A Touch of Frost

Cowboys of Colorado #1

by Jo Goodman

USA Today bestselling author Jo Goodman presents a "sprawling, lusty recreation of life, love, and slowly uncovered secrets*" as a rancher rescues a mysterious young woman with trouble of her trail.
RESCUE ME
After his train is robbed at gunpoint, Remington Frost awakens from a blow to find the bandits gone...along with the woman he was shadowing for protection. No stranger to risk, Remington will do what it takes to bring Phoebe Apple to safety and her kidnappers to justice. But ransoming Phoebe is just the start of trouble...
Phoebe is shocked to learn that her mysterious rescuer is none other than Remington Frost, the son of her sister's new husband. Home at Twin Star Ranch, she falls happily into western life—and cautiously in love with Remington. But danger hides close to home, and their romance illuminates a web of secrets and betrayal that may put the rancher and his intended bride past the point of rescue.
*Publisher's Weekly

Genres: Westerns, Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Western Romance, Historical Fiction, Western Historical Romance

411 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2017

About the author

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.

Reviews

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Touch of Frost took me back to the 1800’s Old West. I’m always curious about how people lived and got by years ago, and it was interesting to get a glimpse into that time. The old west ranch life is appealing to me, and Colorado from the descriptions sounded like a beautiful place. Phoebe and Remington’s romance captured my heart right away, and there was a bit of suspense mixed in to keep the story exciting.

Phoebe has grown up in New York, her life revolving around working stage/theater where her older sister, Fiona was a star for many years only to give it up for a handsome older cowboy/widower, Thaddeus Frost. Wasn’t a huge fan of Phoebe’s sister and her drama, but by the end I could understand some of it.

Phoebe takes the train out to join her sister out in Colorado on the Twin Star Ranch only to be held up and abducted off the train. Never fear, Phoebe’s brother-in-law sent along his son, Remington, to watch over her, and make sure she makes it safely to Twin Star.

Phoebe was a spunky heroine I immediately connected with. Loved the banter between her and Remington! They had great chemistry and once their romance took off it was super hot! Also, the men in historical romances never seem to have issues with committing like modern day romances and that eliminates some of the frustration or uncertainty I feel while reading contemporary romances. Once Remington got to know Phoebe he was determined to stick by her.

There was some action, a few twists, and danger rounding out this western historical romance quite nicely. This is my first time reading Jo Goodman, so I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this as much as I did. I’ll be checking her backlist for sure.

A copy was kindly provided by Berkley Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Anna's Herding Cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2sYSAka

Goodman is one of my favorites when it comes to western historical and, oh man, I was excited for A Touch of Frost. Basically... Remington's dad asked him to escort his new wife's sister from New York to their ranch in Colorado. Pretty simple! Until...the train she's on is robbed and his charge? Kidnapped. *hangs head* Yeah. Hell of a thing, right?

➣ First. This cover. Whoa! One of my favorite for the year for sure. It's gorgeous and totally fits the hero and heroine. Look how fierce she is!

➣The set up was pretty fun. A kidnapping, random demands, a daring rescue, the search for clues and the hunt for those who kidnapped Phoebe. It was quite the start. I figured out a good bit of the mystery but there were a couple little surprises along the way.

➣ I liked Phoebe and Remington. They had fun chemistry, nice heat and seemed to really get each other. Phoebe had backbone, strength and really held herself together when things went south. And Remington was sexy, sweet and solid. And a lawyer. You don't see that too often in historical westerns.

➣I like that they worked together to figure things out.

➣There was family drama between Phoebe and her sister, between the family housekeeper and the lady of the house, between her sister and new brother-in-law. Some of it was really frustrating and some surprising. Some pretty dang sad.

➣The ending. While I liked the ending of the romance and got a little sniffly the ending for the mystery kind of ticked me off since half of the bad guys didn't really get punished. So not totally satisfying on that front.

Overall, while I enjoyed a lot of the elements of A Touch of Frost I did struggle with it as well. For some reason it took me for freaking ever to finish this one. 11 days, yall. It just didn't hold my attention and I found myself finding other things to do or picking up other books to read for a while. I'm not sure what it was either. I can't totally pin point any major thing that tripped me up. It just felt really long.

