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The Soft Touch
To tame a tough man, it takes... The Soft Touch .
She is a softhearted Baltimore heiress...
Lovely but disastrously tenderhearted Diamond Wingate has terrible trouble saying "No": to the poor and unfortunate who beg at her gates; to entrepreneurs with big plans and no money; and worse, to the silver-tongued young men who line up to propose marriage. So far she has managed to keep her three fiancés a secret, insisting she cannot marry until she turns twenty-three. But her birthday--and disaster--are looming....
He is a hardheaded Westerner...
Rugged, independent "Bear" McQuaid has never taken a dime he didn't earn by his own hard work. But now his dream of building a railroad, so close to coming true, is about to collapse from lack of funds. Approaching Baltimore's infamous "soft touch," he learns she has other assets as a delicate, strawberry blond beauty and shining intelligence--and a fascination for the romance of the railroad. Then Bear uncovers Diamond's embarrassment of riches in fiancés as well as money and charms. Now he must make a finance his dream through a little genteel blackmail, or do it the hard way...by falling in love.
She is a softhearted Baltimore heiress...
Lovely but disastrously tenderhearted Diamond Wingate has terrible trouble saying "No": to the poor and unfortunate who beg at her gates; to entrepreneurs with big plans and no money; and worse, to the silver-tongued young men who line up to propose marriage. So far she has managed to keep her three fiancés a secret, insisting she cannot marry until she turns twenty-three. But her birthday--and disaster--are looming....
He is a hardheaded Westerner...
Rugged, independent "Bear" McQuaid has never taken a dime he didn't earn by his own hard work. But now his dream of building a railroad, so close to coming true, is about to collapse from lack of funds. Approaching Baltimore's infamous "soft touch," he learns she has other assets as a delicate, strawberry blond beauty and shining intelligence--and a fascination for the romance of the railroad. Then Bear uncovers Diamond's embarrassment of riches in fiancés as well as money and charms. Now he must make a finance his dream through a little genteel blackmail, or do it the hard way...by falling in love.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1999
4 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Betina Krahn
60 books312 followersKrahn, born Betina Maynard, is the second daughter of Dors Maynard and Regina Triplett. Krahn learned to read at the age of four, and began making up her own stories when she was only six. In fifth grade she won a silver "Noble Order of Bookworms" pin for her achievements in reading, and the following year she began writing down her stories.
Krane was graduated from high school in Newark, Ohio and received a B.S. in Education (Biological Sciences) at Ohio State University. After college, Krahn taught science in Newark, and studied for a graduate degree at Ohio State in the summers. It was during those summers that she met her future husband, physics graduate student Donald Krahn.
The family moved to Oklahoma, where Krahn finished the work for her Masters of Education in Counseling in 1973. In 1974, she gave birth to her first child, Nathan, with the second son Zebulun arriving in 1978. With two young children, Krahn became a stay-at-home mother for a time, also finding time to volunteer on a community board working to get funding for mental health care in part of Western Oklahoma. Once the funding was secured, Krahn worked as an HR director for a mental health center.
Krane was graduated from high school in Newark, Ohio and received a B.S. in Education (Biological Sciences) at Ohio State University. After college, Krahn taught science in Newark, and studied for a graduate degree at Ohio State in the summers. It was during those summers that she met her future husband, physics graduate student Donald Krahn.
The family moved to Oklahoma, where Krahn finished the work for her Masters of Education in Counseling in 1973. In 1974, she gave birth to her first child, Nathan, with the second son Zebulun arriving in 1978. With two young children, Krahn became a stay-at-home mother for a time, also finding time to volunteer on a community board working to get funding for mental health care in part of Western Oklahoma. Once the funding was secured, Krahn worked as an HR director for a mental health center.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 30, 2016
The first half of this book was good lighthearted fun, and rather cute, in that 'suspend all disbelief at the presented scenarios' sort of way. The romance aspect was strong and believable throughout. I liked everyone. But my, the second half of this book was beyond stressful. I just can't with the characters facing so much strife. Lah, it was one problem after another with building that bloody rail. I would have thrown in the towel ages ago if I actually had to deal with that malicious nonsense. I really don't like experiencing stress on behalf of fake characters, but I suppose it is a testament to the writer's skill. Sigh. On to more lighthearted fare.
Quotes-
“And the sky … tell them about the sky,” Vassar prodded.
He shifted and turned a taut smile to Vassar and his end of the table. “The sky. A mere telling can’t do it justice. It’s so big and so close … you feel like you’re about to be swallowed up in it. In the winter, when the snow covers the ground, the blue is so intense it makes your eyes ache. And on the hills at night, when you look up, the moon seems so close that you could just pick it from the sky and put it in your pocket.”
“An ambitious bit of larceny,” she murmured. He flicked another taut look her way and she took a certain satisfaction in the way his jaw flexed.
“Well, as a friend of mine always says,” he responded, “a man should always make the sin worth the penance.”
-------
“She found her determined words produced a hollow echo inside her … one that had nothing to do with a longing for children and a sense of family. She had a child now, or a reasonable approximation of one.”
-------
Quotes-
“And the sky … tell them about the sky,” Vassar prodded.
He shifted and turned a taut smile to Vassar and his end of the table. “The sky. A mere telling can’t do it justice. It’s so big and so close … you feel like you’re about to be swallowed up in it. In the winter, when the snow covers the ground, the blue is so intense it makes your eyes ache. And on the hills at night, when you look up, the moon seems so close that you could just pick it from the sky and put it in your pocket.”
“An ambitious bit of larceny,” she murmured. He flicked another taut look her way and she took a certain satisfaction in the way his jaw flexed.
“Well, as a friend of mine always says,” he responded, “a man should always make the sin worth the penance.”
-------
“She found her determined words produced a hollow echo inside her … one that had nothing to do with a longing for children and a sense of family. She had a child now, or a reasonable approximation of one.”
-------
September 21, 2019
I really liked the first half of the book, and also the second half was must-read. However, it seemed almost like two different genres was combined into this book. The first half was describing the rich heroines actions, problems and character and getting to know the hero, the second half how the hero was succeeding in his rail road project. But all the same, there was HEA and I would recommend this book, because it was also original, because of the heroine and the storyline.
November 20, 2020
4.5 stars
Read
April 21, 2018Barton "Bear" McQuaid and Halt Finnegan were partners searching for funding to build a railroad through the Montana area. They weren't having any luck getting a loan because most of the people they talked to wanted to have input into how it would be done. They were close to giving up when the met with a banker in Baltimore. The banker suggested that Bear consider marrying wealth. Bear stated that he would never do something like that and the banker told Bear that he would arrange for him to meet a woman in town who was known to give loans to people just because she liked giving money away. The woman's name was Diamond Wingate. The banker also suggested that he update his wardrobe to be a little more fashionable rather than his western wear for the meeting.
Bear went to a tailor with the little remaining funds he had and ordered a suit. He was trying it on when a kid knocked over the dressing room spaces by climbing on the cubicles. Bear grabbed the kid and was set to spank him when he was interrupted by a woman coming to pick up the boy. He found out after they left that the woman was Diamond and she was angry at him for his treatment of Robbie.
Robbie had been left with him by a woman who wanted money and told her that he was a long lost cousin. He was a boy off the street but Diamond didn't care. She took Robbie in and was raising him as her own although she told everyone that he was her cousin.
Bear was sent an invitation to a party given by the banker to meet Ms. Wingate when he noticed a woman being approached by a stranger who grabbed her and was trying to force her to go with him. Bear interceded and ran the guy off. The woman was Diamond and others called him her rescuer. They talked at the party but he never got a chance to tell him about the railroad because he couldn't seem to think around her. There was a strong attraction between the two of them.
He came back for another try at talking to her and ended up meeting Robbie and being taken into his confidence with stories about Montana and Robbie liked what he saw in Bear. Bear was all man and Robbie admired him. Robbie got Bear to go riding with them and he was sick by the time they returned home. It turned out that Robbie had the chicken pox and Bear told him more stories to distract him from being so miserable.
There were three other guys who all thought they were going to marry Diamond. One was a childhood friend that was interested in horses more than any person, including her. Another was a priest that wanted her money to use for his own missionary endeavors and the third was a close family friend whose parents expected them to marry so that he would have served a purpose in life. He was a drunk that felt like Diamond would be a good influence. Bear decided to get Diamond out of their disagreement on who would be marrying her by offering to marry her himself. She was relieved to get out of a stick situation with the three of them. Then she found out that he was serious. She was a bit scared and thrilled at the same time.
They married and it was a couple of days later before she found his plans for the loan presentation of his railroad. She was quickly convinced that he married her to get her money without having to ask her. She thought that money was the only reason he had married her and was hurt. She didn't give Bear a chance to explain himself. Bear decided to prove himself and his intentions to Diamond and took both her and Robbie with him to Montana to begin work on the railroad.
