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sharonjay's review
5.0
I was looking for an American old west setting because I was having British regency/victorian fatigue and this book delivered! The pacing was a little weird, especially at the end, but I loved these two.
4.5 stars. Wtf is that cover though!?
4.5 stars. Wtf is that cover though!?
anggia's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
screaming crying this is perfectššš i love me some responsible man and GAH he is sooo protective over her and i think there are some parts where he is jealous.
i love how they relationship progress throughout the story, from strangers to companions to friends to hesitant lovers and loversš©š©š©
i hate bret's family but caroline is fine, the rest, i wanna shotgun them myself especially will and his dad :)
i love how they relationship progress throughout the story, from strangers to companions to friends to hesitant lovers and loversš©š©š©
i hate bret's family but caroline is fine, the rest, i wanna shotgun them myself especially will and his dad :)
sm_almon's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved this historical Western romance; the slow and careful development of the romance between Hassie and Bret is stellar, and I definitely look forward to re-reading this again in future!
imaginativeotter's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
archangelwings's review
3.5
Didn't quite hit that sweet spot, but it was a decent Western nonetheless, bret was great, hassie was just fine, not a bad time to sand an afternoon or two, but a reread in the future is not likely (or at least def not anytime soon)
hotcinnamonchai's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mvbookreviewer's review
5.0
The very first note that I made as soon as I started reading Without Words by Ellen OāConnell was, āReading an Ellen OāConnell after so long. Iām so excited.ā That excitement pretty much started as soon as I stumbled upon Ellenās newest release and held all throughout, since then up till I turned the very last page. Ellen OāConnell is a master unto herself. A force to be reckoned with when it comes to self-published and otherwise authors out there. Her writing style rivals that of one my favorite authors of Western themed romances, i.e. Maggie Osborne. Her heroes never fall short of making you fall head over heels in love with them and her heroines are just the same. And Without Words is definitely not an exception to the said rule.
Breton J. Sterling (Bret) is a bounty hunter, who after confronting his latest convict finds himself saddled with Hassie Ahearne Petty; it was either take her or leave her to fend off for herself which would have ultimately meant that she would starve to death or worse. Hassie has no choice but to do as the icy-eyed bounty hunter orders her to. A childhood accident had rendered Hassie without the ability to speak loudly and coherently enough for people to understand. That had pretty much defined Hassieās life since then and she had been resigned to living the life that had been hers until Bret storms into her life and her heart, making her a changed woman forever.
Without Words is not just a story. It is a journey of two people who at first seems to have nothing in common, a man and a woman joined together by circumstances. Bret is man who is paying his self imposed dues to his family, and Hassie has no family to speak of. While Bret has no need for a woman, he canāt help but be protective of Hassie, a woman who defies every single hardship that had befallen her and still manages to see the beauty the world has to offer. And before long, Bret finds himself yearning for more of his violet-eyed Hassie, something he had never thought would happen in his lifetime.
Hassieās awakening towards Bret as a man is one that progresses slowly. She has no experience to put her trust in when it comes to anything good happening between a woman and a man, but Bret makes her want to trust and put her belief in the honor that is practically stamped all over the man himself. The trust that unfurls in Hassie towards Bret grows in leaps and bounds until of course Bret becomes the only man she has ever loved, even though his past warns her of the consequences that this love would wreak on her heart.
Without Words is a story in which practically everything worked and meshed well together to give the sort of read that is so hard to come by in the modern world of romance today. There is a reason why I still yearn for the āclassicsā that started me on my journey of reading romances. And Without Words brought that back with an effortless ease that made me want to cry because there arenāt enough authors who write today like Ellen OāConnell does.
Like I mentioned earlier in my review, Ellen creates some of very the best heroes and heroines Iāve encountered in romance novels. Thereās a voice to Ellenās work that speaks to you on a level beyond just words strung together that give meaning. These words, they speak to your soul. It invokes emotions in you that you donāt think possible and yet if you are a romance reader like myself, yearn for with every fiber for your being. I cried during moments of sweet angst and smiled so much at times that my face hurt. Thereās nothing more beautiful to a reader than a well spun story that they can lose themselves in and Ellen has provided just that with every full length novel that she has published to date.
Bret; I swear I just trembled from want, every single time that icy control of his that shattered under the strength of his passions, be it anger against the wrongs in this world or his desire for the woman who consumes him. Bret is a hero who is uber masculine, one who is unabashedly manly and yet has a core of strength and honor in him that makes a woman fall like a ton of bricks. And fall hard, I did. There is no other way to say this; Bret, you own my heart.
With Hassie, Ellen has once again created her trademark variety of heroine. The fact that Hassie canāt speak was a novelty in itself, her outlook towards life, that sheer joy deep inside of her that reaches out from the pages and practically engulfs you in its hold is a powerful one. Without Words is an apt title for a book that speaks to the reader on so many levels and that too with a heroine who is unable to use her voice to communicate. I loved Hassie for everything she stood for. Her love for Bret hadnāt happened overnight, neither had she thrown herself at him just because she was dependent on her. Their love had been a slow and a fiery one, one that consumes you and leaves you with that wholesome glow of having been loved and loved well.
