Come the Spring

Author: Julie Garwood
Genre: Romance
Quick Review: Mushy
Published: 1998
Series: 5th book in the "Clayborne Brides" series
Series Order:
1. For the Roses
2. One Pink Rose
3. One White Rose
4. One Red Rose

First Line: "But for the grace of God and an untied shoelace, she would have died with the others that day."

Synopsis: Previous books in this series have focused on the other Clayborne brothers: Adam, Travis and Douglas. This book now focuses on the restless brother of the Clayborne clan, Cole.

Cole has always been the black sheep of the Clayborne family. He's toyed around with living on the wrong side of the law while is brothers have settled down into married life. Cole is asked by U.S. Marshal, Daniel Ryan, to join him as a Marshal in order to capture an elusive band of men who have been terrorizing Montana. Cole is hesitant at first but quickly enjoys being on the right side of the law for a change.

Marshal Ryan has his own reasons for hunting the gang and is set on vengance. Ryan's quest to find this gang lead him to a small town and beautiful young woman who may have witnessed the last bank robbery and mass murder. When two other young women come forward and claim to be the witness to the murders the Marshals have to figure out who is telling the truth. As the story unfolds both Marshals get involved more deeply with the young women than they ever dreamed they would.

My Thoughts: If you're looking for a romance with a bit of gun slinging involved then this book is for you. Personally, I'd prefer more action and less 'Harlequin-type' romantic verbage.

Usually Garwood's "Rose" books are a very light read with slightly mushy overtones. This book is oozing mushy romance with lines like :

"His hand moved to the back of her neck, and he pulled her toward him. 'I want to kiss you. Is that alright?'. she loved the fact that he'd asked permission. 'Yes, Daniel. I want you to kiss me. I've waited for such a long time.'"

Umm, ya. Not my personal cuppa tea. Her books are pretty formulaic too so I wouldn't advise reading them closely together. They typically go like this: man doesn't want to fall in love but finds a beautiful woman. He struggles with loving her, his past and his duty.

Don't get me wrong. Garwood is great for a light, easy read with an uncomplicated storyline perfect for reading on a plane or sitting on the beach. While I liked this book, I preferred the first 4 books in the series which seemed to have better storylines and you got to know the other brothers better. I'd definitely read these books in order because the earlier books explain how the Claybornes became a family.

My Rating: 2.5/5