Full Description

Wildest Heart

From New York Times Bestseller Rosemary Rogers

No man can tame her, and only a renegade outlaw would dare to try…

No man can tame her
Lady Rowena Dangerfield, wild, headstrong, and scandalously independent, travels from exotic India to the splendor of London to the savage New Mexico frontier hoping to meet her long-lost father and start a new life. She arrives to find herself in the middle of a long-standing feud.

Nothing will stop him from taking what he wants
Lucas Cord, a handsome half-Apache outlaw, is a rebel renegade feared throughout the territories. When he encounters the beautiful stranger, unlike any woman he's ever known before, he knows instantly that he'll have to win her for his own. Together they will experience a rampaging passion as wild and hot as the Southwestern winds.

What readers say:
"It drives you to read until you drop from exhaustion. It's a true American West adventure. It makes you cry, it makes you wish, and it makes you dream. It's what a romance novel is all about."

"Rosemary Rogers' The Wildest Heart kept me captivated well beyond the last page…beyond the last word…her Ro and Luke continue to wander out there in the Southwest, two truly 'wild hearts.'"

"The characters are so compelling, and…so human and real in their struggles and mistakes and in their love. The ending had me on tenterhooks."

Praise for Rosemary Rogers:
"One of the world's bestselling authors, passion drives her tales."
Time Magazine

"The queen of historical romance."
The New York Times Book Review

"Her novels are filled with adventure, excitement and, always, wildly tempestuous romance."
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Prologue
i India—1872
ii London—1873

The Journals of Rowena Elaine Dangerfield (1873—1876)

Part I: The Marble Goddess
Part II: The Inheritance
Part III: The Violent Peace
Part IV: The Valley of Hidden Desires
Part V: The Bitter Season
Part VI: The Tangled Web

Epilogue: Silver City—1878

About the Author

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter 1

I sit at my window looking out at the hot sunlight reflecting off the sunbaked, pink brick of my patio, and try to imagine myself back in London, and eighteen years old again. Somehow I find that calling up the distant past is less painful than recalling events that happened only a few months ago.

Suddenly I have a compulsion to write—to chronicleeverything that happened to me since I arrived, so unwillingly, on the doorstep of my stepfather's house in London. Perhaps I am only seeking excuses to escape into the past as a barrier against the present. Or perhaps I will understand better the whole train of events that led me here, once I set them down and can see them in perspective.

Only a few years have passed since that time, and I am still a young woman. But so much has happened since then, and I have lost a great deal of the arrogance and self-assurance that they used to complain of. "They" were my mother and stepfather, and their large, anonymous household staff.

The opinions of the servants didn't concern me, for I was too occupied with my own thoughts and plans. I took care to stay out of the way of my mother and stepfather, and in all honesty, they were rather kind to me in those early days.

With surprisingly mature logic I came to realize that I had, in effect, been forced upon my mother. I was unwanted. I was not a child of love, but the child of a man she had been compelled to marry. Mellyn, whom my mother still called Nanny, spoke bluntly to me on the subject. "Barely out of the schoolroom, my precious lamb was at the time," she grumbled. "But they decided that she was ready to be married. He was much older than she was, had money, and the prospect of being an earl some day. I remember how she cried, her eyes turning all red and swollen. 'I'm not ready to be married yet, Nanny, and he's so old,' she said to me. 'I want to have fun first, to come out in style and go to parties and balls…' but her feelings were never even taken into account! Guy Dangerfield met her at a house party, and as pretty as she was, he was taken by her, I suppose. He was looking for a wife, to please his father, and she was the one he chose."

According to Nanny, my father had had nothing to recommend him beyond the money he had made in the gold fields of America. He was a dark, gloomy man, she said, who preferred the country to the city, and would have made a recluse of his wife if he could.
"I suppose he didn't want me to be born either?" I questioned.

"Don't you talk like that, miss! You don't know the whole of it, and that's for sure! Your grandfather turned you against her, I'll be bound, and for all that he'd have nothing to do with Mr. Guy after it all happened. He had a great notion that the Dangerfields were better than anyone else. My poor baby was no more than a child herself when you were born. I ask you, why couldn't he have waited awhile? Why couldn't he have taken her to live in London for a while? But no—he liked the country, he said, and he wanted a child. And he had his way. When you were born, it was just as if my poor Miss Fanny didn't exist for him any longer. He fair doted on you, he did—had your nursery moved into the room next to his, and it was he got up at nights when you began to cry. 'You take care of your baby, Mellyn,' he'd tell me, 'and I'll look after mine.' Unnatural, I called it. It was no wonder my lady pined and pined, and finally went off to London by herself. Who can blame her?"

