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After having some free reign and really enjoying the Rake Appreciation Society's April book Texas Destiny, I decided to jump back into the series and finish the trilogy by Lorraine Heath! The 2nd book is Texas Glory and based around the eldest brother Dallas and his bargained bride Dee McQueen.
I was really excited to see Dallas get his hea after Amelia left him for Houston in the first book. This started off with a kind of Hatfield vs. McCoy vibe with the McQueen's thinking (wrongly) they have more land than they do. They were what was known as land grabbers and didn't always follow the rules and file the proper paperwork. When someone did file the proper paperwork, like Dallas, it contradicted their thoughts and could get dangerous. The book starts off with the three brothers waiting for the "twang" of the barbed wire to chase down the people that have been cutting their fences and killing their cows.
They come across the McQueen brothers doing this and a fight ensues. Dallas ends up breaking the arm of one of the brothers and Austin gets shot. When the doctor finally shows up, he admonishes Dallas for breaking the McQueen's arm. Dallas is kind of pissed that it took the doctor so long to get to Austin's gunshot wound because he was led astray by the McQueens. That's one thing that happens a lot throughout the novel that bothered me. Dallas is known as an upstanding gentleman, a hard working and strict boss, but upstanding. He also created the town their all living in and around. However some people always take the word of the McQueens. Anyways, the doctor mentions off-handedly that he left the brother in the care of his sister. A ha! The McQueens have a sister, Cordelia. She goes by Dee to those that know her. Dee has been mentally and physically abused, kept almost captive by her family and is incredibly naïve about the world. On top of the fact she watched her father torture and abuse her mother. She is a very scared and nervous person in the start of the book. Her evolution is so hopeful and beautiful to read.
I felt so much for Dee and she was so terrified that her father "sold" her to Dallas for the strip of land they were fighting over. I really loved the progression of their relationship and that Dallas really came to love Dee and really want more than just a son, but a full family. He really cared and disliked that she was so afraid of him. It always angered him, but then she'd get more scared since Dallas looked angry. It was this viscous cycle they rotated through. Once Dee finally felt comfortable to push against her perceived boundaries, things really started to flourish between them. Although, I absolutely hated her elder brothers and father. I wish Dallas was able to keep them away more after they were married.
What dropped this down to 4-stars is similar to my reasonings for the first book. First of all, they both waited waaaaay too long to talk about their feelings. Dallas kept putting it off, and putting it off. Then, too much happened to them. It wasn't just one "bad thing" in the third act, but at least like three. They didn't deserve it. And then there was the whole, Dallas is fighting to stay alive after getting his back destroyed (by a whip) and here's Austin going to jail for a crime he didn't commit. It just wouldn't end with the sad. Oh, and maybe I should've mentioned this earlier, but they have a miscarraige and Dee almost dies. Then she's kidnapped later. Like I said, just too much.
It was fun to see Dee and the little boy Rowley connect and have Dallas take him in. I can see in a way that he replaced their son with him, but I feel like Dallas wasn't replacing him persay, but needed more in his life to keep from completely drowning in his grief. Training the young boy (he's guesstimated to be like 8-years-old) really helps him keep getting through the grief of both losing their son and Dee still being pretty injured. It was nice to see at the end a family Christmas with everyone, and I love how many kids Houston and Amelia are having. Maggie May, their eldest daughter, is such a delight. So freaking adorable! It was also nice that despite all Dee's injuries, they were able to have a daughter to spoil with their large house, Faith. I still enjoyed this book and series and immediately jumped into Austin's story.
Have you read Texas Glory?
Bookishly Yours,
Stasi🍎
STATISTICS: Texas Glory, Lorraine Heath, 4-stars, 1 day, eBook, 358 pages, published in 1998
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