Badlands Heart

Badlands #3

by Ruth Ryan Langan

Kitty Conover was a familiar figure in Misery. Dressed in buckskins, with her yellow curls tucked under a wide- brimmed hat, she'd been known to follow a herd of mustangs for weeks. She felt as comfortable under the stars as she would in her own bed. She knew every odd-shaped rock, every mountain peak, every bend in the trail. As for surprises, she'd learned years ago to expect the unexpected and ride them to their conclusion.

But Bo Chandler was the one surprise Kitty couldn't handle. While nursing the badly wounded Bo, she'd felt the first stirrings of true love -- and didn't like it one bit! She might know a thing or two about mustangs, but men were a completely different breed. And she wasn't about to trust her heart to a stranger who could spark her passion as fast as a lightning bolt lights up the sky!

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Harlequin, Westerns, Historical

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 2002

About the author

Ruth Ryan Langan (aka Ruth Langan) is an award-winning author of romance novels. She is a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award winner and has twice been nominated for Romantic Times Reviwers' Choice Awards, for Jade and Return of the Prodigal Son. She has spent much of her career writing historical romance novels for the Harlequin Historicals line of category romances. Many of her book are set in medieval times, while others are western romances. She has also written some contemporary romances, and often includes elements of suspense in her novels.

Langan began her writing career in secret. Her family discovered her writings when her children came home unexpectedly from school one day and found her writing. When Langan's husband was told of her hobby, he bought her an electric typewriter "because 'writers need tools'". Her first book was published by Silhouette Books in 1981 after an editor picked it out of their slush pile. After the first sale was completed, Langan got an agent.

Langan is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America. She has five children and lives with her husband in Michigan.

Has also written under the name of Ruth Langan and R.C. Ryan

Reviews

[Elgyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pokud počítám dobře, tak v prvním díle bylo Kitty 23. Nemyslím si, že to je zhruba 18.
Autorka má potíže s počítáním.
s. 74 Yale je o dva roky mladší než Gabe
s. 6 desetiletým Gabrielem a devítiletým Yalem

s. 128 co nás Yale opustil ... To už je víc než 10 let
To by mu bylo necelých dvacet. Proč ne. A Kitty by bylo necelých šestnáct. Přesto: „Byla jsi tehdy ještě holčička.“
Zatímco ostatní třináctileté holky se vdávaly, ona byla v šestnácti holčička.


Taky si nejsem jistá, že domyslela scénu na s. 64, 65.
Kitty vykydá hnůj a vrátí se domů, kde jí pozorný hrdina nachystal vědro (studené) vody. Umazaná od hlíny a hnoje ponoří do vody ruce až po lokty. Namydlí a opláchne. Pak si ve stejné vodě „ošplíchne obličej a několikrát ponoří hlavu i s vlasy pod hladinu, vyprskne vodu, která se jí dostala do úst“ a cítí se báječně osvěžená a čistá.
O tom bych si dovolila pochybovat.

Hrdina je tak dokonalý, až to není normální. Krásný, vzdělaný, bohatý, krotí koně, v domácnosti vyrobí lavičku, opraví schody, vaří, pere... a to je postřelený.
Se střelnými i jinými zraněními nakládá autorka poněkud volně.
Těžko říct, kam hrdinu vlastně střelili.
s. 175 Na kulce v zádech není nic tak romantického
s. 23 muž, který se oběma rukama držel za hrudník. Mezi prsty mu prosakovala krev
Kdyby ho střelili do zad a kulka zůstala uvnitř, měl by díru na hrudníku? A opírala by ho hrdinka zády o sedlo (s. 27)?
s. 29 když jsem uslyšel výstřel a ucítil bolest v hrudi

Autorka nechává hrdiny postřelit, láme jim končetiny a žebra, ale taky je během pár dnů uzdravuje.


s. 177 ze saloonu vyběhla Billlie s plátěným rancem pod paží (...) Bo slezl dolů a převzal od ní těžký podnos...
A na s. 181 je to pro jistotu plátnem obalený podnos.

s. 309 „Můj otec má dosud ve Washingtonu spoustu přátel.“
Tedy jeho mrtvý otec (viz s. 67).

