Samantha and the Cowboy
Disclaimer - Teen Romance
By Lorraine Heath
Avon - May 2002
Historical Teen Romance
This romance is part of the new line of romances for teens called Avon True Romances. The four authors during the introductory month are Lorraine Heath, Beverly Jenkins, Kathryn Smith and Margaret Moore. They are covering various romance sub-genres.
Samantha Reynolds knows her family is in trouble financially. The War against Northern Aggression had taken its toll. When she sees the advertisement asking for boys 14 and over to work on a cattle drive, she knows what she must do. She cuts her hair, pretends to be a boy named Sam, and gets hired. Sam quickly takes to working on the drive, but she keeps having to remind herself to act as a boy. Especially where Matt is concerned. The trail boss had given Matt the responsibility of teaching Sam the ropes, and she finds herself constantly wondering what it would be like to have Matt look at her as a girl, not as a pesky greenhorn.
Matt Hart wasn't sure why he had gone ahead and hired Sam after the trail boss hadn't. He didn't want to become the kid's friend. He had known too many boys just like Sam, inquisitive and eager to learn, but he had seen too many of them die. A cattle drive was too full of dangers, but he found himself drawn to Sam and wanting to be his friend in spite of his best intentions.
Although written and marketed for the teens, this romance was just as enjoyable as any other Ms Heath has written - it simply was a quicker read and a "sweet" romance. It is nice to see a quality teen romance that can also interest an adult. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a Lorraine Heath fan - don't discount it just because it is for teens.
Kathy Andrico - ReaderToReader.com