DESERT STAR

Linda Chaikin

Harvest House

ISBN 0-7369-1235-5

January 2004

Inspirational Historical

Rick Delance is a gunfighter driven to find the men who murdered his family and destroyed his ranch. Rick is also looking to the future where he hopes to settle down and have a family. Could beautiful silver heiress Callie Halliday be persuaded to leave a life on the stage to be the bride of a man with such a fierce reputation?

Callie Halliday has the money, and through Broadway actor Ashe Perry, the connections to make her dream of fame come true. However, discord with her family, an attraction to Rick Delance and increasingly dangerous mishaps threaten Callie's dreams. Will a marriage to Ashe solve her problems? In the Wild West where evil resides in the hearts of God-less men, whom will Callie turn to?

DESERT STAR is the sequel to Ms. Chaikin's DESERT ROSE. I have not read the previous book so I approached DESERT STAR as one would approach a stand-alone or single title. The author provides a great deal of background in the form of detailed conversation. This made the pacing uneven in spots. Also, though certain details are often repeated, the amount of information regarding family dynamics and history was almost overwhelming and at times, difficult to sort out. The prologue was excellent, highly emotional and dramatic. However, the rest of the story didn't quite live up to the tone set in the beginning of the book despite a rewarding ending.

The author deftly captures the essence of life in the Old West and the hero, Rick, is a character one cannot help but love even with all of his apparent rough edges. On the other hand, I had a difficult time connecting with Callie's character. I cannot help but wonder if I would have been more sympathetic to her had I read DESERT ROSE. My initial impression of Callie was that she is conceited, spoiled, superficial and rather naïve. However, Callie undergoes an evolution of sorts and by the end of the book is redeemed.

In all, DESERT STAR is an interesting story but not an easy read. The whodunit aspects of the story overshadow the romance between Rick and Callie. However, the gentle romance and inspirational message make DESERT STAR a good choice for wholesome entertainment.