The Captain's Woman

Rating:
Summary: Good story of love and war
Review: I have not read any of this author's other historicals, so I went into this book not quite knowing what to expect. What I found was a rather engrossing story of a soldier and a journalist during the Spanish American War. Victoria, at the opening of the novel, is the somewhat spoiled daughter of a newspaper owner who dreams of being a journalist herself. Sam is a retired army officer who joins the Rough Riders when war breaks out. The two find themselves engaged and both are in Cuba, Sam to fight and Victoria to write. The ensuing story is a good one and certainly held my attention. I do wish more attention had been paid to Victoria's change from slightly spoiled child to more mature young woman who is advancing in her chosen career and being changed by what she sees. Much of her evolution is taken for granted and the reader doesn't see it develop through the story. In addition, the historical detail was accurate and interesting. I only wish there had been more of it. Lastly, I liked the cover. Most romances I would be ashamed to be seen with out in public. This one looks like a real book to be read and enjoyed - and so it is.

Rating:
Summary: intriguing military historical romance
Review: In 1898, Victoria Parker toils on her father's newspaper the Cheyenne Daily Tribune as a reporter, but she wants to do more than just local gossip as she dreams of working alongside the reporters covering hot spots like Cuba. Victoria also fantasizes what life would be like if Rough Rider Captain Sam Garret loved her as much as she loves him, but his heart belongs elsewhere. When Sam rescues Victoria from a precarious situation, he proposes as he inadvertently compromises her.

Victoria obtains the chance to attain her other goal by covering the Spanish-American War when she joins the newly formed Army corps of nurses. Like her journalist peers, Victoria reports the war from the front and gains quite a reputation throughout her community. Sam sees Victoria in a different light, as he now loves the woman he previously thought was a kid. However, while he remains in the post war Cuba, the deadliest adventures of Victoria are just beginning.

Merline Lovelace provides readers with an intriguing military historical romance that is headlined by a delightful lead couple complemented by real persona who make 1898 come alive. The plot look at a key moment in American history that encompasses the global implications of war and victory with Spain, the impact of the media on the international scene, and the beginning of the formal role of women in the military. Fans of vividly descriptive novels will want to read THE CAPTAIN'S WOMAN and Ms. Lovelace's two previous military historical romances (see THE HORSE SOLDIER and the COLONEL'S DAUGHTER) while wondering if All's Quiet on the Western Front is next.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Almost Perfect
Review: This book has it all- history, romance, adventure, and strong characters. There are a lot of historical references to people and places that were important at the time. Of course it was unbelievable but I don't read these books because I expect them to be realistic. The romance was great and I could see the characters developing as the chapters went on.

The only part about this book that I found a tad disappointing was the way that the man had developed feelings for another woman prior to falling in love with the heroine and these feelings were never explained to my satisfaction.

Rating:
Summary: This had a little bit of everything in it
Review: Victoria has everything a girl could want- loving, devoted, wealthy parents, a job as social writer for her daddy's paper (the Cheyenne Tribune), friends, etc. Everything except the love of one Captain Sam Garrett who has looked at Victoria as a spoiled young girlfriend of his niece. She is determined to get Sam's attention and works hard on it- then one day she accidently ends up in the middle of a brawl, get's hurt, and is swept up by Sam only to be caught in an uncompromising position. Propriety calls for Sam to ask Victoria to marry him and because of her longing to have him she accepts thinking her love for him is enough for both. In the meantime, Sam's childhood sweetheart Widow Mary Prendergrest comes to town causing Sam's heart to get all twisted up. He's always thought they would end up together. But, now there's Victoria...

Sounds like a typical romance doesn't it - well, that's when things start happening in fast mode. Sam took leave from the army due to his father's health & family needs. But the desire to serve is still there and grows stronger until one day war breaks out in Cuba (the Spanish/American War) and Sam finds himself an officer of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, in Tampa, FL to be dispatched to Cuba. This is where Sam takes for granted that Victoria will sit back in Cheyenne, WY planning their wedding while awaiting Sam's return. Boy, is he surprised when she shows up as a war reporter along way from home. He is furious and decides to change their relationship to make Victoria realize she is now responsible to him (and can't just have her way with her parents every time she wants to do something). Before he can put her on a train back home the riders are ordered to leave for Cuba. Victoria is head strong but actually plans on going back to Cheyenne as told to be Sam until the excitment of war gets in her blood along with seeing Mary P. and learning that she is going on to Cuba as a nurse. Victoria finds herself on a boat sailing to Cuba as well. What better way than to get the news first hand. She experiences war first hand alright! - wounded soldiers, disease, death, the unknown of where and how Sam is. And then there's Mary and the feelings Sam has for her keeps showing up.

Well, Victoria once a fiesty, young, foolish girl grows up in a hurry into a mature, respected, and loved woman. She leaves home her writing confined to the society page and the captain's heart belonging to another to return as a respected war-correspondent journalist with the captain's heart in her hands. But it wasn't easy - she had to work for it ALL!

It's a good book to be enjoyed- there's history for the history romance reader, too. The only criticism I would have is that I wish there had been more to Sam and Victoria's romance. Don't get me wrong. What was there was GOOD. I would just have liked more. And I did get frustrated with Sam turning to Mary- my heart felt went to Victoria when she experienced disappointment. Of course that was the purpose. And the ending is great! Definitely a good read!

Rating:
Summary: The Captain's Woman
Review: Victoria Parker learns the hard way that getting what one dreams of and longs for can be a double edged sword. She has longed to marry her best friend's handsome, very young uncle, Captain Sam Garrett since she realized that she was now a woman and he a man. Yet, he seems to have eyes only for a young widow, until she forcibly brings his attention to her adult status. When things go to the point that Sam feels he is honor bound to wed Victoria, she is not sure that that is the kind of marriage she wants, but accepts anyhow.

Before they can marry, the Spanish American war takes Sam away to Florida to join Teddy Roosevelt, but Victoria follows to report on the war, achieving her second dream, to be a serious writer. However, once there, she is plunged amidst the ugly reality of war, disease, and death, and even worse, must face her rival once more in a contest for the man she loves.

* Ms. Lovelace brings this little written about time to vivid life, intermingling true events and real people skillfully with her own vibrant characters and realistic plot. Fans of sheer history will find this a winning book, as well as romance lovers. Victoria is an ideal representative of the time of women beginning to become more independent, while Sam is an honorable and dignified hero, whose calm exterior conceals a seethingly passionate hunk. *

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore