Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Dennehy Sisters #1

Dulce y salvaje

Rate this book
Nueva York, 1875. Mary Dennehy es una mujer de armas tomar. Sólo así ha conseguido hacerse con un puesto en la redacción del Chronicle y ser respetada por sus compañeros. En un viaje en tren con sus colegas reporteros através de las Montañas Rocosas, da con la historia de su vida. Y todo empiezacon un inesperado beso que le da un forajido antes de secuestrarla.

496 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1992

347 people are currently reading
452 people want to read

About the author

Jo Goodman

60 books479 followers
To find characters to illustrate my first family saga, I cut out models from the Sears catalogue. I was in fourth grade, but it was a start. In seventh grade I wrote a melodrama about two orphan sisters, one of whom was pregnant. There was also a story about a runaway girl with the unlikely name of Strawberry and one about mistaken identities and an evil blind date. My supportive, but vaguely concerned parents, sighed with relief when I announced I was going to write children's books. They bought me an electric typewriter and crossed their fingers, but somehow PASSION'S BRIDE came out. No one was really surprised.
I graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry and some notion that I would do marine research. Years of competitive swimming didn't help me anticipate seasickness. A career change seemed in order. I began working with adolescents and families, first as a childcare worker and later, after graduating from West Virginia University with a master's degree in counseling, as a therapist. I am currently the executive director of a child caring/mental health agency and find my work and my writing often compliment each other. One grounds me in reality and the other offers a break from it.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
304 (42%)
4 stars
215 (29%)
3 stars
157 (21%)
2 stars
33 (4%)
1 star
14 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
Profile Image for Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession.
1,224 reviews3,701 followers
January 3, 2019
Holy shit this heroine is a twit. For fuck sake she doesn't have the sense God gave a fly. Add that to the fact the hero was an unimpressive, selfish and at times abusive jerk and I got my first DNF of 2019 and we are only 2 days into the year. I did read to the 80% but I just can't take the stupid no more.
Profile Image for Maria Clara.
1,244 reviews725 followers
April 21, 2017
La verdad es que me ha gustado mucho más de lo que esperaba. No sé, últimamente había dejado de leer novela romántica historica porque me parecía más de lo mismo; siempre la misma historia solo que con algunas variantes. Pues bien, este libro me ha sacado de mi estupor literario...jajaja.... No puedo afirmar que sea "original", pues sólo he leído otra novela ambientada en el oeste americano, pero sí que sus personajes son carismáticos y que el ritmo de la novela no decae en ningún momento.
Profile Image for Serena Miles.
1,471 reviews68 followers
October 13, 2023
4.25 ⭐️
Me ha gustado mucho, pero el primer capítulo es un caos de personajes y nombres que no vuelven a salir, y me ha faltado un Ethan mas potente en un momento determinado... no me ha cuadrado que un hombre decidido, firme y frío en la adversidad, no tenga una conversación normal con la perdona junto a la que ha sobrevivido
Profile Image for Mara.
2,540 reviews270 followers
December 8, 2014
I can't understand how this author could write such a boring, flat book. I don't really know her, but Jo Goodman is quite a name in the romance industry. But if I have to judge from this novel, I wouldn't give her books a dime.

There's not an ounce of meat to this romance, or plot either. We are presented in the prologue with a powerful heroine: imagine the end of the XIX century, the world is changing, women are doing their first foray into the world as professionals. We have a woman journalist as a heroine. We see her struggling in a man's world, we are told she has talent and she's going to be a big name in the future.

Then the book starts. And the only thing you see is a girl dumber than a brick. And I'm not joking, nor it's a personal taste. She is portrayed as a dumb, stupid, naive girl. There's no way she could be a journalist nowadays. Not even imagining her in 1875 with all that entails.

She makes mistake after mistake, doesn't understand danger. Well honestly, there's nothing she seems to understand. The hero, who's not particularly interesting in himself, keeps battering her with words and sometimes hands to let her see the danger. No way. She's impervious to any thought. Unbelievable. There's not one single brain cell working. She's got a mouth to her, but it's not linked to any brain. Again, please understand, this is not my pet peeve. She's really portrayed as such.

Then there's the romance. Given this is not erotica (i.e. sex doesn't happen with the flimsiest excuse), the fact that they have sex mid way along the novel comes as a unwelcome surprise. First because there's no chemistry, no spark. No history of interest. All of a sudden they have sex. Uh?

But maybe all of these could be overlooked if there was a story behind it. Unfortunately except for the initial robbery after hundreds of pages we have nothing except their everyday life, her never ending show of stupidity. And that's it. How can it sustain a story? It doesn't.

I'm not sure whether I'll keep reading as there's so much boring-ness and nothing I can bear.

I wonder if the rest of the blurb will ever happen and when. My initial thoughts were ok, pity, this is going to be a 2 star (merely ok) but the more I read, the less I liked it. There's no way I can recommend this novel to anyone, even plain romance fan. As I said there's no meat to it.

Update. I did read it all (more or less, with plenty of skipping). She doesn't improve, neither does he. To the ugly duckling cliche we can now add the big misunderstanding and ones. Moreover the rest of the book was the same fare over and over. What the blurb promised never came except as an excuse.
Not my cuppa.
Profile Image for Nabilah.
614 reviews254 followers
October 8, 2022
I'm bumping this one to five stars. After finishing up the series, I realized that MS. Goodman wrote the books in this series in the line of a bodice-ripper, so a cruel hero is a given thing. For a bodice-ripper, this was a fine book. If I had known earlier, I could have managed my expectations better.

__________________________________________________
Initial review:

It could have been five stars, but unfortunately, I was not too fond of the hero's actions in the final 30%. Ms. Goodman usually writes great (not necessarily beta) heroes, but I feel like cracking Ethan's head. He didn't fight for Mary Michael and just went with the flow which was super annoying. Ethan only returned to New York to protect Mary Michael from the villains (the villains escaped imprisonment). He admitted that if the villains did not escape prison, he wouldn't have sought Mary Michael again. He felt inadequate to her (she's illegitimate, for heaven's sake. Sure, her father is Jay Mac, a powerful tycoon but illegitimacy during that period was to be scorned, so I didn't think their difference in status should have been an issue). There was a point during the trial when Mary Michael was waiting for Ethan's proposal, and he knew it, but he didn't say anything. She became pregnant, and he felt offended because she didn't tell him. I would have done precisely as Mary Michael. He treated her like a stranger in their last meeting. I would think that I didn't merit his attention, so I would highly doubt that he'd be interested in my pregnancy.

It was an enjoyable book, and there is so much to like here. The plot was unpredictable, and the blurb didn't do it justice. You have train robberies, a heroine's abduction, a hero in disguise, menacing villains, female reporter (I think I might have left a couple of tropes; the book was that crazy!). The first 70% was super good until Ethan and Mary Michael got out of the mine, and it started to fizzle. Fantastic descriptive writing is to be expected from Ms. Goodman.

There are some funny scenes as well. For example, Ethan literally washed Mary Michael's mouth with soap because she kept using cursed words. I've encountered where the characters threatened to do that but never actually did it. So, that was a first.

TW:
1) Violence from hero to heroine.
-He was undercover at that time. He clipped the heroine in the jaw, so she didn't give him away. Also, he was trying to save her life. However, he was acting as the villain, so I'm giving him a pass for this offense.
2) Non-con (the heroine was drugged against her will)
- I was unhappy when he asked the villain to drug Mary Michael when he had to leave her for a while. I thought that was a foolish move, and it shows that he didn't prioritize her safety. anything could have happened to her, and she wouldn't be able to fight. The villain lady was jealous of her, so don't you think she would have relished getting rid of the competition?

Love scenes: This is one area where I've never been disappointed by Ms. Goodman. The love scenes are sensual without being overly explicit and feel realistic.

This wasn't a perfect book, but it was a damn good one. My rating is 4.25 stars. I will continue with the series (I will have to wait for the weekend as I don't feel like staying up half the night on weekdays as work beckons the next day - it is that engrossing - I swear!).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Zoe.
766 reviews203 followers
December 26, 2017
This book is typical of Jo Goodman. If you do not like her style, this book would be boring. I liked it but did not love it. If I liked the heroine better, this would have been a better read.

The series begins with Mary Michael Dennehy. Who is one of the 5 Dennehy sisters. They were bastard daughters of a wealthy New York businessman. All of the Dennehy sisters are Marys, hence the questionable choice of middle names. Heroine of the book is Michael. She was an aspiring journalist who dreamed of becoming a professional reporter. The book started with Michael working in the Chronicle, headed by Logan Marshall. I know that Jo Goodman has written stories about the Marshall brothers. So there is Logan Marshall doing cameos. Long story short, she ran into trouble on a train west doing her journalism business and was abducted/saved by Ethan Stone.

I won't rehash the story here since it doesn't really matter what happened in this book. True to her style Jo Goodman never really just writes a romance. Her books are always mysteries wrapped in a romance coating. This is not my favorite book of her works. The fact that my favorite female character in the book was Mary Francis, the oldest Dennehy sister, who was also a nun, speaks volume about how I feel about Mary Michael. I do not understand why Jo Goodman had to name her Michael, it was very distracting for me. What is the point? Couldn't she have been Michelle? Michael wasn't my kind of heroine. She had too much to prove, and too unsophisticated for me to like her. She was too headstrong for my taste and was not happy with Ethan (understandably) for a long time. I did not know why Ethan would fall in love with her. A heroine always makes or kills a book for me. If I do not like her, it is difficult for me to buy the romance.

But Michael was a Jo Goodman heroine after all. She was not what I would have preferred, but she was not a childish brat. I liked Ethan Stone better as a character. Like all Jo Goodman heroes, he was not one who gave in to jealousy and acted all kinds of male craziness just because someone looked at his woman. He is also typical of Goodman's heroes, steady and reliable. He appeared in the book as some kind of a criminal but of course he was on the side of the law. This cannot be a surprise.

The story did drag on, following Ethan and Michael from a remote town, where we spent 80% of the book in, then to NYC where the bad guys in the book came for Michael, and Ethan came back into Michael's life to save her from those bad guys. Ethan was greeted by a surprise and wedding, poison, bad guys got arrested, the end.

It isn't the most exciting book, and definitely not my favorite book of Jo Goodman. I did not like Mary Michael much. But I still enjoyed Jo Goodman's writing.
Profile Image for Cindy.
1,885 reviews13 followers
July 16, 2024
This is first in the series, copyright 1992. A reread for me. I had to buy this used after reading a couple of the other books in the series & finding this one out of print. I don't know if it still is.
American historical set in 1875. Colorado & NYC.

Ignore the lurid title, this is a good read!
UPDATE! The title of this book is now Only My Love. You can only buy it on Kindle, but it's free.

Michael has an unusual name for a heroine. She's one of 5 bastard daughters of a wealthy businessman & his employee. His wife won't give him a divorce. Her Catholic mother, to atone for her sins, names all her daughters Mary. The first daughter is actually called Mary - the rest by their middle names. She is a reporter, the only woman on the paper & trying to prove herself.

Ethan is a Federal Marshal & infiltrates a gang of train robbers to get enough evidence to bring them to justice. He saves Michael from the robbers, but she has to pretend to be his estranged wife.
I'm seeing a young Sam Elliot as Ethan. Definitely his voice!

Enjoyable!
Profile Image for CJ - It's only a Paper Moon.
2,322 reviews159 followers
December 25, 2014
Meh

2.4 stars and the .4 is only because I like Jo Goodman.

I don't know what happened in this book though. Michael was a disappointing & annoying heroine, Ethan - while slightly more sympathetic - had potential that went nowhere. And the ending? The ending was unneccessarily drawn out.

There are better Historical "Wild West" romances to read, hell there are better Jo Goodman's to read. Skip this if you can. If you can't, well, it's not bad but it surely isn't great. If you aren't overcome with the same need to clip Mike on the jaw or have the urge to shake her, then you're a better reader than I am. How Ethan put up with her, especially while risking his own neck for her, I'll never know. But logic tells me that when you're in a situation in which you could die over the littlest thing, you might want to pick the devil you know and do as you're told. So, a big pat on the back for Ethan and even bigger pat on the back if you're going to venture into this one.

Profile Image for Robin.
1,985 reviews98 followers
July 27, 2014
It was plain luck that Mary Michael Dennehy wasn't killed when her train was stopped by a group of train robbers. She was also lucky that one of the desperadoes, Ethan Stone, knocked her out before she could tell them that she was a reporter. When she came to, Ethan had told his friends that she was his wife and would be traveling with them. Not knowing why Ethan is protecting her, Michael plans her escape.

This book, along with the other books in the Dennehy Sisters series, has been in my TBR pile for years. It started out slow and it took me a while to get into the story. The heroine bothered me at first. She was whiny and didn't know when to keep her mouth shut. Luckily she learned to shut her mouth and became much more likeable. So, I'd give the first 150 pages low marks, but the second half of the book makes me want to continue with the series. My overall rating: 3.5 Stars.
Profile Image for Serena Books.
2,007 reviews107 followers
October 23, 2023
Are-You-really-so-ridiculous
Demasiadas situaciones increíbles incluso para un romance histórico de los 90.




•Mi opinión puede contener Spoilers.
•Esta destinada a ser un descargo personal no para que alguien más lea pero si lo haces y te ofende, me disculpo porque sé lo que es que te guste un libro y otros lo critiquen.





Dulce Y Salvaje de Goodman Jo Serie Hermanas Dennehy libro 1

Argumento:

Nueva York, 1875. Mary es una mujer de armas tomar. Sólo así ha conseguido hacerse con un puesto en la redacción del Chronicle y ser respetada por sus colegas. En un viaje en tren con sus colegas a través de las Montañas Rocosas, da con la historia de su vida. Y todo empieza con un inesperado beso que le da un forajido antes de secuestrarla.



Mi humilde opinión:


Dulce y Salvaje es un romance histórico en el viejo oeste.

Estaba emocionada por leer este libro porque disfruto la época del viejo oeste. Este parecía interesante, principalmente porque la heroína era una periodista en un mundo de hombres y después estaba la parte del romance con el forajido. Me pareció que tenía en mano un buena aventura pero me equivoqué.

Voy a comenzar con lo primero que no me gustó, el héroe:

Ethan es un Marshal que trabajando encubierto en una banda que se dedica a robar trenes. Yo entendí su trabajo y que no podía arriesgarse a ser descubierto hasta que termine su investigación, necesitaba dar una imágen de malo ante el resto de la banda para mantener su tapadera PERO tenía que seguir siendo desagradable cuando estaba a solas con Michael? Su maltrato para con ella fue terrible desde el inicio. Lo que me provocó que me incomodaran muchas de sus acciones por más que dijera que lo hacia para mantenerla con vida. Primero la golpea en el rostro con tal fuerza que la desmaya, la secuestra y amenaza, después la manosea mientras cabalgaba estando dormida. No entendía su constante maltrato, burla y prepotencia para con ella.

Michael quería salir de esa situación de peligro y que Ethan dijera que no podía arriesgarse a decirle por miedo que lo delate prácticamente le estaba diciendo al lector que era una mujer estúpida. Cómo ella iba a ser descuidada con su secreto cuando quería escapar con vida? Me pareció más lógico que en algún momento él le confesara su identidad y trabajaran juntos para poder investigar a la banda y apresarlos. Hubiera sido más emocionante y no aburrido como fueron las partes en el Saloon.

Esperé que la heroína usara su cabeza:

Michael era una buena periodista pero no indagaba, no hacía un plan de escape. Aceptó su situación bastante tranquilamente. Me decepcionó porque me gustaba su inteligencia y esperé que llegara ella misma a la conclusión de quién era realmente Ethan. Esperé que ella utilizara su cabeza y tuviera alguna salida brillante. No que se resignara a quedarse en el Saloon de Dee, bailara, se embriagara, coqueteara con el villano, se comportara como una adolescente enamorada de Ethan y aguantara todos sus golpes sin devolverlos.

Además Michael debería haber tenido un trauma por todo lo que sufrió con el secuestro. No me parecía realista su tranquilidad o sus acciones. Que ella pensara en lo guapo que es el hombre que asesinó a su compañero de trabajo, sabiendo que está con la banda de delincuentes que mataron a sus otros compañeros reporteros? Ella debería sentir asco por él, no atracción. Y que la tenga en contra de su voluntad, amenazándola por más que lo tape con algunas buenas atenciones, ni hablar de besarlo con pasión o ponerse celosa porque otra mujer lo quiera? No debería sentir así por él. Yo estaría planeando huir en lugar de ponerme a bailar y servir mesas. Michael hizo algunas cosas tontas y a veces no sabía para qué lado iba su interés, si para Ethan o Houston.