Ellen explores with her stories the hardship that life was during those times. The imminent threat of starvation, the price women had to pay to make a livelihood for themselves and the harsh reality of women without a man by their side, the rough and at times unforgiving land that could make or break a person; all that is vividly brought to life in every single novel that I have read from her. Iām so glad that I happened across the release of this one and Ellen, youāve made my whole month by this beautiful story, which if you are a lover of romance novels definitely ought not miss!
The problem with finding a book that moves you enough to render you unable to do anything afterwards is the fact that you never want the story to end, you want the pages to go on, the magic to continue, the feelings that courses through you to never cease. And once you turn that last page, you feel like mourning, you feel like no other book would ever have that impact on you ever again and mostly it turns out to be true, because it is so rare these days to find new books that has everything going for them. So I treasure this diamond in the rough that shines vividly through and hope that someday soon I find yet again the magic that I discovered while reading Without Words, that undeniable magic that makes being a romance reader worthwhile.
Rating = 5/5
For more reviews & quotes, visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
Breton J. Sterling (Bret) is a bounty hunter, who after confronting his latest convict finds himself saddled with Hassie Ahearne Petty; it was either take her or leave her to fend off for herself which would have ultimately meant that she would starve to death or worse. Hassie has no choice but to do as the icy-eyed bounty hunter orders her to. A childhood accident had rendered Hassie without the ability to speak loudly and coherently enough for people to understand. That had pretty much defined Hassieās life since then and she had been resigned to living the life that had been hers until Bret storms into her life and her heart, making her a changed woman forever.
Without Words is not just a story. It is a journey of two people who at first seems to have nothing in common, a man and a woman joined together by circumstances. Bret is man who is paying his self imposed dues to his family, and Hassie has no family to speak of. While Bret has no need for a woman, he canāt help but be protective of Hassie, a woman who defies every single hardship that had befallen her and still manages to see the beauty the world has to offer. And before long, Bret finds himself yearning for more of his violet-eyed Hassie, something he had never thought would happen in his lifetime.
Hassieās awakening towards Bret as a man is one that progresses slowly. She has no experience to put her trust in when it comes to anything good happening between a woman and a man, but Bret makes her want to trust and put her belief in the honor that is practically stamped all over the man himself. The trust that unfurls in Hassie towards Bret grows in leaps and bounds until of course Bret becomes the only man she has ever loved, even though his past warns her of the consequences that this love would wreak on her heart.
Without Words is a story in which practically everything worked and meshed well together to give the sort of read that is so hard to come by in the modern world of romance today. There is a reason why I still yearn for the āclassicsā that started me on my journey of reading romances. And Without Words brought that back with an effortless ease that made me want to cry because there arenāt enough authors who write today like Ellen OāConnell does.
Like I mentioned earlier in my review, Ellen creates some of very the best heroes and heroines Iāve encountered in romance novels. Thereās a voice to Ellenās work that speaks to you on a level beyond just words strung together that give meaning. These words, they speak to your soul. It invokes emotions in you that you donāt think possible and yet if you are a romance reader like myself, yearn for with every fiber for your being. I cried during moments of sweet angst and smiled so much at times that my face hurt. Thereās nothing more beautiful to a reader than a well spun story that they can lose themselves in and Ellen has provided just that with every full length novel that she has published to date.
Bret; I swear I just trembled from want, every single time that icy control of his that shattered under the strength of his passions, be it anger against the wrongs in this world or his desire for the woman who consumes him. Bret is a hero who is uber masculine, one who is unabashedly manly and yet has a core of strength and honor in him that makes a woman fall like a ton of bricks. And fall hard, I did. There is no other way to say this; Bret, you own my heart.
With Hassie, Ellen has once again created her trademark variety of heroine. The fact that Hassie canāt speak was a novelty in itself, her outlook towards life, that sheer joy deep inside of her that reaches out from the pages and practically engulfs you in its hold is a powerful one. Without Words is an apt title for a book that speaks to the reader on so many levels and that too with a heroine who is unable to use her voice to communicate. I loved Hassie for everything she stood for. Her love for Bret hadnāt happened overnight, neither had she thrown herself at him just because she was dependent on her. Their love had been a slow and a fiery one, one that consumes you and leaves you with that wholesome glow of having been loved and loved well.
Ellen explores with her stories the hardship that life was during those times. The imminent threat of starvation, the price women had to pay to make a livelihood for themselves and the harsh reality of women without a man by their side, the rough and at times unforgiving land that could make or break a person; all that is vividly brought to life in every single novel that I have read from her. Iām so glad that I happened across the release of this one and Ellen, youāve made my whole month by this beautiful story, which if you are a lover of romance novels definitely ought not miss!
The problem with finding a book that moves you enough to render you unable to do anything afterwards is the fact that you never want the story to end, you want the pages to go on, the magic to continue, the feelings that courses through you to never cease. And once you turn that last page, you feel like mourning, you feel like no other book would ever have that impact on you ever again and mostly it turns out to be true, because it is so rare these days to find new books that has everything going for them. So I treasure this diamond in the rough that shines vividly through and hope that someday soon I find yet again the magic that I discovered while reading Without Words, that undeniable magic that makes being a romance reader worthwhile.
Rating = 5/5
For more reviews & quotes, visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
desertlover's review
4.0
I don't read many historical westerns but was looking for a change of pace when this book was recommended by a book buddy. The plot was unique; a woman unable to speak and the bounty hunter who just killed a man were thrown together. It was the type of slow burn I love most, and I found the entire storyline captivating. I cannot wait to read more from O'Connell.