Open Country

Surprising Find

I had never heard of Kaki Warner until I went to the new fiction section of my library, looked over the titles that seemed interesting, and picked up Open Country. When I try out a new author, I never know exactly what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised with the way the story pulled me in from the first page. I enjoyed the clean, descriptive writing. I liked the way she kept the tension going between not just Molly and Hank, but Molly and Brady, Hank and Brady, and Molly and Charlie. I was worried almost from the beginning about Hank's probable reaction to Molly's deception. My only complaint is that the tone of the story is mostly serious, but switches to a more light-hearted tone in places. At times, I wasn't sure if I was reading a comedy or a drama. Other than that, the story is well-written and I will be reading the previous story in the series, as well as the third when it comes out.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

More than Worthy Follow-Up

Open Country is the definition of a five star second book in a trilogy: tremendous spunky heroine, handsome wounded hero, characters from the first book woven seamlessly into the new story, and the same brilliant writing that captivated this reader in the first book, Pieces of Sky.

Interestingly, I read this book featuring a Civil War veteran nurse right before I started My Name is Mary Sutter, a historical Civil War medical novel creating a lot of buzz this summer. Open Country is just as vividly historic and humane, dealing with the after effects of war for the caregivers and the dangers of childbirth in women.

But Open Country is a true western historical romance with emphasis on the romance. Molly's need to protect her newfound love and family is a realistic one. Hank's struggle to trust Molly rings true. Their emotions and conflict are honestly portrayed with more than a few gut-wrenching scenes.

A more than worthy follow-up to Pieces of Sky, Open Country took everything I loved about the first book and topped it. If you have not read the first book, Open Country is still a stand alone read, but you will want to go back and catch up after falling for Kaki Warner's writing.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

LOVED IT!

YAHOO, SHE DID IT AGAIN! Kaki Warner managed to fill this 2nd book of the Blood Rose Trilogy with just as much tension, suspense, romance, and humor as she did in Pieces of Sky. I could not stop turning the pages, and now I can hardly wait to read the last Wilkins brother's story Jack's-Chasing the Wind! January 2011 seems like forever away.
Warner definitely knows how to spin a tale and I for one am looking forward to many more fascinating and wonderful books from her!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

wonderful historical

In 1871 at the suggestion of her sister's doctor, nurse Molly McFarlane travels from Atlanta to Savannah to see her sibling Nellie who is dying from lung disease. Molly's brother-n-law Daniel Fletcher is nasty to her; telling her to go home. Nellie pleads with Molly to run off with her two preadolescent children from a previous marriage, as she fears for them under Daniels martinet abuse.

As Molly flees with her niece and nephew, in nearby Jeanerette, Rustin lectures Daniel for failing to find what his late father-in-law hid as the wealthy man plots a second Southern rebellion because war is money. Meanwhile, out west a train wreck leaves Patrick Henry "Hank" Wilkins near death, remorseful but desperate Molly marries him so she can inherit at least an insurance claim to take care of the kids and hide from her odious brother-in-law's operatives. Instead Hank recovers, but is clueless re marriage and a train wreck. He takes his wife and her wards to his family ranch in the New Mexico Territory where his family embraces the newcomers. As they fall in love and his memory returns, her Georgia roots are arriving.

The second of the Blood Rose trilogy (see The Pieces of the Sky) is a wonderful historical tale starring a strong ensemble cast. A key fresh premise is the push for a new Confederacy revolt as personal economic gain due to war motivates Rustin and his cohorts, who stole gold from the south several years ago. With an intriguing lead couple whose marriage is shaky as he knows part of the truth in spite of two frightened children needing them and the rest of the Wilkins, fans will appreciate this superb Reconstruction Era romance.

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Duncan

I dont know anything anymore.......

Duncan

*finds mouse in cookie jar then turns back* MY COOKIIIIIIEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *strangles the mouse* (srry gtta take meds! Weird organ pains! Gnite! *kisses*

Tyler

Hey *smiles* whats up?

Made me smile

This is a great follow-up to Pieces of Sky. From the very beginning, the story moves quickly and pulls the reader in. I couldn't help but fall head-over-heels for Hank. I highly recommend this series!

Bettet than first one

Loved this book. Though her first novel was good I thought this one had a better story line. Fell in love with Hank in the previous novel. Definitely recommend!

Open Country

loved it!

Love the historical details, but not quite as sold on the romance

Molly McFarlane has a classic romantic heroine's grab-bag of problems: her dad died recently, her sister died recently, she's caring for her 6-year-old niece and 8-year old nephew, and they're all on the run from her villainous, abusive brother-in-law. And since this is 1871, there aren't a lot of resources at Molly's fingertips, as a single woman without a big inheritance. Faced with this desperate situation, Molly makes an equally desperate move and marries a dying man so that she can get an insurance settlement to help her provide for the kids. But Hank Wilkins doesn't die easily, so Molly finds herself married for real and still terrified of the bad guys her brother-in-law might send after them.

I have so many mixed feelings about this novel. On one hand, I really enjoyed reading it, but on the other, there were so many times I was jerked out of the story by the characters' offbeat decisions. For example, Molly survives a train wreck and promptly decides that the best way of providing for herself and her sister's children is marrying this soon-to-be-dead bearded guy whose name she doesn't know. I don't have a problem with the morality of the set-up--a desperate woman marrying a dying man so that she can provide for her wards, but the actual circumstances are really iffy. She hears someone talking about how much money the wreck victims' families will get, and she thinks that it'll be just enough money to get herself and the kids settled in a new life. The funny thing is, Molly was trained by her medical genius of a father, so she has a decent chance of providing for the kids without resorting to this deception. She even thinks about the possibilities in an earlier passage: "She would find employment--either as an assistant to one of her father's medical colleagues, or in a clinic or hospital" (pg 9). But she's made up her mind to try for this insurance money, so she checks the guy's hand for a ring (never mind that wedding bands for men were not commonly used until World War II, sixty-five years later), and consoles herself that he's unmarried and at least she isn't taking money away from some other legitimate widow. It's still kind of a low-down thing to do, but at least she has the decency to feel super guilty. Plus, it's not legal--he never agrees to marry her, and he's not conscious for their wedding vows.

Then for a long while, if you forget the slight zaniness of the setup, it's a very good story. Molly's gotten herself married to Hank Wilkins, co-owner of Wilkins Cattle and Mining in New Mexico. She knows this because his brother Brady, apparently the hero of book one, shows up and threatens her with jail time for using his brother in such a way. Brady thinks she's a bigtime mercenary with an eye on Hank's fortune, when in reality she's only a teensy bit mercenary. I did like how Brady hates her immediately--it's nice to see a damsel in distress that everyone's not petting and pitying. But Molly redeems herself by caring for Hank once she realizes he's got a small chance at living. She's got incredible medical knowledge from helping her father tend wounded soldiers during the Civil War, and we get wonderful medical details like seeing her use silver wire to sew Hank's muscle tissue back together and horsehair to sew up the outer skin. I'm not being sarcastic; I really appreciate the realistic presentation of medical trauma because it makes the story come to life and really cements the time-period authenticit

Not as good as book 1

In reading this book, I did not feel the connection between Hank and Molly, there was no chemistry. With Brady and Jessica you felt the chemistry the moment they met. I loved Hank, but wish Molly's character had been written differently.

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