Born to Love

Night Riders #3

by Leigh Greenwood

In the third book of Greenwood's Night Riders series, Holt Price is ready to settle down with the woman he pledged to marry, despite the pain and devastation of war. Instead, he finds himself gazing into the vulnerable eyes of a girl who is not his to take. Original.

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

365 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

ARC received for review

DNF

Hurts to do it since I usually love Mr. Greenwood's (yes, Mr. that is not a typo) books, but I'm bored and don't care what happens next.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do love cowboys, though I can not really call Holt a cowboy. It seems he did spend two years on a ranch, but I was not on that ranch seeing him doing cowboy things ;) Instead he is a doctor, he was a surgeon during the war, and is more a gentleman than a cowboy. Sad indeed, but I still like him.

But this man so needed a slap on the head. He comes to Galveston looking for a woman he always loved. A woman who married someone else, and who was so just toying with him. But he has this notion that he must marry her cos his uncle told him too. Men! I did like him, but he needed to take of those rose colored glasses.

Because then he meets Felicity. Who has spent her entire life taking care of her father. Who is drinking too much. Who lost their ranch. And who is suffering from PTS from the war. She was so hardworking and I felt sorry for her. She tried being so tough, but what she needed was to see the truth too. Another truth.

These two have a long dance. He thinks he is in love with someone else. She just wants to shield her father. I liked that they got to know each other, that they had time to fall in love (without realizing it). That he spent time being a doctor and getting to know her father. Oh and there is another secret plot too that brought some suspense and drama. Seeecret.

I enjoyed it.

Narrator Rebecca Mitchell
I liked her different voices and I did find myself caught up in their world.

[♥ WishfulMiss ♥ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately this one did not resonate with me as I'd hoped it would after reading the blurb. Although I read it the whole way through I did find myself skimming through some of it and ultimately couldn't really connect with either MC or get behind their supposed romance. It was slow burning and lacked the flirty seduction of a love story. Even their friendship was tepid at best.

Going in, I knew it was going to be a bit angsty with the other woman subplot but I thought it would be a sweet budding romance between a man who was duty bound to one woman but unexpectedly finding love with another. After reading the book, I get why the title was Born to Love but it didn’t really fit the story or the characters and I definitely felt the blurb was misleading.

Weary of war and the endless cycle of vengeance, former Night Rider Holt Price returns to Galveston, Texas to reconnect with the woman he once promised to marry. He's content to live a quiet, loveless life...until he meets the doctor's brown-eyed daughter, and his whole world changes in an instant.

It sounds like Holt isn’t in love with OW right? Wrong.

“I came to Galveston to search for the woman I love.”

“I didn’t realize until he promised to leave me his farm that what he wanted in exchange was for me to take care of his ward, Vivian. But I fell in love with her, so everything worked out for the both of us.”

And “his whole world changing in an instant? Nope, that was false too!

“It’s because I’m disinterested that I’m able to see your situation so clearly. My vision isn’t clouded by emotion or lust.”

He’s talking to Felicity, his supposed h, and trying to convince her she needs a life outside of just caring for her father. He literally tells her in a very clinical way that she is pretty and it’s not too late to find love. With someone else obviously, because he doesn’t care or even feel attracted to her. Ugh!

It was all too much back and forth with Holt. He holds out stubbornly about his feelings for Vivian. Almost until the very end. And I absolutely hated how he made excuses for her horrid character flaws. It was cringe worthy how hard he tried to cling to his love for this OW.

“Vivian was a child whose values were formed by adversity. Once she feels safe, once she knows she’s loved for herself, not just her physical beauty, she will become a different person.”

A great sentiment if:
a) it was true. Yes, Vivian lost her parents at a young age but she was a rich kid turned orphan who lived the posh life as the ward to a rich family who loved her like a daughter. She never wanted for anything. She then married a rich kid who pampers her until he ends up dying int he war. He leaves her a plantation she quickly sells so she can party it up in Texas and continue her high society lifestyle. Where is the adversity?

And b) I felt Holt’s love for Vivian wasn’t solely based on her physical beauty. He can’t seem to shut up about how beautiful she is (and of course comparing her to the lesser h.) Even his reminiscing of her as a child and then later a young woman, he only waxed on about her looks. Her hair, her smile, her pale skin and “angel” like beauty. It was nauseating.

“She’s very beautiful,” Felicity said.
“She always was.”

“She enjoys being the center of attention,” Felicity said.
“I don’t know if she enjoys it so much as she knows it’s inevitable.”

No matter how beautiful a woman might be, she couldn’t be expected to enjoy meeting a woman who was even more beautiful, especially a woman so beautiful that men automatically gravitated toward her.

*eye roll*

His sudden decision to love the h instead wasn't really supported enough by his actions or words to convince me. Holt said it best.

He couldn’t be falling in love with Felicity. Even though he felt his love for Vivian draining away, he was still too emotionally involved with her, felt too responsible for her, to be able to love another woman.

I actually felt for Felicity. Her reasons for never fulling trusting Holt were justifiable given everything he's said and done when it came to Vivian and his love for her.

“I’ve seen you with Vivian, heard you talk about her. There is nothing here for either of us.”

He might like her and want to kiss her often, but Vivian had become enshrined in his mind years ago and nothing would dislodge her. It was possible Vivian wouldn’t marry him, that he would ultimately marry someone else, but there would always be three people in that marriage.

I also would be hesitant to accept a man that hasn't been shy in the past to so passionately and without a hint of reservation, declare his love and admiration for this OW. At. Every.Turn. He's loved OW for six years and has only known Felicity for a couple of weeks. Weeks where they don't even like each other! And all of a sudden he realizes he's never loved OW and instead loves Felicity? It just wasn’t believable. Sure, there's physical attraction there but where was the seduction. The wooing? The romance?

To say I was grossly disappointed in this read would be an understatement. The Zero was seriously the most aggravating character ever. I haven’t been so pissed at a fictional character in a long time but Holt easily pushed on my buttons. Felicity wasn’t a great catch either but she was deluding herself if she thought Holt was the best she could scare up as a potential suitor. She deserved better.

Memorable Moment:
This is just my personal note and space to continue ranting…

But when Holt tells Felicity that he’s no longer interested in marrying Vivian but has left the land his uncle willed him, Price Nob, in trust for Vivian’s child (from her dead spouse) I don’t get it!

It seemed awfully unfair that he feels a stronger responsible for Vivian and her son than for any future children he might have with Felicity. I get that they don’t care for money or social standing but why would you choose to leave your only worldly goods to the child of your past love? That stinks of residue feelings and it just cemented the fact that Vivian would always be a part of these two’s lives.

Would I recommend?
Some might find this passable but I just can’t, so I don’t see myself recommending this read at all. I want to bury it in a shallow grave and never think of it again.

* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All
thoughts and opinions are my own.

SAFETY INFO:
Ages : Felicity is 26 and a virgin. Holt is in his thirties, not a virgin, but not a manwhore either.

Cheating : Emotional cheating up the yu-ya (on and off page, H)

OM/OW drama : Yes.

Separation :None.

Push/Pull :Yes, the H is constantly throwing up his love for OW and has convinced himself and Felicity that it’s the real deal.

Main Pursuer of relationship :Holt.

Triggers : Weak and stubborn H, weak and malleable h, alcoholism (on and off page)

HEA/HFN : Ends on a HEA marriage proposal and no epilogue.

[Amy Vida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of Born to Love in exchange for an honest review. I was captivated by storyline and couldn't wait to begin. The beginning was great. However, I quickly lost interest. I couldn't get into Felicity's character at all. She gave off the impression of having a low we esteem and enabker.
She was always trying to cover for her drunk dad. Then, when Dr.Holt came around all he wanted to do was locate a lady from his past. I am still not sure why Felicity stuck around to give Dr. Holt a chance. Anyway, based on my lack of empathy for Felicity, I couldn't rate the book with five stars.

[Layne · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a interesting story. I like the characters.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holt Price needed to settle down after the war. He was born in Vermont but unhappy in his family so he went to live with his uncle William in Virginia. His uncle paid for medical school and willed him the plantation with the hope he would take care of his ward Vivian. Vivian was still a child so Holt went to war and made close friends with his unit. After the war the plantation was destroyed, Holt hated being a surgeon, and Vivian had married a rich man and had a son. Holt worked with his cowboy friends but Texas longhorns were not for him. After six years, he heard Vivian was a widow in Galveston. When he arrived, there was a carriage accident and as a doctor he felt obligated to help especially when he realized that the doctor trying to help was drunk. Holt was there to find Vivian, not to be pulled into being a doctor again. The injured man had a spoke in his thigh and needed surgery the drunk doctor insisted he come home with him. Twenty-six year old Felicity had helped her father for thirteen years. She promised her mother she would care for him. She and Holt did not get along from the start. Felicity thought he was a fabulous surgeon and very handsome. Both were true. Holt's father was an alcoholic and when he told Felicity that her father was an alcoholic she hated him. However, Holt was new in town, needed a place to stay and introductions to parties to find Vivian so an agreement was made. Members of Holt 's unit had looked for a traitor ever since the war ended. Holt found Vivian and the traitor but he also found a way to be a doctor and enjoy his life. Also, in spite of her beauty, Vivian was less and less the woman he wanted to marry and something about Felicity was calling to him but he could not let Vivian down. I received this book for an honest review and it is a part of a series and I have purchased three more of the series for my personal reading. Yes, I would recommend the book since in have bought several. This book ends with a great action sequence that would spoil the ending. Holt believed that people could not change. His trip to Galveston changed that belief in a unique way. Netgally.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