Bylo by dobré ujednotit, jestli z koně (s. 46) nebo s koně (s. 52).

s. 242 Red Dog Saloon
Proč to nepřeložil, když ve zbytku knihy to překládá?

[Jerry Jares · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the great story of the BADLANDS LEGEND, this story was a disappointment. The characters were interesting and the tension was realistic but I had a couple of problems with this tale.

First, our hero, Bo Chandler was a bit too perfect. He could cook, clean house and even do a bit of lawyering on the side. He certainly was engaging and did not brag about his abilities. It just seemed that he was too good to be real.

Kitty Conover, the third child, and only female in the family was explained well; she was an original, unschooled but intelligent. She was also insecure – she saw Bo as perfect and herself as unattractive and uneducated (especially to someone like Bo).

Ruth Langan is such a good writer that I was surprised she allowed some of the dialog (towards the end) to sound cheesy. I’m glad I read this book to wind up the reason for the 3 stories – that was related to their father (and what happened to him in the Badlands after the Civil War).

The series was interesting; this particular story had some shortcomings. There just wasn’t enough action to carry the story.

Badlands
1. Badlands Law (2002)
2. Badlands Legend (2002)
3. Badlands Heart (2002)

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love heroines who are tough and don't adhere to the typical role that women are assigned to. Kitty is such a heroine. She is a mustang catcher and tamer, rough and ready. She was raised with two older brothers and a kindly older man who took in the orphaned children. She saves the hero's life at the beginning of the book, and I knew instantly I'd really like her.

I also really liked the hero, Bo. He's a gentle and kind guy, but he's not a pushover at the same time. He has no problem cooking or cleaning, or fixing the falling apart shack that Kitty and Aaron live in. Yet you don't feel that is not manly or masculine. I thought he was a delightful hero (probably because I have a soft spot for men who cook, do household chores, and can make repairs). Although he comes from money and is very well-educated, he doesn't look down his nose at those who are not educated. And he loves and admires Kitty for the woman that she is.

When there is such a deep, loving connnection between the couple at the beginning I find myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. Thankfully all is well in this book, although there was a suspenseful climax.

I liked that Kitty was a maverick and did her own thing, going so far as to get married in her typical buckskin clothing (not something I would do, but it certainly fit her personality.)

I haven't read as many westerns in a while, but this was a good book to get me back into western-reading mode.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1888, Dakota Territory. Chasing down wild Mustangs is something that Kitty Conover had become very good at. She was tracking one of the biggest herd she had ever seen when a gunshot rang through the valley. She decided to find out who was hiding instead of chasing the herd or the fleeing gunmen. Not hiding, Bo Chandler was in too much pain from the shot he had taken in the back. He had no idea who had shot him, he was watching the wonderful herd of wild Mustangs run. Waking up to an angels face, Kitty had saved his life and in return, he ended up saving her too. Helping at the cabin, Bo found he had a knack with the wild Mustangs that Kitty loved, he also found a place for himself in the town of Misery, but the men who shot him could come back and destroy all of the beauty and peace that he had found.

Different type of story line than I am use to, delightfully unexpected. No pretense, no deception, no hidden anything, just a story about a chance meeting and the attraction of strong willed people that never thought they would find anything like each other. The suspicion of Kitty's big brothers (the Sheriff Gabe and Yale) are expected and the ease that the character of Bo has with everything makes for a happy, feel good story from start to end. Mostly about feelings, not much in the way of action except Bo being shot at.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Badlands Heart by Ruth Langan is book 3 of the Badlands series. This one is about the sister. Kitty Conover. Kitty is not a girly girl. She is out rounding up a wild stallion and the mustangs that follow him, to take home and saddle break them to sell. She comes across Bo Chandler who was shot very badly. She stays with him for two days, because he can't be moved. Then takes him back to the farm where she lives with the man who took her and her two brothers in when they had no one when they were small. Bo helps at the farm. A lot goes on in this book. It is a very good read.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read of hers' and it awhile for me to read it because, the prologue was boring to me at first. once I read the prologue. IT WAS AWMAZING and I fell in love!! you can't skip the prologue just because it does give you back ground on the star character. This is my absolute favorite book and the only one I can re-read over and over. I had to tape the spine from reading it so much!