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Long, Tall Texans #.5
The Founding Father
A New York Times Bestselling Author For over a decade, New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer has won fans' hearts worldwide with her tantalizing Long, Tall Texans tales. Now this treasured storyteller brings you the story of how it all began . . . Discover how legends were made when Jacobsville founding father Big John Jacobs weds the daughter of a prosperous railroad tycoon. Will passion blaze when the fortune-seeking Long, Tall Texan brands his sweetly unassuming wife with his soul-searing kisses? Available only in Core 7.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2003
155 people are currently reading
617 people want to read
About the author
Diana Palmer
1,040 books3,097 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 25, 2019
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Liked it!
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==>Reread October 2019 (ebook Kindle)
The story is very cute and the hero is not a typical author's ogre and the heroine is strong and brave.
I loved it!
===================
==>Reread October 2019 (ebook Kindle)
The story is very cute and the hero is not a typical author's ogre and the heroine is strong and brave.
I loved it!
June 10, 2023
Quick reading that is more a prologue of the series of long talk Texans than a story in itself, without angst at all.
This is the story- fictional of course- of big John jacobs, the founder of Jacobsville the town of our LTT, an Irish immigrant who needed a railroad for his business and married a rich heiress to have it.
Both he and the heroine agree to the marriage with eyes wide open, the heroine is a feisty young woman, smart, sweet and determined, the usual plain Jane that we don’t know how she can be plain since by the description she has high cheekbones, huge gray eyes, beautiful brown hair, a Cupid bow mouth and a small pert nose. If she’s plain I don’t know the rest of woman what are. Maybe for Diana Palmer a beautiful woman is only a curvaceous blond with big boobs and blue eyes. Meh?
The hero falls in love with her and she with him, but it’s a slow burn, they have a nice interaction that is very far from usual DP, the hero is very polite, good natured, and treats her with care and respect from the start, appreciating that she’s not racist, she’s fair with people and she’s not afraid of work and challenges.
There’s a lot of good American pride here, where the new American people want to mix and live in peace with people of different countries and races, be them African, natives or irish( actually Irish people were considered outcast) and they want to work together to build a better country.
Actually DP will have many of her characters of mixed races, especially natives, to underline her attitude and feelings of equalitarianism.
Anyway I wonder how these two people could ever have been grandparents of those rude, idiot, chauvinist and incredibly nasty heroes that populate the series of LTT.
Their love story is sweet, the hero is a decent good man, the heroine has actually a backbone.
Maybe something bad happened to their grandchildren.
Maybe the nuclear plants? The famine? The viruses?
Who knows.
What I know is that I enjoyed it very much even if it has no angst at all and I even cried a little in the end when it talks about the children and the grandchildren of this couple and especially- here it comes a couple of tears again- the statue of big John jacob who stands after one century in the middle of a non existent town of Jacobsville.
Pathetic old bitch that I am.
This is the story- fictional of course- of big John jacobs, the founder of Jacobsville the town of our LTT, an Irish immigrant who needed a railroad for his business and married a rich heiress to have it.
Both he and the heroine agree to the marriage with eyes wide open, the heroine is a feisty young woman, smart, sweet and determined, the usual plain Jane that we don’t know how she can be plain since by the description she has high cheekbones, huge gray eyes, beautiful brown hair, a Cupid bow mouth and a small pert nose. If she’s plain I don’t know the rest of woman what are. Maybe for Diana Palmer a beautiful woman is only a curvaceous blond with big boobs and blue eyes. Meh?
The hero falls in love with her and she with him, but it’s a slow burn, they have a nice interaction that is very far from usual DP, the hero is very polite, good natured, and treats her with care and respect from the start, appreciating that she’s not racist, she’s fair with people and she’s not afraid of work and challenges.
There’s a lot of good American pride here, where the new American people want to mix and live in peace with people of different countries and races, be them African, natives or irish( actually Irish people were considered outcast) and they want to work together to build a better country.
Actually DP will have many of her characters of mixed races, especially natives, to underline her attitude and feelings of equalitarianism.
Anyway I wonder how these two people could ever have been grandparents of those rude, idiot, chauvinist and incredibly nasty heroes that populate the series of LTT.
Their love story is sweet, the hero is a decent good man, the heroine has actually a backbone.
Maybe something bad happened to their grandchildren.
Maybe the nuclear plants? The famine? The viruses?
Who knows.
What I know is that I enjoyed it very much even if it has no angst at all and I even cried a little in the end when it talks about the children and the grandchildren of this couple and especially- here it comes a couple of tears again- the statue of big John jacob who stands after one century in the middle of a non existent town of Jacobsville.
Pathetic old bitch that I am.
