REVIEW: Home to Texas by Kaki Warner
She’s his last case, he’s her fresh start—two troubled ex-soldiers find new purpose and a second chance at love in this new contemporary western romance from award-winning author Kaki Warner.
Lieutenant KD Whitcomb had mapped out her career from West Point to the Pentagon. But when an injury under questionable circumstances forces her to leave the army, her dreams fall dead at her feet. Feeling lost and needing to rediscover the tough woman beneath the uniform, she heads back to the family ranch in Rough Creek. Only two things get her through the nightmares and sleepless nights: the support of her family and the CID officer investigating the incident in Afghanistan. He infuriates her. Makes her laugh. Gives her hope.
Richard Murdock is struggling, too. There’s something fishy about this last case…and the threats coming from Afghanistan aimed at both him and KD. He’s ready to leave the army and make a new start. But how will he protect KD? And what should he do about the growing attraction between them? He’s been burned before. But there’s something about KD’s vulnerability and strength that calls to him, and he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her and give her a chance to build new dreams…including helping her start a PTSD equine therapy program at the Texas ranch.
If they can overcome the threats against them and heal old wounds, this second chance might be better than they ever dreamed.
Warnings – child sexual abuse mentioned, violence, PTSD
Dear Ms. Warner,
I had heard great things about some of your historical novels but decided to take the plunge into reading one of your books with this one. Wow. This started out so well. The first 1/3 of the book is great with tense, realistic scenes of The Incident that took place in Afghanistan and brought KD and Richard together. I especially enjoyed the investigation that Richard, as the CID officer, pursues. The scenes with the MPs and surgeon at the FOB, as well as Richard and KD interacting as he questions her at Landstuhl are wonderful.
Then everyone arrives at Fort Hood and KD’s family ranch in Texas and things start breaking down. Suddenly after knowing each other for less than a week, Richard is camped out in KD’s hotel room and he’s casually calling her “babe.” After the build up to the Article 32 that will determine KD’s future in the Army, suddenly that’s over and dropped. But wait, a crazed lunatic appears to be after her and the family which half the time concerns them and half the time gets blown off as something that will never happen.
KD’s family gets all up in her, and Richard’s, business including an excruciatingly embarrassing conversation between Richard and KD’s brother-in-law about KD’s ability to bear children because of her injuries. Um, no.
The second half of the book is filled with telling instead of showing. So, so much telling. Mind numbing amounts of telling. Wait, except for a scene in Richard badgers KD into telling him all about her brother-in-law’s past which he, Richard, had absolutely no need to know. Also there are increasingly laughable snippet scenes of the crazed lunatic. By the time he and his crew finally appear on the scene, I was barely maintaining interest in the outcome which all goes to hell in a handcart. Surprising considering the number of trained military personnel there as well as armed Texans.
At this point, with less than 30 pages to go, I threw in the towel. I just couldn’t take any more. And I’m not even going to go into how incorrect the information on and actions of KD, who just had a hip replacement two months ago, were. Sexy lap dancing? I don’t think so. DNF
~Jayne
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I read a number of historical romances by this author years ago, so I read this review with interest. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jayne.
@Kareni: I was really looking forward to this as several people I know had praised her historical westerns. Maybe that’s where I should have started with her books.