Donovan's Bed

The Calhoun Sisters #1

by Debra Mullins

A buckboard rolls through town carrying Jack Donovan's extraordinary new bed: beautifully ornate and big enough for an entire family--or one hot-blooded woman And lovely Sarah Calhoun is exactly the woman Donovan has in mind. The persistent newspaper editor just won't leave him alone, and the best way he knows to shut her sassy mouth...is with his own. But Donovan makes it perfectly clear that Sarah's far too independent to be included on his list of prospective wives. All he wants from her is a good time--though he promises it will be a "very" good time Sarah is determined to uncover Donovan's secret past, but every time she goes near the man, her ridiculous attraction to him takes over. So after his insulting offer, she retaliates by publicizing his search for a wife--and soon Donovan's flooded with lusty widows, lovestruck teens, and lonely spinsters...he can't turn around without tripping over another would-be bride But when the dust settles, will Sarah have won their battle of the sexes--or lost her only chance at true love.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Westerns, Audiobook, Western Romance, Western Historical Romance

376 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

(from website)I hate writing bios. They always seem so cut and dried. But you came to my website to learn more about me, so here goes.

I’m the oldest of four sisters, and we are full-blooded Irish on our father’s side. Oh, and our house had one bathroom. If you have any questions about where I got my flair for drama, just imagine that scenario on a Saturday night when four teen-aged girls need to get ready for their dates all at the same time.

‘Nuff said.

So, I am the writer in the family, though I always had a secret dream to be a torch singer. You know, like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys. My voice is OK, but the only place I feel comfortable singing is in the shower, so that was out. Besides, my sister Kate would kill me. She’s the singer in the family. Seriously, she sang at Carnegie Hall once (yeah, as part of a choir and with the orchestra and a bunch of other people, but Carnegie Hall! How many people can say that and be telling the truth?)

Anyway, I settled on writer and left the singing to Kate. My other two sisters are both artists, and no, they don’t have anything in the Louvre, but my sister Christine paints her house constantly, always changing the décor in her kids’ rooms. So you see? Creative impetus will out, and there’s no stopping it. Better to just give in and have the chocolate standing by for those moments of Artistic Frustration.

After giving up my torch singer aspirations (but before I fully accepted that I am A Writer) I gave serious thought to a practical career. The term “starving artist” was not conceived out of whimsy, you know, and I did have a fondness for food and shelter. So, soon after high school, I considered a career as a simultaneous interpreter for the UN.

I heard you giggle. Yes, I did. So let me clarify by adding that I have a gift for languages and had already taken several years of Spanish, French and Italian by the time I graduated high school, AND I had done the exchange thing in France, where I lived for a summer with a family, speaking nothing but French. So there.

Ahem. Anyway, in order to be a simultaneous interpreter, you need to know five languages. I had four under my belt (since I do know grammar and punctuation, I consider English the fourth language). I just had to learn one more language.

But that never happened. I chose True Love over College, then got married and started a family young.

Yes, you can laugh now.

Anyway, years pass. I gave in to my natural tendency to be a storyteller and started working on the one thing I had ever finished—a hand-written, 100 page “novel” about a Spanish pirate that I had completed in junior high. As an adult, I still felt there was a story there. That novel evolved into my first published work, ONCE A MISTRESS (Written in English, though my pirate does say cool Spanish words like mi amor and mi querida. Sigh. Swoon!) In 1996, ONCE A MISTRESS was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart competition run by Romance Writers of America. Two years later—OK, on January 26, 1998 at 4:06PM—Avon Books called and offered to publish my opus.

So there you go. I’ve written eight more books since then, often utilizing my knowledge of other languages for flavor. I visited the old West with DONOVAN’S BED and THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER. (Oh, and DONOVAN’S BED was a finalist for RWA’s RITA Award for Best Short Historical in 2001, which is like an Oscar nomination in the land of romance writing. How cool is that?) Then I visited the Regency era. I won the NJ Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for Best Historical (2003) with A NECESSARY BRIDE. In 2005, THREE NIGHTS… was nominated for Best Historical Romance in competition for Virginia Romance Writers’ prestigious Holt Medallion.