Halt had already headed back to Montana after the wedding. He had been beat up and Bear too. There was another man who was trying to stop the railroad from being built. He had been hired by Jay Gould to stop the construction. Beecher had already headed back to Montana too. A couple of other men were helping Beecher and had loosened up the ties holding the railroad steel on the train. They had to be reloaded. It didn't stop them, only delayed them.
Diamond resented being taken to Montana. She tried to hold what Bear was trying to do against him but she knew more about railroads than Bear expected. She decided to help Bear rather than fight him. Bear didn't want her help though. He was convinced that he didn't need her help and let her know. He didn't expect her to argue back with him and blaming his pride on him not being willing to accept her help.
The tools they needed to lay the track were stolen. The cook that Bear hired was attacked and his leg was broken. Diamond arranged for another railroad owner to sell him the tools they needed to continue. A fire was set, an engineer they hired lied about the route they had purchased the right-of-ways for. Bear confronted Beecher and was ready to call him out for threatening a family for scaring them to not sell to Bear by threatening his life. Diamond arranged for them to lease the land to Bear rather than sell it to him. Bear just got madder and told Diamond that he didn't need her. That hurt!
Beecher ended up stealing dynamite and blowing up the family's house. Diamond and Bear found all the family members and got them out of the house. The owner of the house had his leg badly hurt in the explosion and arrangements were made to take him to the doctor. They caught two of the men who started the fire and knew about the dynamite being set. They then found out that Beecher had taken Robbie. Diamond went to see him while Bear, Halt, and their men snuck in around the house and got Robbie out. Bear ended up shooting Beecher and he and his goons were arrested.
Bear and Halt thought that Bear's dream of building the railroad was over. He blew up one of their camps too. The engineer they hired was the man who and tried to grab Diamond at the party that Bear had thrown out. He needed a job and Bear had hired him when he found out that he was an engineer and had worked for B & O railroad. The engineer told Bear that the explosion had cleared a path for the railroad to be build faster. Bear and Diamond were excited at Beecher's bad luck to have helped them while trying to stop them.
Diamond and Bear had fought more and Diamond told Bear that he was too selfish to let anyone have a share of his dream. Bear apologized for telling Diamond that he didn't need her. They resolved their differences and were determined to become partners in life and love. They both admitted their love for each other. Diamond didn't think that anyone could love her for herself. Bear convinced her that he loved her for herself and not for her money. She was worth more than money to him.
Bear went to a tailor with the little remaining funds he had and ordered a suit. He was trying it on when a kid knocked over the dressing room spaces by climbing on the cubicles. Bear grabbed the kid and was set to spank him when he was interrupted by a woman coming to pick up the boy. He found out after they left that the woman was Diamond and she was angry at him for his treatment of Robbie.
Robbie had been left with him by a woman who wanted money and told her that he was a long lost cousin. He was a boy off the street but Diamond didn't care. She took Robbie in and was raising him as her own although she told everyone that he was her cousin.
Bear was sent an invitation to a party given by the banker to meet Ms. Wingate when he noticed a woman being approached by a stranger who grabbed her and was trying to force her to go with him. Bear interceded and ran the guy off. The woman was Diamond and others called him her rescuer. They talked at the party but he never got a chance to tell him about the railroad because he couldn't seem to think around her. There was a strong attraction between the two of them.
He came back for another try at talking to her and ended up meeting Robbie and being taken into his confidence with stories about Montana and Robbie liked what he saw in Bear. Bear was all man and Robbie admired him. Robbie got Bear to go riding with them and he was sick by the time they returned home. It turned out that Robbie had the chicken pox and Bear told him more stories to distract him from being so miserable.
There were three other guys who all thought they were going to marry Diamond. One was a childhood friend that was interested in horses more than any person, including her. Another was a priest that wanted her money to use for his own missionary endeavors and the third was a close family friend whose parents expected them to marry so that he would have served a purpose in life. He was a drunk that felt like Diamond would be a good influence. Bear decided to get Diamond out of their disagreement on who would be marrying her by offering to marry her himself. She was relieved to get out of a stick situation with the three of them. Then she found out that he was serious. She was a bit scared and thrilled at the same time.
They married and it was a couple of days later before she found his plans for the loan presentation of his railroad. She was quickly convinced that he married her to get her money without having to ask her. She thought that money was the only reason he had married her and was hurt. She didn't give Bear a chance to explain himself. Bear decided to prove himself and his intentions to Diamond and took both her and Robbie with him to Montana to begin work on the railroad.
Halt had already headed back to Montana after the wedding. He had been beat up and Bear too. There was another man who was trying to stop the railroad from being built. He had been hired by Jay Gould to stop the construction. Beecher had already headed back to Montana too. A couple of other men were helping Beecher and had loosened up the ties holding the railroad steel on the train. They had to be reloaded. It didn't stop them, only delayed them.
Diamond resented being taken to Montana. She tried to hold what Bear was trying to do against him but she knew more about railroads than Bear expected. She decided to help Bear rather than fight him. Bear didn't want her help though. He was convinced that he didn't need her help and let her know. He didn't expect her to argue back with him and blaming his pride on him not being willing to accept her help.
The tools they needed to lay the track were stolen. The cook that Bear hired was attacked and his leg was broken. Diamond arranged for another railroad owner to sell him the tools they needed to continue. A fire was set, an engineer they hired lied about the route they had purchased the right-of-ways for. Bear confronted Beecher and was ready to call him out for threatening a family for scaring them to not sell to Bear by threatening his life. Diamond arranged for them to lease the land to Bear rather than sell it to him. Bear just got madder and told Diamond that he didn't need her. That hurt!
Beecher ended up stealing dynamite and blowing up the family's house. Diamond and Bear found all the family members and got them out of the house. The owner of the house had his leg badly hurt in the explosion and arrangements were made to take him to the doctor. They caught two of the men who started the fire and knew about the dynamite being set. They then found out that Beecher had taken Robbie. Diamond went to see him while Bear, Halt, and their men snuck in around the house and got Robbie out. Bear ended up shooting Beecher and he and his goons were arrested.
Bear and Halt thought that Bear's dream of building the railroad was over. He blew up one of their camps too. The engineer they hired was the man who and tried to grab Diamond at the party that Bear had thrown out. He needed a job and Bear had hired him when he found out that he was an engineer and had worked for B & O railroad. The engineer told Bear that the explosion had cleared a path for the railroad to be build faster. Bear and Diamond were excited at Beecher's bad luck to have helped them while trying to stop them.
Diamond and Bear had fought more and Diamond told Bear that he was too selfish to let anyone have a share of his dream. Bear apologized for telling Diamond that he didn't need her. They resolved their differences and were determined to become partners in life and love. They both admitted their love for each other. Diamond didn't think that anyone could love her for herself. Bear convinced her that he loved her for herself and not for her money. She was worth more than money to him.
September 28, 2019
This is not the strongest of Krahn's novels, but it is still a wonderful Krahn novel! Her heroes and heroines are unique and fully formed. You can almost reach out and touch them. The settings, too, are vivid. Without laboring over descriptions, you find yourself in the middle of Baltimore and Montana. The only reason this is "less" than her other novels is a) that her other novels are even more richly layered and compelling, and b) there's a point in the middle when the hero crosses a line, and although he needs to cross this line for the drama of the second half of the novel, it's a pretty serious line to have crossed. It made me want to close the book and throw it at him.
September 17, 2021
This book was almost the best. Somewhere in the middle it took a turn that I didn't quite like or understand, but the writing was great and the characters were people I would want to know.
February 4, 2022
very good omg … just a little long winded imo???? but i enjoyed it a lot. good break up distraction 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤪
February 5, 2013
I liked the beginning of this one. Penniless RR man needs $ and comes east to get it. Rich woman is used to everyone asking for $ from her and nothing else. Man goes to ask and just can't. Circumstances collide, they end up marrying, she finds out she was misled...conflict ensues.
The second half of the book was just too much of a stretch. Incident after incident after incident...it was just too hard to keep up and too many things happened to be believable (or since this is historical romance I suppose I should say...too much happened that even my suspension of disbelief was stretched.)
The second half of the book was just too much of a stretch. Incident after incident after incident...it was just too hard to keep up and too many things happened to be believable (or since this is historical romance I suppose I should say...too much happened that even my suspension of disbelief was stretched.)
July 20, 2015
I really enjoyable read. The premise was interesting as was the setting. I can't say I've read many historical romances about the railroads...but I'll look for them in the future! What a cool time period.
The characters were likable, unique and their interactions were believable. I really felt invested in their relationship and the railroad. Also, I love novels were a smart female isn't messing things up. Bravo!
The characters were likable, unique and their interactions were believable. I really felt invested in their relationship and the railroad. Also, I love novels were a smart female isn't messing things up. Bravo!
did-not-finish
February 4, 2011The heroine was such a pushover she drove me crazy. She buys useless inventions just because she can't say no to the inventor. And she ends up with three fiances because she can't say no to them, either! It got to be too much for me. And it hardly seemed fair to any of them men to let them go on thinking she was going to marry them when she wasn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews