To Have And To Hold

by Charlene Raddon

Widow Tempest Whitney had to mortgage everything to repay the money her husband had stolen. But even as she struggles to hold onto her Utah homestead, a scheming rancher buys up her debts, demanding that she either get off his land or marry him. When a dark-haired stranger shows up, claiming to be her dead husband, fortune, danger and passion await them both.

Genres: Historical Romance, Westerns, Historical, Western Romance, Romance

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Charlene Raddon began writing western historical romance novels in 1980. Her book Tender Touch was a Golden Heart Finalist. Forever Mine received a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award nomination. Her books have received other awards and won or placed in several contests. She loves hearing from readers. When not writing, Charlene loves to travel, do genealogy, needlepoint, crochet or dye Ukrainian style eggs. She also designs book covers for other authors at www.silversagebookcovers.com.

Reviews

[Charlene Raddon]

Having written this book, I am quite naturally fond of it. The research was fun and educational. Deception Canyon is patterned around Nine-Mile Canyon near Price, Utah. This is a fascinating spot with high, sheet sandstone walls which abound with Indian petri glyphs and ruins. It's a special place which deserves to be protected and shared with those who love nature and history. To Have and To Hold is an historical romance novel set in the late 1800s. Buck Maddux tries to help a dying man and ends up wrongly convicted of robbery. After his release he keeps a promise to check on the family of the man who caused his incarceration. He finds the widow and her two children living in a dugout, struggling to survive in a harsh environment, and ends up pretending to be her husband to protect her from a malicious neighbor.

[Shirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a well written intense story that you could feel every emotion in the relationship between Tempest and Buck with their growing relationship that was so much like real life with their feelings of lust, trust, fear and trying to hide their love from themselves and each other.
Buck, all male in every way.Tempest a strong willed woman full of love and need for Buck who made her feel alive. Jonas who you hated for being a cruel pathetic type of man that loves to beat up on woman and is a disgrace to his heritage.
The story was so real with good and bad emotions that you would feel in real life back then. The adventure in the last half of book was so intense that I thought I was watching a movie instead of reading words. I highly recommend this western romance with growing intensity and adventure. Great writing and great read.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Utah in 1888, this is an captivating American historical worth reading for both the adventure and the romance!

Read full review in the 2013 July/August double issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Crone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. very well written and very accurate . Authentic in telling the history of the west. Charlene Raddon is an excellent author!

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another enjoyable book by Charlene Raddon. Full of passion, adventure, believable characters and the cutest little girl called Angel. I highly recommend this book.

[_sassy_39 · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Have and to Hold penned by the author Charlene Raddon is a gripping read. Tara Tempest Whitney is a mother of two kids: Angel and Ethan. Her husband Skeet Whitney left one day and didn't return. It has been two years since then and Tempest has been living a lonely life.

One day, a man named Buck Maddux arrived at Tempest's property and told her that he made a deathbed promise to Skeet to protect her. In return, Skeet deemed him half-interest in his place so he would keep the promise. Tempest's father is a drunk man and doesn't have the courage to protect his daughter. A man named Jonas Creedy blackmailed Tempest to marry her. With no means to support her kids, Tempest had to agree to marriage with him. Buck claimed that two years ago, he was known as Skeet Whitney. Read this story to know how the relationship between Tempest and Buck would go.

The writing style of the author is amazing. The story is gripping and pulled me in so much that I felt as if everything was happening in front of my eyes. It would be amazing to watch this story as a movie. I loved Tempest's character the most. She is an inspiration to other women. The storyline is intriguing. Go ahead with this book without any second thoughts.

Rating: 4.5/5

[Readers Choice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlene Raddon's "To Have and To Hold" is a captivating work of romantic historical fiction. The protagonist, Tempest Whitney, is a resilient widow managing her ranch and raising her two children alone. Her life takes a dramatic turn when Buck Maddux arrives, claiming he promised her late husband to protect her, in exchange for half of the ranch.

