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A review by kzimm2024
Beautiful Bad Man by Ellen O'Connell
5.0
I loved this story, 5 stars. I didn't like it at the start, with the bitter and angry people that were Cal and Norah, but the way they fell in love warmed my heart. Cal is a beautiful soul and brings up the question of nature vs. nurture. What would he have been like if raised in a loving home?
You ever read a story more slowly as you get to the end to savor the last bits? That was this book. I have read other stories by Ellen but never made it to this one until now- so glad I finally did. She writes such gritty stories, so real feeling and I for one am glad to be reading these.
Most of the spoilers are in the book description but what is not shared is the banter and honesty between these 2 amazing characters. 28 highlights :)
They each had thoughts about how the other would have been, Cal's thoughts:
"The Girl would be pretty as nature made her without needing to be cinched in under a dress made by someone else. Her eyes would shine with a quiet strength, and if she saw him again, she would know him."
So when he meets her again:
"How could the Girl, who had the courage to defy her father and a crowd of belligerent drunks, have grown into a gray woman all used up and bleached out?"
Norah was in an emotional place so terrible that she was ready to leave this earth, actively negotiating what she could do to die but it not being her fault:
"All she wanted was to see Joey again, hold him, hear him laugh, and for that to happen, her death couldn’t be her own fault. If God ruled that she had caused her own death by not trying hard enough.... Well, that wasn’t going to happen, so the buffalo robe would have to stay."
So as much as Caleb wanted to leave, he kept coming back:
“What’s the matter with you? Are you deaf? I don’t want that wood. Go away.”
“I wish I could. The trouble is I owe you, and we’re both stuck dealing with it.”
---------
"Another compliment. He made her want to take her knife to him."
He angers her so greatly that she starts making changes and ends up working in town. He finds her there and they get to know each other:
“And you, Caleb Sutton? Are you just made a certain way? Couldn’t you live some other way?”
“I don’t want to live another way. Look around you. Everyone you see is either predator or prey, wolf or rabbit. Wolf is better.”
Its refreshing how they get to know one another, no artifice just honesty:
“You don’t want me around good people.”
“What does that say about me?”
“You lose your way now and then.”
They both want the land and Norah has a solution. I love how she stands up to him:
“The only kind of marriage I want is a real one,” Norah said, amazed at the strange words that kept coming out of her mouth.
----------- (after he overcomes his shock)--------
“All right,” he said. “How do we get married?”
She crossed her arms and tipped her head at him, “Are you sure? If you marry me you can’t have someone else later, you know.”
“I know.”
“Are you sure you don’t want someone younger? Some beautiful young blonde?”
“Now who has cold feet? If you’ve come to your senses, say so.”
----------
"Getting married was all too easy. In Cal’s opinion something that life-changing ought to take longer and present a lot more difficulty."
And this running line about obeying was super funny:
“We’re only going to the boarding house long enough to make that woman give you back most of your money. There are better places to spend the night, and we’ve got a lot to do before then.”
“I’m not spending the night in a saloon.”
“Didn’t you just promise to obey?”
She gave him the first of what he knew would be many unhappy looks.
And:
“What are we going to do with all that?” she asked as they drove away.
“Feed horses.”
“I’m not getting a good feeling about your business sense.”
“If I can’t make a living farming, I’ll go back to killing people. It’s easier anyway.”
She had nothing more to say to him after that.
And:
"She gave him a sleepy smile that took his breath away. “Good morning.”
Keeping control of the situation around her might turn into a full time job."
"Around Norah, the calculated indifference he’d felt toward women all his life disappeared. She provoked temper and impatience and desires that had the ghosts howling with glee."
And on it goes:
“Even if you met him once long ago, it’s no excuse. He’s one of Mr. Van Cleve’s men.”
“He quit. He quit almost two months ago, and it was because of me.”
“He’s a bad one.”
“Oh, Mabel, yes, he is. He’s a very bad man, but he’s a beautiful bad man.”
They go through experiences that left me wondering how it would work out:
“I’m not running,” he growled. “I’m making myself unavailable" LOL
But they get their HEA:
“Caleb, when we got married, what kind of husband did you think you’d be?”
“Rotten. I knew I’d make you miserable.”
“I’m not miserable. Except for the trouble Van Cleve’s caused, I’m happy. You’re a very good husband.”
At least that stopped the wriggling around.
“I can’t be. You only just promoted me from evil to very bad.”
“You’re a very bad man, but you’re a good husband.”
“That doesn’t make sense. It’s not possible.” He paused and eyed her thoughtfully.
“You said ‘very good husband’ the first time.”
