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Beloved Betrayal
Disguising herself as an old hag, beautiful actress Sabrina Spencer sets off for New Mexico to find her father's killer, but along the way she falls in love with Ridge Tanner, the handsome cowboy she blackmailed into being her guide
512 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1988
3 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Carol Finch
116 books55 followersA pseudonym used by Connie Feddersen.
Connie is well known for her fast-paced adventures, sparkling humor and lively dialogue. She is the best-selling author of historical and contemporary romance, as well as mystery and suspense. Writing under 5 pen names—Carol Finch, Gina Robins, Connie Drake, Debra Falcon and Connie Feddersen—she has penned 57 books for Zebra and Pinnacle Publishers.
Connie and her husband have 3 children and raise cattle and wheat on their ranch near Union City, Oklahoma.
Connie is well known for her fast-paced adventures, sparkling humor and lively dialogue. She is the best-selling author of historical and contemporary romance, as well as mystery and suspense. Writing under 5 pen names—Carol Finch, Gina Robins, Connie Drake, Debra Falcon and Connie Feddersen—she has penned 57 books for Zebra and Pinnacle Publishers.
Connie and her husband have 3 children and raise cattle and wheat on their ranch near Union City, Oklahoma.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 29, 2018
The heroine and hero here are well developed and this was a cute yet steamy romance with a heroine of many faces. She is in disguise tracking down her father's killer. She hires the hero to help her as she travels. She is in disguise as an old widow. One night she drinks too much and the hero realizes what is beneath the make-up padding and old clothes. That's when sparks fly. This is a well written, worth while romance with some angst, mostly because the heroine doesn't trust men or relationships. I enjoyed this read very much.
December 18, 2020
This review is of “Beloved Betrayal”, a standalone by Carol Finch.
The book starts in Chicago, February 1836. It is here that Sabrina Spencer, the heroine of the book, has just completed a stage performance. (Sabrina is an actress/dancer/singer with a performing company). After her performance, Sabrina gets a telegram stating her father, Ivan, a Major in the U.S. Army, was killed at Fort Camby, New Mexico, where he was stationed. Sabrina is convinced that Ivan’s death is the result of foul play, so she leaves the repertory and decides to travel to New Mexico to investigate her father’s death herself.
Fast forward nearly two months. Sabrina has made her way to Independence, Missouri to request military escort to New Mexico. She doesn’t receive it, but does get an escort in Ridge Tanner, the hero of the book. (Ridge is an Indian agent at the fort, albeit reluctantly, as he vehemently disagrees with the government’s treatment of the Navajo Indian tribes). Sabrina disguises herself as an old woman named Samantha Stewart-because Ridge is a womanizer-and she and Ridge set off for New Mexico.
Sabrina rips Ridge up one side and down the other before he gets revenge, first by getting her drunk, then literally stripping her of her disguise before they become lovers.
As they make their way to New Mexico, they help an old man and his daughter fight off outlaws. This, however, creates more problems for Sabrina and Ridge as the old man, Noel Foster, is a lecher and his granddaughter, Clarice, although she portrays herself as sweet and innocent, is a predatory female who tries to force Ridge into marriage. Ridge does get married...to Sabrina/Samantha, as Clarice forces them to marry at gunpoint.
After a misunderstanding, Sabrina leaves Ridge and heads on her own to Fort Canby, New Mexico. There, she finds two soldiers, Army Paymaster George Winship and fort Commander Lorimer Bowen, who assumed command after Ivan’s death. They are the people Sabrina and Ridge believe killed Ivan. (Sabrina thinks it’s Winship, while Ridge, who has also arrived in New Mexico, believes Bowen is the killer).
They’re both right-and wrong. While Bowen and Winship were involved in Ivan’s death, there was one other person whom Sabrina and Ridge didn’t suspect who was the mastermind. That person is killed and the others brought to justice. Sabrina and Ridge break up, however, after he gets angry at her. Later, she discovers she’s pregnant with his child (Sabrina later gives birth to a son, and resumes her acting career).
The scene shifts to Washington, D.C. where Sabrina is performing. At a party she’s at, Ridge shows up. After arguing and making love, Sabrina and Ridge resolve their differences, marry, and spend their lives in New Mexico having their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Ms. Finch does a great job mixing “rom-com” elements with traditional historical romance. Sabrina and Ridge are both strong characters. Sabrina’s experience as an actress gives her knowledge of costumes, hair and makeup; she puts these skills to good-and highly amusing-use throughout the book. Those skills also mask Sabrina’s inner pain, as she is the product of a five-times married mother who didn’t care at all for her daughter, and a father whom she loved but lost when she was 15. She starts the book very cynical toward males, who only want her for her beauty and body, and has to learn how to love, which she does.
Ridge also evolves during the book. He starts out as a womanizer, who is only interested in women for their bodies, and nothing else. Like Sabrina, he is also hiding his pain; Ridge grew up with the Navajo Indians, and now he sees them losing their land and their heritage, and he can’t do anything to change that. With Sabrina’s help, Ridge learns how to love, too.
Downside: Not much, but the unmasking of the villains could have been more exciting.
Sex: Ms. Finch’s love scenes are neither descriptive, exciting, nor erotic. What they do have, however, is violet-level purple prose.
Violence: Sabrina slaps Ridge twice. There are also shootings and killings. None of the violence is graphic.
Bottom Line: Readers who like a bit of humor to go with their romance will find much to like in “Beloved Betrayal”.