Tension builds as Jonas Creedy attempts to coerce Tempest into marriage, exploiting her financial difficulties. Will Tempest succumb to Jonas's pressure, or will she find solace and protection in Buck?

This novel was truly engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Raddon's talent for creating memorable characters and immersive stories is remarkable. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

[I Kohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read a book of this author that I didn’t like. Laughter, tears, emotions overflowing is what you,lol get while reading the story of Buck And Tempest. And Angel, oh my, so precious. I felt like I was tight there in story.

FYI “Taming Jenna” was the first book, and my favorite so far that got me hooked Charlene Raddon. Her stories are full of excitement and emotion.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tempest is in a tough spot. She borrowed money to pay back the army for the payroll her husband stole. Now a man has purchased her mortgage from the bank and is forcing her to marry him. He is not a nice man. When Buck shows up claiming to be her dead husband she goes along to get out of a marriage she didn’t want. Now they just have to find a way to pay the mortgage. A good book.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book with lots of hardship for Tempest. You got to feel the terrible way some women were treated during this time and how difficult life was for them. I really felt for Buck and all he had suffered during his life. There were interesting side characters and the story was good. I enjoyed it.

[Earlene Click · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buck, Tempest, Angel and Ethan

This is an adventurous and exciting love story. Buck is a scared man with a past that he hide as a here one day, gone the next fella. Tempest is a widow with two small children, Angel and Ethan, and a drunkard father in tow. You will enjoy discovering how they find their happily ever after.

[Adelina Amelco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warm and fuzzy

A cute story, raw emotions. Characters to fall in love with. Suspense, heat, romance, family, innocence, ugliness, betrayal, survival, love, trust. Everything you want in a romance is here.

[EvilAntie Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love's Battlefield

Incredible story of love, fighting and everything inbetween. Great story, while Tempest isn't my favorite heroine - Buck is one of the best and only he can handle Tempest when she creates a storm.

[Tracey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish this. The ideas behind it are good but it just couldn't keep my attention. IT seems to go on and on and not actually go anywhere.

[carol ann miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

This book was truly wonderful. The story is full of suspense, family, trials and love. I hope you will take the time to read this book.

[Jo-Ann Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written but at times it lagged and seemed as the author was trying to do too much in one story. This being said, the characters were mostly like able - except the villain in this one (which I didn't like as you are not supposed to). I loved the guts and determination of the heroine of this book especially as I was reading it during International Woman's Day. It reminded me of something my great and/or 2x great grandmother would have done to survive.

The hero goes through tough times and is believable enough. Although he does seem to have a lot of bad luck.

I'd give the book a shot if you are unsure as I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Have and To Hold is the kind of story that pulls you in from the very start and never lets go of your heart. Ms. Raddon has turned back the clock and immersed us in a rugged historical town full of colorful characters, a hero and heroine drawn together in the most unexpected way, and a villain truly worthy of the title.

Tempest Whitney has no need for a man in her life as all they've ever brought her is pain. From a dead ex-husband who left her with nothing while he ran off to make his fortune, to the town's richest man who sees women as his playthings and doesn't take no for an answer, to a ruggedly sexy man carrying demons of his own who swore an oath to help her. She has two children relying on her to keep them safe as well as a drunken father who takes any extra bit of money from her. She's tired, lonely, and running out of options on how to pay off the debt she owes the disgusting and villainous Jonas Creedy. On the day her debts are do she's forced to the altar opposite Creedy knowing the pain to come when a most unlikely savior arrives in the form of Buck Maddux claiming to be her long dead husband. Their early interactions are volatile as she's still distrustful of him and he wants to keep his heart locked away from the sense of family and acceptance she and her kids represent. Tempest is a tough woman who hides her fears behind a facade of belligerence and smart alecky remarks. She fights her attraction to Buck but it's hard to ignore the loving gestures and care he shows her and her children, a longing for a real family that's always been denied her is what he unknowingly offers her.