I was easily swept into the world of Born to Love and found myself quickly flipping pages in this heartbreaking and heart healing romance. A lot has changed for and about Holt since he made that promise that he is now honor bound to head to Galveston to fulfill. He’s not the same man now and is weary of war and the pain one man can inflict on another or a nation. His dream is of a loving wife and family far away from all he’s seen and done. But he made a promise and now he’s looking at a loveless, duty bound marriage as his future. He never expected to find a woman like Felicity. She brings light into his every dark place. He could love her for a lifetime and beyond. And now he has a decision to make, or perhaps, fate will make it for him.

I enjoyed my time in this world. The characters are believable, the story emotional, and the situation realistic for the time. Sometimes you don’t know what you’re looking for until it finds you. I was impressed with Holt’s sense of honor, but I am glad that his honesty actually required him to do the right thing for himself and Felicity. If you enjoy Western Historical Romance then Born to Love is something you’ll want to look into. Just be aware that this is a paperback reissue – so you might have read this title before.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

[Susan Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holt Price is a skilled surgeon but he contemplates leaving medicine because of the trauma he witnessed and endured during the Civil War. He is searching for Vivian who he intends to marry to fulfil a promise to his uncle.
He's known Vivian since she was 11 and he was 19 and was always enamored with her because of her beauty, which I personally found a little creepy.

Twenty-six year old Felicity Moore has looked after her alcoholic father since she was a young teenage and has worked along side him in his medical practice to prevent him from making any errors. But she is also enabling his alcoholism by refusing to confront it.

Holt enters the scene and starts to turn their lives around. He insists Dr. Moore stop drinking. Much of the book revolves around the fact that Dr. Moore is an alcoholic and so was Holt's father.

Holt and Felicity's relationship builds through the book after getting off to an antagonistic start, at least on Felicity's part, but gets quite steamy at one point. However, there is so much introspection and second-guessing each other's mindset that I found the book tedious and redundant much of the time. I think this book would have been much better if many of those parts had been deleted. We got the picture already. I also hate people who are martyrs and both our H and h have martyr characteristics.

There is also a villain who is not caught because, apparently, the police are inept.

This book brings in a 'character versus beauty' theme, which is in my children's book: http://www.susanross.ca/The-Rose-And-....

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born to Love by Leigh Greenwood is a love story but one that takes the curvy road to wind up with the two people together. It was descripted in the synopsis as if it is an “Other Woman” story but reading it did not seem that way at all. After the Civil War, Holt Price goes to Galveston, Texas. This is not really his home or where he is from. While he is going for someone he thinks he is love with, it is really more of a story of life after war. There is plenty of drama, angst, misguided promises, family problems and selfishness.

Holt Price is a good man, however, clueless he seemed at times. Felicity Moore is compassionate, too loyal daughter that deserves a life and love of her. Vivian is the classic selfish “poor little rich girl”, who is at the center of everything in this book. The best one can say of her, is that if Holt had never gone looking for her in Texas, he would have never met Felicity.

I found the story entertaining even when I was frustrated with the actions of the characters. It is the first book by Leigh Greenwood that I have read. I would read another.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to love and enjoy books written by Leigh Greenwood. He continues to write well written romance western books. Holt Price a former Night Rider is tired of seeking revenge. Returning to Texas he has plans to reconnect with the woman he left behind. But fate has other plans by the name of Felicity Moore. She is everything he wants to settle down with. Promises from the past has Holt making a choice between love or honor. Get ready to go on an adventure with Holt and Felicity. Born to Love is a heartfelt story that is well written. Towards the middle of the book I lost a little interest but that quickly changed. An adventurous read that will not disappoint.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holt Price comes back to Galveston to find the women that he has loved for a long time. He meets Felicity Moore whose father is a doctor in the bustling city. Holt has his mind set on finding his lost love until he begins to fall for the beautiful Felicity, now he has to choose the direction that his heart will take.

Born to Love by Leigh Greenwood will be available May 1, 2018 by Sourcebooks, Casablanca. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

[Debra McEathron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel that takes place in Texas after the Civil War. Holt goes to Galveston looking for a "lost love" and finds himself, his true calling, and Felicity. He is able to help a colleague and find a war criminal.

[Ellen White]

Holt Jessa

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh this book had so much potential but the repeated bickering and going on and on about the morals of being a doctor had me pushing myself to the finish line.

[Pam Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great beginning and plot but eventually too much repetition.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Might deserve an extra half-star or so. I was a bit under the weather when I read it.

