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Abandoned
The loud roar snapped Mrs. Doyle from her sleep and she quickly slid from her bedroll, stepped to the tent’s flap and pulled it aside seeing a bear standing on its hind legs just a few feet from her. What made it more horrifying was what she didn’t see. The camp behind the bear was empty. She dropped the flap and turned to her the frightened boy standing behind her. He looked at his equally terrified nanny unaware that they had been abandoned to die in the wilderness.
488 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2018
2397 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Petit
104 books220 followersMost biographies start with birth and then roll through the years as they drift by but that would bore me to death, and I lived through it.
The interesting part of my life began on September 23rd, 1995 as we were driving back to Omaha after watching the Notre Dame - Texas game in South Bend with relatives. The #21 Irish beat the #13 ranked Longhorns 55-27; and in a real oddity, scored points in just about every way conceivable in the game of football. They scored touchdowns on passes and runs, kicked a field goal, intercepted a pass for a TD, returned a punt for a touchdown and even added two points for blocking a Texas extra point.
As we were driving along westbound I-80 somewhere in Illinois in our Jeep Cherokee, I absent-mindedly rubbed the left side of my neck under my chin.
My very astute wife asked, "What's wrong with your neck?"
Now I had been an Air Force medic for twelve years; and as evident in my descriptions of outlaws' agonizing deaths in my stories, have a good working knowledge of anatomy and physiology. But that knowledge is offset by being a guy and thinking that we all live forever. My neck lymph nodes had been enlarged for around three months when my wife asked that question.
I obfuscated as if I was a lawyer and replied, "Um, a few weeks or so." (Note: Twelve or thirteen weeks does qualify as a 'few' weeks if one chooses to be generous.)
"And what did the doctor say?"
"I'll ask him when we get back."
"Yes, you will."
I do not want to make my wife out to be a harpy or a nag, because she is neither. She's an incredibly patient woman who could only put up with so much stupidity by yours truly.
Three days later, after the doctor copped a quick feel of my lymph nodes, he said, "I don't know what it is, but I don't like it," which was an honest, albeit an imprecise diagnosis.
So, we trotted over to a local ENT specialist. She didn't like them either and took me into surgery a few days later where she yanked one out, so the lab could dice it and slice it, then look at it under a microscope.
The pathologist who looked at the cells through his microscope reported his findings as 'lymphoepithelioma'. That meant that it was a secondary tumor and there was a primary tumor somewhere else in my nasopharynx that was the original problem.
Back I went into the operating room where the ENT doctor did an extensive examination and found nothing. She was so sure of her reconnaissance of the back of my throat that she told me that the pathologist was wrong, and it was just a lymphoma.
Now, being a computer geek, even way back in the dark ages of the internet in '95, I did some searching and found that if the primary tumor wasn't found, then the survival rate plummeted to about a fifth of the already lousy survival rate for the advanced Stage IV cancer. My wife and I decided that a second opinion might be a good idea.
Off we went in her Jeep to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota as the lousy weather descended across the Midwest. It's been known to happen, you know.
They had a problem getting the doctor here to release the specimen she'd yanked out of my neck, which I thought was odd because I don't remember selling it and figured I still owned it. Anyway, they eventually got the lymph node, did their own peek and confirmed the pathologist's diagnosis.
It wasn't until Halloween in 1995 that they finally found the original little bugger. It was just a tiny bump in the back of my throat that must have been there for a long time before it sent its friends marching into my lymph nodes.
They wanted to treat the cancer there, but I opted to have it done in Omaha and was sent to the care of Doctor Patrick J. McKenna (a name you may recognize from Max). Doctor Mac was the perfect man for the job as he was very personable, optimistic, had a good sense of humor and wouldn't put up with my constant whining. It helped that he knew his job, too.
(Read the full bio on Amazon)
The interesting part of my life began on September 23rd, 1995 as we were driving back to Omaha after watching the Notre Dame - Texas game in South Bend with relatives. The #21 Irish beat the #13 ranked Longhorns 55-27; and in a real oddity, scored points in just about every way conceivable in the game of football. They scored touchdowns on passes and runs, kicked a field goal, intercepted a pass for a TD, returned a punt for a touchdown and even added two points for blocking a Texas extra point.
As we were driving along westbound I-80 somewhere in Illinois in our Jeep Cherokee, I absent-mindedly rubbed the left side of my neck under my chin.
My very astute wife asked, "What's wrong with your neck?"
Now I had been an Air Force medic for twelve years; and as evident in my descriptions of outlaws' agonizing deaths in my stories, have a good working knowledge of anatomy and physiology. But that knowledge is offset by being a guy and thinking that we all live forever. My neck lymph nodes had been enlarged for around three months when my wife asked that question.
I obfuscated as if I was a lawyer and replied, "Um, a few weeks or so." (Note: Twelve or thirteen weeks does qualify as a 'few' weeks if one chooses to be generous.)
"And what did the doctor say?"
"I'll ask him when we get back."
"Yes, you will."
I do not want to make my wife out to be a harpy or a nag, because she is neither. She's an incredibly patient woman who could only put up with so much stupidity by yours truly.
Three days later, after the doctor copped a quick feel of my lymph nodes, he said, "I don't know what it is, but I don't like it," which was an honest, albeit an imprecise diagnosis.
So, we trotted over to a local ENT specialist. She didn't like them either and took me into surgery a few days later where she yanked one out, so the lab could dice it and slice it, then look at it under a microscope.
The pathologist who looked at the cells through his microscope reported his findings as 'lymphoepithelioma'. That meant that it was a secondary tumor and there was a primary tumor somewhere else in my nasopharynx that was the original problem.
Back I went into the operating room where the ENT doctor did an extensive examination and found nothing. She was so sure of her reconnaissance of the back of my throat that she told me that the pathologist was wrong, and it was just a lymphoma.
Now, being a computer geek, even way back in the dark ages of the internet in '95, I did some searching and found that if the primary tumor wasn't found, then the survival rate plummeted to about a fifth of the already lousy survival rate for the advanced Stage IV cancer. My wife and I decided that a second opinion might be a good idea.
Off we went in her Jeep to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota as the lousy weather descended across the Midwest. It's been known to happen, you know.
They had a problem getting the doctor here to release the specimen she'd yanked out of my neck, which I thought was odd because I don't remember selling it and figured I still owned it. Anyway, they eventually got the lymph node, did their own peek and confirmed the pathologist's diagnosis.
It wasn't until Halloween in 1995 that they finally found the original little bugger. It was just a tiny bump in the back of my throat that must have been there for a long time before it sent its friends marching into my lymph nodes.
They wanted to treat the cancer there, but I opted to have it done in Omaha and was sent to the care of Doctor Patrick J. McKenna (a name you may recognize from Max). Doctor Mac was the perfect man for the job as he was very personable, optimistic, had a good sense of humor and wouldn't put up with my constant whining. It helped that he knew his job, too.
(Read the full bio on Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
January 17, 2019
Abandonded
I don't regularly read Westerns, but I am impressed. I am much more a Syfy geek. My best friend is probably still amazed. I was so excited about this story that I had to tell her a little about it. Not much cause I want her to read it. I am not into romance novels, but this book is so much more. It shows the depths and highs of human nature. Some of the characters are so vile that you want to choke them and the misunderstandings fly. This time period is interesting too. Okay, I am hooked. Just downloaded another book. If it is as good as this one, I will go thru the whole list.
I don't regularly read Westerns, but I am impressed. I am much more a Syfy geek. My best friend is probably still amazed. I was so excited about this story that I had to tell her a little about it. Not much cause I want her to read it. I am not into romance novels, but this book is so much more. It shows the depths and highs of human nature. Some of the characters are so vile that you want to choke them and the misunderstandings fly. This time period is interesting too. Okay, I am hooked. Just downloaded another book. If it is as good as this one, I will go thru the whole list.
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January 25, 2019Let it be known that I only picked up this book because it was free on Amazon kindle—and there’s a reason it’s free. If you genuinely liked this book, then cool. I'm glad that you were able to enjoy it, but I just... I couldn't...
I said it once and I would say it again: it writes as if a 13 year old wrote their first fanfic. There is unnecessary information and information the author added already. The switch back and forth between different perspectives of characters was so jarring that it took me time to adjust t how the author wrote it.
Let us start with the hero of the story: Jack Tyler. He is seen as this smart, strong, and heroic person. He lives far away from town in his own little cabin with a wolf. Alright. Okay, I can handle some stereotypes. Here’s what I don’t get: if Jack is so smart that he can solve problems magically, why the hell would he tell a total stranger who was going to kill him who Emily and Joseph were? I understand that he may not have known that this guy would have told everyone the story, but if the plan was to lay low about their alive status, why mention it at all? In fact, why would he use their real names at the hotel? The whole point of using fake names was so that no one would know that Emily and Joseph were alive. And don’t get me started on him magically guessing Emily’s name. I don’t care how good of names you are, I don’t buy it.
Or the amounts of gold he has stored in two different banks and in his house.
Emily Ann Ward Doyle, where do I start? A Irish woman who fell in love with a little boy and would do anything to make sure she could be his nanny, even sleep with an old man so that she could keep her job. Is it a little unnecessary? Yeah, but I guess we needed to see just how far Emily would go to take care of Joseph. The fact that she went on a dangerous hunting trip with him or risk losing her job wasn’t enough; my bad. We learned that she was a fire-y girl who couldn’t be tamed and didn’t want to be tamed. She wanted to be challenged, and I get that. What I found really unnecessary, more so than her needing to bed the old man, was the lost of her husband and her three children.
There’s drama and then there’s unnecessary drama; this book was a drama coated drama with drama fillings. Yeah, it’s a lot.
I have no comments on Joseph. He’s written as a kid since that’s exactly what he is. He does dangerous things and at that age, in that time, they always wanted to do dangerous things. Thanks for writing at least one believable character.
As someone who has been working on toning down my purple prose, I get it. Sometimes I still add too much information when all was needed was the bare minimum. But there was a lot of purple prose everywhere. It was hard to tell what parts were his strong point and which weren’t. It was all written to be too good to be true. Plus, there were spelling/grammar errors sprinkled here and there. I know writing isn’t perfect—I’m all too familiar with making mistakes with words and even my editor can’t catch them all, which is why we do multiple passes.
What else did I notice?
I refuse to believe that Jack easily cut up a hat while it’s in the air—what is this, an anime?
I’m cool with some drama in a courtroom, but it felt like Maury or Jerry Springer during this scene. And bullshit that the judge didn’t have an issue with how Jack acted.
Joseph not liking the idea of sex? I don’t know if it’s believable or if kids are like that, but it made me smile.
Out of all the sentences that were written, I dislike this one the most: Emily quickly said, “We’re going to be out in the corral,” then pirouetted and trotted out of the barn as Joseph ran to catch up.
Except for those spooky jars of gold in his ceiling. It’s gold, not teeth from the people he’s murdered. There’s nothing spooky about it, but I can chalk this sentence up to not knowing what a better word would be. I fall victim to this myself quite often.
I said it once and I would say it again: it writes as if a 13 year old wrote their first fanfic. There is unnecessary information and information the author added already. The switch back and forth between different perspectives of characters was so jarring that it took me time to adjust t how the author wrote it.
Let us start with the hero of the story: Jack Tyler. He is seen as this smart, strong, and heroic person. He lives far away from town in his own little cabin with a wolf. Alright. Okay, I can handle some stereotypes. Here’s what I don’t get: if Jack is so smart that he can solve problems magically, why the hell would he tell a total stranger who was going to kill him who Emily and Joseph were? I understand that he may not have known that this guy would have told everyone the story, but if the plan was to lay low about their alive status, why mention it at all? In fact, why would he use their real names at the hotel? The whole point of using fake names was so that no one would know that Emily and Joseph were alive. And don’t get me started on him magically guessing Emily’s name. I don’t care how good of names you are, I don’t buy it.
Or the amounts of gold he has stored in two different banks and in his house.
Emily Ann Ward Doyle, where do I start? A Irish woman who fell in love with a little boy and would do anything to make sure she could be his nanny, even sleep with an old man so that she could keep her job. Is it a little unnecessary? Yeah, but I guess we needed to see just how far Emily would go to take care of Joseph. The fact that she went on a dangerous hunting trip with him or risk losing her job wasn’t enough; my bad. We learned that she was a fire-y girl who couldn’t be tamed and didn’t want to be tamed. She wanted to be challenged, and I get that. What I found really unnecessary, more so than her needing to bed the old man, was the lost of her husband and her three children.
There’s drama and then there’s unnecessary drama; this book was a drama coated drama with drama fillings. Yeah, it’s a lot.
I have no comments on Joseph. He’s written as a kid since that’s exactly what he is. He does dangerous things and at that age, in that time, they always wanted to do dangerous things. Thanks for writing at least one believable character.
As someone who has been working on toning down my purple prose, I get it. Sometimes I still add too much information when all was needed was the bare minimum. But there was a lot of purple prose everywhere. It was hard to tell what parts were his strong point and which weren’t. It was all written to be too good to be true. Plus, there were spelling/grammar errors sprinkled here and there. I know writing isn’t perfect—I’m all too familiar with making mistakes with words and even my editor can’t catch them all, which is why we do multiple passes.
What else did I notice?
I refuse to believe that Jack easily cut up a hat while it’s in the air—what is this, an anime?
I’m cool with some drama in a courtroom, but it felt like Maury or Jerry Springer during this scene. And bullshit that the judge didn’t have an issue with how Jack acted.
Joseph not liking the idea of sex? I don’t know if it’s believable or if kids are like that, but it made me smile.
Out of all the sentences that were written, I dislike this one the most: Emily quickly said, “We’re going to be out in the corral,” then pirouetted and trotted out of the barn as Joseph ran to catch up.
Except for those spooky jars of gold in his ceiling. It’s gold, not teeth from the people he’s murdered. There’s nothing spooky about it, but I can chalk this sentence up to not knowing what a better word would be. I fall victim to this myself quite often.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2018
ALL IS NOT LOST
This author's writings exposes all the sad and sometimes low down attitudes that we humans demonstrates toward each other. All of this said there's a light at the end of the tunnel for these women and children who have suffered horrific heartbreaking circumstances and situations beyond comprehension. The endings make you happy because the spirit of righteousness and equality always appears and fairness overcomes the ugliness created in this world.
This started out as greed and murder by any means necessary, but with Jack Tyler leading the charge, Emily and Joseph survived the extreme hardships they faced in the wilderness "abandoned" by Noah Gallagher Joseph's uncle who tried to abscond with the family's coal and furnace company. In the end of all C.J. Petit books there's family, animals and all are happy...Yeah
This author's writings exposes all the sad and sometimes low down attitudes that we humans demonstrates toward each other. All of this said there's a light at the end of the tunnel for these women and children who have suffered horrific heartbreaking circumstances and situations beyond comprehension. The endings make you happy because the spirit of righteousness and equality always appears and fairness overcomes the ugliness created in this world.
This started out as greed and murder by any means necessary, but with Jack Tyler leading the charge, Emily and Joseph survived the extreme hardships they faced in the wilderness "abandoned" by Noah Gallagher Joseph's uncle who tried to abscond with the family's coal and furnace company. In the end of all C.J. Petit books there's family, animals and all are happy...Yeah
November 27, 2018
Abandoned
Jack, Emily and. Joseph did not meet in any kind of normal situation, Jack heard someone scream, saw a young boy trying to scramble up a rocky hill to get away from a bear, and found a woman laying on a rocky ledge unable to move. All this in the Medicine Bow Mountains just to the west of Laramie. Now the question was how did they get there, and who left them to die, and ,WHY,. This was definitely a change of pace for CJP but just as good as any of his other books 📚 that I've already read and own in my personal library. BRAVO 👏👏BRAVO 👏BRAVO!!!
Jack, Emily and. Joseph did not meet in any kind of normal situation, Jack heard someone scream, saw a young boy trying to scramble up a rocky hill to get away from a bear, and found a woman laying on a rocky ledge unable to move. All this in the Medicine Bow Mountains just to the west of Laramie. Now the question was how did they get there, and who left them to die, and ,WHY,. This was definitely a change of pace for CJP but just as good as any of his other books 📚 that I've already read and own in my personal library. BRAVO 👏👏BRAVO 👏BRAVO!!!
November 23, 2018
A CJP Western/Wyoming/Laramie/Cheynne/Nebraska/Omaha
CJP has penned a western about a western man who lives ten miles outside Laramie. He finds an abandon woman and young boy. He leads them back to civilization only to find that the man who left them was planning to kill then again. The man is deputies to protect the woman and young man until he could get the to safety. This begins the expansion of the story.This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
CJP has penned a western about a western man who lives ten miles outside Laramie. He finds an abandon woman and young boy. He leads them back to civilization only to find that the man who left them was planning to kill then again. The man is deputies to protect the woman and young man until he could get the to safety. This begins the expansion of the story.This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
December 16, 2018
I didn't like the constant change in perspective. I especially did not need paragraph on paragraph from the perspective of the animals. The story telling was stilted at best. I tried to keep going but my kindle told me I had an estimated 9 hours left... no thank you.
December 14, 2018
Boring
Author had names of Joseph & Emily mixed up in first chapter. Too long & drawn out after they were found.
Author had names of Joseph & Emily mixed up in first chapter. Too long & drawn out after they were found.
December 5, 2018
Who is Charles and Edith?
I was a few chapters in and was interested until Mrs. Doyle referred to Joseph as ‘Charles’ and then Claude referred once to Mrs. Doyle as Edith (her name is Emily). Now maybe there was an unknown reason for this that would be explained later but it bothered me so much I couldn’t read any further.
I was a few chapters in and was interested until Mrs. Doyle referred to Joseph as ‘Charles’ and then Claude referred once to Mrs. Doyle as Edith (her name is Emily). Now maybe there was an unknown reason for this that would be explained later but it bothered me so much I couldn’t read any further.
November 30, 2018
Very boring to much page fillers stupid references on sex . I have read Pitet in the past and chose not to finish them also. I will not readanotberPetit book
I chose to give this book a flat zero full of useless page filling conversation very stupid adventure story to much stupid reference of a person riding back where he helped abandom the boy and the boy and lady just to rape and kill her (stupid) i have read someof Petit before i was only able to finish one tbe rest i had to give up less than halfway through. I would not recomend this or any other book written by Petit
I chose to give this book a flat zero full of useless page filling conversation very stupid adventure story to much stupid reference of a person riding back where he helped abandom the boy and the boy and lady just to rape and kill her (stupid) i have read someof Petit before i was only able to finish one tbe rest i had to give up less than halfway through. I would not recomend this or any other book written by Petit
November 29, 2018
It just don't get any better than this magnificent work of expertise literature. I have always been a follower of Mr. C. J. Petit, but this outstanding story has to be among his very best group. Jack leaves no stone unturned and he doesn't take no for an answer, as he may not always follow the law, but he does believe in justmewhat like Nate. Romanowski of the Joe Pickett series by Mr. C. J. Box. Good company to be in.
Definitely a five star masterpiece by one of our greatest western storytellers. This is certainly a masterpiece by an exceptionally talented author. The characters were perfectly selected and the author certainly displayed their parts to the fullest expectations of his readers. Too, the storylines were perfectly selected and most definitely heartwarming throughout the entire story.
If you love justice in the making, then it behooves you to jump aboard this fast moving story, which I can guarantee you to exceed your greatest expectations. There is romance at its best and enough gunplay to pacify your utmost desire. Too, the book is certainly family-friendly enough to fill your utmost desire.
If any of you fail to read this book it will, most definitely, be your loss, as I assure you the author went the extra mile in his research to satisfy the most "hard to please critic." This is American folklore at its very best!
Definitely a five star masterpiece by one of our greatest western storytellers. This is certainly a masterpiece by an exceptionally talented author. The characters were perfectly selected and the author certainly displayed their parts to the fullest expectations of his readers. Too, the storylines were perfectly selected and most definitely heartwarming throughout the entire story.
If you love justice in the making, then it behooves you to jump aboard this fast moving story, which I can guarantee you to exceed your greatest expectations. There is romance at its best and enough gunplay to pacify your utmost desire. Too, the book is certainly family-friendly enough to fill your utmost desire.
If any of you fail to read this book it will, most definitely, be your loss, as I assure you the author went the extra mile in his research to satisfy the most "hard to please critic." This is American folklore at its very best!
December 25, 2018
Excellent
I was immediately captured bythe title and cover. I was then sold when I read the sample.
This book was intriguing; the plot was fresh and quite believable. Emily was an admirable heroine and very devoted to her charge, Joseph, who was a lovable little hero.
I also admired thechero was found Emily and Joseph, protecting them throughout the book.
No sex scenes or nudity and suitable for all types of audiences. A most enjoyable read.
I was immediately captured bythe title and cover. I was then sold when I read the sample.
This book was intriguing; the plot was fresh and quite believable. Emily was an admirable heroine and very devoted to her charge, Joseph, who was a lovable little hero.
I also admired thechero was found Emily and Joseph, protecting them throughout the book.
No sex scenes or nudity and suitable for all types of audiences. A most enjoyable read.
December 27, 2018
A Good Story that Wouldn’t End
The first half of this book is the real novel. And then the author just couldn’t shut up. Instead of following the novel form of building to a climax and then ending the story quickly, he RAMBLES on and on and on endlessly without rhyme or reason. It was irritating and I finally gave up. I keep trying his stories because he’s a good writer. But if ever there was a writer who needed a professional EDITOR this guy is it.
The first half of this book is the real novel. And then the author just couldn’t shut up. Instead of following the novel form of building to a climax and then ending the story quickly, he RAMBLES on and on and on endlessly without rhyme or reason. It was irritating and I finally gave up. I keep trying his stories because he’s a good writer. But if ever there was a writer who needed a professional EDITOR this guy is it.
March 15, 2019
An ok read.
This is just an ok read. It could have been shortened by at least 75 pages if the senseless drivel would have been left out.
Also, you need to get an editor. There were some really bad errors in this book!
I'm not sure if I will read anymore books by this author.
This is just an ok read. It could have been shortened by at least 75 pages if the senseless drivel would have been left out.
Also, you need to get an editor. There were some really bad errors in this book!
I'm not sure if I will read anymore books by this author.
January 21, 2020
AMAZING, WOLVES, ORPHANS, LOVE
This amazing story of Joseph & Emily his Nanny being abandoned in the far off wilderness of Wyoming to die is a 5 STARS packed journey of incredible happenings. First I want to mention that it does mention the sexual abuse of several women throughout, but in the way men in power have always ordered/told/implied to women in lesser positions that needed the jobs/money etc. they could either come to them & have sex or lose their jobs/money. This abuse women have been aware of forever and lots of time when polite society hears about it the women are labeled as whores or sinners. Luckily Jack was returning from hunting & his annual gold panning when he heard a boy's voice; So went fast to investigate found Joseph trying to scare a huge bear. The wilderness is a strange place to find a heir to a large money making Coal Company & the 3 figured out that's why 8 yr old Joseph's guardian left him & his Nanny to die. They would have never been able to find their way back to civilization. On the journey back their encounter with wolves is described so well you can almost smell & feel the breath from the closet ones snarling at Joseph & Emily. Then the description of the dead guide will make your nose wrinkle from the wonderful detailed description of the decaying body. Oh, the dead guide's boot with decaying foot mess having to be scrubbed out really makes you feel you are actually there looking on maybe gagging or dry heaving even as Jack has to clean it out enough to carry the boot in his saddlebags in order to give it to the sheriff. It's all so sickening refreshing the big wide open space, the wilderness of Wyoming & snarling wolves attacking, attempted murder, murder, and trying to clean out the rotten decaying smelly human flesh from a boot after days. Many other things go on that make this action packed drama a CJP Novel that his readers expect & love; finding the guardian who left them to die & love. There is a board of directors of the Coal Company that Joseph will inherit when he becomes an adult. Finally, in my opinion it is a great book that reads a bit slow that I would agree, however; there are 2 special specific times in the book that is the reasons, plural for the 5 STARS. In the Courtroom when the Judge is supposed to be naming & ruling on Joseph's new Guardian. Amazing, Electrifying, Astonishing, Even as it held the people in the Courtroom stunned & in awe, Jack with his big shinny knife blade brandishing it & the urine running in the floor, the Judge standing with his gavel in his hand. Oh, what a powerful thing to read and envision, the description was detailed terrific with the oratory which was easily imagined using the speech provided in the book. Then, the other time was at the big House after they got back from the Courthouse Jack, Joseph, & Emily with Emily cooking & the man & boy go upstairs to the big bedroom then sit on the bed start taking. After some conversation with the confused 8yr old Joseph, Jack had ascertained he would have to tell him everything about sex & making love, this had to be done because of things yelled at Emily today in the Courtroom & Jack & Emily knew it would be talked about even young kids might repeat it & taunt Joseph with them/it. Inspiring, loving, done with honesty plus some humor, the speech I wish I had been able to give my son's. All in all wonderful. Actually, I gave 5 STARS because of the 2 speeches, why Joseph was getting his tie on at the ending I loved the thought and character of it all. Yes I know it was a slow read & all, but those 3 wonderful fabulous things really touched me emotionally in different ways and worth all * * * * *.
This amazing story of Joseph & Emily his Nanny being abandoned in the far off wilderness of Wyoming to die is a 5 STARS packed journey of incredible happenings. First I want to mention that it does mention the sexual abuse of several women throughout, but in the way men in power have always ordered/told/implied to women in lesser positions that needed the jobs/money etc. they could either come to them & have sex or lose their jobs/money. This abuse women have been aware of forever and lots of time when polite society hears about it the women are labeled as whores or sinners. Luckily Jack was returning from hunting & his annual gold panning when he heard a boy's voice; So went fast to investigate found Joseph trying to scare a huge bear. The wilderness is a strange place to find a heir to a large money making Coal Company & the 3 figured out that's why 8 yr old Joseph's guardian left him & his Nanny to die. They would have never been able to find their way back to civilization. On the journey back their encounter with wolves is described so well you can almost smell & feel the breath from the closet ones snarling at Joseph & Emily. Then the description of the dead guide will make your nose wrinkle from the wonderful detailed description of the decaying body. Oh, the dead guide's boot with decaying foot mess having to be scrubbed out really makes you feel you are actually there looking on maybe gagging or dry heaving even as Jack has to clean it out enough to carry the boot in his saddlebags in order to give it to the sheriff. It's all so sickening refreshing the big wide open space, the wilderness of Wyoming & snarling wolves attacking, attempted murder, murder, and trying to clean out the rotten decaying smelly human flesh from a boot after days. Many other things go on that make this action packed drama a CJP Novel that his readers expect & love; finding the guardian who left them to die & love. There is a board of directors of the Coal Company that Joseph will inherit when he becomes an adult. Finally, in my opinion it is a great book that reads a bit slow that I would agree, however; there are 2 special specific times in the book that is the reasons, plural for the 5 STARS. In the Courtroom when the Judge is supposed to be naming & ruling on Joseph's new Guardian. Amazing, Electrifying, Astonishing, Even as it held the people in the Courtroom stunned & in awe, Jack with his big shinny knife blade brandishing it & the urine running in the floor, the Judge standing with his gavel in his hand. Oh, what a powerful thing to read and envision, the description was detailed terrific with the oratory which was easily imagined using the speech provided in the book. Then, the other time was at the big House after they got back from the Courthouse Jack, Joseph, & Emily with Emily cooking & the man & boy go upstairs to the big bedroom then sit on the bed start taking. After some conversation with the confused 8yr old Joseph, Jack had ascertained he would have to tell him everything about sex & making love, this had to be done because of things yelled at Emily today in the Courtroom & Jack & Emily knew it would be talked about even young kids might repeat it & taunt Joseph with them/it. Inspiring, loving, done with honesty plus some humor, the speech I wish I had been able to give my son's. All in all wonderful. Actually, I gave 5 STARS because of the 2 speeches, why Joseph was getting his tie on at the ending I loved the thought and character of it all. Yes I know it was a slow read & all, but those 3 wonderful fabulous things really touched me emotionally in different ways and worth all * * * * *.
January 27, 2019
Another good read
I enjoy C J Petit's books, he writes a very entertaining and unique story every time. That being said, he has some challenges. He needs to employ a proofreader. The missing words in sentences, sentences that don't make much sense or fit the occasion detract from the work. In this book wolves played a big part. Unfortunately, they were not depicted as they really are but as legend and folklore allege. Example, they do not winter in a dug den. Also, on another subject, steelhead trout are not found in creeks without a connection to the ocean. The definition of steelhead trout is a "sea run rainbow trout", no sea, no steelhead. No one uses dogs to assist hooded animals cross a creek unless to drive them.
C J I love your books but please drop the 'medium' trot as a normal form of horse gait. Gaits used are ; walk, trot, canter or slope and gallop. All fast or slow and universal run is also normal. There are also a variety of ambling gaits but those almost always take special training and fit in speed between a walk and a canter.
But all said, please continue to produce good reads, I recommend your work to anyone. You write as good of a love story as I've ever read.
I enjoy C J Petit's books, he writes a very entertaining and unique story every time. That being said, he has some challenges. He needs to employ a proofreader. The missing words in sentences, sentences that don't make much sense or fit the occasion detract from the work. In this book wolves played a big part. Unfortunately, they were not depicted as they really are but as legend and folklore allege. Example, they do not winter in a dug den. Also, on another subject, steelhead trout are not found in creeks without a connection to the ocean. The definition of steelhead trout is a "sea run rainbow trout", no sea, no steelhead. No one uses dogs to assist hooded animals cross a creek unless to drive them.
C J I love your books but please drop the 'medium' trot as a normal form of horse gait. Gaits used are ; walk, trot, canter or slope and gallop. All fast or slow and universal run is also normal. There are also a variety of ambling gaits but those almost always take special training and fit in speed between a walk and a canter.
But all said, please continue to produce good reads, I recommend your work to anyone. You write as good of a love story as I've ever read.
December 11, 2018
I found this on my kindle, the description caught my attention. So I downloaded it. While I was waiting for it to load, I noticed all my recommendations were westerns. So I downloaded a western on accident? Not that I have anything against westerns, I just don't think I've read any before...
This was good! I was absorbed into the story and HAD to see where it went.
That said, this was so syrupy sweet that it made my teeth hurt. Jack is just a freaking superhero. He has a pet wolf, wildlife poses little to no threat to him....he's smart and sweet and tough as nails. He's also a match for just about any human with bad ideas, wins every gunfight, saves the day every single time. He treats Emily with the utmost respect, he's amazing with Joseph. Oh...and he's rich and clever and offers solutions to every legal and financial difficulty that arises.
I dunno. It wasn't just Jack (who i DID like), Emily, Joseph and even Emily's family and the entire police force....everyone is just soooo freaking nice. The good guys are SUPER good, and the bad guys are bad with little to no motivation and are pretty inept.
I liked this....it was just such a wholesome story lol. Is this a thing with westerns or just this book? Now I want to find another book in this category and see.
This was good! I was absorbed into the story and HAD to see where it went.
That said, this was so syrupy sweet that it made my teeth hurt. Jack is just a freaking superhero. He has a pet wolf, wildlife poses little to no threat to him....he's smart and sweet and tough as nails. He's also a match for just about any human with bad ideas, wins every gunfight, saves the day every single time. He treats Emily with the utmost respect, he's amazing with Joseph. Oh...and he's rich and clever and offers solutions to every legal and financial difficulty that arises.
I dunno. It wasn't just Jack (who i DID like), Emily, Joseph and even Emily's family and the entire police force....everyone is just soooo freaking nice. The good guys are SUPER good, and the bad guys are bad with little to no motivation and are pretty inept.
I liked this....it was just such a wholesome story lol. Is this a thing with westerns or just this book? Now I want to find another book in this category and see.
February 18, 2019
On the first day of this year, I vowed to read more books than I had in 2018. So I decided to sign up for an A to Z reading challenge. I chose "Abandoned" as my first book (my A book, obviously!) and coincidentally, this was also my first western and first C.J. Petit novel. In our fast-paced, modern world, where our primary mode of communication is Twitter and texting, it was a nice escape to read a story set in a different, much simpler time. Without giving too much away, I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing of the story, the surprises, the twists and turns, the bond between Joseph and Mrs. Doyle. And Joseph Tyler-- a rugged, manly mountain man with a gentle heart. I loved how the attraction and the romance between him and Mrs. Doyle blossomed gradually and naturally. I also liked that there was a little mystery left when it came to the sex scenes. I enjoy "trashy" romance novels as much as the next girl, but I did appreciate that the love scenes were romantic, yet discreet; it fits with the time period this story is set in. All in all, I very much enjoyed this novel and I look forward to delving in to some more of Mr. Petit's works!
February 10, 2019
Good read
I have to start off by saying it is a slow read in the beginning. The chapters are very long and a few times I thought about giving up on the book entirely. But I pushed through and really enjoyed it by chapter three. There were a few errors in editing that can be overlooked. The epilogue needs a rewrite due to the age of the children. Doesn't add up to the age of the parents. That's the only real complaint I have for the whole story.
Emily is young Joseph's nanny and they are abandoned in the mountains, left to die by the hands of Joseph's Uncle Noah. But they are found shortly after by Jack. He helps them back out of the deep mountains and along the way finds what he has been missing his whole life. He fears for Emily and Joseph's return to Omaha and stays with them, and good thing he does too.
This story takes many twists and turns in a way it slowly draws you in. Making it hard to put the book down.
I have to start off by saying it is a slow read in the beginning. The chapters are very long and a few times I thought about giving up on the book entirely. But I pushed through and really enjoyed it by chapter three. There were a few errors in editing that can be overlooked. The epilogue needs a rewrite due to the age of the children. Doesn't add up to the age of the parents. That's the only real complaint I have for the whole story.
Emily is young Joseph's nanny and they are abandoned in the mountains, left to die by the hands of Joseph's Uncle Noah. But they are found shortly after by Jack. He helps them back out of the deep mountains and along the way finds what he has been missing his whole life. He fears for Emily and Joseph's return to Omaha and stays with them, and good thing he does too.
This story takes many twists and turns in a way it slowly draws you in. Making it hard to put the book down.
January 26, 2019
This is my 2nd read by CJ Petit. This was a nother fantastic story by him. He has quite a way of really bringing you into the intensity of the situations that the characters suddenly find themselves put in. The love story in this book was very good as well. The twists and turns of the story were very well executed and definitely threw you for a couple of loops. But as with the 1st book of his that I read "Luke" there were several locations where names were changed and words misspelled. For me mistakes like that drive me crazy but I can get over them and I did and I really enjoyed the story because of that I would give this book a 4.5 but that's not possible on good reads. I would highly recommend that you read this book, if you are in to country shoota mobs some action some love story sprinkled in there it's great.
January 19, 2019
Combination of the big city meets western life
The story starts in Omaha city with a young heir of a coal company, Joseph with no mother and father. Then placed under guardianship of a greedy uncle who takes Joseph and his Nanny Mrs Doyle out on a hunting trip into the mountains North of Laramie, Wyoming only to abandon them in the wilderness of the mountains. This is area of the story is very exciting and with a lot of visualization, the middle of story gets excitement through greed, romance and the rest of the book you follow story through twists and turns but near the end it gets a bit slow.
The story starts in Omaha city with a young heir of a coal company, Joseph with no mother and father. Then placed under guardianship of a greedy uncle who takes Joseph and his Nanny Mrs Doyle out on a hunting trip into the mountains North of Laramie, Wyoming only to abandon them in the wilderness of the mountains. This is area of the story is very exciting and with a lot of visualization, the middle of story gets excitement through greed, romance and the rest of the book you follow story through twists and turns but near the end it gets a bit slow.
January 24, 2019
"A Great Story Line and Captivating To Read"
This story is an old western saga that takes place in the late 1880s, ten miles from Laramie, WY. An abandoned injured woman and young boy are found by a trail walker who takes them back to civilization with much care. It's quite the trip and the source of the abandoned two folks is found out. This is a remarkable story regardless of it needing better editing/proofreading. Also, the chapters are exceeding long, which caused me late in serving hubby his dinner! I loved the story this author has created. It's certainly entertaining and mind blowing at times. Highly recommend.
This story is an old western saga that takes place in the late 1880s, ten miles from Laramie, WY. An abandoned injured woman and young boy are found by a trail walker who takes them back to civilization with much care. It's quite the trip and the source of the abandoned two folks is found out. This is a remarkable story regardless of it needing better editing/proofreading. Also, the chapters are exceeding long, which caused me late in serving hubby his dinner! I loved the story this author has created. It's certainly entertaining and mind blowing at times. Highly recommend.
May 5, 2023
Another well written novel by CJ Petit. A true adventure that reaches deep into the soul.
A feel-good story that begins high in the mountains of Wyoming with a nanny and her young charge being abandoned and left to die at the hands of nature or the hungry animals all around them.
But she is rescued by an improbable mountain man who returns her and her young charge to civilization.
When he hears of how they were left to die in the wilderness and why he makes his decision to help them.
Now the real fun begins and the excitement mounts ever higher.
Don't miss reading this one!
A feel-good story that begins high in the mountains of Wyoming with a nanny and her young charge being abandoned and left to die at the hands of nature or the hungry animals all around them.
But she is rescued by an improbable mountain man who returns her and her young charge to civilization.
When he hears of how they were left to die in the wilderness and why he makes his decision to help them.
Now the real fun begins and the excitement mounts ever higher.
Don't miss reading this one!
May 31, 2021
Mixed Bag
Very good storyteller, especially if you like romance novels and mixing with the west is real nice. But, this fellow mixes a lot of modern language expressions into what is supposed to be the old west. Also, very poor editing. So, if you can make mental corrections when needed to keep things at least somewhat realistic, you can enjoy the stories as a nice break from real life and its challenges where things don’t always work out. With a good storyteller, you can compensate for the sometimes poor presentation.
Very good storyteller, especially if you like romance novels and mixing with the west is real nice. But, this fellow mixes a lot of modern language expressions into what is supposed to be the old west. Also, very poor editing. So, if you can make mental corrections when needed to keep things at least somewhat realistic, you can enjoy the stories as a nice break from real life and its challenges where things don’t always work out. With a good storyteller, you can compensate for the sometimes poor presentation.
December 6, 2018
Different
Having read a number of C.J. Petit's book this was a refreshing change in format. From beginning to end it is an edge of your seat tale of bravery, courage and action. The eight year old boy becomes a hero with nothing more to work with than a desire to save his nanny. When the mountain man arrives with rifle in hand and sees the the boy and helps him. From that point it is a can't put it down adventure. Really enjoyed this book.
Having read a number of C.J. Petit's book this was a refreshing change in format. From beginning to end it is an edge of your seat tale of bravery, courage and action. The eight year old boy becomes a hero with nothing more to work with than a desire to save his nanny. When the mountain man arrives with rifle in hand and sees the the boy and helps him. From that point it is a can't put it down adventure. Really enjoyed this book.
December 21, 2018
This is one of best books I have ever read.it kept me in suspense all the way to the end.I loved the characters and they all just seem so real the book didn't last long enough to suet me pleas write more like this you are a great Arthur.
I choose this rating because it's a GREAT book.
All the characters were wonderful and believable.I loved this book and can't wait til the next one.
I choose this rating because it's a GREAT book.
All the characters were wonderful and believable.I loved this book and can't wait til the next one.
January 2, 2019
An epic love story
I loved this book because it is a true wild west fantasy. Shoot outs, knife fights, gold, intrigue but above all a tale of true love that saved hearts and lives. It's also a story about the importance of family and how the love of an honourable man can affect the future of his children. A good read and highly recommended whether you are a fan of westerns or not.
I loved this book because it is a true wild west fantasy. Shoot outs, knife fights, gold, intrigue but above all a tale of true love that saved hearts and lives. It's also a story about the importance of family and how the love of an honourable man can affect the future of his children. A good read and highly recommended whether you are a fan of westerns or not.
January 6, 2019
I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot in the process. Interesting how the animals thought process works (all subjective of course). I enjoyed what innovative the outdoor meals were done and how up front the author was in the personal areas when the characters were making their way home. Many authors skip over this, but I found it refreshing reality. Personally, I would not want to have to deal with it, but that's how it was.
January 17, 2019
Marvelous story.😊
I liked This book very much. There was plenty of action, adventure with a little mystery tossed in. The characters were believable ones. I timesheet the Abandoned title was addressed almost at the beginning of the story, then led you away to discover the past, present and eventually the future of the characters. To me as well as for me this book ABANDONED was definitely a Goodread!!!!!
I liked This book very much. There was plenty of action, adventure with a little mystery tossed in. The characters were believable ones. I timesheet the Abandoned title was addressed almost at the beginning of the story, then led you away to discover the past, present and eventually the future of the characters. To me as well as for me this book ABANDONED was definitely a Goodread!!!!!
February 14, 2019
Adoration
This is a story that show the true strength of character and love a mother, father, and child have for each other and their courage to stand up to the pressures of societal norms. The love and faith they have in each other is rarely found in the world 🌎 today in this day and age of technology. The simplicity of the past and the struggle to survive in the wilderness is gratifying to experience. A truly enjoyable read that I highly recommend. 😁
This is a story that show the true strength of character and love a mother, father, and child have for each other and their courage to stand up to the pressures of societal norms. The love and faith they have in each other is rarely found in the world 🌎 today in this day and age of technology. The simplicity of the past and the struggle to survive in the wilderness is gratifying to experience. A truly enjoyable read that I highly recommend. 😁
March 9, 2019
Good book!
I really enjoyed this story by Mr. Petit. One of the things I like about C J's books is his characters, and the fact that for me he always tells a more complete story. This was a western with a dash of romance that I personally liked, but there was no graphic or untoward sexuality. Just a good, well-written story. I've a number of Mr. Petit's books, a haven't read a bad one yet. Highly recommended.
I really enjoyed this story by Mr. Petit. One of the things I like about C J's books is his characters, and the fact that for me he always tells a more complete story. This was a western with a dash of romance that I personally liked, but there was no graphic or untoward sexuality. Just a good, well-written story. I've a number of Mr. Petit's books, a haven't read a bad one yet. Highly recommended.
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