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The Duchess of Carbon County
When a hired gunman came to her small Pennsylvania town, Elaina McAllister knew with one look at his glinting blue eyes that she could never love this insolent stranger. But against all will, she found herself aching for his touch.... He masked his true feelings behind a teasing seduction, but Ren Daniels knew this tender beauty had captured his heart. Destiny would tear them apart when Elaina finds a golden fortune in the Colorado hills -- and becomes the toast of San Francisco's glittering high society. But she yearns for her roguish lover and for the fire of their everlasting passion.
305 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1991
About the author
Kat Martin
169 books3,177 followersKathleen Kelly Martin (aka Kathy Lawrence, Kasey Mars)
Kathleen Kelly was born on 14 July 1947 in the Central Valley of California, USA. She obtained a degree in Anthropology and also studied History at the University of California in Santa Barbara. She was a real estate broker, when she met her future husband, Larry Jay Martin. A short time after the two became acquainted, Larry asked her to read an unpublished manuscript of an historical western he'd written. Kat fell in love with both the book and the author! Then, after doing some editing for him, she thought she'd try her own hand at writing. She moved on to become a full time writer.
Published since 1988, she signed her books with her married name, Kat Martin, but she also used two pseudonyms: Kathy Lawrence for a book in collaboration with her husband Larry Jay Martin, and Kasey Mars for her first contemporary romances. The New York Times bestselling writer, among her many awards, has won the prestigious RT Book Review Magazine Career Achievement Award. To date, Kat has over eleven million copies of her books in print. She has been published in seventeen foreign countries, including England, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, China, and Korea.
Currently residing with her husband, a Western-writer and photographer, in Missoula, Montana, USA. But when they are not writing, they also enjoy skiing and traveling, particularly to Europe.
"I've always loved books. I was an avid reader, with any number of my own stories rolling around in my head. Writing them down seemed a logical step."
"I love anything old," Kat says. "I love to travel and especially like to visit the places where my books are set. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and houses built in times past. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era."
Kathleen Kelly was born on 14 July 1947 in the Central Valley of California, USA. She obtained a degree in Anthropology and also studied History at the University of California in Santa Barbara. She was a real estate broker, when she met her future husband, Larry Jay Martin. A short time after the two became acquainted, Larry asked her to read an unpublished manuscript of an historical western he'd written. Kat fell in love with both the book and the author! Then, after doing some editing for him, she thought she'd try her own hand at writing. She moved on to become a full time writer.
Published since 1988, she signed her books with her married name, Kat Martin, but she also used two pseudonyms: Kathy Lawrence for a book in collaboration with her husband Larry Jay Martin, and Kasey Mars for her first contemporary romances. The New York Times bestselling writer, among her many awards, has won the prestigious RT Book Review Magazine Career Achievement Award. To date, Kat has over eleven million copies of her books in print. She has been published in seventeen foreign countries, including England, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, China, and Korea.
Currently residing with her husband, a Western-writer and photographer, in Missoula, Montana, USA. But when they are not writing, they also enjoy skiing and traveling, particularly to Europe.
"I've always loved books. I was an avid reader, with any number of my own stories rolling around in my head. Writing them down seemed a logical step."
"I love anything old," Kat says. "I love to travel and especially like to visit the places where my books are set. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and houses built in times past. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era."
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 14, 2013
I enjoyed this book. Somehow I missed this one over the years. It was an older Kat Martin, but her formula for a romance book was alive and well. You can always count on a couple of things in a Kat Martin book. The heroines always have a spine of steel, the heroes are always just this side of A holes (at least through part of the book), there is always a misunderstanding, and the hero always believes the worst of his woman until proven wrong. Having said all of that this was a fun and fast read.
From the moment you meet Lainey you know she is going to be your typical Kat Martin heroine, but you are completely thrown by Ren / Dan. He seems to be generous and truly wants to pay Lainey back for saving his life 9 years prior. He chooses to keep his identity a secret. This comes back to bite him in the butt when he is shot and hits his head causing memory loss.
From there the story changes from what you would have expected to something different. There is an attempted rape, the seduction of a young woman, an unwanted fiance waiting at home and oh yeah the complication of a man who owns a string of gambling halls / whore houses.
All leading up to our hero and heroine finally realizing that they love each other. If you like Kat - this is standard fair. If you haven't read Kat before, start with Innocence Undone or Sweet Vengeance both are better examples of Kat's work.
From the moment you meet Lainey you know she is going to be your typical Kat Martin heroine, but you are completely thrown by Ren / Dan. He seems to be generous and truly wants to pay Lainey back for saving his life 9 years prior. He chooses to keep his identity a secret. This comes back to bite him in the butt when he is shot and hits his head causing memory loss.
From there the story changes from what you would have expected to something different. There is an attempted rape, the seduction of a young woman, an unwanted fiance waiting at home and oh yeah the complication of a man who owns a string of gambling halls / whore houses.
All leading up to our hero and heroine finally realizing that they love each other. If you like Kat - this is standard fair. If you haven't read Kat before, start with Innocence Undone or Sweet Vengeance both are better examples of Kat's work.
August 16, 2022
I thought it was good. I was glad Lainey was able to get away from Chuck & try to get to Ada's sister so she wouldn't have to marry him. It was too bad Ren wasn't free to let her know what was going on. Then when he thought she had taken up a job as a whore & just about threw it in her face. He's lucky all he got was slapped! I was glad her partner was able to find gold so she could move on. At least he & the other miners were able to save her at the end so he could tell her he loved her & wanted to marry her.
May 21, 2012
Loved this book!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews