“For the Roses” by Julie Garwood

“For the Roses” by Julie Garwood
1995, Pocket Books
ISBN: 0-61-01498-6

“For the Roses” by Julie Garwood is a terrific book. It’s sort of heavy on the sex, but, hey, what’s a romance without some sex in it? Anyway, this is a western romance. It’s about 4 young boys who are on their own in New York City right before the Civil War. They’ve formed their own gang and watch out for each other. The oldest one, Adam, is a runaway slave from down South and at 13 he assumes responsibility for the 3 younger ones.

One night Adam, Travis and Cole are asleep in their alley. Douglas has remained awake as lookout. It just isn’t safe to have a life on the streets. Douglas observes a fancy carriage, a gentleman and a woman in close conversation. A basket is handed to the woman and an envelope. The carriage leaves and the woman furtively makes her way to their alley. She throws the basket on a trash heap and runs. Douglas whistles to awaken the others, tells them to look in the basket and takes off on foot after the woman. He prides himself on being a very, very good pickpocket.

The boys get to the basket just as rats are swarming over it and find a 4 month old baby girl inside. That was the day they stopped being a gang and became a family.

They all moved West and carved out a life for themselves.

Years and years later someone comes in pursuit of Mary Rose. Lo and behold she was kidnapped as a baby and is a long lost heiress.

“For the Roses” is just a really terrific story. All the characters are colorful and the story is a gripping one. You just won’t be able to put it down. This is a terrific book.

And, the icing on the cake? This was made into a movie by Hallmark called, “Rose Hill
” and aired on television in 1997. We belong to Netflix and I was able to “save” the DVD. Netflix doesn’t have it yet, but you could go to Amazon and buy it there if you can’t wait for Netflix.

“Shadow Music” by Julie Garwood

“Shadow Music” by Julie Garwood
2007, Ballentine Books
ISBN: 98-0-345-50073-1

It took me one day, from afternoon on Saturday to afternoon on Sunday to read “Shadow Music” by Julie Garwood. I’m a glutton sometimes and this was one of those books I just did not want to put down.

You’ve got a princess and you’ve got a bunch of nasty, wicked barons. She’s good. They aren’t. She thinks she’s on her way to be married. It’s in the Highlands of Scotland. She is being escorted by her loyal guard, soldiers who have had the guarding of her since she was a little girl.

They are fierce men, but they love her and would die for her. As they near the end of their journey they happen upon wicked doings. A man is being murdered. Princess Gabrielle cannot stand still to see such wickedness and notches up an arrow and lets it fly. It kills the leader of the pack of men who are busy killing the man. They rescue the man.

Turns out this man is the brother of a clan chieften. He is Colm MacHugh. How the Princess Gabrielle and Colm MacHugh wind up together is the best part of this story.

Very much a sit on the edge of your seat page turner. And, did I mention it’s a really good love story? Yeah…..yum.