December 27, 2011
Exactly what I would expect from the beginning of this series...NOT! This light-hearted bit of fluff was an enjoyable read despite the lack of the seemingly obligatory jerk, alpha-male. I only wish it was longer as I liked these folks a lot better than some of the later members of their line.
September 23, 2015
Very short but very sweet!
May 16, 2020
Very short novella introduces series with Texan H, a moral man who, like so many, suffered during Civil War. She's the plain daughter of a rich railway man. It's sweet and fun, and the writer presents some of the terrible injustices in way that was real but made for easy reading. It was very sweet, interesting historically, sadly little romance. Liked it a lot.
March 22, 2017
I have read probably 100+ DP books in my time. The majority of them centered around Jacobsville Texas.. All the characters talk about "Big John" the rancher who founded the town.. Now I finally get to read his story. I love to read historical fiction by DP.. Savage Heart is a favorite of mine for instance and spoiler alert it has a small mention. I just love her writing style.. I don't even care that her characters are usually old school even in her modern books.. I just like that for some reason. This book is no different, even though her heroines are virginal they are strong willed.. Ellen Colby is no different. She is raised an aristocrat with maids & lots of railroad money, but it doesn't stop her from building a ranching empire with her new found cowboy husband. She takes to life on Big Johns growing ranch like a duck to water. She shocks everyone but herself, she always knew she could do it. She is fierce, funny, kind hearted, Big John himself claims marrying her was the best thing he ever did...Big John is one of my favorite DP heroes. He is respectful, open minded, determined he supports & believes in Ellen he promises her a better life. They work tirelessly for years to make that happen..They work as a team he is fair to her she is his equal in all aspects of life. She works just as hard as him driving cattle, hunting, protecting their land from rustlers.. She does everything a man does.. All while cooking, sewing & teaching the freed slaves and Mexican ranch hands how to read!! Also the issue of race after the civil war was a nice touch.. Big John and Ellen welcomed all types of people into their little world.. Really great story, I enjoyed it so much..One of my favorite books by DP by far!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2023
Cute novella! This is the prequel of the extremely long running Long Tall Texans series by Diana Palmer. This story is a solid Western. City girl has marriage of convenience to poor rancher who is building his cattle station from the ground up. It was a cute story and a great addition for fans of the LTT series.
March 12, 2023
Casarse con la hija de un hombre rico, será la solución a sus problemas que sea una mujer considerada fea no será un impedimento para ir tras sus objetivos.
Ella sabe que no es hermosa así que, recibir declaraciones de amor no está en sus sueños aunque si que la lleguen a amar por ser ella y no por el dinero que como única heredera de su padre le corresponde. Casarse sabiendo lo que ese hombre en realidad busca lo ve como la oportunidad de poder llegar a hacer lo que quiere sin que su padre controle más su vida.
Ella sabe que no es hermosa así que, recibir declaraciones de amor no está en sus sueños aunque si que la lleguen a amar por ser ella y no por el dinero que como única heredera de su padre le corresponde. Casarse sabiendo lo que ese hombre en realidad busca lo ve como la oportunidad de poder llegar a hacer lo que quiere sin que su padre controle más su vida.
January 29, 2014
The founding father indeed.
This short book—43 pages in my ereader, is about the root of Jacobsville, fictional town that become legendary on Diana Palmer's books. Very sweet with minimum angst. But I enjoyed it even though it's not exactly my favorite.
Mostly because it's too short. I mean, both of main characters are way too important to be described very short. Quite disappointing. But still, I loved it.
I wonder, how's Ellen's Grandma by the way? :)
This short book—43 pages in my ereader, is about the root of Jacobsville, fictional town that become legendary on Diana Palmer's books. Very sweet with minimum angst. But I enjoyed it even though it's not exactly my favorite.
Mostly because it's too short. I mean, both of main characters are way too important to be described very short. Quite disappointing. But still, I loved it.
I wonder, how's Ellen's Grandma by the way? :)
April 9, 2020
Un gran inicio para la serie, aunque el protagonista me pareció mucho más sensato y centrado que los de más protagonistas masculinos de la serie que hacen sufrir innecesariamente a la chica, la protagonista se lució en este libro me encanto lo valiente y guerrera que era, Me encanta también como inician su nueva vida en compañerismo...
January 28, 2022
Um, ok…This probably should have been one of her full length books. It had lots of potential. This is the story to explain the beginnings of Jacobsville and the whole LTT legacy. (It was not published/written until the series had been well underway)
*Getting off on the wrong foot with the girl youWant...Plan to marry because you want access to her daddy’s train
*The heroine showing some gumption and sass after she overhears you talk rudely about her plain looks
*the frontier with Comanches
*The rich girl heroine not afraid to , but rather embraces the hard work it takes to make a go of a ranch in its early beginnings(she churns butter, learns how to shoot, rides horses(no side saddle), makes dresses to sell adding to the coffers, teaches the Mexican children and the newly freed slaves how to read and write etc….)
