Caine's Reckoning (Hell's Eight, #1) in Buddy Read Zone

Sep 29, 2013 Duchess Nicole rated it liked it

Shelves: recommendations, 3-star-read, dirty-talk, genre-erotica, e-pcs, genre-historical-romance, read-in-2013, self-contained, genre-historical-erotic-romance

Welllllllll....hmm. Here's an obligatory shirtless cowboy...can't pass up the chance for one of those...

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And now my review :D:D
Usually I like the second half of a book more than the first. But this was one gave me the opposite feeling. The first half of this book was really great...the setup for the ititial meeting was intense and exciting, the bad guys really bad and the good guys apparently really good. (Except they all have that tangible bad boy streak, which is even more exciting!!)

Caine's ...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Steph rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-read, buddy-read

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I have to admit that I have never been a fan of Historical books, but the synopsis of this one sounded too good to miss, so here I am.

I will say that at times there were 'lulls' in the story. Some times where nothing much was happening and Caine and Desi were just at home. Which after a little while got a little boring (although all the sexy stuff was awesome. lol), but when it picked up, there were some really fantastic scenes of action.

I really liked ...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Vallsykes rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: re-reading-or-still-reading, how-the-west-was-won

Updated 11-1-13: 3 stars
Sometimes, the desperation and sheer grit of the era of the Western Frontier truly grabs me. I used to watch old westerns with my uncle. I was engrossed by stories like the Alamo, Wyatt Earp and Jessie James. I got into TV shows and movies like Deadwood, The Missing, and even the Hallmark channel's Love Comes Softly series (Is it too corny or inappropriate to add I loved Little House on the Prairie, at one point?(The dad in that show was hawt! I don't mean to offend:).

An Updated 11-1-13: 3 stars
Sometimes, the desperation and sheer grit of the era of the Western Frontier truly grabs me. I used to watch old westerns with my uncle. I was engrossed by stories like the Alamo, Wyatt Earp and Jessie James. I got into TV shows and movies like Deadwood, The Missing, and even the Hallmark channel's Love Comes Softly series (Is it too corny or inappropriate to add I loved Little House on the Prairie, at one point?(The dad in that show was hawt! I don't mean to offend:).

Anywhoot! There's got to be an honorable mention of the era that lends it's credence to the Gold Rush, railroad expansion and lawlessness, while also the age that brought about a melting pot, very unlike the cities of the Midwest and the East, but no less significant. Native Americans, newly freed Negroes, Mexicans and Chinese, as well as European immigrants and Whites from the East, looking for adventure and new beginnings in the West, lived together, though among extreme prejudice, and worked together to further meld what is the United States.

So if you can appreciate all that plus the addition of erotica and romance, then Caine's Reckoning is a good enough read. The history of what is “Hell's Eight” and the depiction of this group of men as Texas rangers, who are hawt as hell and ridiculously alpha, is a treat. The men are of a few ethnicities as well.

Caine, the hero of this one, is unapologetic and reminds me of Wyatt Earp or the Seth Bullock of Deadwood. He doesn't give up and makes the right call when needed, a trait that initially made him the leader of this bunch. His love is Desdemona, or “Desi.” She survives a terrible ordeal wrought by a virulent business of prostitution and greed, which, in this novel, harshly outlines the brutality and disregard handed to women who lived in this era, in this part of the country. Caine is not as gentle with Desi as some readers may want[the love scenes bordered on excess], but he does protect her with a fierceness that shines through in this author's writing. The ferocity of his “ownership” and eventual love of Desi is extended in his brothers, not menage style but with a strong sense of family and belonging.

In all, this first book is a great enticement to read on in the series. Sometimes, the plot is too muddled with half-bake notions of the enemy and unfinished conversations. The heroine's awakening is awkward and not exactly smoothly written. Yet, the emotions of the characters are given some relevance that read, at times, poignantly.

I liked the second book more in this series because the chemistry of the couple was more infectious, but the setting and meeting of Caine and Desi in this story is memorable.

...more

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Sep 17, 2011 Michelle [Helen Geek] rated it liked it

Shelves: a-little-erotica, 3-5-stars, gr-high-recommend

I really enjoyed the first part of this book about 75% [thought it would continue and I would give it a coveted 5 stars] the book turned smutty and the story got lost. I didn't see a real reason for the smut abuse and didn't think it contributed overly to the story, which is a must for me. I gave it a 3.5 stars. Enough that I wanted to try the next in the series and so far may be sorry I did. I'm not a prude, but some of the sexual dialogue reminds me of young male adolescent trying to figure ou ...more

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