All of my Regency historicals have been optioned as featured selections by Doubleday Book Club and Rhapsody Book Club. My books have also been translated into Hungarian, Russian, and Portuguese f

Reviews

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donovan's Bed gets off to a most intriguing start when a big, gorgeous bed is rolled through the town of Burr. Reporter Sarah Calhoun sniffs a career making story in the works when the bed is rolled straight to bachelor Jack Donovan's ranch. Jack has been making lavish purchases for his home and has been throwing money around like it grows on trees and Sarah just knows he is up to some sort of sleazy going-ons. But the irritating man will not give her an interview and has foiled all of her attempts to extract information from him.

Jack is amused by Sarah's persistence and only a little annoyed and decides to try a new "diversion" method by kissing her senseless and then abruptly pulling away when she starts to respond. He then insults her by explaining that he pulled away because although she'd be a great "roll in the hay" she would never make him a fine wife. She's far too hot-tempered and strong willed he goes on to say. Well, Sarah is incensed. Imagine the nerve of the arrogant jerk! She manages to reign in her temper and instead decides to get even by writing an article all about Burr's wealthiest bachelor Jack Donovan and his quest for a bride. After the article is printed women are propositioning poor Jack at every turn. Being a red-blooded man he eats up the attention but soon tires of it when he realizes that sassy Sarah is the only woman for him. He then spends the rest of the book trying to win her love.

This is a such a great book. It has humor and a fun plot but its greatest strength is its characters. You won't find any stereotypical people here. Jack and Sarah are well developed characters who are likable right off the bat and the secondary characters are equally well rounded and entertaining (and they never take over the story). Jack has a dark and dangerous past but doesn't walk around sulking about it. Instead he has a terrific sense of humor and a big heart. I so loved Jack. Sarah also has darkness in her past but hasn't turned into a grumpy spinster because of it. She has a sensual and loving side that fits so well with Jack's personality. When these two get together it is very romantic and satisfying.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun time! There was a dislike to love, hero looking for a bride, journalist heroine, and a town full of busy bodies. It was delightful if a bit drawn out and very predictable.

Listened on Audible plus. Joe Arden narrated.

Heroine was a bit over the top though and her reasons for the 3rd act break up were paper thin and insulting in some ways.

Still, I had a good time and I may continue the series.

3 stars
1.5 on the spice scale

[Karen Darling · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't stand the hero nor the heroin. The hero made it plain to the heroin from jump that she is for bedding not for marrying. And even though she is pissed at him for putting her in that category, she still lusts after him with a vengeance. I think the hero is a disgusting pig and the heroin is a stupid whore. Also, the people in their small town were morons. There are 22 chapters and I only made it to chapter 5. With that being said, read this book for yourself, because it probably got better.

[Gunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

Read it when I was sick, and it was...strangely comforting. Strange because I've never really read an American western romance before (if that's what this is called?). But I found it to be more fun than a regency, which is not my favourite subgenre of romance. It's also not a book I would normally pick up, but it was on audible plus and I thought about giving it a try. Joe Arden has done a great job, would recommend the audiobook.

I'm surprised this book has so few ratings! It's better than some "popular" historicals I've read! It is well written, fast paced, fun, lots of small town 19th century drama. I liked that they grew to love each other, and were not forced together because they were "found doing scandalous things". Will recommend if you are a fan of historicals, or like me, don't particularly like regency romances.

[Kelsey Goldstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh yes...a good old trashy romance novel. I shiver in anticipation...

...
I’m surprised at how quickly I liked the characters. Both Sarah and Donovan are feisty and witty, which makes for some interesting interactions. I took special note that Donovan made a very good “imperfect male lead”. He had his own secrets and complexities that made him good to read, but the part where Debra Mullins went out of her way to state how he wasn’t what one could normally consider handsome struck me. It was his attitude and carriage that drew Sarah to him. This made the whole scenario seem more realistic and created a plot that was much easier to read.