*the heroine stands up to what she thought was a possible threat
You see, there is lots to work with…..The h and H have their sweet moments, but there wasn’t enough time spent on it, even when they finally get together months after they were married(you see they share basically a 1 room cabin with 8 other people so they did not consummate their relationship right away) DP did not spend a lot of time capturing the sexy times of the two. This is a shame, because DP has a talent for writing about “that” moment.
Then the story rushes to the end. Instead of leaving me exhilarated, I was sort of depressed. It was somewhat of a downer even if it was realistic.
*Getting off on the wrong foot with the girl you
*The heroine showing some gumption and sass after she overhears you talk rudely about her plain looks
*the frontier with Comanches
*The rich girl heroine not afraid to , but rather embraces the hard work it takes to make a go of a ranch in its early beginnings(she churns butter, learns how to shoot, rides horses(no side saddle), makes dresses to sell adding to the coffers, teaches the Mexican children and the newly freed slaves how to read and write etc….)
*the heroine stands up to what she thought was a possible threat
You see, there is lots to work with…..The h and H have their sweet moments, but there wasn’t enough time spent on it, even when they finally get together months after they were married(you see they share basically a 1 room cabin with 8 other people so they did not consummate their relationship right away) DP did not spend a lot of time capturing the sexy times of the two. This is a shame, because DP has a talent for writing about “that” moment.
Then the story rushes to the end. Instead of leaving me exhilarated, I was sort of depressed. It was somewhat of a downer even if it was realistic.
January 27, 2022
Oh no this book has set the bar high for my foray into the Long Tall Texans series.
I adored the h and the H wasn’t too shabby either there was no angst, no bitter betrayals, just 2 people who worked their asses off to build a better life for themselves and the people around them.
I do wish the h had confronted the H about the mean things he said at the start behind her back but the relationship building with these 2 otherwise was spot on.
I sure would like to know more about the other people we met on the ranch so hopefully their ancestors pop up as I delve into the series proper.
It certainly looks like Ty shows up who was mentioned in the epilogue.
I loved the sly dig about indigenous folks and land grabs and it’s comparisons to the Scotland independence from England movement that still exists today.
I’m not sure when DP wrote this one but she certainly makes her thoughts known which is great!
I adored the h and the H wasn’t too shabby either there was no angst, no bitter betrayals, just 2 people who worked their asses off to build a better life for themselves and the people around them.
I do wish the h had confronted the H about the mean things he said at the start behind her back but the relationship building with these 2 otherwise was spot on.
I sure would like to know more about the other people we met on the ranch so hopefully their ancestors pop up as I delve into the series proper.
It certainly looks like Ty shows up who was mentioned in the epilogue.
I loved the sly dig about indigenous folks and land grabs and it’s comparisons to the Scotland independence from England movement that still exists today.
I’m not sure when DP wrote this one but she certainly makes her thoughts known which is great!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2014
I wondered when I saw that Diana Palmer had done a prequel to her LTT series how it was going to tie in with the rest of the series. This was a fun short read - definitely more of a novella. I was surprised to find that the hero in this story was actually down to earth and had normal feelings. Most of Palmer's heros are jerks. I loved Ellen - she had lots of spunk and courage to leave the security of her wealthy family to share a one room cabin with her new husband and two other families. I found myself laughing and smiling throughout this whole story. I would say my only beef with this story (and what keeps it from being 4 stars) is the treatment of Ellen's grandma. It seems Grandma was the alpha jerk in this book, but regardless of how horrid she is I feel like she deserved more respect then what was given.
5*****I loved this book, consider it an all time favorite
4**** Thoroughly enjoyed the book and will recommend it
3*** I liked it well enough
2** Brain Candy - It was okay. Writing mediocre, will
keep/re-read if part of a series
1* didn't like/possibly not finished.
5*****I loved this book, consider it an all time favorite
4**** Thoroughly enjoyed the book and will recommend it
3*** I liked it well enough
2** Brain Candy - It was okay. Writing mediocre, will
keep/re-read if part of a series
1* didn't like/possibly not finished.
December 18, 2017
Qué cortito para tantas que debía contar. Fue bueno saber de los comienzos de Jacobsville y su fundador.
January 6, 2018
Good
Not a typical Diana Palmer story. Very good background on the origin of Jacobsville. A lovely story of John and Ellen jacobs
Not a typical Diana Palmer story. Very good background on the origin of Jacobsville. A lovely story of John and Ellen jacobs
May 20, 2018
Interesante comenzar esta serie con la precuela, una historia corta con unos grandes protagonistas que le abrieron camino a esta gran serie de casi 50 libros.
February 4, 2019
Im going to rate it a three star because it is diana palmer and she makes you flip through the pages more than any author ive known, although I did have some problems with this book. The man in this book does not even find the woman attractive and is not interested in her and only wants to marry her because of buisness with her father. They fell in "love" too quickly, after her believing he wants to be with her for no reason at all. Not only this, but the end of the book told what happened with the family and they had 5 children but it stated that all but two lived with no explanation what happened to them, which was very sad. Also the ranch was eventually sold after all of his hard work which is horrible to read after this is the begining story and would have been nicer to have the family and ranch go on for generations. Anyway my biggest issue is the mans lack of interest for this woman. Its not a love story in my opinion, just a sad story about a woman that deserved to be loved by a man that cared about her but never got that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2020
Sweet and gentle
I discovered Diana Palmer at a young age and she fed the thrill for drama with her alpha male characters and Doris Day damsels. In my later years I realised the MC's were always bastards who were cruel toward the love interest and did an about face somewhere on the last page of the book. The story lines are all the same.
The Founding Father has to be a chance at redemption. A gently bred fighter joins forces with a rugged cowboy to find freedom from societal and familial oppression in a time where the gently bred were chattel on shelves. Together they build dreams that evolve into an empire and discover eachother along the way. No alpha pricks here. No pushover slut shaming either. Recommend this book.
I discovered Diana Palmer at a young age and she fed the thrill for drama with her alpha male characters and Doris Day damsels. In my later years I realised the MC's were always bastards who were cruel toward the love interest and did an about face somewhere on the last page of the book. The story lines are all the same.
The Founding Father has to be a chance at redemption. A gently bred fighter joins forces with a rugged cowboy to find freedom from societal and familial oppression in a time where the gently bred were chattel on shelves. Together they build dreams that evolve into an empire and discover eachother along the way. No alpha pricks here. No pushover slut shaming either. Recommend this book.
March 20, 2023
This is the back story of long tall texan origin, and the town of jacobsville. The man who founded it. And the woman he clambed as his own. This is for diehard fans of the series a must read. All the books in the series are a stand alone, but all have ties to jacobsville Texas. I found this series after her book Texas Born was published in February 2021. Now I'm reading them in order. And loving the origin story and the first four of the beginning series. A must read for cowboy lovers everywhere. Diana Palmer knows her cowboys well.
June 25, 2018
I generally dislike Diana Palmer's books, but I'm on a mission to read/re-read all of the HQns in the house and purge them so had to read this and I liked it. Really liked it.
Fun little romance without the stupid hairy-chested jerk of a 'hero' and 12 years younger heroine.
If Diana Palmer wrote more books like this lovely little adventure, I'd read them. Much better than her regular schlock.
Fun little romance without the stupid hairy-chested jerk of a 'hero' and 12 years younger heroine.
If Diana Palmer wrote more books like this lovely little adventure, I'd read them. Much better than her regular schlock.
June 24, 2021
In the first 10 pages I wanted to smack 3 people. 😐 The one thing about Palmer books that bothers me something fierce is the way the men treat the women. 😡 They call them ugly, worthless and stupid to their faces (not a good way for women to feel about themselves). I'm glad the marriage turned out good but I am left wondering, who is the Comanche warrior in the picture with the blond? If anyone knows please let me know.
dnf
May 14, 2020The beginning annoyed me. He’s mocked the mousy heroine’s appearance behind her back while being polite to her face, mislead her and her father for his own purposes, and plans to marry her for his own ambitions. I don’t like him enough to continue with the book. I think this all happens in the first chapter. DNF.
May 27, 2020
Discover how legends were made when Jacobsville founding father Big John Jacobs weds the daughter of a prosperous railroad tycoon. Will passion blaze when the fortune-seeking Long, Tall Texan brands his sweetly unassuming wife with his soul-searing kisses?
April 16, 2018
Good
I enjoyed the book very much. The only thing I thought lacking was the generational wrap up at the end. It seemed to skip the ending and just became a laundry list.
I enjoyed the book very much. The only thing I thought lacking was the generational wrap up at the end. It seemed to skip the ending and just became a laundry list.
February 20, 2019
Uno de los mejores del mes, corto y hermosos, me encanto como los personajes cambian y el final, me hubieran encantado que fuera de mil páginas.
August 16, 2019
3.5 stars!!!
Read
September 2, 2019Beginning the series
This on w was a little slow. It still was a great read in the series but I wish I read these in order.
This on w was a little slow. It still was a great read in the series but I wish I read these in order.
November 18, 2019
Nice intro to the series. Quick but satisfying read.
February 2, 2020
Enjoyed the book
May 1, 2020
I’m so excited to read the rest of the series this was a great story to lead the series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews