How in the world did I ever miss this book by Iris Johansen?! And not just this story, but all the Delaney stories. I always loved Ms. Johansen’s writing but it has been quite awhile since I’ve read any of her books, and now that I’ve been reintroduced to her, I’ll make sure to hunt down her back list.

This book has been originally printed by Bantam Books in 1988 and it is being offered to us by Loveswept from August 8 (sold by Random House Digital, Inc.) and I couldn’t have been gladder about it. I am hoping they’ll offer us the series in Kindle format.

Our heroine of this story is Elspeth MacGregor, bookish girl who grew up with her father, the scholar. For the longest time she’s helped her father with his discoveries, notably the discovery of the lost city of Kantalan. After her father’s passing she decides to leave her home in Scotland and embark on an adventure an ocean away and a quest to prove the existence of this long forgotten city. In order for her to succeed in this attempt she needs and is in a search of one man who can guide her to it and his name is Dominic Delaney.

Dominic Delaney knows he is a hunted man. Years ago, he killed a young man in a fair gunfight, but family of that man, he knows, will never let him be. And because of that, Dom, even after the pardon he receives from the Law, he knows that he must stay away from everything and everyone that is dear to him. Hell’s Bluff, Arizona, is his home now, and life spent drinking, whoring and playing cards is all he knows of late.

The story of how this hard, cynical and at times brutish man falls in love with a plain, yet very passionate woman is one not to be missed. The author spares us nothing by taking us on an adventure of epic proportions. She takes her time in drawing us a picture of a Wild West that is brutal, unforgiving and uncivilized, yet we can’t help but see the humanity of all those people we come in contact with.

We are aware of everyone around our hero and heroine, and as we come to know them, we can’t help but accept them, flaws and all. Ms. Johansen introduces a slew of second characters that will live with us for a long time. I’ll never be able to forget Count Andre Marzanoff, Patrick and Silver Dove, Rising Star and Josh, Brianne and William, and especially Malvina and Shamus Delaney, the matriarch and patriarch of this very intriguing family.

The author had created a world of complex main and secondary characters with depth, so that when we met them they seemed real and three-dimensional. Ms. Johansen knows her craft and she knows her audience as well, and she went all out in creating a world in which all are welcome to partake. Regardless of what your genre is, you’ll enjoy it. There’s a treasure hunt, romance and real friendship and as always with this author, plenty of historical accuracy. Now, if only I could find a happily ever after of Dominic’s nephew Patrick, I’d be a happy camper!

If you like epic saga’s, Western or just plain old romance that is truly breathtaking in its scope and telling, you will be happy to read this story and once you do, you’ll be tracking the rest of the series down, just as I did.

Melanie ( )

I now want to go read all of the delaney's stories again. I enjoyed most of the book to many sex scenes for me but love the rest of it.
Elspeth is on a stage comming to the town Hell's Bluff from Ireland. She has come to try and get Dominic Delaney to guide her to fable lost city Kantalan in south america. She knows he had a map telling how to get there, she wants to study and find greater knowledge of atlantis.
Dominic is a gun fighter, gambler and has some stake in some claims around the gold rush of Hell's Bluff. He does not believe the city is really there. He told her father he was not interested in taking them.
Elspeth follows into a cathouse to show him that she was determined. When that did not work she stood across the street till he came out and followed him till dark. Then she went into the saloon and told him she was not giving up.
Dominic kidnapped her and took her to a cabin outside of town with the idea of taking her innocense. But she got away and was badly injured. Dominic was afraid she would never come too. His cousin Sliver was brought to take care of her.
Eventually he took her back to his family home and married her and right after someone tried to kill him.
So they went to see if the lost city was really their.
Along the way they realized that they loved each other. Thier was gunfights, hanging and adventure along the way.
I have read lots of her books and real read more of them. I was given this ebook in exchange for honest review. ( )