Untamed Heart
Grade : B

Untamed Heart has an intriguing premise. Gabby Wade and Tyler Ashburn are running against each other for the position of mayor in a small Wyoming town in 1887. Who would you think would be the obvious winner? Maureen McKade turns convention on its ear - Gabby runs the only gaming hall/saloon in the town and Ty wants to shut her down. The winner wasn't obvious; the author kept me guessing for most of the book. Meanwhile, the love and rivalry between the two main characters really had me turning the pages.

Gabby Wade has made her own way in life. She came to Sawtooth with enough money to open her establishment and has turned it into a profitable business. She runs a clean hall - the men are cut off once they've had too much to drink, and she always makes those who have had a few too many turn in their weapons. She doesn't allow any "working girls" to rent the rooms upstairs. Unfortunately, the fact that she lives alone and that her barmaid used to be a prostitute give many of the town folk reason to believe the Emporium is just like any other den of sin.

Tyler Ashburn doesn't particularly want to be mayor, but at the urging of his soon-to-be father-in-law and business partner, Vernon Gatewood, Ty reluctantly agrees to run. When he announces that he plans to shut down The Emporium, Gabby soon decides she has no choice but to run against him. What starts out as animosity soon grows into grudging respect, even though each candidate thinks the other is wrong. Gabby believes every man has the right to make his own choices. Ty believes that if gaming halls didn't exist, men wouldn't make so many wrong choices.

The rivalry between them is sometimes funny, sometimes infuriating, and sometimes down right heartbreaking as the two of them begin to care about each other but remain at odds on this one issue. As details of their pasts come to light, it is soon apparent just how alike these two characters are. Unfortunately, neither of them realizes it.

Trouble rears its ugly head in the form of Vernon Gatewood, a sadly stereotypical villain who seems more intriguing before he becomes so obviously evil. I would have enjoyed him much more had he not been so thoroughly bad and cold-blooded. A villain who believes he is doing the right thing is always so much more disturbing.

There is sexual tension between Gabby and Ty almost from the very beginning. Some of the more amusing scenes arise from their growing attraction toward each other, but there is only one love scene in the entire book, which is somewhat disappointing. Although I would have preferred a bit more, it was worth the wait.

The resolution of the romance plot worked itself out throughout the whole book. By the time the resolution was reached, there weren't any clanging bells or whistles, just a quiet understanding between two people who had grown to love each other. It was a nice change of pace. The resolution of the mayoral race came as a bit of surprise. I thought I had the entire plot figured out, but Maureen McKade happily proved me wrong. In fact, aside from the all too familiar villain, Untamed Heart was one of the most original romances I've read in a long time. I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

Reviewed by Kate Smith
Grade : B

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date : January 13, 1999

Publication Date: 1999

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