Desert Hearts

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Summary: Romantic adventure set in 1880s Arizona
Review: DESERT HEARTS is a major change of pace for me, as an author. My previous historical romances have all been set in lush locales, such as New Orleans and the Bahamas. But being a good Texas girl-and growing up watching such TV shows as "Bonanza" and "Gunsmoke"-it was inevitable that I had to write a Western one day. And after taking a trip to Tombstone, Arizona, I knew I had found my perfect setting for this new venture. Gunfights...outlaws...sheriffs...the town had all the ingredients for a romantic western adventure! In homage, I created a smaller sister city to that brawling town, which I named Brimstone. Now, all I needed was the right heroine and hero to make my story of 1880s Arizona Territory come to life. Then in rode Nick Devilbiss...a handsome, dashing Pinkerton agent with nerves of steel and a flair for disguise. The woman who proves to be his match is Jessamine Satterly, a determined lady banker who is not about to let the notorious Black Horse Gang get away with robbing her bank and kidnapping her aunt.

About DESERT HEARTS, Romantic Times Magazine said, "A colorful backdrop and a chase through the desert keep the pace as Ms. Gerard slowly builds the relationship between Jess and Nick. Subplots and the introduction of Doc Holliday add an authenticity to this easy-to-read, enjoyable adventure/western." If you're in the mood for a sexy, fast-paced romance set against the stark beauty of southern Arizona, DESERT HEARTS is it! And don't forget to look for my previous historical romances, including ROSES AT MIDNIGHT ("an extremely satisfying read filled with vivid imagery"-Romantic Times) written as Alexa Smart.

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Summary: Hard to put down. A very good read!
Review: Fast-paced novel. Interesting character developments. Kept me wanting more!

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Summary: Old West Adventure for Women!
Review: I've loved Westerns for decades, but neither the TV shows nor the classics like SHANE and LONESOME DOVE ever seemed to have enough romance OR powerful women. Lucky for me, there are books like Anna Gerard's DESERT HEARTS.

Gerard's book has everything I want in a Western, from connections to Dodge City and Tombstone to dry snippets of Western wisdom; from rough bank-robbers to brave lawmen--but like the best of women's fiction, DESERT HEARTS goes deeper into the characters and relationships than that. The bad-guy and the Pinkerton tracking him are brothers; this is no mere manhunt. And of course, the Pinkerton agent and the bank manager on this manhunt soon develop a more intimate "friendship" than you'd see between Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, because in Brimstone, the bank manager's a woman!

This is my favorite part of DESERT HEARTS--instead of being an anachronistically liberated 1990s woman in a historical setting, the heroine Jessamine is more a liberated woman of the 80's--the 1880's. She got her job the way so many Old West women really did; she inherited it when her husband died. She can make it in a man's world, but not by sacrificing her femininity. In fact, her friendship with two other strong women is one more way relationships in DESERT HEARTS take the joys of a Western and move them into the realm of woman's fiction.

I also appreciated the cultural diversity added by Lily, a Chinese friend of Jessamine's. It's nice to be reminded that the Old West was settled by more than white folks going after Indians!

All in all, an EXCELLENT read for lovers of romance and Westerns!

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Summary: Great book, can't put it down.
Review: The suspense holds you to every word

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Summary: Action, adventure, and a real Old West feel!
Review: This book has a great Old West feel without the stereotypes. That's a refreshing change! I particularly enjoyed the use of real historical personages rubbing elbows with our hero and heroine. They add a reality to the book but don't overpower the story. Great read!

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Summary: It was fast paced and held my interest.
Review: This story is highly entertaining with well drawn characters. It held my interest throughout. I can see it as a made for TV movie that would be enjoyed by a broad range of viewers.