--------
“You said, ‘I love this baby too,’ and I figured out I’m the too.”
“Aren’t you clever.”
“I am. I love you too, you know.”
GAH so wonderful.
You ever read a story more slowly as you get to the end to savor the last bits? That was this book. I have read other stories by Ellen but never made it to this one until now- so glad I finally did. She writes such gritty stories, so real feeling and I for one am glad to be reading these.
Most of the spoilers are in the book description but what is not shared is the banter and honesty between these 2 amazing characters. 28 highlights :)
They each had thoughts about how the other would have been, Cal's thoughts:
"The Girl would be pretty as nature made her without needing to be cinched in under a dress made by someone else. Her eyes would shine with a quiet strength, and if she saw him again, she would know him."
So when he meets her again:
"How could the Girl, who had the courage to defy her father and a crowd of belligerent drunks, have grown into a gray woman all used up and bleached out?"
Norah was in an emotional place so terrible that she was ready to leave this earth, actively negotiating what she could do to die but it not being her fault:
"All she wanted was to see Joey again, hold him, hear him laugh, and for that to happen, her death couldn’t be her own fault. If God ruled that she had caused her own death by not trying hard enough.... Well, that wasn’t going to happen, so the buffalo robe would have to stay."
So as much as Caleb wanted to leave, he kept coming back:
“What’s the matter with you? Are you deaf? I don’t want that wood. Go away.”
“I wish I could. The trouble is I owe you, and we’re both stuck dealing with it.”
---------
"Another compliment. He made her want to take her knife to him."
He angers her so greatly that she starts making changes and ends up working in town. He finds her there and they get to know each other:
“And you, Caleb Sutton? Are you just made a certain way? Couldn’t you live some other way?”
“I don’t want to live another way. Look around you. Everyone you see is either predator or prey, wolf or rabbit. Wolf is better.”
Its refreshing how they get to know one another, no artifice just honesty:
“You don’t want me around good people.”
“What does that say about me?”
“You lose your way now and then.”
They both want the land and Norah has a solution. I love how she stands up to him:
“The only kind of marriage I want is a real one,” Norah said, amazed at the strange words that kept coming out of her mouth.
----------- (after he overcomes his shock)--------
“All right,” he said. “How do we get married?”
She crossed her arms and tipped her head at him, “Are you sure? If you marry me you can’t have someone else later, you know.”
“I know.”
“Are you sure you don’t want someone younger? Some beautiful young blonde?”
“Now who has cold feet? If you’ve come to your senses, say so.”
----------
"Getting married was all too easy. In Cal’s opinion something that life-changing ought to take longer and present a lot more difficulty."
And this running line about obeying was super funny:
“We’re only going to the boarding house long enough to make that woman give you back most of your money. There are better places to spend the night, and we’ve got a lot to do before then.”
“I’m not spending the night in a saloon.”
“Didn’t you just promise to obey?”
She gave him the first of what he knew would be many unhappy looks.
And:
“What are we going to do with all that?” she asked as they drove away.
“Feed horses.”
“I’m not getting a good feeling about your business sense.”
“If I can’t make a living farming, I’ll go back to killing people. It’s easier anyway.”
She had nothing more to say to him after that.
And:
"She gave him a sleepy smile that took his breath away. “Good morning.”
Keeping control of the situation around her might turn into a full time job."
"Around Norah, the calculated indifference he’d felt toward women all his life disappeared. She provoked temper and impatience and desires that had the ghosts howling with glee."
And on it goes:
“Even if you met him once long ago, it’s no excuse. He’s one of Mr. Van Cleve’s men.”
“He quit. He quit almost two months ago, and it was because of me.”
“He’s a bad one.”
“Oh, Mabel, yes, he is. He’s a very bad man, but he’s a beautiful bad man.”
They go through experiences that left me wondering how it would work out:
“I’m not running,” he growled. “I’m making myself unavailable" LOL
But they get their HEA:
“Caleb, when we got married, what kind of husband did you think you’d be?”
“Rotten. I knew I’d make you miserable.”
“I’m not miserable. Except for the trouble Van Cleve’s caused, I’m happy. You’re a very good husband.”
At least that stopped the wriggling around.
“I can’t be. You only just promoted me from evil to very bad.”
“You’re a very bad man, but you’re a good husband.”
“That doesn’t make sense. It’s not possible.” He paused and eyed her thoughtfully.
“You said ‘very good husband’ the first time.”
--------
“You said, ‘I love this baby too,’ and I figured out I’m the too.”
“Aren’t you clever.”
“I am. I love you too, you know.”
GAH so wonderful.