A few new clothes were purchased for me—all in somber colors, in deference to the fact that I was still in mourning. I refused to have my hair done up in tortured coils and ringlets and preferred more severe styles, and on the few occasions when I was dragged out to teas and small evening gatherings I always managed to find myself sitting with the older ladies present, who complimented me on my "old-fashioned looks." I had none of the accomplishments that young ladies of my status in life were supposed to have. I could not play the pianoforte and I refused to sing; I could not paint a passable watercolor, and I could not dance.

I always scared away the bolder and more persistent young men by showing myself to be intellectual, and better educated than they were. I know that I gained the reputation, in a short while, of being a dowdy bluestocking—a born spinster. My mother despaired of me. Her friends commiserated with her, sometimes in tones loud enough for me to hear.

I do not know how long matters might have gone on the way they were if Sir Edgar hadn't suddenly decided that I must be married off. I had hardly spoken to him since that first day, but I'm sure my mother must have complained to him how recalcitrant I was, and how embarrassed I had made her feel on several occasions. Edgar Cardon had never liked my father, and I'm sure that my presence in his house was a living reminder to him of Guy Dangerfield.

Several months had passed since I had arrived in England, and the dull routine of my days had almost become a habit, when Tom Wilkinson came calling on me one afternoon.

We were already into autumn, and the servants had begun lighting fires every afternoon. I was in the library, desultorily searching through the shelves for a book I had not yet read, as he was announced.
"Mr. Wilkinson, to see Lady Rowena."

I turned around in some annoyance when Briggs announced him, and then quickly withdrew. I did not like Tom Wilkinson, especially since he was the most persistent of my so-called suitors. "A stout Yorkshire lad," Sir Edgar had stated bluffly when he introduced us, and indeed Tom was not only stout but short and squat as well—a dark-featured, bumptious young man who was always boasting of his fortune, his father's mills, and the grand house he had built for his future family.

Of all the young men I had met Tom Wilkinson was so conceited and so full of himself that he ignored—or pretended to ignore—the fact that I had no time, and hardly any conversation to offer him. He implied, in fact, that my quiet demeanor and dowdy way of dressing actually appealed to him. I was obviously not the kind of woman who might give him cause for jealousy, and my reserve and coldness of manner seemed to attract him, instead of putting him off.

On the last occasion we had met I'd hardly said two words to him, and had thought, thankfully, that I'd seen the last of him—and now here he was, intruding into my privacy, with that annoying, everlasting grin still on his face.

Reviews

Reviews

Night Owl Romance
Hearts: 4.75 / 5 - Reviewer Top Pick

Review:

Lady Rowena Dangerfield is the cherished granddaughter of an English Earl and governor of an Indian province. She is independent, intelligent and highly educated, something that is very rare in the 1870’s. When her grandfather dies she heads to London and her mother, who wants nothing to do with her, and never has. She faces the challenges of a society that she is unprepared for as well as a Stepfather who eventually uses her for his own passions. That is until she receives the news that her father is alive and awaiting her in New Mexico. A father she hasn’t seen since she was an infant, and who now is dying.

Lucas Kordes, aka Luke Cord, is a half-breed Apache/Spanish outlaw and the hated enemy of Rowena’s business partner, Todd Shannon. Todd blames Luke’s mother for the death of his first beloved wife and has a hatred for all things Native American, including Luke. Rowena’s father however was a friend of the Apache’s and of Luke’s in particular. Luke has no love for the overbearing bully either.

But there are secrets. Lots and lots of secrets and Rowena gets pulled into the blood feud between the Shannon’s and the Kordes, with no real answers from any of them to what the truth really is. As time goes on she questions everyone and wonders who she can really trust. She also discovers that life in the rough and tough southwest can be harsh, hard and violent. But can also hide passions that are completely unexpected.

