The Bluest Eyes in Texas

Kennedy & Carson #1

by Linda Crist

Kennedy Nocona is an out, liberal, driven attorney, living in Austin, the heart of the Texas hill country. Once a player in the legal community, a personal tragedy for which she blames herself causes her to re-evaluate her life. Seeking redemption for her tormented past, she loses herself in her work, strict discipline of mind and body, and the teachings of Native American roots she once shunned. Dallasite Carson Garret is a young paralegal overcoming the loss of her parents, and coming to terms with her own sexual orientation. After settling her parents' estate and examining her failed past relationships, she is desperately ready to move forward. Bored with her state of affairs, she longs for excitement and romance to make her feel alive again. A chance encounter finds them inexplicably drawn to one another, and after a weekend together, they quickly find themselves in a long distance romance that leaves them both wanting more. Circumstances at Carson's job escalate into a series of mysteries and blackmail that leaves her with more excitement than she ever bargained for. Confused, afraid, and alone, she turns to Kennedy, the one person she knows can help her. As they work together to solve a puzzle, they confront growing feelings that neither woman can deny. Can they overcome the outside forces that threaten to crush them both?

Genres: LGBT, Lesbian, Law

376 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Linda Crist is the author of reader favorite the Kennedy and Carson series (which begins with The Bluest Eyes in Texas), and 2006 Goldie award finalist, Galveston 1900: Swept Away, as well as short stories in two anthologies, and thousands of pages of online fan fiction.

She is the recipient of numerous online writing awards, including the Royal Academy of Bards Lifetime Achievement Award and Hall of Fame awards, Xippy awards, Bard's Challenge awards, and Swollen Bud awards. She was also on the Xena Subtext Virtual Season staff, and on the staff of the Orlando BardCon, which ran for four years at Walt Disney World.

A 4th generation Texan, Linda started writing at an early age by composing picture stories on the church bulletin. She holds a Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin, where she interned with the Lady Longhorns Sports Information Office. After college, she worked for two years as a section editor with the Dallas Times Herald, before moving on to other occupational pursuits.

Linda describes herself as a Xenite, Parrothead and general sci-fi/fantasy geek. She is passionate about the environment, animal welfare, and the outdoors in general, and enjoys biking, hiking, beach-combing, kayaking, scuba diving, travel, photography, live music, micro-brews, good conversation over good coffee, and of course, writing.

Reviews

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I read this under Texbard but I'm not sure how much of it's going to be changed to the RC publishers banner. But as it is here, it's a fantastic uber x/g read.

Carson the paralegal meets Kennedy the attorney. Besides for the outstanding romance arc, there's a bit of crime drama thrown in as well. Which is pretty freaking awesome. Took me over a week to listen to it on my audio app, but it made my commutes fly by :)

Loved it.

[Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kennedy Nocona, determined to be the person she wants to be and if possible find a women she can spend the rest of her life with. Carson Garret, bored and feeling trapped in a life that does not feel like her own. When they meet, it is a friendship at first sight. A friendship that is rich, deep and full of caring. As you read, you believe there can be so much more. I like the slow developing time of getting to know each other. Fun read yet suspenseful and romantic.

[Heinerway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh what memories! Good ol' lesbian fanfic at its best!

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Crist's historical romance Galveston 1900: Swept Away quite a lot, so I thought I'd give her debut novel (available only in print, not digital) a try. Quite a disappointment, I must say. Crist is yet another author to emerge from the fanfic world, and it shows. I found the novel plodding and repetitive. The women are repeatedly described by their physicality ("the tall brunette," "the blond"). We are reminded ad nauseum of their hair and skin color, and of course their eyes - the title of the book. There is hokey Native American shamanistic stuff (the blue-eyed woman is half-Comanche, half-Irish.) There is instant chemistry, which is fine, but it just goes on and on and on and on with the true-love soulmate stuff. And by the very end Crist has gone off the deep end, into cuckoo-land. (I can't say more without spoiling it, but suffice it to say you'd have to be extremely New Agey to buy into the premise of the epilogue.) Perhaps it's in part a product of its time, the early 2000s, but in the wake of Galveston I felt more than a little let down.

[Julieta Steyr · Rating 1 out of 5]

God! It's soooooo soooo boring. Slow, unbearably slow.
Arguments too out of reality, a woman who relies on a perfect stranger and an native who won millions.
Of course, ideal for sleepless nights is the best natural remedy.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Satisfying read. Well developed characters and great story line (plot).

[Kaye Fisher]

The greatest book I've ever read, and I've read a libraries worth. It reads like poetry. Toni Morrison blew me away with this novel.