Cuando finalmente ella intenta escapar, se va con una pistola sin balas y falla en el intento para qué? Para que Ethan la detenga y le lave la boca con jabón para después terminar teniendo sexo? Esa fue una escena que no podía creer! Como tampoco que Ethan le pida a Dee que la mantenga drogada por días!?

No me gustó el romance:

Senti como un desapego emocional por parte de los protagonistas y la tensión constante entre estos dos era la peor quemadura lenta que leí en mí vida. Hubo lujuria y deseo pero no me mostraron amor. Cuando él confía en ella y le confiesa todo, hace un cambio de personalidad sorprendente. Fue como chocante verlos en modo romántico porque no hubo un buen desarrollo del mismo. No hubo calidez o sentimientos que crecieran desde que se conocen.

La historia se vuelve una telenovela extendida:

No hubo tiempo para asimilar todo lo que sucede desde el momento en la cueva de la mina. No hay un tiempo para el proceso con cada sorpresa o descubrimiento. Se precipita una cosa detrás de la otra.

Me dejó boquiabierta la detención de la banda y no de buena manera. Esperaba un enfrentamiento con acción pero solo me cuentan el momento en que se llevan presos a todos. Es como si la autora se hubiera quedado sin páginas y lo resumió todo para volver a Nueva York.

Lo peor fue la angustia añadida cuando Ethan y Michael se separan tras el juicio, ambos se habían dicho te amo en un momento de peligro y después ninguno quería decirlo porque pensaron que no era real? El momento para aclararlo fue en el hotel cuando se vuelven a ver pero no lo hacen. Los dos asumen cosas y se separan por ocho meses.

Houston y Dee escapan y se descubre que Michael esta embarazada? hay un ida y vuelta con los protagonistas hasta que aclaran los malos entendidos, se casan precipitadamente y los villanos intentan vengarse envenenando a Michael pero les sale mal la jugada y es Ethan quien termina enfermo. Houston sorprende a Michael y ella termina matándolo? Me superaron todas las situaciones que iban más allá de lo creíble.

Sí, entiendo que es un libro de la época de los 90, no es el peor que leí pero esperaba menos melodrama y una mejor aventura y romance.
Profile Image for Lauren.
3,674 reviews142 followers
September 15, 2023
While on a train reporter, Mary Michael Dennehy, is caught in the middle of a robbery. Little did she know that she had met one of the robbers before and to keep her from getting killed for being a reporter he makes up a story that they had once been married. Ethan Stone did not expect to see the woman reporter again, he is on a mission of his own and to get them both out of it he forces her to pretend.

While Michael may be a smart woman, her tendency to speak at the wrong moments and potentially worsen situations can be quite annoying. It's not uncommon for characters to have flaws, and Michael's imperfections add depth to her character, making her feel more human and relatable. On the other hand, Ethan's straightforward and practical approach is refreshing and commendable. His ability to assess and address challenges head-on demonstrates his determination and capability, making him a character to root for. The contrasting personalities of Michael and Ethan create an interesting dynamic in the story, adding complexity to their relationship and the overall plot.
Profile Image for Maryori.
130 reviews
January 15, 2016
Me gustan los western, y los romances históricos así que éste me ha caído como del
Cielo, muy buena trama, grandes intrigas, lo recomiendo para pasar 1 o 2 días de sana distracción :)
Profile Image for Winnifred D..
917 reviews35 followers
June 11, 2021
This is a re-titling and re-release of nearly 30-year-old romance novel called "Wild Sweet Ecstasy." Sometimes these re-leases work, with just a few simple updates to plot and/or character. The basic premise of this book is fine and the author obviously did her research into the 1870's setting. The editing is solid. But what was considered masculine, "alpha" behavior in books back then can be a turn-off to readers today, and female characters today are not considered out of the norm if they're smart and strong. So I knew right away when I was reading this that 2014 was not the original publication date.

I'm not sure why anyone would like this H. I have to be honest, he left me completely cold. He was judgmental of the h from the beginning and made a point of belittling her throughout the first third of the book. Obviously, he didn't want to blow his cover, but he could have toned down the threats and obnoxious behavior a bit, especially when they were alone. After all, she's a civilian and he's working for the government. Wouldn't he have expected to get more cooperation from her if he at least behaved in a professional manner? But the h's ventures into TSTL territory don't help matters. I wanted her to be a sharp, tough cookie--a pioneering female reporter--but she never evolves into that.