Ms. Rogers has crafted what can best be described as an epic novel. It is around 700 pages long, but seems much shorter as it flows so well. The plot twists and turns and have so many surprises you won’t be able to put this work down until you’ve reached the climatic end. The characters are all well developed and are true to many of the attitudes of the day, both toward women and toward Native American tribes. Ms. Roger’s also challenges the reader to find the real bad guy amongst the cast of characters who all have something to hide and uncover the secrets everyone is hiding. The vivid imagery she crafts will take you to the Southwest of yesteryear, when outlaws and renegades were everywhere, where towns and cities were built around mines or cattle and where the landscape is varied, beautiful, dangerous and took days to cross.

I highly recommend this wonderful work. You won’t want to put it down and will miss your bedtime until you get to the happily ever after.

The Burton Review Marie Burton
This book is an epic style saga that sweeps you into the plights of Rowena Dangerfield and her many suitors. Rowena was born to wealth, yet had a miserable childhood, and life doesn’t get much easier for her. We follow Rowena from India, to England and across the pond to accept the challenge an absent father bequeathed her in New Mexico. She is kidnapped, raped, kept hostage, and still manages to keep her wits about her. Or she attempts to show that she is unbreakable, but as a reader we wonder just how much more she can take.

There are so many backstories here behind her upbringing, her family, her stepfather, and all the way to the mysteries of the people her deceased father dealt with. To go into all of the events would spoil your delightful surprise of this book, but rest assured you will not be bored. As Rowena tries to sort out her father’s wishes for her, the reader is swept up in the wild west drama of New Mexico with Apache indians and renegade cowboys. And then there are always the men in Rowena’s life, as there are several, and although we shake our heads at Rowena’s ill-fated decisions we still crave more of the story. At 748 pages, you need to be prepared to engross yourself in this story, but it is definitely a fast moving plot with many events going on. Some may seem contrived and forced into the plot, but the overall drama of Rowena’s many struggles holds our attention.

She agrees to marry a man who holds the other half of the profitable ranch that her father bequeathed her, but this is swiftly averted when Rowena is kidnapped by Indians and she agrees to marry one of the same Indian brothers that is hated by her previous fiancee. This marriage is also averted because she falls in love with Lucas, the outlaw Indian brother that she had once hated on sight when she had found him lurking in her bedroom. Confused yet? Oh yes it is tricky keeping up with all the names and some of the twisted relationships we encounter, but this is truly the epitome of a Wild West Romance Saga and there must be plenty of romantic opportunities and many characters to develop some interesting storylines around. That is achieved here, as I found myself wishing Rowena would listen to logic and fall for the good guy for once. Rowena is not exactly a character you would feel empathy for, she seems to never know when to control her troublesome mouth, and even as she narrates in first person you get a little tired of her uppity attitude despite all the hardships she has endured.

I enjoyed the characters as they each held their own for their specific purpose in the book. The good guys turned bad, the bad guys were really good (in some ways)...The good guys against the bad guys, the have’s against the have-not’s. Rowena herself does some eye-rolling things which would really make me stop being her friend if I were one in the first place, but the overall story was a lot of western action fun. I didn’t like the way that from whatever clothes she decided to wear she was magically transformed. Dowdy clothes, everyone else saw dowdy and a frumpy muffin and sent her distasteful glances. Put her in a dress and the entire town knows who she is, a rich heiress. The heavy amount of foreshadowing gets aggravating after the fourth or fifth time. You understand there is a twist coming, and coming, and coming.. still working on it.. Aside from the cumbersome first person narrative and the fact it was subtly written in a memoir fashion, I couldn’t help imagining this as a good mini-series on the Lifetime network. (Catherine Zeta Jones would work well if any film makers are listening.)

With the multitude of events going on here (which there is no way I could attempt to elaborate on without this post being unending), I understand why this novel was 748 pages. But even as I wished it wasn’t 748 pages, I can’t think of a part to take out. So if you are ready to sit and read for a spell and get yourself caught up in a historical romance with all the tributes of a western, this is a great choice for you. The story stayed with me when I was not reading it, and the last half of the brick of a book seemed to move faster than the first half. If there was a sequel I would be interested in continuing the saga. As it is, I’ll still be on the lookout for some of her other titles. Be prepared to be consumed by some gun-slinging, hijacking fun with some captivating fire and rain romance thrown in! (You’ll see!!)

