WILD ROSES

By Hannah Howell
Zebra (1997), 308 pages, $6.99 (paperback)


In this Hannah Howell classic romance, you find yourself mumbling several questions to yourself:
Does Harrigan really not know he’s totally in love with Ella?
Would a man in love really leave his soul mate alone in a home where he suspects she may be in danger while he scrounges up evidence?
Would that same man really go have a drink with his friend after he suspects an evil uncle is taking his true love to her death?
But in the end, you realize the answers – and the aggravation – really don’t matter. Because all is well that ends well.
And “Wild Roses” ends well.
Harrigan is hired by Ella’s evil uncle to track her down in Wyoming and bring her back, by force if necessary, to Philadelphia. Ella tries to convince Harrigan during the trip that her uncle is no good and will kill her if Harrigan hands her over to him.
Harrigan does his best to not believe that.
He also does his best to ignore what he feels for Ella, even though everyone who encounters them even briefly can figure out that they love each other.
Like Ella said at the end, “I fear I wasn’t as strong a fighter as you and had to face the fact that you had stolen my heart fairly early in the game.”
That made some of the things Harrigan did to Ella even worse.
Not that Harrigan was unforgivably horrible. He gagged Ella, forced her to come with him and refused her pleas not to return her to her uncle. But he explained his reasons and was mostly a gentleman, as well as loving and protective in his way.
But then he turned her over to her uncle.
Obviously on the trip from Wyoming to Philadelphia, the two embark on a passionate affair. Which again, makes Harrigan’s actions even worse.
The book does drag on somewhat, and the ending takes too long to wrap up – probably because Harrigan does some rather convoluted thinking that is supposed to explain his actions – or inactions.
But in the end, he does save his damsel in distress – both from the dastardly deeds of her uncle and from a lifetime of loneliness and heartbreak.


Overall rating: 3-plus of 5 hearts. It’s a timeless, tear-producing, make-you-sigh pure romance, that just drags a big in a couple of places. It’s the sort that makes you want to yell at the hero on one page, and almost feel sorry for his turmoil on another.

Hunk appeal: 10, with definite 10-plus moments – and definite cad moments as well. Harrigan is an honorable man, trying to do the honorable thing and restore the family business he feels responsible for losing. In that vein, he does mistreat Ella, at times rather abominably, and does some things that just doesn’t make sense for a man in love to do. He does continuously feel guilty, which is somewhat of a consolation.


Steamy scene grade: XXXXX. Which also spoke well of Harrigan….and not.

Happily-Ever-After: Good. Harrigan makes amends for his earlier misbehavior, and makes Ella happy.


Also this week…..
IT HAD TO BE YOU, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (1994 paperback) 5 of 5. This must-read classic began Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ delectable Chicago Stars’ series, and was recently re-released. Phoebe inherits a professional football team from her father, whom she hadn’t seen for years. He wasn’t a nice man. She immediately clashes with coach Dan, who thinks of Phoebe as a slutty, blonde bimbo. He quickly learns that first impressions can be very, very wrong. This is a read again and again sort of book, with a fairytale ending and scenes that will become embedded in your mind. Phoebe and Dan’s happily-ever-after is also witnessed in future Chicago Stars’ stories – a must read series.