The book starts in Chicago, February 1836. It is here that Sabrina Spencer, the heroine of the book, has just completed a stage performance. (Sabrina is an actress/dancer/singer with a performing company). After her performance, Sabrina gets a telegram stating her father, Ivan, a Major in the U.S. Army, was killed at Fort Camby, New Mexico, where he was stationed. Sabrina is convinced that Ivan’s death is the result of foul play, so she leaves the repertory and decides to travel to New Mexico to investigate her father’s death herself.
Fast forward nearly two months. Sabrina has made her way to Independence, Missouri to request military escort to New Mexico. She doesn’t receive it, but does get an escort in Ridge Tanner, the hero of the book. (Ridge is an Indian agent at the fort, albeit reluctantly, as he vehemently disagrees with the government’s treatment of the Navajo Indian tribes). Sabrina disguises herself as an old woman named Samantha Stewart-because Ridge is a womanizer-and she and Ridge set off for New Mexico.
Sabrina rips Ridge up one side and down the other before he gets revenge, first by getting her drunk, then literally stripping her of her disguise before they become lovers.
As they make their way to New Mexico, they help an old man and his daughter fight off outlaws. This, however, creates more problems for Sabrina and Ridge as the old man, Noel Foster, is a lecher and his granddaughter, Clarice, although she portrays herself as sweet and innocent, is a predatory female who tries to force Ridge into marriage. Ridge does get married...to Sabrina/Samantha, as Clarice forces them to marry at gunpoint.
After a misunderstanding, Sabrina leaves Ridge and heads on her own to Fort Canby, New Mexico. There, she finds two soldiers, Army Paymaster George Winship and fort Commander Lorimer Bowen, who assumed command after Ivan’s death. They are the people Sabrina and Ridge believe killed Ivan. (Sabrina thinks it’s Winship, while Ridge, who has also arrived in New Mexico, believes Bowen is the killer).
They’re both right-and wrong. While Bowen and Winship were involved in Ivan’s death, there was one other person whom Sabrina and Ridge didn’t suspect who was the mastermind. That person is killed and the others brought to justice. Sabrina and Ridge break up, however, after he gets angry at her. Later, she discovers she’s pregnant with his child (Sabrina later gives birth to a son, and resumes her acting career).
The scene shifts to Washington, D.C. where Sabrina is performing. At a party she’s at, Ridge shows up. After arguing and making love, Sabrina and Ridge resolve their differences, marry, and spend their lives in New Mexico having their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Ms. Finch does a great job mixing “rom-com” elements with traditional historical romance. Sabrina and Ridge are both strong characters. Sabrina’s experience as an actress gives her knowledge of costumes, hair and makeup; she puts these skills to good-and highly amusing-use throughout the book. Those skills also mask Sabrina’s inner pain, as she is the product of a five-times married mother who didn’t care at all for her daughter, and a father whom she loved but lost when she was 15. She starts the book very cynical toward males, who only want her for her beauty and body, and has to learn how to love, which she does.
Ridge also evolves during the book. He starts out as a womanizer, who is only interested in women for their bodies, and nothing else. Like Sabrina, he is also hiding his pain; Ridge grew up with the Navajo Indians, and now he sees them losing their land and their heritage, and he can’t do anything to change that. With Sabrina’s help, Ridge learns how to love, too.
Downside: Not much, but the unmasking of the villains could have been more exciting.
Sex: Ms. Finch’s love scenes are neither descriptive, exciting, nor erotic. What they do have, however, is violet-level purple prose.
Violence: Sabrina slaps Ridge twice. There are also shootings and killings. None of the violence is graphic.
Bottom Line: Readers who like a bit of humor to go with their romance will find much to like in “Beloved Betrayal”.
February 18, 2022
This book was just way too long. The heroine had 6 different aliases that we has to see. The subplot had too many characters and was the main focus for too much of the story, having their relationship take a back seat. There were some funny moments and the two main characters were interesting.
October 25, 2023
I actually give this book 2.5 stars. It could have been 4 stars if the book was tighter with less constant introspection, repitition, misunderstandings and separations.
Sabrina is on a quest to find out who set up her father, Commander Spencer, for court-martial and ultimately killed him. So is Ridge, an Indian agent. Unfortunately, Sabrina is distrustful of men and won't include Ridge in her plans.
Sabrina is stunning and Ridge is gorgeous, as we are constantly reminded. Both are brave, stubborn and independent.
I love how Sabrina, an actress, can become anyone she wants.
I don't like how Ridge rapes her several times (although she ends up enjoying it) and is rough with her at times.
If the book had been 100 pages shorter, eliminating their two separations, and having them work together to find Sabrina's father's killers and their motive as well as concentrating more on the Navajo's situation, it would have been an excellent book.
Sabrina is on a quest to find out who set up her father, Commander Spencer, for court-martial and ultimately killed him. So is Ridge, an Indian agent. Unfortunately, Sabrina is distrustful of men and won't include Ridge in her plans.
Sabrina is stunning and Ridge is gorgeous, as we are constantly reminded. Both are brave, stubborn and independent.
I love how Sabrina, an actress, can become anyone she wants.
I don't like how Ridge rapes her several times (although she ends up enjoying it) and is rough with her at times.
If the book had been 100 pages shorter, eliminating their two separations, and having them work together to find Sabrina's father's killers and their motive as well as concentrating more on the Navajo's situation, it would have been an excellent book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews