Written by: Cynthia Woolf
Narrated by: Lia Frederick
Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
Series: Tame a Wild Heart, Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:09-10-14
Publisher: Western Romance Author
This was an audio that pulled me in it is full of danger, mystery and overcoming the lose of the one who walked away. There is nothing like your first and only love walking away breaking your heart that is so strong you vow to never love again. This is the first book I have listen/read of Ms. Woolf's I enjoyed it so much I found a few more at a bargain and bought them as well. I loved the love/hate going on with this couple, along with the plot, the characters are strong, they fight hard and love even harder. The author gives you some pretty heated scenes but stays in the guidelines of the values from that time period. This was a time when a person word meant something, promise were kept and a man stood beside his word. I totally enjoyed this audio.
Catherine fell in love with Duncan when she was but a child at age 16 he got on his horse and rode out of her life. She watched him leave with tears in her eyes swearing never to love again. That day changed her she started living only for the ranch her heart grew cold it turned to stone. She began hard as she took on the ranch she had a will of iron no one or nothing would get in her way. She kept this vow until the day Duncan walked by in her life 10 years later when trouble and danger comes to the ranch with one man demanding she marry him who has plans of his own. She is strong, with a will of steal, stubborn, bullhead and ready to take on the world and the man trying to push her off her land. She will not give in nor will she sale and she sure isn't going to get married. Her father has other ideas as he calls Duncan home to help with the trouble. Marry? Duncan? Is her father crazy? This is not going to happen, no way no how.......
Duncan left years ago leaving behind the only girl he would ever love. She was to young and he knew if he stayed she would be his. He could not do that to her father the only man who had taken him in and help raise him. He would not repay this kind man by deflowering his daughter so he ran and started a new life. He has changed grow cold, hard with the life he is leading. He has never forgotten the young lady who turned his world upside down. When he gets the summons to return home to help. The ranch is in danger along with Catherine there is no way he can turn his back. He comes home to find all he ever wanted on one little ranch and the women of his dreams could be his. If he can only talk the bullheaded women in agreeing to marry him. Love well he isn't so sure about that. He might just find that as Catherine gives him a run for his money that she is the only women he has or will ever love.
Her father I believe has always wanted these two to marry. As danger comes to his ranch he puts his plans into action. He isn't taking any chances as he throws in a few twist of his own that leaves two peoples world spinning. One is all for it and the other say no way in hell. This man shows what a true father should be. Caring. loving and wanting the best for those he loves. He is as strong willed as his daughter guess she got that natural.
Lia Frederick did an outstanding job of narration she has a wonderful voices that adds much to this audio. She put a lot of emotion in to each characters voice you had no problem knowing what they were feeling. There was no background noise, no breaks taken that you could tell. You had no trouble knowing who was talking and what sex they were. She gives life to the landscape around so you can picture it in your mind. You heart breaks at each twist the author gives you with the impact the narrator puts on this audio. The audio flow was smooth and even which made it a wonderful listen.
What made this story for me was the strong will and bullheadedness of these who people neither giving in. Feelings that last a lifetime through many changes as two people get to know each other again. Both have grown cold, hard but still have a soft place for the other. The pull is still strong even after all these years. There is mystery and things are not always as you see them. Just as you think you have a handle on the plot the author twists them. I loved the suspense, the danger and the back and forward baiting of Catherine and Duncan. The Indian chief stole my heart with his wisdom and caring ways. Both Catherine and Duncan are strong willed neither willing to give in. The detail the author and narrator give of things around them is outstanding. The heartbreak you feel all the way to your heart as it breaks for them over their lost and trials.
The only thing missing for me would have been a little more detail of the earlier years. I would have loved to have gotten to know them as young teens. Maybe learned a little more about how Duncan and her father came to be with the saving of his life. It does not take away from the story just something I would have liked to know more of. For me this was a well told story that kept me listening. I found things I needed to do around the home so I could listen longer. The author gives you wonderful characters with a well thought out plot. I thought this was well written along with a wonderful narrator which made this a winning story for me. If you love westerns love stories from long ago with all the trails of making a living with the danger it brings this is the author and the book for you. I cannot wait to start another audio by this author and narrator. You cannot go wrong with this being a free read adding the audio for 1.99 it is a win, win all the way around.
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Book Description
Catherine Evans fell in love when she was three years old, head-over-heels, forever kind of love. The very first moment she saw twelve-year-old Duncan McKenzie, she told God and her pony that she was going to marry that boy. He was handsome. He was kind. He was strong and smart and all the good things a boy should be. For thirteen years she loved him with every beat of her heart. And on her sixteenth birthday he walked away from her father's ranch, and from her. He didn't look back over his shoulder. Not even once. And from that day forward, Catherine Evans swore off all men. Her heart turned to stone, her will to iron, and her vow to God changed. She'd run her father's ranch. She'd succeed. She'd survive. And she would never, ever love another man as long as she lived.
Duncan McKenzie left the ranch ten years ago, desperate to escape temptation in the form of a budding young lady too innocent to claim for his own. But Catherine's frightened father summons him home. The ranch is under attack and the old man's stubborn daughter refuses to seek help. Duncan left a sweet young girl behind a decade ago. He returns to a defiant siren, a woman whose heart is as wild as the land she would sacrifice her life to protect. When Catherine's father coerces her into marrying Duncan, the fire in her eyes spells trouble, but it's the kind of trouble Duncan has no desire to resist. Marriage is the only way he can protect her. Especially when Duncan's own past comes calling in the form of one extremely dangerous and vengeful outlaw, Catherine's cowardly enemies want the ranch badly enough to kill for it, and his reluctant bride is very much in their way
About the Author
Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.
Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.
Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.
She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded the she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.
In 2000, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she'd attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn't looked back.
Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.
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