To Seduce and Defend

by Deborah Camp

Jennie Caldwell Hastings is ready to stake claim to land left to her by her late husband when she arrives in Guthrie, Indian Territory, along with her young son, Oliver. She meets with handsome, suave lawyer Zach Warner and is blindsided to learn that the land isn't hers. Charles secretly divorced her and married another woman while in Guthrie and his "legal" wife holds claim to their son's inheritance! Working with Zach, Jennie is determined to secure the land and try to piece together what happened and if she ever knew Charles at all. When Zach unearths in her intense passion and the stirrings of a love that makes the one she had for her husband pale in comparison, she wonders if she's ever known herself at all! Should she trust Zach or any man after what Charles did to her? Should she resist or allow this sweeping, once in a lifetime seduction to run its course -- damn the consequences?

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical

201 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2013

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Reviews

[Celestine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niggling doubts

Lawyer Zach wasn't the only one with doubts. This couple just didn't work for me, but it is wrapped around an interesting, twisty law case. The time and setting in Guthrie added a quirky dimension, where men and women flocked for quicky divorces, 19th century style.

Book source: Kindle Unlimited subscription.

[ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...] · Rating 4 out of 5]

My reviews are honest & they contain spoilers. For more, follow me:


To Seduce and Defend is my first book by Deborah Camp. It’s a Western Historical Romance I picked up on a whim while checking the author’s backlist on Amazon. I had no idea what to expect, but was really surprised how well-written it was. I can truly say that I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would!

Jennie arrived to Guthrie from St. Louis to stake a claim on the land her recently deceased husband Charles had supposedly bought for them. Like other people searching for a piece of land in this small but surely budding town, Charles came in search of a piece of land to settle down. They didn’t have a lot and Jennie had to be the leader in their marriage because Charles wasn’t up to the task. She was tired of living a tedious life with her in laws and wanted better for their only child, Oliver. When Charles returned, things hadn’t been the same with them until his death by illness a few months later. He said he wasn’t able to buy any land and his distant, melancholy demeanor, Jennie thought, was because he thought he’d failed them. After Charles’s death all she could do was to think of getting away from her in laws. When she found the deed to the land Jennie was thoroughly surprised, but she also saw an escape to a place she’s never been to before.

She was waiting in her lawyer Mr. Polk’s office when the first glance of him made Jennie double-take. He was much younger than she’d expected, tall and well-built. He was blonde and without a doubt handsome. However, then the man introduced himself as Zachary Warner, Mr. Polk’s partner. He had been assigned to brief Jennie of the latest developments in her case. Intrigued but worried, Jennie followed him to his office only to find that bad news was waiting for her. Really bad news; something that’d rock the foundation of her trust. It seemed that Charles indeed bought that land but it wasn’t her and Oliver’s. In fact, she’s not a widow but a divorcee! It seemed people from everywhere in America flocked to Guthrie not only for land but also to get hassle free divorce. Both parties didn’t need to be present for that to happen. That’s exactly what Charles did—he divorced her and married some woman of the town, who now owns the land Jennie had dreamed of while traveling here planning a new beginning.

Jennie was not only shocked, she was in disbelief. How could Charles?! There must be some mistake here! I could only imagine her state of mind. :( But that also explained to her why he was so withdrawn from them and refused to resume any marital relations with her. Jennie wasn’t even sure why he returned if he was so taken with his new bride that he didn’t even think of Oliver! There were so many questions that Jennie had no answers to, she may never have answers to. The only stark reality was—she had no land to claim, very little money, yet a little boy to take care of as well as herself.

Even though Mr. Warner saw no other options left but to check it out with Luna Lee, Charles’s widow, to see if she’d be willing to negotiate, Jennie wasn’t giving up so easily. She had nothing left in St. Louis anymore so she must settle down here. At first, sheltered and naïve, she thought it won’t take long. Luna Lee, who now married an elderly and retired but very rich judge and lives a lavish lifestyle, must see reason and give her land back. After all, what need does she have of it now? Jennie even made living arrangements, and was lucky enough to get herself a job so wait it out. However, she soon realized it wasn’t as easy as she’d thought it’d be. Luna Lee is not a woman anyone wished to cross and she wasn’t interested in giving back anything.