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phoebe and Remington are an enchanting couple, her rescuing him then the tides turn and she’s in need to a hero.

Jo Goodman has always been able to transport people back in time, create a magical cast of characters, and weave a plot that leaves the readers hanging on. Phoebe and Remington have chemistry that is off the charts, their banter had me laughing and wanting more, and then they dealt with everyday life problems. Remington’s dislike for Phoebe’s sister, Fiona, a former actress, who carries her flare of dramatic everywhere she goes. Thaddeus, Remingtons’ father, is clearly a role model for many, and defender of those he loves. Ms. Goodman threw a plot twist in that I never saw coming, the book was perfectly laid out.

I would love to read more about Frost Falls and the lives tangled together at the Frost Ranch. Jo Goodman is a creative storyteller that had me turning pages, emotionally invested and enjoying every bit of A Touch of Frost. I would recommend this novel to anyone with a like of historical western romances, a future reread for sure!!

Review copy provided for a voluntary review.

[Dorine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A TOUCH OF FROST by Jo Goodman is the perfect example how to allow your characters to reveal themselves through their actions. No overdone descriptions or backstories, just hints as the characters show the reader who they are, keeping enough secrets to make you crave more. As usual, Goodman had me riveted.

Phoebe Apple is traveling by train to visit her sister and her new husband in Colorado when her train is stopped abruptly. Phoebe is taken hostage when she shoots one of the bandits during the robbery. Remington Frost was sent by his father to watch over Phoebe. Injured when the train jumped the tracks, Remington is more than alarmed that he was unconscious during Phoebe’s abduction. Lucky for Remington, Phoebe is clever enough to leave a trail of evidence leading to her rescue.

Rescuing Phoebe is his duty but falling in love with her is inevitable. Will either of them survive the ultimate betrayal when it’s discovered?

Jo Goodman is my favorite historical western romance writer. Her books enchant, make me laugh, and then make me sad when I turn the last page. A TOUCH OF FROST ambled, then was crazy exciting, then funny until it started to mosey along again, then so stimulating that I rushed and smiled like a Cheshire cat at the end. Amble and mosey may sound strange and uninteresting but that’s the beauty of this book. It fits westerns. Goodman can write about paint drying and I’d probably find a reason to laugh or keep reading. It’s during those fake lulls that I delighted in her characterization. It’s soothing and charming the way she pushes her characters in the direction of forever love, always keeping the reader entertained.

By halfway through this novel, I was completely satisfied with the progression, but insanely curious how Goodman would rope me in for the rest of the story. It seemed as if we’d reached a semi-conclusion, if you consider the path of most romances. But, oh we are so fooled by this when the plot unravels, becomes a bit clearer, then forced me to race to the end and smile like a sap with happiness. I should have known better. Amble and mosey meets riveting and laughter. Amazing!

I could probably end this review here and have said enough, but I must wax on a bit more about why I love this story.

A TOUCH OF FROST is the perfect western for romantics. It has grit, spunk, and a lawlessness you’ll appreciate. There is justice, but not quite the way you’ll expect, which makes this story and the characters even more charming. Even Fiona, Phoebe’s sister, who is the spoiled actress turned rancher’s wife, became likable in the end.

I could read Jo Goodman’s books as a monthly diet, and should probably do that to I catch up on her backlist. I love her style of historical western romance. There’s always a quirky character or two. This time, I was afraid they were missing, but laughed out loud when I found them. There’s a harmonization to Jo Goodman’s name; she knows how to portray a “good man”. Remington is quite the hero and Phoebe meets him toe-to-toe.

Jo Goodman’s books are pure entertainment. I want to rush to the end to see what happens, but then I’m mad at myself because I finished too soon without savoring. A TOUCH OF FROST feels like a meaty book, just like historicals should be. What’s amazing is that it doesn’t feel overly descriptive, or lacking in any way, projecting a sense that I know the setting and characters without effort. It’s also very sexy in places and not always behind closed doors, although there is some of that so it’s not repetitive. Even if sexy isn’t your thing, the characters are so darn cute together that you can’t resist them, even when you disagree with them.

If you’ve read this far, you already know I highly recommend this book. Even non-historical fans will find the characters and setting relatable. It’s the late 1800s, so it’s modern enough to draw in a contemporary western romance reader. Take a trip back to the wild west, round up a few outlaws and fall in love in A TOUCH OF FROST.

A RECOMMENDED READ!

Reviewed by Dorine, courtesy of Romance Junkies. Print book provided by the publisher for an honest review.

[Blackjack · Rating 3 out of 5]

(B- or 3.5 stars) I enjoyed the first half of this book quite a bit but felt that the second half really lost steam. It lost so much steam for me, in fact, that it took me weeks to read what should have been days, hence the lower grade. That is unusual for a Jo Goodman book.

In the first half, Phoebe is a likeable young woman traveling on a train from New York City to Colorado to visit her sister who is newly married to a much older man. Phoebe realizes en route that a very attractive man on the train appears to be watching her, but she is intrigued more than worried. However, before readers can wonder if the story is about a man stalking a single woman traveling alone, everything abruptly switches gear as the train comes to a screeching halt and is hijacked by bandits. I like that Goodman keeps throwing the readers off balance and this is a novel where in medias res works well to keep us guessing about the plot. By the end of the first half, it would seem almost as if Act I had been wrapped up. Remington Frost (what a name!), the incognito man, is a hero rather than stalker, and he manages to save the heroine, who did, alas, need saving despite her resourcefulness. The two banter their way to Phoebe's sister's ranch, where Remington is coincidentally also heading. It turns out that Remington is the son of the older man and had been on an appointed mission to see Phoebe to safety.

The second half of the novel felt far less coherent. The bandits are still on the loose, but who are they and why did they want to kidnap Phoebe? The answer was surprisingly disappointing and even a bit uninteresting. Fiona and Thaddeus present a potentially interesting secondary romance though I would have liked to have seen more from them to explain how they ended up together. Ffiona is withholding a huge secret that also did not satisfy me and felt distracting. My biggest disappointment with the second half though is due largely to the lack of a deep romance between Phoebe and Remington. Their banter is fun but I felt that they jumped from banter to love far too quickly. Too much of the novel is mired in the bandits' back story, Fiona's secrets, the housekeeper's secrets, and then Phoebe's secret past life.

I will add too that the theme of rape felt so odd in this book. Phoebe reveals early in the novel to Remington that she is a surviving rape victim. And she was not raped just once but multiple times from different men! The situations that led to her rape are never really explained or relevant to the current plot, and this plot is quickly discarded after Remington expresses horror and sadness and they hug it out. Then Phoebe moves on to enjoy a healthy sexual relationship with her new lover. That did not ring true for me, and it surprised me in a Goodman book as she is an author who does not shy away from exploring trauma in depth. Why was it even here?

Overall, a fairly mediocre read for me.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did like this book, there were aspects of it that frustrated me a little.

I liked both the H, Remington, and the h, Phoebe. Their relationship was lovely, and they seemed perfect for each other. The scenes between them were often lightened by clever and sweet banter. I also liked that the writer didn't make us wait till the end of the book to see them admitting/ accepting how much they meant to each other.

But I struggled a bit with the mystery aspect of the storyline. I must say I'm not normally a fan of romantic suspense as a genre anyway, and I was a bit disappointed to realise that the mystery played such a large part in this book. And perhaps because I'm not a big mystery reader, or perhaps because I wasn't paying enough attention, or perhaps because it was just a bit too obscure????? But, I found it all a little confusing, really. Clearly, a criminal event occurred at the opening of the book, but readers were left in suspense as to exactly how much of it was premeditated and what the motive was. It was OK not to find out whodunnit just yet, but I felt I needed a bit more info than was given to really enjoy the story. It all felt too muddy and unclear. I felt too much in the dark.

There were some further mysteries related both to Phoebe's family background, and to the uncomfortable situation in Remington's family as well. Again, I found it all a little too obscure and frustrating. I didn't need everything to be revealed at once, but I just felt as I read through the story that I didn't have enough to go on. I don't enjoy feeling undecided abut a character and constantly wondering about their motives, good or bad? That's not the kind of story I normally enjoy, although others may.

So, overall, 3 stars for a book that I liked but didn't love.

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, pace a little slow at times. Review to come

[Jultri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5. I love Jo Goodman's wonderful prose, but sometimes her plot gets a bit stagnant after the intimacy has been reached between the MCs. This is again the case in this book. The hero and heroine settled into comfortable friendship soon after meeting. Her older actress sister and his father had married recently, and Phoebe has been invited to visit at their range. Remington has been sent along to ensure her safe arrival, which is fortunate, given that she gets caught up in a train robbery and subsequently kidnapped. Remington was unceremoniously knocked out during these events, but he eventually comes to and sets out to save the day. After the initial action-packed start, the plot eases into a a case of much-ado-about-nothingitis, saved by nice characters and Goodman's superior way with words. There was no romantic tension whatsoever between the main characters with the plot focusing on solving the crimes of the robbery and two subsequent murders. The only romantic crisis was between Remington's father and his new wife and the revelation of hers and Phoebe's true relationship. Once again, I just crave for a pure romance from Goodman without distractions from side-plots that end up infringing majorly on the main romantic plot.

Nice narration.

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5; 4 stars; B+

I always enjoy Jo Goodman's books. Her characters pull me in and won't let me go.

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well done. The things that were unspoken was what you needed to pay attention to in this gem of a book. Once I figured out the secret which was a little more than halfway through the book, I wanted to start back over so I could understand all the references and nuances that I knew I was missing. Remington and Phoebe made a great power couple and worked very well. JG is my go to author for historical western romances.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Touch of Frost is Jo Goodman's latest American Historical Romance, and as per usual, it's a good one. If you're unfamiliar with Goodman's writing, the style in which she writes can be surprising; it's subtle and entrancing and not at all conventional. In some ways if you're not paying attention you can miss the romance, or at least the deeper feelings that are part of the central relationship. The characters don't always "tell", but if you're paying attention you can find the "show" that indicates something much stronger than words can convey.

In A Touch of Frost Phoebe and Remington meet amidst a train robbery where Phoebe is kidnapped and Remington knocked unconscious. It's not a coincidence that they two were on the same train, in fact Remington was sent to escort Phoebe to his father's ranch since Phoebe's sister married his father. Their relationship unfolds slowly and delicately, something that I appreciate as the development of characters is something that I really enjoy about Goodman's romances.

A Touch of Frost very much demonstrates that Goodman is setting the bar high in the American Historical Romance genre. If you enjoyed Jodi Thomas' classic romances, there is no doubt that you will enjoy Goodman and her subtle romances filled with darkness and danger, which is nonetheless balanced out with characters who grab and hold your attention.

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Saly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kristiej · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5

I always know in advance when I start a Jo Goodman book that rather than skim like I do many a book, I’m going to have to set aside more time than usual to read it. Her books are full of witty dialogue and excellent story telling. So I prepared beforehand for A Touch of Frost and set time aside. Mind you, my house feels the neglect.



Going in I’m want to say that while I thoroughly enjoyed her books set in England, I’m overjoyed that she has returned to her roots in historical westerns. I prefer them to books set ‘across the pond,’ and there can never be enough authors who write in the genre.

The book opens with a train robbery and a rescue. Both Phoebe Apple and Remington Frost are riding on the same train when it’s held up and robbed and Phoebe is taken hostage. Remington (and isn’t that a great name for a hero, by the way) had been on the train watching out for her and heads to her rescue when she’s kidnapped. He’s the son of the man who married Fiona, Phoebe’s much older sister, who was dispatched to make sure she made it safely from NYC.

They meet, sparks fly, and they fall in love. It’s a simple premise, but in the hands of a great story teller like Jo Goodman, it’s so much more. As with all her heroines, Phoebe is smart, a bit stubborn but gives in when she really needs to, and is a delightful character.

Remington is self-assured, fine to look at, and protective – a delicious hero. I love the banter between these two. I always get the sense the hero and heroine truly like each other before they love each other. This is one of Ms. Goodman’s strongest traits when penning a book and one of the reasons I don’t want to miss a single word in their conversations.

And there are a few surprises where I was thinking “I didn’t see that one coming.” That’s another one of this author’s strengths. She slowly peels away more and more layers to her characters, and that happens again in this book. There is a very dislikable secondary character, and slowly over the course of the book we learn more and more about this character, to the point that by the end of the book, the reader is truly rooting for her. For me it’s a real talent to be able to turn a character 180 degrees in a believable manner.

I don’t think this author is for everyone. He books are lengthy and richly detailed and, as I said, they aren’t quick, light reads. I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But for those who love detailed, well-written westerns, well, this one gets a recommendation from this reviewer.

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, yeah, I don't even know. I have 5 star loved previous books by Jo Goodman so this was a bit shocking but...yeah. A majority of my issues were with the audio. The narrator was doing the voice of someone who was at that point a "young boy" and her narration led me to think maybe 8-10. So when his age was said to be 22 or 23... Me: 😑

Maybe if I were enjoying it enough, I'd have switched to reading. But even the stories ... There were just so many and none of them were interesting to me. I'd think it was that Westerns aren't really my thing but then I've read a few really good ones.

I will absolutely read this author again but this was not for me.

[-ya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-stars
Goodman’s latest western HR centered more on the relationship among several key characters than the suspense/mystery. The story didn’t really grab my full attention until halfway through the book. A good read but not my favorite out of JG's works.

[Geri Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read albeit predictable.

ARC provided by Berkeley

[Kaetrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for Dear Author with Jayne.

http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 At the invitation of her new rancher brother-in-law, New Yorker Phoebe Apple is traveling west to see how her sister is adjusting to marriage when she is abducted from the train by three masked men. Lucky for Phoebe, her brother-in-law asked his son, Remington Frost, to keep an eye on Phoebe (which, for some reason, he doesn't tell her; he just follows her without revealing his name). Remington tracks the outlaws and rescues Phoebe when the baddies leave her alone tied up in an abandoned cabin not too far from the Frost ranch.

The plot of the rest of the book focuses more on the search for who was actually behind Phoebe's kidnapping, and why, than on the romance between Remington and Phoebe. There are a handful of suspects besides the actual train robbers (whose minds we spend far too much time in): Phoebe's sister, Fiona, who doesn't seem happy with her new life and who seems to have some sort of grudge against Phoebe; the long-time ranch cook, who may or may not have been sleeping at some point in the past with Fiona's new husband; the cook's son, who may or may not be related to the Frost family in some way. There are also a lot of secrets being kept by Fiona and Phoebe, which, in Goodman's characteristic narrative manner, are kept not just from other characters, but from the reader, as well. I find this technique more or less frustrating, depending on the specific book; in this one, it was extremely frustrating, because the scenes between many characters, especially those between Phoebe and Fiona, were often really confusing due to lack of knowledge of what really happened between them in the past.

I loved, loved, loved the dry, understated banter between our two protagonists, though, despite the fact that none of the plot's conflict stems from the romance or from the interior struggles of either of the protagonists. I especially liked the way humor plays a role when Phoebe and Remington engage in sex. There are very few writers who incorporate humor (not slapstick, but dry, droll poking fun at one another) into sex scenes; Goodman's use of it indicates just how right for each other her two protagonists are, as well as the respect each has for the other.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meet the train, ride along, keep the young woman from harm, easy right? A train robbery, a kidnapping, and a ransom note later has Remington Frost wishing he'd never received his father's message. Sounded like an exciting opener that I couldn't wait to jump on board for the ride.

This was a blend of western, mystery, and romance with quite the opening scene and a situation that got more complicated as it went along. A Touch of Frost was a good one and I enjoyed it, but it didn't completely get there for me due to a few little niggles rather than one issue. This is not the first time that I found the author's writing style, particularly with the dialogue, distracting. I guess it is what it is. I also felt like I was getting in at the midway point of this story and the tension and conflict was already in place even as other aspects were in the introduction. It wasn't bad, but just took some adjusting. I felt we got to know Phoebe and Fiona a lot better than Remington who wasn't drawn with as much depth. He was good and likeable, but not as deeply known.

That said, the humor and fun flirty-ness between Phoebe and Remington was the best. My favorite part of the story.

