I do love my Alphas. His love interest is another fun character and one that fits Shadow so very well. Like the other books of this se...more

like · see review

Mar 15, 2013 Mei rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

Shadow, Shadow, Shadow.... you stubborn man!!! So, sexy, so apprently cold! The mighty Dragon! WOW!
And Fei? I LOVED her!!! She's a perfect mix of demure oriental woman and hell-on-wheels!!! I loved her knowledge of explosives, her smart remarks! Her skipping grammar when upset! Great!!!
She was sooo perfect for Shadow's nature!
The heat in this book is absolutely there, but I LOVED the fact that Shadow was "strait" in his loving. *blush* His loving is just passionate enough that the DSM from the...more

like 2 likes · see review

Mar 01, 2012 Mrs LB rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love this series and never am disappointed. Although Sam's Creed is still my favorite, I happened to like this one more than...oh say, Caine's Reckoning. I like Fei. She comes in a close 2nd to Sam's Bella for me. Her characterization of being strong minded and strong willed appealed to me.
This book doesn't contain as many sex scenes as the previous but I found it hardly noticeable. There was enough action, or adventure as they called it in the book, to keep my mind occupied. I chuckled out...more

like · see review

Jan 03, 2012 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, net-galley, romance, historical

I read the first four books in this series when they first came out. Due to contracts and such, I had to wait a whole year for this book! I thought I might die waiting! So when I saw it on Net Galley I simply had to request it!

A little background on the series; Hell's Eight are a band of Outlaws turned Texas Rangers. The eight men survived an attack of Mexican Army as young boys and once they grew into mean they hunted down the mean who killed their families. Rather than waste energy and men try...more I read the first four books in this series when they first came out. Due to contracts and such, I had to wait a whole year for this book! I thought I might die waiting! So when I saw it on Net Galley I simply had to request it!

A little background on the series; Hell's Eight are a band of Outlaws turned Texas Rangers. The eight men survived an attack of Mexican Army as young boys and once they grew into mean they hunted down the mean who killed their families. Rather than waste energy and men trying to arrest these skilled killers, the government offered them jobs as Texas Rangers. Together they have worked hard to establish their ranch and work to keep peace in Texas. No longer outlaws, they still aren't above using necessary force. Once by one the men of Hell's Eight encounter women who turn their worlds upside down and change their way of thinking.

The first four books of the series were Caine's Reckoning, Sam's Creed, Tucker's Claim, and Tracker's Sin.

Tracker's Sin ended with Shadow Ochoa shooting a man in front of the US Army. Now a wanted man, Shadow is on the run after escaping his captors. He has cut himself off from his brother and the rest of Hell's Eight. Along the way trouble continues to find him as does Fei Yen, a young Chinese American woman who is looking for a quick husband that can help her with her current predicament.

There are a few slow spots in the book but I really enjoyed it on the whole. Shadow has already been portrayed throughout the series as the most dangerous of Hell's Eight but he has always been on the fringes. We finally get to know him and learn that he may also be the most damaged of the group. Fei Yen is also a very interesting character. She isn't necessarily my favorite heroine in the series, but she is very likable. Her culture is different and that is always fascinating. This series is full of diversity as far as the heritage and backgrounds of the characters.

My copy had a lot of typos and errors but it was an advanced copy so hopefully most of those will be taken care of before the final print.

A point worth making for those who have read the previous book in this series is that this book was published under the HQN imprint as opposed to the SPICE imprint. The first four books, published under Harlequin's SPICE Imprint, were real sheet scorchers and I loved them! Now all of the 'SPICE' books are being published under the HQN imprint. Does that mean they will be tamer on the whole? Time will tell, but this one definitely had a lot less steamy sex scenes than it's predecessors. That's not to say I didn't still like it! But fans of the series will notice the change.

Overall impression? I really liked it, and I will continue to read this series, and I have a feeling that Fei's cousin Lin will be making another appearance. Maybe? Who knows. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a sexy cowboy book. Because if it's place in the series you could read this book without having read the others before it, but I recommend starting with Caine's Reckoning and working your way through.(less)

like · see review

Jan 14, 2012 Becky Mrs Condit Reads Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sarah McCarty writes historical westerns that make me melt for the alpha heroes and the strong women in them. Whether they are authentic period pieces matters not to me because they are so enjoyable. I have loved all of the HELL’S EIGHT books, and SHADOW’S STAND especially. Doing the math, this is #5 in the series, meaning there are three to go, and I can hardly wait for them. This is one of my all-time favorite series and Sarah McCarty is on my auto-buy list of authors.

See my full review at htt ...more

like · see review

title link	preview: Shadow's Stand
avg rating	preview: Shadow's Stand Goodreads rating: 4.01 (658 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12110632-shadow-s-stand?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348626890l/12110632.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12110632-shadow-s-stand?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Shadow's Stand by Sarah McCarty[/url]

Shadow's Stand (Hell's Eight #5)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (6)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Sarah McCarty

Books by Sarah McCarty

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Shadow's Stand