Luna Lee was known to be a social climber. She came from nothing and clawed her way up to where she is today. Zachary knows cause after Charles left, she’d tried to cast her net on him. He was way more experienced in the ways of jaded people, being one himself, and he knew it won’t be an easy task to convince her. Luna will never give that land back by her own so he’ll have to be keen on finding a loophole. Zachary is mainly a divorce lawyer here. He came to Guthrie a year or so ago for some easy cash on those cases, but seeing so many unhappy marriages and being a part of one since his childhood, he had no faith in it. He wasn’t sure he wanted to take up on Jennie Hastings’ case but his partner felt sorry for the woman and was too burdened with other cases to get to it. One look at Jennie’s serene dark haired beauty, he knew he needed to help her. She seemed so alone with that little boy of hers in tow, yet she managed to put a brave face and took the devastating news in without a hitch. She had even managed to find a job here until her case is resolved. IF it resolved to be precise. But she’d already earned Zachary’s respect and he had vowed to help her in any way possible.

Jennie and Oliver settled down way better than they thought they’d be able to in a new town and it didn’t take long for them to start making friends. Mainly because everyone here knew of Charles’s shenanigans, the news of his death because of Luna’s hasty marriage to the judge soon after. What they didn’t know was that Charles had left a family behind. So Jennie had quite a bit of sympathy from the townspeople even if it somehow felt wrong because she’d never imagined herself to be in such a crazy situation. She also began to realize that acquiring her own land may stay a dream hearing what kind of a greedy and cold-hearted woman Luna was. She refused to even see her, let alone hear Jennie’s plea. Jennie had no money to buy it back; she didn’t know if she’d ever make enough money to buy a piece of land of her own.

From her bitter disappointment came a surprisingly beautiful discovery too. Jennie had already begun the process of forgetting Charles and moving on and Zachary Warner was proving to be quite the distraction she desperately needed. He was smart and funny. He and Oliver had promptly taken a shine to one-another. Zachary was no doubt gentle and caring but unlike Charles, he had a stronger personality and used to taking charge. The attraction they shared for each-other was promptly noted and it seemed, he returned her feelings. The ‘attraction’ part obviously, not quite the part where Jennie began feeling she was falling in love with her lawyer. Zachary had already made sure she knew that: 1) he maintains the principal to never to get involved with his clients ever, and 2) that he isn’t definitely the marrying kind. That second point may never change, though they can work on the first point to have it resolved soon enough. Jennie knew she’d love to be a part of Zach’s life but what about him? After hearing his POV on marriage, it sure didn’t look too promising.

The twists in the story were really good and kept me hooked until the end. I thought Jennie was an amazingly courageous heroine to take the steps she’d taken quite alone in this world and Zachary was a hot hero. I also liked the narratives of a small-town, to read about the day-to-day lives of those people that Jennie called friends. Though Jennie and Zachary’s chemistry wasn’t as explosive as I initially thought it’d be, I loved their slow burning relationship. Zachary was so taken with Jennie and Oliver he was a changed man in no time, even if it took him a bit of a time to come to the conclusion that having them in his life would be the best thing ever, rather than letting them go. That definitely was a good thing for Jennie who needed stability and a manly presence in her and her son’s life.

Funnily enough, in the end I felt really sad for Charles. Even though I don’t condone what he did because he was an adult and made his decisions, he was also a victim. He sounded naïve too and fell into the clutches of an opportunist. We’d never know the exact reason behind his actions but he did realize his mistake and repented in his own way until his death. Making no excuse for him here but that’s just how I felt. I know Jennie would agree because she made amends with her past and forgave Charles of his transgressions. That’s the best way to move on I guess.

All in all, a good read and recommended if you love Western Historical Romances. 4 stars. Definitely going to check out more from the author’s backlist.

[Regan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divorce Lawyer Finds Love in 19th Century Oklahoma


Set in 1891 in Oklahoma Territory, this is the story of Jennie Hastings and her son Oliver who come west to claim the 160 acres her late husband Charles left them. But when she arrives in the town of Guthrie, she discovers that while Charles was there buying the land, he divorced her and married another woman named Luna before he returned home, never saying a word to Jennie about it.

Guthrie, Oklahoma it seems is the divorce capital of the west. Divorce there is as frequent as the common cold (like Las Vegas today). People are flocking from all over to get a quick divorce, and Zach Warner, an attorney, is happy to handle their case. He tells Jennie she hasn’t a chance to gain the land she seeks, but agrees to try and work something out with Luna. Luna isn’t interested. And Zack senses something is wrong.

Though this was very well written, to me the story seemed to move a bit slowly in the first half as we are shown all the women flocking to Guthrie for a divorce. About half way through, Zach develops an overwhelming lust for Jennie and she for him. It seemed love developed quickly after that. Though he wanted to sleep with her, even desired to live with her (which would have been shocking for the late 19th century, not to mention the issue of illegitimate children which was never addressed), he wants nothing to do with marriage. Seemed a bit ignoble to me--and unrealistic for an upstanding member of the bar in a small community.

If you’re interested in divorce as a subject for a western historical romance novel, this is one to read. It’s well told.

[Nancy Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I received this book as a Shelf Awareness e-book giveaway.

3.5 stars actually--this historical romance features Jennie Caldwell, a feisty woman who comes out to Oklahoma's Indian Territory to claim land for her son Oliver and herself after her husband's Charles's death.

She arrives only to find that he had previously divorced her and remarried another woman, Luna, when he first went to Guthrie, the divorce capital.

She finds a lawyer, Zachary Warren, who specializes in divorces, to take her case of proving the land Charles purchased belongs to Jennie and her son.

She finds more in Zach than a lawyer; she finds a deep attraction and love, but he has seen too much divorce to allow feelings to get in his way.

But can he help her with her problem? Does she have a case? Or is Luna the real owner? Will Zach change his mind about marriage, or will he ultimately just 'seduce' her?

[Venus Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read very much. It was easy to read with a natural flow. This was my first book by Deborah Camp but it will not be the last.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title: To Seduce and Defend
Author: Deborah Camp
Format: Kindle (Free)

[ Enjoyed ] Mostly yes.
[ Last Read ] Finished today during lunch.
[ Reread ] No thanks.

[ Cover Lust ] No.
[ Intriguing Title ] *yawn*
[ Interesting Premise/Plot ] Didn't look.
[ Preview Impressions ] Hm, interesting. What on earth led to this?

[ Kept My Attention ] Mostly yes.
[ Got Bored / Mind Wandering ] No.
[ Skimmed/Skipped Scenes/Chapters ] No.
[ Reread Past Scenes For Fun ] No.
[ Reread Past Scenes Cause My Memory Sucks To Clear Confusion ] No, even though I failed to remember most character's names.

[ Stayed Up Late ] No.
[ Took a Long Break Midway ] No.
[ Ending Left Me Feeling ] Indifferent.

[ Easy Light Reading ] Yes.
[ Turn Brain Off ] *shrugs*
[ Guilty Pleasure ] Nah.

Other thoughts I'm throwing in: (Might contain spoilers; I fail at identifying them.)
For a romance book, I'm surprised this didn't get too heavy with that stuff and make me bored. The beginning takes us straight to the story without any yawn-inducing forgettable chatter or everyday slice-of-life scene. There also wasn't any instalove/lust/hate/whatever that usual annoys the hell outta me. So we are left with a story on uncovering WTF happened to Jennie's hubby in Guthrie and the romance (semi)gradually happening.

But, I got super annoyed at how naive(?) Jennie was. She apparently assumes everyone is nice and reasonable. It took her quite a while before she realized that hey, Luna might actually not be a "good" person. Geez, that should have been obvious from the start. Eventually Jennie seemed to suddenly acknowledge that yes, the world does have not-so-good people in it! Finally! And then towards the end she makes the stupid mistake of assuming the baddie is physically in jail without actually verifying. I mean, Zach said that baddie is probably in jail. Probably. PROBABLY. (Or some equivalent wording. I forgot the exact line.) Like wtf is wrong with you Jennie (and Zach). If someone is guilty of something and gets a bunch of heads-up (which a lot of the baddies apparently did. Was there some law or etiquette back then to give the accused a heads-up of what's gonna go down??? What a brilliant way to warn them to fix the problem or flee!), they. are. gonna. fking. FLEE. For having a reasonable head on their shoulders, they sure fail at common sense.

Other than that, the story is enjoyable. (And forgettable.) Some things were obviously predictable, others not. I had a hard time trying to predict what caused Charles to do what he did. Even now not all is clearly explained. (He's dead so of course not but still, how did Luna manage to manipulate him despite him returning to Jennie.)

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guthrie, Oklahoma, was known as the end of the Great Land Run and one other thing, divorce. A married person could file for divorce and be free to marry another in six months. Widow Jennie Hastings moved to Guthrie to secure the land her deceased husband had left to her and their son, Oliver. To her surprise, her husband had divorced her and remarried; now, she was divorcee Jennie Hastings and she owned nothing as the new wife had claimed the land. This story has twists, heartbreak and romance. Little Oliver is the one "man" in Jennie's life that keeps her going to get that land for her son as his inheritance. Loved the story-line. Love the books by this author!

[Kristy McCaffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Western romance at its finest! Jennie is a widow with a young son who has come to Guthrie to claim a a land inheritance only to learn that her late husband had divorced her and married another. This plot line was so interesting to me, as I'd never realized there were places where this could occur without the wife's knowledge. Zach is the lawyer who tries to help Jennie, and by the end she has broken through his cynical take on love and marriage. The Old West comes alive with well-drawn characters and a steamy and satisfying romance.

[Sandra Whittiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Seduce and Defend (Kindred Hearts Romances Book 1)

Jennie and her son arrived in Guthrie Ok. to claim the land on the deed that she found in her late husband's effects after he passed away, just to find out that he had divorced her and remarried. Her lawyer, Zackery knew the woman who had married Jennifer's ex-husband and knew that something was very fishy about the whole thing , it just might take a little bit to find out the truth of the situation. He just wasn't sure what moves to make to make the seemingly impossible possible.

[Trewen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok.
I never got a bead on these characters. I couldn't picture them, I wasn't immersed or invested in their relationship. It felt luke warm at best.
For me, what made the characters likable was their interactions with the kid.
I enjoyed the setting and the plot was fun but do i feel a happily ever after? Maybe?

[Ed Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book by Deborah Camp

And boy was it a rip. The characters, type and circumstances were very good with a touch of modernisms and swerve.

[Elizabeth West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical Romance

To Seduce and Defend by Deborah Camp is book one of the series. A different kind of western without a lot of gunplay. Romance is spicy and the ending is good.

[Megan Krueger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

This book was enjoyable from start to finish. The ending was perfect. This and Master of Moonspell are my favorite Deborah Camp books.

[Arlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

By: Deborah Camp
Published By: White Glove
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review:

"To Seduce and Defend" by Deborah Camp was very good historical romance that was read from the start to the finished. I could not put this one down until the end. This author did a wonderful job at letting the reader understand just want was going on in the late 1800's in the Indian Territory in Guthrie, Oklahoma where it was a 'mecca place to be for one seeking a divorce.'

Jennie Caldwell Hastings and her son, Oliver arrive in Guthrie, Oklahoma to "claim the land purchased by her deceased husband." Unbeknown to her is that her husband had divorced her an remarried someone else who know claimed the land. After meeting with Zach Warner, the lawyer and finding out what her deceased husband has done...what will she do now? Jenna was the type of woman that would not cave in...for she took charge...finding herself and son a place to say and a job. This will be where I will say you have to pick up this read to find out the rest of the story. This author will lead the reader into some twist and turns that will lead to who was responsible for all that had happened. It seems like there will be a love interest between Jennie and Zach but what will come of it if he is not the marrying kind? What will come out and break this case? Will Jennie and Oliver get the land that she had paid for in the end? Again, from this well written novel: "To Seduce and Defend" you will get it all from this good read and YES! I would recommend this read to you. Well done to the author.

[Atunah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this one quite as much as the other I read by this author.
The setting intrigued me. Guthrie Oklahoma in the late 1800's apparently was a mecca for folks getting a divorce.
We have a widow arriving in Guthrie thinking she owns land after finding a deed with her husbands belongings. She finds out that he divorced her without her knowledge and married someone else who now owns the land. Helping her with all this is the hero who is her lawyer.

Somehow I just couldn't connect with either the hero or the heroine. Didn't really like either of them.
But interesting setting.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Excellent story and heart wins out. Happy endings and family values. She is going to be read again.


Thanks, Debbie

[Annemarie Rudolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. Will read it again