Buck considers himself a loner, a man unworthy of happiness because of a cruel twist of fate when he was younger. A recent stint in jail has him further questioning his reliability and right to claim someone as good and special as Tempest. But the more time they spend together the more he can't deny the joy and happiness they bring one another. He feels selfish wanting to claim her but she offers him understanding and acceptance from the grief he carries and he'll ultimately put his life on the line for her to prove his worthiness.

Along with a wonderful main couple whose attraction grows slowly from allies to friendship to lovers, there's a wonderful cast of colorful secondary characters who add some heartache and heartwarming moments to this picture of small town living. From the hookers with a heart of gold to an old one-eyed woman who talks to her dead husband to a giant Swede looking for his own special someone it's easy to become fully immersed in this story as you root for so many HEAs. These unlikely allies work together to end the plans of the truly vile and nasty Jonas who I wished death upon every moment he was on the page!

This is a story that makes you laugh with its witty banter between the protagonists while breaking your heart over the pain these two kind yet hardhearted people have had to endure. The sexual interludes are a rich reward after witnessing their slowly evolving relationship full of sexual tension. There's a definitive and immensely satisfying HEA that still allows an opening for another story branching off this heartfelt world thanks to a missing relative of Buck's. Ms. Raddon's writing style transported me back in time to a memorable place and time and I look forward to the heartbreaking journey she'll take us on next.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love story!

I enjoyed this love story. Tempest and Buck deserved each other. I'm glad he fell in love with the kids first which is important for a relationship when kids are involved.

[Viviane Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tempest Whitney, with two small children, is about to lose her home in the craggiest part of Utah near its canyons. Her husband’s dead, the mortgage is due and she has no money. She’s a gritty, tough lady who appears in the beginning of the novel standing at her front door with a shotgun as Buck Maddux, a former friend of her husband, rides his horse up to her home to give her a message from her dead husband, Skeet. But she’s having no part of him and threatens Buck, believing he was responsible for Skeet’s death, which is how the rumors have spread in this locale. Buck initially puts up with it but then backs her up against the wall and they are both startled by the heat rising between them. In true stubbornness, they both refuse to acknowledge that moment and proceed to blister each other with nasty comments! What a feisty couple, ha!
Now the story gets a bit ugly as we meet a rancher who has bought all Tempest’s debts and is about to not only take over her home but force her to marry him. In fact, he comes pretty darn close to doing just that until Buck saves her in a swashbuckling, violent scene. He marries her instead but they both know it’s just a matter of convenience and something to do with what he believes he owes her for Skeet. Both have their secrets and aren’t about to tell until they can overcome their alternating kindness-animosity pattern that increases in intensity the more they are sexually attracted to each other. They’re passionate people whose passion gets fueled by being near each other.
Not limited to a singular plot line, the story gets complex with the arrival of Buck’s brother who indicates the family is furious at him for abandoning them, not for whatever secret Buck is torturing himself about, something to do with a former wife who is now dead. They don’t really have much time to ponder it all as the creepy schemer Creedy is planning to get rid of Buck and have his way with Tempest, especially when he accidentally discovers there is money to be had that’s a surprise for all.
The story unfolds as Tempest and Buck finally give in to their passion which is now really true love forged by the ups and downs of what other events fill their lives in these pages and some poignant revelations. Charlene Raddon writes great romance fiction that isn’t empty-headed nonsense. To Have and To Hold is an old-fashioned Western romance that will thrill lovers of the romance genre! Very nicely fashioned, Ms. Raddon!

[Linda Hatfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

The description said this book was written in the style of Louis L'Amour. As a Louis L'Amour fan I not only disagree, but am offended. This is nothing but a sex book set in the Old West. Few of the characters have redeeming qualities and the situations they are put into are a bit contrived. What really turned me off, though, was the constant sexual overtones, including child molestation. UGH! I quit reading before being halfway through. The only reason I gave it 1 star was to open the review box.

[Regan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love on the Utah Frontier

Set in Utah in 1888, this is the story of Tempest Whitney, a widow struggling to survive on her small ranch, Hearts-ease, with her two small children, Angel and Ethan. One day, into her life comes Buck Maddox, who made a promise to Tempest’s dying husband, that he would take care of her. And to seal the deal, her husband deeded Buck half the ranch. But there is another, less honorable man who is scheming to trap her into marriage using her debts to him to gain both her and the ranch.

This is a story of two wounded souls who fight their growing love for each other but finally come together to forge a new life and a family. Raddon portrays the Utah frontier and living in a sod house with great realism (including rats, centipedes and a cow on the roof). The two children, Angel and the toddler Ethan, are adorable and do much to convince Buck he cannot leave as he first intended. Tempest likes to cuss but somehow her sweet daughter has not picked it up.

Buck is a rogue and a gunman but also an honorable man who has suffered. Tempest, having been married to a weak man and having to care for her alcoholic father, wants desperately to be able to stand on her own—until she meets Buck.

A worthy western romance!

[Phylis Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

This is an amazing story. The story behind their love story was very moving, you feel the painful heartache, guilt and yearning. Story is entertaining and the flow is smooth. I really enjoyed reading this awesome story. Charlene Raddon does a good job writing this story. It's worth your time so get it and read it. Thanks

[UnrulyReadr · Rating 4 out of 5]

BUCK ,BUCK,BUCK . All the dreams I use to have when I was a small girl ,of what it would be like to live in the past. And what kind of man I wanted. And Ms. Raddon , she found just the man I have always wanted; and his name is Buck!
We first start off with Tempest , strong woman who will do anything to keep her and her children afloat and pay back all her dead husband has done. When she is cornered and given two awful choices of get married or leave her home she doesn't know what to do. And just when you think it is all over here come her dusty, dirty, brown horses LONG dead husband?
Buck, promises Tempest husband ,Skeet to make sure she and the family is ok , as he lied dying. Buck agrees but being throw in jail side tracked this promise. But once he got out he headed to make that promise true. Little did he know what he got himself into.

Wonderful story, loved the back and forth between Tempest and Buck. She don't take no crap from him or anyone. And that is what Buck needs. A strong woman , to show him it is ok to love again. Ms. Raddon is a wonderful , detailed writer and you will be missing out on this if you let this book pass you buy.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Note: I recieved this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Tempest Whitney is a widow with two children who has been forced to mortgage everything to repay the debts her late husband left behind. Her homestead in Utah is at risk when a rancher buys up her debts and gives her an ultimatum: leave his land or marry him. In the midst of this turmoil, a stranger arrives, claiming to be her dead husband.

Buck Maddux, a man with a troubled past, spent two years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. A deathbed promise brings him to Tempest's homestead, but he doesn't intend to stay. However, he finds himself developing strong feelings for Tempest and becomes fiercely protective of her, saving her from a forced marriage.

Buck, a man without roots, starts to yearn for a home, a family, and lasting love. The answer to what he can offer Tempest lies in the forbidden canyons of an ancient Anasazi tribe, where both fortune and danger await, along with a passion more precious than gold

The pacing on this book was great and kept me entertained throughout. There are fun and witty sexual undertones sprinkled in and the sexual tension is heated.

[Lisa Rumsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book loved the story

Loved the book excellent book outstanding characters loved it excellent wonderful excellent reading great wonderful excellent amazing story loved the book

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book with some interesting characters. This was a pretty good story about a guy who has some issues to get over. The woman in the story is in pretty good shape, just trying to get through life after losing her husband and now in the process of losing her ranch because of bad choices made by said husband. And there's another book coming out soon that follows this one. :)

[Glaidene Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical Western Romance

Charlene Raddon is a new author to me. I loved her book and give it a 5 star rating. I was happy at times reading this story. I was sad at times and scared at other times. No hints from me about this story, read it and judge for yourself!!!!!

[LHC Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Love Story

This is a great read. Two people who find one another and think that love can never happen to them find out differently. I hope Charlene writes more historical western romances like this one.

[Lucy · Rating 1 out of 5]

expected a cowboy romance, got uncomfortable breastfeeding kink scenes

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable western romance. Love the characters. Good well written story.