[Jaimey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hmmm...yeah, I didn't like it. It is rare that a book annoys me to the point that I want to throw it across the room, but this one actually did. I wisely refrained from such an unseemly display of temper, as this is a very nice copy of this book and I'd hate to damage it for any others who may want to read it. I'm surprised at how much I disliked the story compared to the previous books in this series, namely Texas Homecoming & Texas Bride. This book lacked believability. The personality switches between the characters was ludicrous. I don't think these people knew who they were any more than the author did...if that makes any sense at all. :)

I realize this is a work of fiction, and as such, it is largely based on...well, just that. Fiction. But it is historical fiction and should at least reflect life at the time. Perhaps I'm wrong about this and if so, someone please let me know, but I don't believe alcoholism had a technical name in 1867. Yet, this book was filled with what amounted to a lecture on the actions/feelings of alcoholics and their families. It seemed to be an obsession with every character portrayed, especially the hero, who blames himself for his alcoholic father's death. Even if the term did exist back then, it was used far too much in this book. It felt more like a self-help book than a romance novel.

Please be aware, I like/love many westerns by this author. This book just irritated me in a way that I still feel to this day. I apologize if this review offends anyone, but it is my opinion and I don't often have one of those that I feel this strongly about... :o)

[Dianne Salzwedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Western; Dr. daughter hids dad's drinking from other Dr. looking for lost love

[Joyce]

I enjoyed this book - no thought but good

[Kim Vanravenswaay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy Leigh Greenwood's historical romance novels.
Holt comes off as very judgemental throughout most of the book. I think that is what keeps Felicity in the friend zone for so long, well that and he thinks that he is in love with another woman. It helps them to get to know each other rather well.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure how I was going to like this one. It's the third of a series. I didn't like the characters in the beginning. The story started out slow. Yeah, right. I read the thing voraciously and did not want to put it down! There was no insta-love in this book; our hero and heroine actually had genuine initial dislike, and their relationship grew over time. And as their relationship grew, my liking for the characters grew along with it. One thing I thought was handled beautifully was the alcoholism of Dr. Moore, Felicity's father, and the way it affected those surrounding him. Also, Holt's memories of Vivian and present reality were realistically portrayed. Though there was angst in this story, some parts were highly amusing. I almost fell out of my chair when Holt and Felicity compared medical remedy superstitions.

There was some excitement in this story, but its main appeal was character development. While this was the third in a series, there is no problem in reading it as a standalone. As a matter of fact, I'm really looking forward to reading the first two in this series. This is my first book by Leigh Greenwood, and it will definitely not be my last.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

[Sheila Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Born to Love by Leigh Greenwood takes place in post Civil War Galveston during the Reconstruction era and the descriptions of Galveston are spot on. This is the story of a disheartened Army surgeon and the daughter of a local physician who mix as well as oil and water. Both the hero and heroine are looking for the illusive love that has been out of reach, one because of lost love and the other through family obligations. The book is well-written and seems true to the time period. The characters are well-defined and fleshed out and the plot is believable from beginning to the end. While this is not a time period that I generally like to read, the story is interesting and held my attention throughout it.

[Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is in my opinion the best of the series so far. I love that the characters are so entertaining and that the story flows right along making it hard for me to set aside. I also like how the author can take a romance, make it a hot relationship, add a lot of turmoil and make me want more. The author does a great job of character development and I feel that I not only know the main characters but also am very familiar with the secondary ones too. I also appreciate a touch of the past characters.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holt Price is a doctor who is burned out from his years of performing grisly surgery on soldiers during the Civil War. He’s searching for his future and the love of his life.
Felicity is taking care of her aging father and assisting in his medical practice. She’s beyond what society considers a marriageable age. She longs for true love but is determined to stay with her father and keep his secret.
Holt is very single-minded in his beliefs and at times can appear harsh. Felicity is very determined and coddles her father which angers and frustrates Holt. The two clash on many issues and there were moments when I wanted to yell at both of them for being so stubborn. The story didn’t always keep my interest but I read the entire book and was glad I did. There is a bit of suspense which I actually liked in this book even though suspense isn’t usually my thing. There is a love scene but tastefully done. The outcome of the book is very satisfying. This is book three of a six book series of Night Riders and I will go back now and read the others. This is I would recommend this book to a friend.

[Angel Hatfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weary of war and the endless cycle of vengeance, former Night Rider Holt Price returns to Galveston, Texas to reconnect with the woman he once promised to marry. He's content to live a quiet, loveless life...until he meets the doctor's brown-eyed daughter, and his whole world changes in an instant.
This was a pretty decent story. I’ve read the other books in this series so I basically knew what to expect. I think my problem with this book is Holt and his determination to have the woman who clearly doesn’t want him.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book