Texas Rain (Whispering Mountain Novel, #1)

by Jodi Thomas

[Stephanie]

Originally posted at Once Upon a Chapter

Rainey Adams is on the run. She's trying to get away from her father and his uncaring nature. His only interest is his bottom dollar and keeping his daughter under control. In a show of bravery that she doesn't have (or perhaps it was mostly desperation) Rainey runs out west. Out west she can become a new person and she won't have to worry about her past or her father's plans. Her greatest fear is that her father will come after her and drag her back to Washington DC.

Travis McMurray was forced to be a man very early in life. Their father prepared them well but their mother couldn't survive without her husband. She joined him shortly after giving birth to his fourth child. He and his two brothers were forced to hold their land until the oldest turned eighteen and could claim it as his own. Travis helped his brothers keep the farm running but his mother's Apache blood demanded a life of roaming and living in the wilderness. Travis became a Texas ranger as soon as he could.

Travis comes back to the farm for a long needed break. He hasn't seen his family in two years. His sister Sage finds him and hammers him immediately about taking her to the town dance. She's not getting any younger and she needs to find herself a man. She can't miss the only social dance of the year and her other brothers won't take her. Travis hates to socialize but he hates Sage being needlessly unhappy even more. Travis dances with a woman that night who will change his life forever. She clearly has no interest in the social events of the evening and that gets Travis' Ranger attention right away. He saves a horse from being stolen but it costs him one of his own.

With the horse theft begins a novel of pursuit. Rainey doesn't want to (and repeats annoyingly often) lose her freedom. Marriage is nothing more than the submission to and relinquishing of all things good to a man. No good can come of marriage. Travis on the other hand has never thought of himself as the marrying kind. Then he meets Rainey and that theory goes out the door. The thought of Rainey with another man drives him mad. He'll do anything to prove to Rainey that they are meant to be together.

My Thoughts:
While Texas Rain is a good read it wasn't breathtakingly wonderful. Texas Rain is one of those books meant for a non-taxing, relaxing read. It doesn't make you feel like you can't put it down and walk away for a bit. That does not equate it to a bad book. It was a nice relaxing read through the historical west. Travis is a man of few words and while his intentions are sweet and in the right place he can come off as lukewarm in the relationship. Rainey on the other hand, got on my nerves at times. She had a troubled past but not anything that can't be risen above. She was controlled most of her live and not loved. She was made to feel plain and never fit in. Rainey was quiet and often didn't do things out of fear. Then in the west she becomes this outspoken "it's my way or no way" kind of woman. I'm glad she got past her issues but for as deep seated as these issues were she sure made a fast recovery. She's also an educated woman and taught in her father's school. For an educated woman she was pretty quick to lump all men in the same category as her father. It annoyed me that she assumed all men, including our hero, would want marriage only to have someone on a string.

The rest of the book was very good. Travis is part of a well knit family due to tragedy earlier in life. They own a successful ranch that is turning a profit. The story had some suspenseful moments and there was just the right amount of secondary characters and involvement. It gave a good feel of the small town of Austin that was just beginning to grow. I cared about all of the secondary characters and I can't wait to read Travis' siblings' stories as well. The ending was probably the best part of the book. Rather than try and talk sense into Rainey, Travis decided to show his love to win her over. What did he do? I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out!