...
I literally devoured this book in about two days. I forgot how much I could enjoy a fun, easy read like this one (not that Mullins’ writing is simple, she just makes her plots and characters so accessible that it’s easy to fall into her books like Alice into Wonderland). Though I’m not usually one for the Western romances, I liked this one a lot. I was so immersed in the story that I completely forgot I was reading a book. This isn’t something that’s easy to make me do--especially since my RAIR method began, because I’ve begun placing myself outside of the books and have been consciously taking notes as I read.

Like I said, I’m not one for Westerns (as one can tell from any of the other reviews with the WESTERN tag on them). This one, however, felt very little like a Western. There were certainly enough elements for it to qualify, but it really didn’t feel forced or overly prominent and I think this is what made the difference for me. Everything flowed so nicely and the descriptions were beautiful without seeming too contrived or taken right out of one of those bad spaghetti Westerns that my uncle finds so absolutely fascinating...ugh... Anyway, I already wrote a little about the characters and I still feel much the same way. I liked Donovan all the way through the book. If anything, he got better as I read. He didn’t fall apart like MANY other male leads in romance novels. For this, I give Debra Mullins much credit. It’s not easy to maintain a character’s tough facade when he’s fallen in love. She definitely handled everything well with Donovan. I especially liked Donovan’s secret. I don’t want to give it away, but I was not in the least bit disappointed, nor did I think it entirely implausible. Sarah remained a good character. I think I wanted to see a little bit more fire from her toward the end, but she didn’t really disappoint. I don’t think I want anything to change about the book to accommodate this, so I can definitely live with it.

I know this is a short review, but the book is pretty self-explanatory. The plot speaks for itself in its fun and well-written nature and the characters practically pop off the pages. As you can tell, I really did enjoy this book and it was every bit as good as the first Mullins book I read. I look forward to tracking down more of her books and enjoying them as well.

[Jessica Boyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this one as a joke because we had talked in my book club about reading one of these kinds of books just for laughs and I was realized that I never had read one of these romance types with the cover being all “Fabio” and scandalous looking 😂 This one was free so I decided to give it a try and surprisingly, it wasn’t total trash 🤣 It was kind of interesting in some of the story line. A lot of it was super cringey though. I thought some of the terms didn’t fit the time. For example, there’s one part where she says “What if someone comes?” as in what if someone enters the room, and he’s all “someone will be 😉” insinuating that they’re going to have sex to completion and I just don’t know that people even used the word “cum” back in the days when there were bounty hunters and printing presses 🤨 I am on the fence about whether I want to read the next book because the interaction between those two characters was just awful in this book but I am curious to see what happens to the villain from this book. I just don’t know 🤔

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to give a 3.5 rating for the book.

I loved Sarah, especially since she was so feisty and intuitive. Donovan was a bit less fleshed out but he still held as a fairly solid character. Her mom June and sister Susannah clearly loved her and wanted the best for her. Watching Sarah grow was a very good since it made any of the sex scenes a lot more believable. Her decisions to take breaks and not just rush into things is a rare trait in historical romances but it really worked out.

I docked off the stars for the lack of real fear and conflict with the villain. It felt too rushed and not enough real depth in establishing his villainy. Same with the pushing for marriage. Seemed like no one wanted her to mature beyond the dreams of a young woman.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed the book. It's nice to find a solid woman who has layers. Not always possible in nearly two decade old books.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this western historical romance story. I listened to it from audio. The narrator did a great job with reading the story. The main two characters were Sarah Calhoun and Jack Donovan.

Sarah Calhoun is  determined to restore honor to her family name. She want to be the most successful with her father newspaper print press.  But she having a hard time doing this because of the scandal that was in the her past.

Jack Donovan has finally decided to put the past behind him and make a new life.  He wants to have a wife and kids in the future. So when a sassy newspaper editor start to hound him about his past and what he doing.

This was a fun enjoyable story with a lot of laughter and adventure. And also some mystery to it.