Books Like Breathing Grace Loiacano
My Review:

I am a sucker for a good romance. Always have been, always will be. This was my first Rosemary Rogers and needless to say, I loved it. She writes the type of romance that I love…historical, full of tension, with strong characters.

I loved all of the characters in The Wildest Heart despite the fact that I wanted to strangle them most of the time. Rowena was such a headstrong and intelligent woman. I don’t often find female characters like her in romance novels. I was pleasantly surprised. She was strong, intelligent, cold and calculated. All the things I admire in my female leads in romance novels. I didn’t really like Lucas throughout the novel to be honest. He struck me as stubborn and obnoxious and, to tell you the truth, I was kind of rooting for Mark until he turned out to be even more stubborn and obnoxious than Luke. About halfway through the book, Luke did grow on me but it took a while.

This was the perfect romance for me. I hate soppy romances where the heroine is all wilty and the hero is all perfect. The characters in The Wildest Heart had flaws and issues. They were not all about the romance. There was a really compelling story and characters behind it. The sex scenes were also not graphic at all which might please some readers. Sourcebooks edition of this book is lovely. There is nothing I dislike more than romance novels with shirtless heroes on the cover. I mean how can you read a book on the bus with a half naked cover on the bus and keep your dignity? This one is very simple with just Rowena with Lucas in the background.

Needless to say, once I finished The Wildest Heart, I went out and purchased most of Rosemary Rogers other books. Definitely recommended.

Grade: A

Revenge of the Book Nerds Jaime Huff
A sweeping, beautiful epic historical romance, "The Wildest Heart" by Rosemary Rogers kept me entranced throughout 739 pages. Yes, 739 pages. Beginning in 1872 with Rowena in India, onto 1873 when upon her grandfather’s death she is sent to her mother’s (whom she has never met) in London, and off to America upon her finding out her father is dying and has left her his ranch in New Mexico and a very wealthy woman. These pages take you through her life to 1878 without disappointing and no obnoxious down time. When I first saw this book, I was overwhelmed. A romance THIS long? How much can the author write about? Obviously plenty and without disappointing the reader. This is a TRUE romance in my book. Lady Rowena is beautiful, fierce, independent and strong. Her life was never easy, she is The Wildest Heart. I felt so much of a connection with Lady Rowena, dislike towards Todd Shannon, unsure about Lucas Cord and of course, I eventually fell in love with him, and all the players. I love when an author can build other characters without losing her key players. The late 1800s was a time of wild, raucous and outlaws, especially in the west. The author has woven the time period in beautifully.

Just beautiful. I say this book is worth each and every page you read. I wasn’t disappointed and I am sure other readers won’t be either. I will even say this, this is definitely going into my re-read pile for another round. Be prepared to be captivated through the entire book

Readaholic Bridget Hopper
Rowena is an independent woman. When her grandfather passes away, she finds herself being handed the duties of her grandfather. She reads a diary that belonged to her father and figures out that she is supposed to smooth things over with her family’s rivals. Rowena is hot tempered, especially when conversing with the opposite sex. Will she be able to do what she is destined to or will her pride stand in her way?

I loved the dialogue in this book! Rowena reminds me a lot of myself and I was able to picture everything that was happening to her as though it was happening to me.

My Book Addiction and More Wendy Keel
THE WILDEST HEART by Rosemary Rogers is a historical romance. This is a great story with the characters being human, very realistic and easy to relate to. It is a story of revenge,mystery,searching for the truth, belonging somewhere and romance. There are twists and turns, it is fast paced with disappointments and intrigue. There are rape scenes, and sensual scenes but not too graphic. You also have a strange relationship between Lucas and his step mom and Rowena and her stepfather. In the end the truth comes out and ends positively.Although this story is very emotional the characters leave you spellbound and unable to put the book down. I would recommend this book.

Reviewed by AAR
Rating: 4.5

My Overstuffed Bookshelf Amy Jacobs
This historical romance was huge! Not only in story but in pages. 739 pages to be exact! Even with that many pages, I was still sad to see this story end. This was my first time reading a book by this author and I am so happy I had a chance to read it. Rowena proves to be a little hot-headed, speaks her mind and independent. I can see why the author named this book The Wildest Heart because Rowen is one wild woman with a big heart. I enjoyed reading about the struggle that each character had to work through either together or individually. This book features strong characters that will keep you captivated all the way to the last page! A very erotic and true romantic read!

MY RATING: Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf for Rereading!

Books and Needlepoint Kristi Herbrand
Normally I like to give my own synopsis of the book, but I did not think that I could condense this succinctly enough without giving away some of the many plots! This book was originally published in 1974 and I believe that parts of it would have been quite scandalous back then! I was very surprised at some of the twists and turns myself in 2009! I like Lady Rowena. She was like a little spitfire and was always ready with a sharp retort. She was not going to let anyone walk all over her and tried to use whatever situation she found herself in to her advantage. Whether this be as a girl in India, a young lady in London, or an heiress to a ranch in New Mexico. At over 700 pages, be ready for a ride when you open the cover. I am always scared to accept such big books for review, but this one did not disappoint. It is very complex with many plots among a myriad of characters and family members. This book contained scandals, affairs, rapes, kidnaps and a journey to understand a feud that has lasted for generations, but let’s not forget the passion and romance! It would make a great movie or maybe a mini-series would be more in line for it. It is a great book and I recommend it!

The Wildest Heart
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks (original publication 1974) re-issue, Nov 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4022-2274-0
739 pages

Alpha Heroes Nicola Onyhuck
It’s Official, I’m In Love
You may recall a bit of a rave I posted last fall for Rosemary Rogers’ Sapphire. As far as I can tell, Sapphire is a new release with a 2005 (well, relatively new) copyright, whereas The Wildest Heart is a re-release, originally published in 1974. So I wasn’t sure if that would make a difference.

All I can say is, Rogers has still *got it*, baby. This is a fabulous book and deserves your attention if you’re a romance lover. If this is Old Skool, then I think the entire cadre of current historical romance authors should take a refresher course. Not that there isn’t wonderful stuff coming out every month, but there is really a huge difference in scope and scale, and I want more of this kind of EPIC DRAMA. (I feel a glom coming on...)

Hey, Gabaldon Lovers
At well over 700 pages, if you are an aficionado of the Very Long Book, and the intricate plotting that goes along with it, I think there’s a very good chance you’ll like this one too. Jamie and Lucas would get along really well, I suspect; if nothing else they could have a good commiseration over wimmin-folk who don’t stay in their places.

Skooled
It’s true that I’ll forgive a bland or linear plot if the characters are great, if the chemistry is there, and if the romance satisfies. But if I can get it ALL between the same set of covers? HELLZYES, that’s even better. The plot of The Wildest Heart is what the modern Big Mis wants to be when it grows up. The conflict between the characters is tied to a campaign of misinformation, disinformation, and scandalous secrets that begins before Rowena gets within a thousand miles of Lucas. If she’d ignored the evidence against him, we’d all scoff and call her TSTL.

The book is structured in a "coming of age" format, and starts out with a few scenes from Rowena’s late adolescence in India, where she lived with her grandfather, and then moves into a relatively short section in Europe with her mother and stepfather. At one point, I thought maybe that bit should have been dropped... but I’m glad it wasn’t. Events in this extended prologue inform Rowena’s adult character and give you such an insight to her feelings on certain exchanges that the author doesn’t even have to write it in — you will cringe on Rowena’s behalf, just knowing. It’s genius, really, and it’s something that might not be possible in a book of 350 pages vs. 700.

The plot twists and turns throughout the story as bits of conflicting information emerge, and right along with Rowena, you wonder whose information you can trust. The final twists were jaw-dropping surprises, at least to me, but written with such skill that there’s no hint of contrivance or manipulation. The brilliance of this book is that the plot is so complex and yet it’s entirely character-driven. The passions and hatreds of two or three generations provide the gearworks that power you through the story.

The Characters
The story is written from Rowena’s first person narrative— which frankly I wasn’t thrilled with at first, but soon forgot my objections. Despite her desire to take charge of her life, circumstances and other people continue to buffet her in crazily extreme directions, but she never seems passive. With all this going on, I think the first person is a good way to keep the reader in a place to understand why she does the things she does. Rowena has no allies through a large part of the story, so much of her processing of events is internal.

One downside to this though is that Lucas remains an enigma to the reader as much as Rowena throughout most of the story. He’s a bit of a background on which events are acted out, and he’s off-stage for a fairly big chunk of the pagecount. Lucas might be the first of the angsty damaged heroes. He’s a classic Western hero; taking the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune without flinching or explaining. And yet somehow as readers we see a little of his vulnerability, of his pain and that brings him closer to us.

Things You Don’t See Every Day
Like Scarlett O’Hara, Rowena marries the wrong guy in the course of this story. She’s not a virgin when she finally comes to the hero. There is rape, but it’s not perpetrated by the hero. And Lucas is no white knight. He’s engaged in a scandalous affair throughout the book and makes no promises to throw over this influential woman to be exclusive with Ro.

The love-making that seemed so daring in 1974 is far more soft-lensed and less graphic than any given best-seller today, but it’s still hot and passionate and evocative:

Naked again, I went to him, and equally naked, he received me. We made love slowly and unhurriedly and inevitably. With Lucas, there was no holding back, no sense of violation. I wanted him, and he wanted me, and for the first time in my life, I learned how it felt to be taken out of myself with longing, and to have the longing fulfilled.

Bottom Line
The Wildest Heart is a long, slow, complex read. It’s perfect for sinking into on a cold snowy night or taking with you on vacation. I strongly recommend and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The Romance Studio Brenda Talley
Lady Rowena Dangerfield was the granddaughter of Earl of Melchester. She lived with him in India until his death. Because she was still underage she was sent to England to live with her mother and step father—both of them had never wanted her around. When she got a letter from her father in America, she couldn’t wait to travel there and finally live with the man she had always wondered about. He and his partner owned a large ranch in New Mexico. Unfortunately, he didn’t live long enough for her to arrive. She was faced with fighting for her inheritance and maintaining her independence.

Dangerfield’s partner was Todd Shannon, an opinionated, overbearing man who had a frozen heart after the death of his wife and son. He was determined to marry Rowena to insure that he kept the entire operation in his name. He was constantly haunted by his enemy Alejandro Kordes’ family with the woman he loved. Unfortunately, the way he felt about Kordes’ oldest son, Lucas Cord, was a contention he would be plagued with for ever. Lucas Cord was a friend of Rowena’s father. He didn’t believe Lucas was guilty of the murders and rape he was accused of.

Of course, Rowena hated Lucas Cord and despised everything about him. At the same time she was drawn to him. The development of their relationship, the myriad of situations—many dangerous—was the story that I fell in love with. To say this is a major novel is really an understatement. It was actually over 700 pages. Rosemary Rogers is a well-known name in the romantic sector; however, this was my first exposure to her work. It will not be my last.

There were so many characters, so much action, and so many unexpected happenings that it would be impossible to not find something to like about the book. It was an in-depth study of life in the frontier with feuding land owners, greedy family members and struggles for individuality. Rogers’ profound depiction of the people, the historical correctness of the period, and her twists mesmerized me.

I loved the book and highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical romance. You will be thrilled you read it.

Overall rating: 5/5 Hearts
Sensuality rating: Very sensual

Found Not Lost Jeanette Moore
It took me a while to warm up to this book. While I love historical romances, I’m not really all too crazy about the wild wild west. The book is also very thick for a romance novel but I guess it would have to be to contain the epic saga that starts in India, stops in London high society before finally ending in America’s wild west.

I thought I would skim through the book since I had another one waiting in the wings about punta cana vacations (always a good read for when it’s gray and dreary outside. Anyway, I was surprised to be so quickly embroiled in the story right away. From the get go, the headstrong teenage girl in India caught my attention. I couldn’t keep the book down after that and followed that girl to London where she endured some time with her uncaring mother and step-father who cared a little too much if you know what I mean.

Rosemary Rogers is a story-teller who knows how to weave. She takes varying story lines and weaves them into one cohesive story that you can’t take your eyes off from. Although this book was originally published in 1974, it is timeless in its appeal. The heroine, Rowena is not only headstrong, she’s also independent, intelligent and beautiful. The story is told in her voice and point of view which allows you, the reader, to take the journey with her. You experience everything she feels and goes through. You become misguided as she is with the misinformation and deceptions of the people around her, you discover the surprising truths at the same time she does. That’s what makes the experience of reading this book so much fun. At the end you are wishing for more even after 700 and something pages.

I think this reprint will find a whole new generation of Rosemary Rogers fans.

