Ward
Grade : C

Reading a Leigh Greenwood is like reading a play, almost straight dialogue. He’s a storyteller, and that’s fine, the characters all have their say, but the reader is left to fill in most of the details. While Ward’s story was okay, it left me feeling like I was missing something. By comparison, Jake was a much better read.

Ward Dillon is the handsome eldest son of a wealthy rancher. Upon returning home from medical school, Ward meets Marina Scott, the very young woman engaged to his brother, Ramon. The attraction between Ward and Marina is instant and electric and they realize they have fallen immediately in love.

When Marina tries to tell Ramon she must break her engagement with him, he tries to rape her. Marina flees the ranch and runs to Ward. Without telling him about his brother’s behavior, Marina and Ward marry, followed by what must be one of the shortest honeymoons on record.

The next day, evil forces join to ruin Marina’s reputation in Ward’s eyes. He swallows the lies, hook, line, and sinker. Feeling bitterly betrayed, Ward leaves for the War, not knowing he has left behind a woman who has been thoroughly victimized by his family, a seventeen-year-old wife who now carries his son in her body.

Seven years later, Marina and young Tanner show up at the Maxwell ranch looking for Ward. Marina wants a divorce so she can remarry, but when she and Ward meet face to face, all the passion and hurt surface once again, not to mention the fact that Ward does not believe Tanner is his son (Ward’s family has continued feeding him lies about Marina for seven years, until Ward thinks Marina is one of the lowest forms of life on the planet).

The entire premise of this book is based on the Big Misunderstanding. Ward believes the lies perpetrated by his family without giving the woman he supposedly loved (enough to marry within 24 hours of having met her) a chance to explain herself. While the basic story here was okay, there was too much angst for me to handle. Ward thinks Marina is a slut. Angst for Marina. Ward leaves for seven years. Angst for both Marina and Ward. Marina bears a child. Ward’s or Ramon’s? Angst for Ward. Ward realizes the boy is, indeed, his. Keep the boy; send Marina away? More angst. Marina wants a divorce. Even more angst. Does she still love him; does he still love her? Angst, angst, angst. Jeez, they only knew each other for three days seven years ago; they don’t really know each other at all, let alone have deep enough feelings for each other to cause all this commotion!

Ward's family is contriving and controlling, a condition which Ward had been apparently ignorant of for thirty years. Overall, I liked this book, but parts of it admittedly stressed me out. I liked and admired Marina. She was honest and true to her character throughout the entire story. Her son, Tanner, was a nicely written little boy in search of a father. He meets Ward and his hero worship of the tall cowboy instantly begins, before he is even aware the man he admires is his father. I liked Ward's character, too, but a little straight talk, open communication, and reasonable behavior would have gone a long way to solve all these characters' problems. The kissing and loving were slim pickens as well, and this was a disappointment. Also, I’m glad I read the Seven Brides series, because it’s obvious all the characters from both series are going to intermingle and wreck havoc on any time line I’m trying to deal with here.

If you’re a Leigh Greenwood fan, like family-type series stories, or read Jake, you’ll probably want to read Ward. Western romance lovers will find it an okay read. If you are neither of those, and prefer less angst and more passion in your Romances, you probably won’t find much of interest here.

Reviewed by Marianne Stillings
Grade : C

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : April 8, 1998

Publication Date: 1997

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Marianne Stillings

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