I saw this on Audible and decided to give it a try. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover art is terrible and the title is even worse. However, if you can overlook that, you'll find a sweet enemies to lovers romance about two people can't stand each other, or their irresistible chemistry. Sarah runs the local paper after an incident with her ex fiance causes the death of her father. Jack Donovan is new in town, attempting to escape his past and start over. The women of this tiny Wyoming town won't leave him be, especially once it's announced by the local paper that Jack is in search of a wife. There was a surprising amount of growth by Jack throughout this book and I was pleasantly surprised that he wasn't the typical rough and tumble cowboy who rebels. The novel was a bit predictable in plot but Jack is swoon worthy and even better narrated by Joe Arden.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Jack Donovan who finally has a house in the town he has dreamed of. He has insulted Sarah who has now written an article in her family paper about the kind of wife Donovan is looking for. Donovan at first thinks this is great. Then he realizes he can't walk two feel without one of the single girls of the town fighting for him and really all he really wanted all along was Sarah. How does he get all of these stupid girls to stop fighting for him and Sarah to notice him.

[Mary Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good to read but it is little excited. I want to know what result in last chapter. Epilogue chapter is very interested.

[Bookwurm637 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's so funny that the story opens with the description of this beautiful bed and the two make love almost everywhere but in the bed. 😆

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story….stupid title.

[Kimberly K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly acceptable historical western. Fun escape.

[Hillary Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donovan's Bed by Debra Mullins turned out to be the best kind of surprise. All I expected was to get my curiosity sated about Samhain's Retro Romances. What I discovered was a guilty pleasure of a book.

Sarah Calhoun made one mistake, and the small-minded small-town gossips are never going to let her forget. Admittedly, it was a pretty big mistake. And the entire town knows that Sarah isn't going to go to her marriage bed (if any man is ever willing to overlook her past, that is) a blushing virgin.

So Sarah has spent the last two years living down her terrible sin, and throwing herself into running her father's newspaper. The newspaper is all she has left of him. Being a good businesswoman, instead of just a woman, barely keeps the busybodies out of her life.

But of course there is a man. His name is Jack Donovan. She's been pursuing him as part of her work. He's new in town, and he's bought the biggest ranch for miles around. But...no one knows who he is or where he came from. Donovan just showed up in Burr one day with a fistful of cash and bought himself a lot of respectability. Sarah knows he must have a dark secret buried someplace deep.

Jack Donovan does have a secret, and he doesn't want Sarah to find it. So whenever she tries to interview him, he tries to get her temper riled up. Not true anger, just to deflect her a little. And because the sexual tension between them makes the sparks fly.

But when Donovan has an ornate four-poster bed shipped to Burr from "Back East", all the mock-flirtation comes to a boil. Sarah wants to know why a single rancher, however wealthy, lavished so much money on such an ostentatious piece of furniture.

Donovan tell her that he's decided to settle down and find a wife. Then has the gall to tell Sarah that she isn't on the list. Even worse, he tells that she'd be just fine for a passionate affair, but that she's not a woman to marry.

Not having lost his entire mind, he doesn't tell her that the reason he won't consider marrying her is that he wants a full-time rancher's wife, and he knows she won't give up her newspaper. And that it is unfair of him to expect it of her. And there's that other little problem--he won't tell her his secrets, and she won't rest until she finds out.

But Sarah is incensed. Telling a newspaperwoman that she isn't good enough to marry you is not the way for a man to lead a quiet and respectable life in a small town. Sarah prints Donovan's wife hunt as front page news the very next day, complete with his stated list of qualifications.

The poor man finds himself besieged, even in his own home!

But the more women who throw themselves at him, the more he realizes that Sarah, the one he believed was totally unsuitable, is the only woman he could possibly spend the rest of his life with.

But first they have to deal with a few pesky little problems. Like his past. And her past. And whether or not they are both willing to make serious compromises in their expectations.

Sarah was right all along. Jack Donovan really did have a deep, dark secret buried in his past. Jack wanted it to stay buried forever. Until his worst self turns out to be the only one who can save Sarah's life.

Escape Rating B+: If you have a fondness for Western romances in small frontier towns, this is a good one. I'd forgotten how much fun these stories are. It probably helps a lot that this particular "Retro Romance" isn't all that retro--Donovan's Bed was originally published in 2000.

I'm even considering reading the rest of the Calhoun Sisters series, just for fun.

Do not judge this book by its cover. Donovan is probably even more alpha than the picture, but Sarah is making her way as a businesswoman in a man's world, she's no sweet, submissive little miss. The original paperback cover may be more lurid, but more accurate.

[Harlie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to start this review with a plea...BUY THIS BOOK, READ THIS BOOK and be prepared to laugh, sigh and fall in love with characters that leap off the pages. Most people don't realize that I really enjoy reading historical romance books and especially western historical books. Donovan's Bed one western historical romance that I will forever cherish and think about for some time to come.


Sarah Calhoun is a feisty, funny and independent woman that *gasp* has a job in her town. She loves her job and her town. On fateful mistake in her teens as labeled her a harlot in the town and the gossips won't let her forget about it. She feels like she still has to atone for this mistake. When the mysterious Jack Donovan shows up in town with money and a past that he won't talk about, the reporter in her seeks the truth. The woman in her awakes and trying to separate is easier said than done. Sarah is a fascinating woman. Strong in her resolve that she will always be tainted and never marry but soft and tender when it comes to Jack. He brings things out in Sarah that she thought were long dormant.


Jack Donovan is a man with a past that he is not necessarily proud of but he wants it to stay buried. He did what he did to survive and was good at it. It was a means to an end. When he decided to leave that life behind and settle in Wyoming Territory, he made his mind up that he wanted a home, children and a wife. He never thought that Sarah, a working woman, would be that woman. His conflicted thoughts and emotions regarding Sarah were honest and led to some of the funniest moments in the book.


The scenes with Sarah and Jack were heartwarming, sexy and funny. The more they tried to resist each other, the more the sexual tension built. *sigh* When Jack figured out that Sarah was exactly what he needed in his life, the chase was on for him to convince Sarah. While this book was sexy in parts, the sexual tension build up was terrific. Jack brought out in Sarah her passionate side that she had long denied but was a big part of her. Sarah was soothing to Jack's somewhat tortured soul.


The secondary characters especially Sarah's sister, Suzi and the wounded marshall were well written. I look forward to Suzi's book in April. The town that Ms. Mullin's built is real and charming. The townspeople were typical for the time but not caricature's. They were heartwarming and funny.


I highly recommend Donovan's Bed for anyone looking for a sexy, heartwarming western historical that has captured this reader's heart and I look forward to the next installment.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has everything I enjoy in a great historical fiction romance and Debra Mullins spins an entertaining storyline. A dashing, mysterious new man in town with money and secrets, a skeptical newspaper woman who doesn’t trust him and a small town full of old gossiping biddies and outrageous characters sets the stage. Jack and Sarah are enemies from the start but the chemistry between them sizzles every time they spar. He knows she’s too nosey for her own good and he fights his attraction but that doesn’t stop him from giving in and pursuing her. Sarah is feisty, intelligent and haunted by her past but she can’t deny her attraction though she knows Jack is dangerous. I enjoyed their verbal sparring, their sexy flirting and this delightful journey back to 1880. I listened to the audiobook version and I loved the narration performance storytelling of Joe Arden. I really enjoyed his sexy voice whispering in my ears.

[Bronwyn Rykiert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debra Mullins is one of my favourite author's and though this story was not her best it was still pretty good.

Wyoming Territory 1882 and everyone has stopped to watch a lovely carved,very large bed being pulled through town on its way to its new owner Jack Donovan. Sarah Calhoun who runs the family business, which is the local paper in this small town wants to know a little more about this bed. Sarah has been running the newspaper since her father was killed by her lover Luke Petrie, Sarah has felt guilty about her father's death because he teied to warn her about Luke. Sarah has also been an outcast in town since that time as her reputation was shot to pieces.

For the last 12 months since Jack Donovan has been in town and getting his ranch ready Sarah has been locking horns with him as she wants to find out his secrets and what lays in his past. Every time they see each other sparks fly - Jack is now looking for a wife and Sarah is difinitely not on the list but ....!.

It was a typical love story, the couple starting out as enemies and ending up lovers. Of course the road to love never runs smoothly.

Jack's background story was pretty good, the part in the book that let me down was how Sarah reacted when she found out about Jack's background, I found that a bit corny. It was still a good read though and quick.

[Mitzi]

Now available on Kindle June 2, 2012.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

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