Best Romance Stories Chanya Harris
Originally published in 1974, I read The Wildest Heart for the first time in high school. So, when I saw that it was being re-published, I was eager to read it again and see if it was as good as I remembered. I’m happy to report that I was not disappointed. Rosemary Rogers was a favorite author of mine in the eighties and it’s good to see that they are repackaging the romance books and putting them out there for a new generation of readers to find!

Romance writers like Rogers wrote grand, sweeping sagas that jerk on your heart-strings with all the calamities that the characters have to go through to finally end up together. And – be forewarned - thirty years ago, they didn’t write them like they do today. The book is a bit more gritty than the standard romance books you see now – it contains a couple of few scenes of physical abuse. It’s interesting to see how the style of romantic authors has changed over time. If you read a lot of romance, you’ll see what I’m talking about.

The Wildest Heart is the story of Rowena Dangerfield and all the trials and tribulations that she has to endure to be with the true love of her life. It starts out with Rowena in India living an unconventional lifestyle (according to the wives of the other British expatriates living there) with her grandfather. Upon her grandfather’s death she moves to London to live with her mother and her stepfather. While there she unwillingly becomes her stepfather’s mistress after he physically assaults her. It’s this moment when she learns how to create an emotionless exterior to hold the ugly reality of her life at bay. Rowena’s mother, aware of the abuse, can’t wait to get rid of her so she can try to win her husband back.

Rowena learns that her father in America has left her an inheritance in the form of a Western ranch so she gladly leaves England to go claim it. She soon meets the ranch manager, a large, domineering man named Todd Shannon. The two of them are at each other immediately – Rowena’s beauty and emotional distance are like catnip to Todd Shannon. Lucas Cord, a primary character and love interest, enters the picture as Rowena is told about the evil outlaw who has a vendetta against the Shannon family and their ownership of their half of the ranch. It’s quite complicated to explain the revenge scenarios involved with this vendetta - I’ll let you read the book - but it finally works itself out in the end with a bizarre twist that you never see coming.

As the story continues to unwind we see that Rowena has quite the adventurous and thrilling life: she is engaged to Todd Shannon, kidnapped by Apaches, bought back by Lucas, etc., etc. I don’t want to give it all away. Let’s just say that you are never bored during the entire seven-hundred pages of this romance book. In particular, one major shocker was Lucas’ relationship with his stepmother, Elena, a woman at the center of a lot of the people problems in the book. It’s interesting to see how Rowena copes with Lucas’ obsession with Elena; he’s loved Elena since he was a teenager - how in the world can Rowena compete with that? But as you’ll see, she overcomes that and much, much more.

A lot of the story centers on Rowena’s ability to hide her emotions which not only intrigues the various men in her life but also causes a lot of heartache in her attempts to figure out her relationship with Lucas Cord. This is not your conventional romance; today’s stories typically have the guy wanting only “one girl”, usually as soon as he sees her (or sleeps with her). In The Wildest Heart, Lucas is jumping from bed to bed while Rowena gets stuck sleeping with several losers herself – willingly and unwillingly. But there’s a great happily-ever-after at the end.

Rosemary Rogers was at the top of her game in the 70’s, and it’s nice to see she is still up there with the best of them. Re-reading this book brought back the memory of why I started reading romance books in the first place – to be transported to another place and time, losing yourself in someone else’s problems, but knowing that, in the end, everything is going to turn out okay!

The Bookworm 07 Naida Milenkovic
Miss Rowena Dangerfield is raised in India by her grandfather. Her father Guy, brought her to India when she was just a baby. Rowena’s mother, Fanny, divorces Guy and leaves to London. When she is 18, Rowena is sent to live in London with her mother, whom she is not close to and her stepfather. Once in London, Rowena’s stepfather, Sir Edgar, takes advantage of Rowena and she winds up being his mistress. Rowena winds up going to the New Mexico to claim the inheritance her father left for her. While there, she reads her fathers journal and realizes many things about the past and family rivalries. Among the many interesting characters in New Mexico is a man named Todd Shannon who is much older than her, but insists on marrying her. Todd’s nephew Mark, falls in love with Rowena, but she doesn’t share the same feelings for him. Rowena also meets a man named Lucas Cord, an outlaw with a sordid past.

