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In this battle of the sexes, the ultimate prize is love.
Calhoun Sisters, Book 1
Sarah Calhoun is bound and determined to restore honor to the family name the only way she knows how—make her late father’s newspaper, the Burr Chronicle, the most successful in the Wyoming Territory.
Haunted by past scandal, she knows one misstep, one misunderstanding, could bring disgrace back down on her head. Yet that doesn’t stop her from running an article about the insulting Jack Donovan. The blasted man is shopping for a wife as he would a horse!
Jack finally has the house in the kind of town he’s always dreamed about. Now all that’s missing is a wife. At first, he thinks Sarah’s scathing article about his quest is a good thing—until he finds himself hounded by hordes of young girls, spinsters and widows. Still, he can’t stop thinking about the sassy newspaper editor who started it all.
Sarah is as determined to ignore her impossible attraction to Donovan as she is to uncover his mysterious past. But the harder she digs for his secrets, the deeper he hides them. Until there’s only one rock left unturned. His heart.
Originally published in February 2000 by Avon Books
Warning: Contains sensual love scenes and enough barn-burning passion to heat the coldest winter night.
Wyoming Territory
May 1882
Everyone watched the bed come through town.
The three old men sitting outside the saloon ceased their checker playing as it passed by in the back of Amos Carver's ancient buckboard.
"Would ya look at that," Mort rasped, pushing back his hat with gnarled fingers. "Big enough for a whole family."
"Or for one hot-blooded woman," Johnny said.
"Amen," Gabriel whispered.
The wagon continued down Main Street, sunlight gleaming along the bed's carved headboard. All activity in Burr came to a standstill, as if the entire town were bewitched by the fantastic sight.
Marianne Westerly, the preacher's daughter, gripped her mother's arm as they stepped out of Pearson's Mercantile. Her hushed comment carried the longing of a prayer. "Oh, Mama, look at the carvings.
Nearby, Ellie Pearson stopped sweeping the wooden walkway outside her husband's store to look with wondering eyes upon a bed splendid enough to birth a king. She caressed her ripening belly, where her unborn child slept. Her husband, Nate, stepped out beside her and slipped an arm around her shoulders. Resignation underscored his tender smile as he watched the unattainable pass him by.
The Tremont sisters even forgot their rumor swapping with the mayor's wife to stare in goggle-eyed amazement at the magnificent spectacle.
"Oh, my stars!" Emmaline Tremont exclaimed, then blushed when her sister elbowed her for staring.
From the window of the tiny newspaper office, Sarah Ann Calhoun also took note of the extraordinary bed. The morning sun imbued the walnut finish with warmth, as if thewood itself still lived. Old Amos Carver—spitting chaw and cursing at his mules from the driver's perch of his decrepit wagon—seemed an insult to the bed's majesty.
For a moment, half-forgotten dreams of white lace and baby cradles drifted through Sarah's mind. Then she shook off the foolish notions. It's just a bed, she reminded herself. Just another of Jack Donovan's pretentious acquisitions. It meant nothing to her.
Nothing but an opportunity.
With a grin, she reached for her pad. Her duty as editor of the Burr Chronicle lay in reporting anything that might interest the town. And the town was very interested in Jack Donovan.
He had arrived in Burr almost a year ago and deposited a scandalous amount of money into the bank. Then he bought some fine grazing land and built up a ranch, filling his beautiful house with wonderful furnishings from back east. Rumors abounded about the source of his wealth. Some said he had discovered gold. Others said he was a notorious outlaw who had retired to enjoy his ill-gotten gains. But since he came to church every Sunday and never had more than one drink at the saloon, the matrons of Burr chose to overlook his mysterious origins. In fact, many a young lady had set her cap for Jack Donovan.
But not Sarah.
She stepped outside the newspaper office, resolved to put an end to the speculation once and for all. Jack Donovan and his mysterious past would evade her no longer. There was something about him, a dangerous edge, that told her that he wasn't exactly the law-abiding citizen he appeared to be. Once she discovered his secrets, she would finally make her father's dream come true: the Burr Chronicle would become one of the biggest newspapers in Wyoming Territory.
And her own demons would be silenced forever.
She watched Amos and his wagon disappear over the rise. Around her, the town began to bustle once more. Conversations picked up where they'd left off. Horses whinnied, leather creaked, and wheels rumbled over hardpacked dirt. Down at the church, a group of men resumed hammering the dance floor they were building for the spring social on Saturday night.
Sarah's shoes beat purposefully down the wooden boards as she went to fetch her horse. The time had come for Mr. Donovan's reckoning. She would have the answers to her questions this time, and she would use that bed to get them.
"There she goes," Johnny said, lifting his gaze from the checkerboard as Sarah strode past them toward the livery stable.
"Goin' after Donovan again." Gabriel spat into the spittoon beside his chair, then leisurely jumped one of Johnny's checkers and scooped it from the board.
"I never saw a woman more determined to run a man to ground," Mort commented.
"You remember the time she followed him down to the creek, and there he was, as nekkid as the day he was born?" Johnny hooted. "I never saw a woman so churned up."
"And her stormin' through town afterwards, soakin' wet from head to toe. Tongues were flappin' that day for sure," Gabriel said with a grin. Johnny's double jump made the grin fade and he scowled at the checkerboard. "Makes a body wonder how she got herself so wet," he said absently.
"What about the time he was working in his barn and she cornered him in the hayloft?" Mort leaned back in his chair in preparation for a nap. "The boys who work for Donovan said she come runnin' out of that barn like a cat with its tail on fire. And with straw in her hair, too. Musta looked awful funny, 'specially with it bein' the middle of winter and all."
"What about the time she found him in the barbershop?" Johnny asked. "How do you figure she got shaving cream all over her like that, anyway?"
"Heaven only knows," Gabriel answered, snaring another of Johnny's pieces.
They settled into silence, the occasional clack of captured checkers blending with the rowdy music and whooping laughter coming from the saloon behind them.
I'm going to start this review with a plea...BUY THIS BOOK, READ THIS BOOK and be prepared to laugh, sigh and fall in love with characters that leap off the pages. Most people don't realize that I really enjoy reading historical romance books and especially western historical books. Donovan's Bed one western historical romance that I will forever cherish and think about for some time to come. Sarah Calhoun is a feisty, funny and independent woman that *gasp* has a job in her town. She loves her job and her town. On fateful mistake in her teens as labeled her a harlot in the town and the gossips won't let her forget about it. She feels like she still has to atone for this mistake. When the mysterious Jack Donovan shows up in town with money and a past that he won't talk about, the reporter in her seeks the truth. The woman in her awakes and trying to separate is easier said than done. Sarah is a fascinating woman. Strong in her resolve that she will always be tainted and never marry but soft and tender when it comes to Jack. He brings things out in Sarah that she thought were long dormant. Jack Donovan is a man with a past that he is not necessarily proud of but he wants it to stay buried. He did what he did to survive and was good at it. It was a means to an end. When he decided to leave that life behind and settle in Wyoming Territory, he made his mind up that he wanted a home, children and a wife. He never thought that Sarah, a working woman, would be that woman. His conflicted thoughts and emotions regarding Sarah were honest and led to some of the funniest moments in the book. The scenes with Sarah and Jack were heartwarming, sexy and funny. The more they tried to resist each other, the more the sexual tension built. *sigh* When Jack figured out that Sarah was exactly what he needed in his life, the chase was on for him to convince Sarah. While this book was sexy in parts, the sexual tension build up was terrific. Jack brought out in Sarah her passionate side that she had long denied but was a big part of her. Sarah was soothing to Jack's somewhat tortured soul. The secondary characters especially Sarah's sister, Suzi and the wounded marshall were well written. I look forward to Suzi's book in April. The town that Ms. Mullin's built is real and charming. The townspeople were typical for the time but not caricature's. They were heartwarming and funny. I highly recommend Donovan's Bed for anyone looking for a sexy, heartwarming western historical that has captured this reader's heart and I look forward to the next installment.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 8, 2001
Donovan's Bed is a humorous, well-crafted romance that will please fans of the genre -- along with anyone who just appreciates a good laugh and a sexy hero (I know I do!!!). Ms. Mullins is a talented author; one who takes readers on a wild ride through the Old West. Her descriptions are historically accurate, but never overlong. And her characters are well-rounded and interesting. I hope to read many more of her books in the future. And I encourage others to discover the four-poster frivolity of 'Donovan's Bed.'
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 28, 2000
Out of all the books I have read I have never put down a book after reading and then had to pick it back up to read it again! This is definitely one of the best books I have ever read! I wish the book had never ended, you stay inticed within the story and its characters from opening to end. Definitely something to read if you are not into mushy, sappy romances this one is so clean yet so enticing that you just cant put it down! There should definitely be a sequel I would be the first one at the book store to buy it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.In 1882, the entire townsfolk of Burr, Wyoming Territory are excited and curious as a buckboard carrying a gigantic bed rolls through the town. Just about every female residents wants to test the bed, especially if its owner Jack Donovan happens to be there at the time. Only newspaper editor Sarah Calhoun seems immune to the newcomer¿s charm even though inside her heart pounds whenever he is near her. <P>Sarah has struggled to regain her lost reputation amongst the citizens. As she smells the success of accomplishing that endeavor, Jack, whom has his own demons to contend with, decides he needs a roll in his new bed with her. She not only rejects her wealthy pursuer, she advertises that he seeks a wife in her paper. This leads to every hungry female predator for miles around chasing after Jack, who only wants Sarah at his side. <P>DONOVAN¿S BED is a droll yet heated western romance that will elate sub-genre fans with its intelligence and fun. The story line alternately amuses and warms the heart as it provides an intriguing look at a bygone era. Though Sarah and Jack are typical romance characters carrying emotional baggage into their budding relationship, both appear original due to Debra Mullins¿ story telling abilities. With novels like this one and the high seas drama ONCE A MISTRESS, Ms. Mullins shows the width of her writing talent. <P>Harriet Klausner
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Posted April 13, 2012
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Posted April 27, 2012
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Overview
In this battle of the sexes, the ultimate prize is love.
Calhoun Sisters, Book 1
Sarah Calhoun is bound and determined to restore honor to the family name the only way she knows how—make her late father’s newspaper, the Burr Chronicle, the most successful in the Wyoming Territory.
Haunted by past scandal, she knows one misstep, one misunderstanding, could bring disgrace back ...