Book Review: Wagered Heart by Robin Lee Hatcher/2.5 Stars

About the book:

When Bethany Silverton left the genteel life of Miss Henderson’s School for Young Ladies back in Philadelphia for the raw frontier town of Sweetwater, Montana, she had no idea how much she would enjoy the freedom and danger of this wild country.

A conservative preacher’s daughter, Bethany can’t resist the challenge of charming the most attractive cowboy in town into attending her father’s new church. She never dreamed that the cowboy would charm the lady.

But Hawk Chandler isn’t the only man vying for Bethany’s affections. Ruthlessly ambitious Vince Richards thinks Bethany is perfect for him: attractive, gracious, just the woman to help him become governor. And he is determined to get what he wants at any cost.

Drawn to one man, an obsession of another, Bethany’s quiet life is thrown into turmoil. She wagered her heart on love. Now she has gotten more than she bargained for—and the stakes are about to become life and death.

My thoughts:

It pains me to say this, but I'm sincerely tired of reading rewritten stories. I wasn't aware that Wagered Heart happened to be one until I reached the author's note at the very end. Had I known that prior to starting the book, I think my expectations might have been a bit different. Instead, all I could think as I read chapter after chapter was that this was not Robin's best work. She has written some seriously good historical fiction over the years (the Coming to America series being some of her best), and I was anxious to read something new and original by her that would be equally as enjoyable.

I'm sorry to say that this book was not it, mostly because the love story was a little over the top.  Bethany was "in love" with Hawk almost from the word go, and reading about it over and over again just got on my nerves.  Also, the middle of the book got a little too crazy for my taste with too many emotional changes happening in rapid succession--marriages, deaths, moving, etc. 

It just wasn't the book for me...I don't think I can put it any plainer than that.  Robin has rewritten several of her general market romances over the years with some being very good and others, like this one, falling a bit short.  In the future, I may need to stick with her contemporary novels only because I've yet to read one of those that I didn't like. 

2.5 Stars

Southern?  No
Sass?  No