The pacing had a few moments when I got distracted, but generally I was fine as it set off with an exciting beginning and then drew back to slowly introduce the characters further, grow the romances, and do some twisting and revealing near the end.

There are multiple narrators including the bad guys which did detract from the suspense a little as a result. I felt there was a lot going on and for the most part I kept up. I had the kidnapping for ransom figured out quickly, but that other twist definitely took me by surprise.

So, there were some smaller things that stacked up so that this was a good one rather than a great one. I liked what I got of the story which had some fun, flirty humor as part of the romance and an interesting mystery element and would recommend it to those who enjoy spicy historical romance in a western setting.

My thanks to Penguin-Random House for the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com

Jo Goodman never lets me down with her stellar Western romances. Full of the quick-witted dialogue, dry humor and solid characters I’ve come to expect in her books, A Touch of Frost was one sweeping adventure I can’t wait to take again.

I do so love Jo Goodman’s writing. There’s an easy flow to it that makes the entire book a joy to read, especially as we learn more about the cast. She creates some truly wonderful heroes, heroines–and even villains. Somehow she can take a character I know I shouldn’t like and make them interesting and real enough that I want to know more about them. Read More

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a western historical romance series last year that I actually ended up enjoying, so I thought I'd look around and see if there were similar books out there that I might like. This book came highly recommended, and when I saw that it was part of the audible romance package I thought I'd give it a try. I'm sorry to say that I did not like this one at all, but I think that that had a lot to do with the narrator. Laurence Bouvard was ... not good. Not good at all. There are so many criticisms I have for her narration. I don't normally feel like I need to say too much about the narrators of audio books. Either they are really good, or they are adequate. I've rarely encountered one that make me cringe. This one did. Her voices were AWFUL. All caps awful. I'm supposed to be falling in love with Remington, the hero of this story, but his voice sounded like he was constipated for the entire novel. I guess he was supposed to have some sort of western charm, but Bouvard's western accent really stinks. It sounded like people sound when they are trying to sound southern, not how actual people from the south/west sound. Then there were the other male characters. Ben is supposed to be a young adult, but he sounded about eight. Remington's father sounded like the mayor in Groundhog Day, and the other men sounded even more cartoonish. I couldn't listen to any of them. The women weren't much better. Phoebe and her "sister" didn't have the sort of voices that made them sound realistic at all. I would have preferred it if the narrator had just read the story straight and not tried to do character voices. It was awful, and it was distracting. Outside of the problems with the voices, Bouvard had trouble with the actual narration of the story. She put inflection on certain words that made it sound all wrong. I felt like she missed the whole feel of the book. It just felt off. It was excruciating to listen to this story, and I have no idea why I kept reading to the end. I have no one but myself to blame. (sad face).

As for the actual story, I would hope that I would feel better about it if I had read it myself. I don't know. As it was, I felt nothing for the relationship of Phoebe and Remington. No chemistry at all. I didn't feel attached to either one of them individually either. There was supposedly a big revelation about Phoebe's relationship with her sister, but that fell flat to me. I didn't really like the sister, and learning more about her didn't make me like her much better. There was a bit of mystery and intrigue in the book, but that fell flat too. The danger felt contrived. The resolution of the problem was a dud. None of it worked. I'm sorry that I didn't enjoy this, but I'm afraid that it may have soured me on an entire genre of books. I cant see myself ever willingly grabbing more in this genre when there are so many other books that I think I'd enjoy more. I did give this a generous two stars because I really feel like much of my dislike of the story can be traced back to a really bad narration rather than a really bad actual story.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

A Touch of Frost turned out to be how I spent one day of my weekend. It was a good day.

I like Jo Goodman’s historical western romances quite a bit. If you haven’t indulged, This Gun for Hire is every bit as good as everyone said it was. Possibly even better.

What makes her romances so special, and so very interesting, are the characters. Both the hero and the heroine are unconventional in one way or another, and the way that they work together carries the story, usually on a wave of intelligent banter. As is true in A Touch of Frost.

The story begins with Phoebe Apple’s kidnapping. Just when she starts to think that all of the dime novel desperadoes that she’s been reading about are purely fictional, her train is stopped by a masked gang who rob the passengers and take her hostage.

At first it seems as if her kidnapping was just bad luck, but the more that the gang talks among themselves, the more it seems as if her kidnapping was the entire purpose of the expedition, and that any petty thievery that took place was mostly window-dressing. But Phoebe doesn’t believe that anyone would bother ransoming her. Her sister may be the new wife of a wealthy landowner, but Fiona Apple has no money of her own, and as far as Phoebe knows there’s no reason why Fiona’s husband would pay good money to ransom his sister-in-law.

It’s pretty clear that Phoebe knows nothing about the way that things really work out west. She has no idea that her new brother-in-law, Thaddeus Frost, set his son Remington on her trail, to guard her until she arrived safely at the Frost ranch. And it’s a good thing that he did.

While Remington is rather ignominiously laid low during the actual robbery, he’s pretty quick to recover after the fact and set out in search of Phoebe and her kidnappers. Phoebe, who may be a bit uninformed but is certainly smart as well as brave, has left a trail of discarded items to serve as breadcrumbs for any potential rescuer.

From their very first meeting, Remington and Phoebe strike sparks off of each other. In spite of the pretty awful circumstances, Remington finds Phoebe game to continue with any plan he hatches, and he gets them out of her current mess and safely home while others pursue the gang. A gang that successfully eludes pursuit and makes off with the $2,000 ransom that Thaddeus willingly paid. Back when $2,000 was very definitely real money.

Money that he doesn’t even want back, now that Phoebe is safe.

And that’s where the story really begins. Because Thaddeus is very much afraid that his new wife arranged the kidnapping – not because she wishes her sister any harm, but because she desperately wants enough money to leave him and go back to the bright lights and big city of New York, where she was a very successful actress.

He just wants to make Fiona want to stay, and has zero idea of how to go about it – which is why he sent for Phoebe. Phoebe, on that other hand, knows all of Fiona’s little tricks, because she’s been the victim of most of them. They may love each other, but Fiona’s many, many, many insecurities mean that she can’t resist scoring off of Phoebe at every single turn.

And Phoebe discovers that, unlike her sister, she loves life in the wilds of Colorado. She finds every single bit of life on the ranch absolutely fascinating. And in spite of every argument that Fiona makes against him, Phoebe discovers that she loves Remington Frost.

But her kidnappers are still out there, and now they’ve upped their game to murder. It becomes a question of whose luck will run out first, Phoebe’s or her kidnappers.

Escape Rating B: I had a lot of fun with this book because every scene between Phoebe and Remington absolutely sparkles with wit and humor. Their romance proceeds at a fast and fun clip from their shaky meeting until they fall into each other’s arms. There isn’t a lot of pretense between them, and that’s wonderful to see in a romance. They are each simply themselves, and their personalities just work together. Also, this is very definitely a romance of equals, something that is difficult to both successfully and reasonably pull off in a historical romance.

It was also great that whatever the conflicts are in the story, and there are plenty of them, not a one of those conflicts requires a misunderstandammit between the hero and heroine. There are a lot of times when Remington wishes that he didn’t have to tell Phoebe the gory details of what’s going on, but he knows that he has to for their relationship to work. So he does it, and with very little prevarication at that.

But there are plenty of secrets in the story just the same. There’s an entire herd of drama llamas camped on the field between Thaddeus and Fiona. They do love each other, but they are not talking to each other, at least not about anything that really matters. There’s a huge subplot between them that can be summed up as “assume makes an ass out of u and me”.

Starting with Fiona assuming that Thaddeus had a long-running affair with his housekeeper after the death of his wife, and that said affair was still going on up until he met Fiona, if not longer. That said housekeeper is in love with Thaddeus makes the whole thing believable, and that Thaddeus has been oblivious to the woman’s feelings for 20-something years just adds to the confusion.

But the big mystery in this story is all about the kidnapping, and the subsequent murders. As much as I enjoyed the interplay between Phoebe and Remington, the case felt like it took a bit too long to finally unravel. Although I knew Fiona wasn’t behind it, finding out who was, why, and how, seemed awfully slow to come together. I reached a point where I just wanted them to wrap it up already.

And as much as I loved Phoebe, Fiona is an extremely unlikable character from beginning to end. It’s a good thing that Phoebe loves her, because I certainly did not. I found her cruel and manipulative, and while I knew she wasn’t the mover and shaker behind events, I wouldn’t have minded a bit if she were.

But I was very glad at the end that I got to see Phoebe and Remington’s happy ending. They earned it!

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

June 2018
3 Stars - I liked it
Audiobook

This was my second Jo Goodman novel and while I didn't love it as much as In Want of a Wife, I still enjoyed it a lot.

For me, what made this story was the couple, Phoebe and Remington. They were really great together. I felt they complemented each other in a fun and authentic way. They were natural and honest with each other. The kidnapping/train robbery storyline was good too, but it was the couple that kept me wanting more.

Two books from this author and I plan to read more.

Notable Spoilers:
Series: First in a series but can stand alone
Cheating:  No
OW/OM:  No
Sexy Times:  Yes, there were two or three scenes
Sex Detail:  Yes, some detail but not overly graphic
Separation:  No
Push/Pull: Only slightly in the beginning
Sexual Past: He was engaged several years before, she was never in a relationship
Triggers: She was raped several times in the past, we get minor details (Phoebe remembering it or telling Remington about it)
Profanity:  Mild

[Lily]

I normally really love Jo Goodman's westerns but I'm really not feeling this one. I read up to around 50% then flipped through the rest.

Two things that really bothered me:

1. The action scenes are very slow paced and have no sense of urgency. When the heroine gets kidnapped (her fault), the hero goes to save her but first stops to have a cute little slowpaced converstation with a bunch of ladies from the train. That was not the time for those ladies to be blushing at his looks! And when he did finally get to her, the two of them spend like 5 pages talking before making a getaway, even though they know the bad guys could be back any second. It was frustrating.

2. I didn't like how rape was handle. It was believable that both the heroine and her "older sister" would suffer from sexual abuse in their living situation. However, the way the heroine and everyone else dealt with it did not seem realistic. Everyone got over it very quickly. I could be wrong, but it seemed more like a plot device than anything. And my memory might be failing me, but I believe I've read a similar plot from Goodman before where it was slowly revealed that the heroine was a product of rape. It could just be a common western theme

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems entirely appropriate to me that Jo Goodman's westerns have a meandering pace. In the hands of any other author, that would be a death knell, but with her rich characterizations and superbly drawn settings, it's exactly right.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fun and a good read!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to rate this one higher, because this is Jo Goodman after all. The first half I’d say was a solid 4 stars, but the rest dragged on and on. In fact the last few chapters were such a slog to get through, I lost count of how many times I muttered “Please just end it already.” Also, one of the villains had some redeeming qualities and was not a total black hat so I found it a little difficult to reconcile killing him off, especially such a fiery end. *sigh* So I’m settling on 3 stars with a moue of disappointment for the dragginess of the last half with the caveat that I freely admit I probably have set the bar much higher for those writers like Ms. Goodman whom I know can do much, much better and have proved it so many times. Mileage may vary.

[Pj Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good western romance

I look forward to Jo Goodman's work, I have all her books to date. I fall into the spell of the past from page one. There aren't many authors in this genre that give you such a hero, Jo Goodman makes it look easy. I know it isn't. I sure do appreciate her effort. When I finish a new book, it makes me go back and grab one to reread.

[Tracie R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Touch of Frost is the first book I have read by Jo Goodman and I am glad I did. I enjoyed this story, Remington and Phoebe are great characters. The story is well written and I will definitely be looking to read more by this author.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been some time since I read a Jo Goodman book but within a few pages of her latest, TOUCH OF FROST I was reminded of why I love her writing and why western romances have always been my favorite. Goodman writes such wonderful characters. Even if sometimes their actions seem unrealistic, the characters themselves come across as real. And those times when they seem a tad off base? Goodman has a reason why and it is explained either by that character or by one close to them.

I loved the setting of TOUCH OF FROST and Goodman brings the scenery alive. You know what it is like to be on a horse you just don’t know how to sit and at the same time you feel the poetry of Remington in the saddle.