The H changes slightly as the plot progresses--which the h alludes to--but they have very little chemistry. Instead of real emotion between them, we get melodrama. The first scenes of intimacy are weirdly abrupt. I knew I was going to have a tough time finishing the book when the H forced a bar of soap down into the h's mouth for using profanity (I was so stunned by this scene I barely got through it). Toward the end of the book, for no logical reason, h pulls a gun on H. Pretty hard to relate to either character.

There is a somewhat interesting villain who might have worked even better as the hero, if he'd redeemed himself. But he ends up just being your stock bad guy. The storyline is paced well enough, but at the expense of characterization, and the plot just fizzles. It's not helped that there is a constant shifting back and forth of point of view until you can't get a strong feeling for who the characters really are.

Too bad this author didn't rework this book before she re-released it. I love a well-researched, action-packed historical romance. But you have to have relatable, multidimensional characters as well.
Profile Image for Rachel.
319 reviews24 followers
July 28, 2021
So I read this series back in May/June and am just catching up now with my Goodreads updates . . . oops!

Anyway, I really liked this book! It's a Western Romance, sure, but Jo Goodman writes with grit and cleverness. She hides what you don't expect in plain sight and doesn't shy away from the tough scenes.

I particularly loved the female lead of this book. Mary Michael Dennehy is one of five illegitimate sisters born to a prominent businessman and the love of his life . . . who happens to not be his wife. To lessen the scandal of it all, if only by a little bit, each sister is Mary something: Mary Michael, Mary Renee, Mary Frances, Mary Schyler, and Mary Margaret. Each sister goes by their second name except Mary Frances, who's the eldest.

Known as "Michael," Mary Michael forges her way as a journalist. Despite her father's connections, she works her way up on her own, fighting for recognition as the smart woman she is. That's how she comes to be on a train headed west with a team of journalists. When the train is held up and robbed, the outlaw, who has a grudge against journalists, quickly does away with most of her colleagues. Except Michael doesn't strike him as a journalist, and one of the outlaws, Ethan, quickly interferes, claiming Michael is his estranged wife who was about to remarry one of the journalists. To save her life, Michael goes along with it all, even though she thinks she sees Ethan kill her last living colleague. Ethan, however, has secrets of his own, and it's crucial that Michael doesn't reveal them. She's an added complication on his mission . . . and he yearns to keep her safe.

But the villain, Houston and his woman, Dee, have plans for Michael. Dee wants her to work in her saloon while Houston has designs on gaining Michael for himself. They're a formidable pair of baddies, that's for sure!

Lots of twists, turns, and revelations in this one while the romance slowly inches up the thermometer. Even when you think all the secrets have been revealed, more unfold. Ethan can be a bit crude at times (so I didn't completely swoon over him), I mostly forgave him since he was undercover and under a lot of pressure. Overall, this one really got my heart and mind racing.

4.5 stars!
3,947 reviews21 followers
June 13, 2019
With the opening scenes, it is obvious that Mary Michael Dennehy (known as ‘Michael’) is trying to break into the male-dominated world of newspaper reporting. Ethan Stone is one of 3 men in the publisher’s office of the New York Chronicle at the time Michael bursts in.

The next time Ethan Stone sees her, she is on a train with a group of newspaper reporters. Ethan immediately recognizes her and worries that she will blow his cover. To save her life and his own, he takes her hostage and claims that she is his one-time wife. Of course, Michael doesn’t understand the undercurrents among the thieves who are robbing the train she is on – and she proceeds to argue and demand.

One of the train robbers has a hate for all reporters. He makes sure the railway car with the reporters is smashed, killing the reporters.

Ethan worries that Michael will recognize him and get both of them killed. The thieves reluctantly allow Ethan to bring his estranged wife with them to the town where they hide in plain sight. Ethan does everything he can to keep Michael alive; Michael is looking for a way to escape.

Michael’s arrival upsets the balance among the thieves and their girlfriends. Houston and Dee have been a couple for a long time, but Houston eyes Michael with lust. Houston even tells Ethan that he plans to get Michael. Dee becomes angry and directs her hatred toward Michael.

