After the Storm by Janet Dailey

"You are still legally my wife," Rad pointed out bluntly. "All I'm asking is that you resume those duties once more."

Lainie stared at him. What a fool she had been not to accept his previous offer. But that refusal had been dictated by her pride, and now need had replaced pride.

What frightened Lainie was that she still loved him. She was beginning to wonder if she had ever stopped!

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks

**Warning: Contains Mild Spoilers**

This book runs high on emotions, mostly stormy ones, and does it pretty well. The basic scenario is fairly stereotypical - married couple that's been separated for several years is suddenly brought back together, first by a chance meeting at a concert, and then more deliberately due to her mother's illness. They fight and snarl at one another, but also have moments that show they clearly still get along quite well in some ways at least, and it's made clear that she still loves him, but he doesn't seem to love her - and so it goes until eventually they have their tear-filled and oh-so-touching happily ever after at the end when they finally admit/discover that they both love the other one and always have. (Apologies if that's rather spoilery, but isn't really all that spoilery since that's pretty much how every book of this sort plays out.)

Land of Enchantment by Janet Dailey

"Why don't you just admit you're homesick for the excitement of city life and stop trying to kid both of us?" Lije snapped. "I told you even before the subject of marriage was brought up how much this ranch meant to me. I love you, Diana, but I would never give it up, even for you."

Diana had to admit to herself that she had known this. Or had she subconsciously hoped that some day she might be able to persuade him differently?

Diana was a city girl, a glamorous model. She loved the bright lights and sophisticated life that she had been used to for so long. Lije Masters was a rough, tough rancher from New Mexico, a man of the outdoors. But the violent attraction that blazed up between them could not be denied; they met, fell in love, and were married … just like that. But then, inevitably, once the honeymoon rapture was over Diana found herself bored with the life of a housewife in the wilds. She had married in haste; would she now find herself repenting at leisure? Or would Lije tire of her first?

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks

**Warning: Contains Mild Spoilers**

A good example of how engrossing some of these old Harlequins can still be. Yes, it's a bit dated in some ways, though on the whole this one felt less dated than some of them, perhaps because of the setting, namely, a small ranch where things would probably be done in much the same way today as they were then, and where only the lack of modern technologies dates it. The characters and storyline also suffer somewhat from a fair bit of stereotyping and predictability that is characteristic of this type of book, but everything is given enough individuality to make the characters seem more real, and the situations they find themselves in more believable.

Wildcatter's Woman by Janet Dailey

Four years after her divorce, Vanessa Cantrell owned an interior decorating firm, a European sports car and an apartment in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Even though she filled her home and her life with expensive things, she couldn't fill the void left by her ruggedly handsome ex-husband, Race.

When tragedy brought them together again, she found he was still the same irresponsible wildcatter she'd walked out on. But he hadn't lost his powerful sensual magnetism. She was being drawn to him ... but Vanessa knew she must never again become a wildcatter's woman.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks

This book is pretty much par for the course for formula romances as far as the basic story goes, though Dailey does work in a few semi-surprises. The characters all have a definite personality of their own, and only the most minor characters, the ones that are only in one scene or so, are totally flat. As is often the case, the fairly rapid transition from not even being able to hold a civil conversation to getting along ok again to being desperately in love again somewhat defys logic...it all happens much too quickly to be totally believable that they (she in particular) could have changed their mindset so completely...and yet, the author does a good enough job of getting you involved with the characters that you can't help but be happy for them (even if some of the making up/declaring undying love again speeches send the sappy meter soaring just a bit too high). Overall, an enjoyable, mostly relaxing, light read for those that can enjoy formula romances.

• Wildcatter's Woman on Goodreads
• Janet Dailey's website

Fire and Ice by Janet Dailey

"You've taken the world on your shoulders." Zachary's voice was a soft, caressing whisper that was oddly soothing and hypnotic. "You've made Chris your sole responsibility and refuse help from everyone. Haven't you ever wanted anyone to take care of you?"

As much as she wanted to, Alison couldn't admit any such feelings to him. She felt curiously vulnerable, unable to handle the gentleness Zachary was displaying. How she feared he would break down her defenses.

Where to Buy

Amazon

** Contains Mild Spoilers**

While there was plenty of "ice" in this book in the way Alisa acts and treats other people, there wasn't a whole lot of "fire", unless of course you count the heated arguments she's constantly having with Zachary and others. Alisa is far too quick to jump to conclusions and to accept those first impression conclusions as being the absolute truth of the matter and pretty much refusing to even consider that she could be wrong about it. The only such conclusion she ever really doubts is that Zach needed her money as she assumed he did, based solely on a bit of gossip related by her cousin Michael, and that only because she's presented with plenty of evidence to the contrary from the moment she arrives at his home with him. Their constant bickering and fighting gets tedious pretty quickly, and when the resolution to their conflict comes, it happens far too quickly to be entirely believable, and leaves some questions unanswered, such as whether or not Zach really was cheating on Alisa with Renee as Alisa believes. The only answer we get to that question is a somewhat vague one when he tells Alisa he's told Renee he won't see her anymore, which only really confirms the affair and thus detracts from the believability of his statement that he's been in love with Alisa almost from the beginning. All in all, this isn't one of Dailey's better books, even with allowances made for it being an old style Harlequin, as the characters are all much more stereotypical and wooden than hers usually are.

Fire and Ice on Goodreads

Janet Dailey's website

Savage Land by Janet Dailey

"Don't you want to tell me how much you love and adore me and how you can hardly wait to marry me?" Coley asked mockingly. "I was so looking forward to that part"

Even though her own heart was breaking, she could still derive pleasure watching the angry scowl on Jason's face.

How upsetting for him and his plans for the Slash S ranch that Coley wasn't falling into his arms as he had thought she would!

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks

While this book, and the others like it in Dailey's Americana series, is fairly dated in many ways now, it still was an enjoyable read. As a formula romance, it's full of largely stereotypical characters, but each has enough personality to not just feel like the author just picked up the "naive young woman type" and "bitter Marlboro man type" puppets and put them on her stage. Most of the situations and misunderstandings that happen in the book are pretty predictable, and even a little bit tired, but that's mostly to be expected from the genre I believe. One doesn't pick up an old Harlequin looking for mind-bending, edge-of-the-seat reading after all. So for those who enjoy a good mindless formula romance either as steady reading fare, or just for an occasional light read in between other things, this book won't disappoint I think.

• Savage Land on Goodreads
• Janet Dailey's website