This was a really good read. It’s the kind of book you can really sink your teeth into. There’s alot of plot twists and interesting characters. The story has plenty of drama, adventure and romance in it as well. I always enjoy a story that just keeps on going from page one. I like Rowena’s character, she’s smart and sassy. I like that she dresses herself ’down’ when she first makes aqquaintances in order to get people to be thier true selves around her, instead of dressing flashy and getting the wrong kind of attention.

I can imagine this book being made into a mini-series.

The dialogue was great, several scenes reminded of the interaction between Rhett and Scarlett in Gone With the Wind. Here are a few of my favorites:

"It might benefit you to exercise some self-control occasionally," I said sharply, for her eyes had filled with tears of rage and frustration. "And to try to understand that other people, too, might have thier share of unhappiness and bitter memories locked inside them, even though they may not wear thier emotions on their sleeve!"


"You’re the most conceited, arrogant man I’ve yet had the misfortune to encounter! If you think that I...."
"At least I don’t play games, little girl. Ain’t the type to go pussyfootin’ around, wastin’ time on long courtships. When I find what I want, I go out and get it."


He took me in his arms, ruthlessly holding me still in spite of my furious protests. "When are you gonna face up to facts, little gal? I want you. Have done even before I saw you all dolled up. You turned Mark down, didn’t you? An’ you’ve been needlin’ me all evening. Better learn to pay up when your bluffs been called."
He bent his head to mine and I saw his thin, cruel lips curve in a smile of triumph. "We’re two of a kind, and you know it," he said, before his lips claimed mine.

The Romance Rookie Jill Dunlop
The Wildest Heart is a sweeping, epic historical written by the famous romance author Rosemary Rogers. She is probably best known for Sweet Savage Love, one of the first romance books that gets talked about time and again.

The Wildest Heart is narrated by Lady Rowena Dangerfield. She grew up in India with her grandfather the Earl of Melchester, an unconventional man who believed Rowena should be given the same education as a man. To say Rowena is an unusual young woman is an understatement. The Earl dies and she is sent to London to live with her Mother and Stepfather. Her Mother resents her presence and her Stepfather lusts after her. It is quite an awful situation for Rowena. Eventually, good news comes and she learns her father has sent for her to come to America. He is co-owner of a ranch in New Mexico. So, Rowena sets off to the New World.

Things aren’t what Rowena quite expected when she arrives. She learns her father has died, but he left her his journals where he chronicled his life. It seems there is a feud between the co-owner of the SD ranch, Todd Shannon and the Mexican family who claimed the land before, the Kordes. Rowena finds herself swept into the drama and intrigue.

I found myself swept into the drama and intrigue too! Rosemary Rogers excels at creating a stunning masterpiece with very intricate details that all tie into and explosive conclusion. This story was all over the map! On the one hand, it is incredibly well written. The plot is very detailed and thoroughly well thought out. On the other hand some of the subject matter is hard to swallow.

Since the story is narrated in first person, everything is discovered through Rowena’s eyes. Rowena is a strong, prideful woman who is often described as cold or unfeeling as marble. She has built up this persona to shield the more vulnerable part of herself from the world. The reader understands this based on how Rowena grew up and the events that shaped her. I can’t say I ever really warmed up to Rowena, but I understood her motivations very well. I also I can’t say I agree with how she handled everything, but again I understand why. Rowena’s personality so strongly leaps off the pages the reader will have no trouble understanding her.

What I think a lot of readers will struggle with in this story is the actual romance. Rowena eventually falls for Lucas Cord who is half Apache warrior. He is an outlaw and has an incestuous relationship with his mother. Yep, you read that right. Now, how in the world is this hero material? This was the main factor on what I struggled with and even though I did get past it (which is a testament to Roger’s writing) I know it will be very bothersome to many readers. Also, it’s not until the last half of the book that Rowena and Lucas begin their relationship and it is fraught with many obstacles. Of a 748 page book, I like my hero and heroine to spend more time together.

While I did enjoy this book, it is not one I would recommend to many romance readers. I think fans of historical fiction might be more intrigued by this story and then only those who enjoy more an anti-hero as opposed to a hero.

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Trade Paper Specfications

• Length: 6.88 in
• Width: 4.19 in
• Height: 0.00 in
• Weight: 12.00 oz
• Page Count: 736 pages