There are lots of subplots to fill the 600+ pages. However, there is never any doubt that the focus of the story is Michael and Ethan. The main and secondary characters were drawn with skill. This is the first volume of the 5 part series, The Dennehy Sisters.

Dennehy Sisters
1. Wild Sweet Ecstasy (1992) aka More Than a Touch
2. Rogue's Mistress (1993)
3. Forever in My Heart (1994)
4. Always in My Dreams (1995)
5. Only in My Arms (1999)
Profile Image for Bernadette.
413 reviews7 followers
October 2, 2019
The premise of this book was intriguing enough for me to try it. I went for an author unknown to me and a setting I haven’t read a lot of. It made a great start, fell a bit flat in the middle and the ending seemed a little rushed.
A strong willed, female journalist, who is a pioneer in that field, finds herself in a train robbery. When she is recognised by an undercover federal marshal, he knocks her out, abducts her and claims she is his estranged wife. He does this in order to protect her.
They end up in a mining town, stuck in a saloon. The conflict between the two is real in the beginning, but mellows as Mary Michael believes she has worked out Ethan. The reactions of other members of the gang to her range from attraction to jealousy, with a good helping of suspicion.
Although the behaviour of Mary Michael and Ethan is understandable, I did find myself wanting to shake them into action and get then to stop making assumptions about each other.
I think this story was a good pick for me as something different, but didn’t live up to my expectations. It won’t stop me from looking for other stories similar to this.
Profile Image for WyoGal.
489 reviews
August 2, 2021
Twisty story; some plot pacing problems

While there are exciting scenes in the book, they are spaced toward the beginning and end. The initial encounter between the protagonists is one-sided and never seems to hit a balance. The female protagonist is caught in a weird triangle between two men who are vying for her attention, but her interest seems too focused on the wrong man at times.

The middle confrontation scene between good and bad guys lacks believability because the heroes should’ve/would’ve been killed outright and not just left to die slowly…but that would’ve made the book a tragedy. Instead our heroes get a second chance, and part two of the book seems like a huge afterthought as there are numerous handy details that are made known in the final chapters instead of being layered in from the beginning. The ending is almost soap opera corny in that regard.

While the story has some great elements, the plot pacing is off, and the abrupt skips at the end, months later, ruin some of the pleasure in reading the book.

Profile Image for Cindy.
1,885 reviews13 followers
June 1, 2023
This is first in the series, copyright 1992. A reread for me. I had to buy this used after reading a couple of the other books in the series & finding this one out of print. I don't know if it still is.
American historical set in 1875. Colorado & NYC.

Ignore the lurid title, this is a good read!
UPDATE! The title of this book is now Only My Love. You can only buy it on Kindle, but it's free.

Michael has an unusual name for a heroine. She's one of 5 bastard daughters of a wealthy businessman & his employee. His wife won't give him a divorce. Her Catholic mother, to atone for her sins, names all her daughters Mary. The first daughter is actually called Mary - the rest by their middle names. She is a reporter, the only woman on the paper & trying to prove herself.

Ethan is a Federal Marshal & infiltrates a gang of train robbers to get enough evidence to bring them to justice. He saves Michael from the robbers, but she has to pretend to be his estranged wife.
I'm seeing a young Sam Elliot as Ethan. Definitely his voice!

Enjoyable!
Profile Image for Chanel.
1,833 reviews
October 19, 2019
This is an engaging book that spans from NYC to the Old West. As with most books by this author there is a lot going on such as: train robberies, an abduction, saloons, Dance Halls, poker games, mining explosion, and Women’s Rights. For the most part this books moves at a good pace, except too much time was spent in the town of Madison.
The relationship between Ethan, a undercover Federal Marshall, and Mary Michael, one of the first female newspaper reporters, starts with the most unusual incident. Their road to true love comes with lots of difficulties, especially when there is no trust and one party, Michael, is being held against her will. Ethan says his only goal is protect an innocent citizen caught in the crossfire, but that isn’t the whole truth. Michael struggles with her independent ways and values as she finds herself attractive to a man she believes is robber and murderer.
There is no shortage of devious secondary characters. Towards the end of the book, Michael’s spirited family appears and adds some spunk to the storyline. The plot for the second book of this series begins before this book ended. So of course, I had to immediately start the 2nd book.
Profile Image for N.W. Moors.
Author 12 books158 followers
April 12, 2022
I've just discovered Jo Goodman and I'm a big fan of her writing. Her stories are well-thought-out and interesting with strong characters and unique settings in the historical West of America.
This is the start of a series about five sisters, and I love them all already. Mary Michael, or just Michael, is a reporter who is caught in a train robbery and saved by Ethan Stone, one of the gang. What follows is Michael working in a saloon as a dancer and server while Ethan keeps guard over her. She knows too much about the gang to be released. Meanwhile, their romance heats up as their attraction to each other grows.
I really enjoyed this story. Michael's backstory is fascinating and I can't wait to get into the rest of the series.
700 reviews7 followers
December 12, 2019
Entertaining

A good story, well written and engaging right to the end. The two main characters were feisty and constantly at loggerheads with each other making the story entertaining. The supporting characters added extra depth and interest.

Mary Michael is a reporter on assignment with the Chronicle when the train she is travelling in with colleagues is held up. U. S. Marshal Ethan Stone is undercover, robbing a train with a gang when he sees Mary Michael again. Afraid she will recognise him from a previous encounter and give him away, he takes her along when the gang make their escape.
Profile Image for Laurla2.
2,614 reviews9 followers
July 8, 2022
also titled "only my love"

-4 stars.
a lot to the story. irritating in the first half how repeatedly stupid the female is, and how cruel he has to be to shut her up again and again to save her life. she seems bound and determined to reveal the secret she has to keep to live.

"if you're shaking your head, i can't hear you."
" that shoots down your theory, doesnt it?"
"what theory?"
"the one that says i have rocks in my head. you'd hear them rattle, wouldn't you?"

"you sound like you're dying."
"trust you to state the obvious. and for gods sake, don't yell. that's cruel."
"i'm whispering."
"then do it softer."
Profile Image for Alex McFarlane.
Author 2 books3 followers
August 24, 2023
I really enjoyed this book but found the pacing/weighting a bit off. The first two thirds should have really been only half as it made the end feel very rushed.

This is a nice historical about people who have jobs and feel like they actually inhabit the world. It was really grounded but I did take a star off for the above issue I had with it.

Jo Goodman is a solid writer and I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series.

This book did exactly what I wanted but I can completely see why someone who hate it. The MMC is a total prick for most of the book and is described so vaguely I still don’t have an idea of him in my head.
307 reviews2 followers
January 27, 2019
Hi goodman/ only my love

I was pleasantly surprised by this author. It was well written plot to a good story, how two people came together, one a reporter, the other an undercover federal Marshall ,and how his job was compromise by the reporter unknowingly, and how they manage to beat the odds even when they were shove into a mine to be blown up and never to be discovered. Do not want to give the story away , but, I think you will not be disappointed ,if you like thrilling events along with a little romance.
Profile Image for Suzy Vero.
467 reviews15 followers
July 12, 2023
Wild Sweet Ecstasy by Jo Goodman (1992) … Super riveting page turner!! Heroine is a NYC newspaper reporter on a train in Colorado that is held up by a notorious gang and the hero is one of the bad guys … or perhaps he isn’t? I’m not giving the plot away as it’s so good. The story telling is exceptional and the writing terrific with enough passionate sex scenes to keep the romance hot.

This book is also available under a new title, Only My Love, and it’s the first book in the Dennehy Sisters series.
Profile Image for Zahra Karami.
148 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2024
I immensely enjoyed reading this brilliant book.
This story was full of unexpected events which made me reluctant to leave reading it for a while.
Another good point of this book in my opinion is its erotic parts! They were brief but sufficient😅 I easily get board of reading stories where each sensual part of them contains 5 to 15 pages of explanation from moment to moment! and because of this, their story moves slowly and most of the time it's boring😩 But in this book, all the love making were explained in a reasonably short but complete manner and it was refreshing.
18 reviews
August 19, 2020
Strong Storytelling

I really enjoyed this story. While I thought that the heroine was perhaps too naive in the beginning, I appreciated her strength and determination. I was perhaps a bit underwhelmed but the ending. But, sometimes life is just that way. I would definitely recommend this book and this author!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.