What a neat idea - naming the kids after well known outlaws in a family with the name of Outlaw. J.J. Outlaw has become sheriff of Naconiche [NAK-uh-KNEE-chee], Texas having won the election after his father Wes Outlaw, has retired. Wesley Hardin Outlaw, I wonder? [and finally someone tells us how the name of the town should sound] Discover the names of his brothers, Cole, Frank and Sam then we have the baby, Belle Starr Outlaw. Well this seems to be 12 years after leaving Naconiche that Mary Beth Parker returns with her 4 year old daughter, Katy. She had played fast and loose with J.J. before she left. And now has returned, down on her luck and hoping to start afresh. Leaving her scandalous past behind she meets up with so many of her old friends from school. J.J. does grouse a bit to himself that Katy should have been his child. He still cannot understand what he did to make Mary Beth want to leave him [one of the loose ends not tide off]. Poor Mary Beth [seems to me] appears to be a ditzy female [I surely will not call her a woman of emotional maturity] who will fall in love with a guy, have sex and still refuse to marry him. She reminds me of the moral attitude of the Regency widows. What is good for the male is good for the female! No self-esteem! I did enjoy the little twist that filled out and completed her inheritance of the Tico Taco restaurant - later to be renamed The Twilight Tea room. Her and her "lies" - J.J. can't lie to her about anything but she sure could try to hide the truth from him. Accepting neighborly help graciously was a lesson she soon learned - renewing old valued friendships, she enjoyed - renewing her love affair with J.J., had to be on her terms [can't say that I liked her very much.] It was a very entertaining story - Worth reading - no explicit PMS.
Good food and lots of love in the heart of East Texas
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
This book made me hungry! Plenty of local Texas flavor (both in its delicious-sounding dishes and its colorful characters) added to the ambiance of the story, and I respected the heroine's determination to be her own woman and not to hang her life on any man. In her easy, down-home voice, Jan Hudson paints a portrait of a sexy, true-blue hero who wins our heroine's heart with a hammer, a tool belt and a bit of loving finesse. Hudson also shows the reader what's most important in life--family, roots and a great meal...and, of course, love.
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