Coffee Time Romance Rating: 5 cups

The Shepherd King is a story of love, greed, and betrayal.

When destitute laundress, Serene Partain is approached by wily Samuel Fickett to play the part of Caroline Brunswold, the long-lost cousin of a rich sheep rancher, Joseph Brunswold, Serene agrees, desperate to leave Tombstone. But can she afford the price? Fickett insists she steal a scroll from the ranch detailing the location of ancient Indian gold mines.

Ms. Redmond pens a romance that is heartwarming, yet holds you spellbound until the end; the scene with the mountain lion is breathtaking… Redmond has created an incredible love story that captures the essence of the New Mexico setting and the characters. This story is a most enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it.

Cherokee

Coffee Time Romance

December 2005

Romance Reviews Today

July issue
Jane Bowers
www.romrevtoday.com
 

SHEPHERD KING - Shirley Raye Redmond
Vintage Romance - www.vintageromance.com
ISBN: 0-9785368-1-9
July 2006
Historical Romance
 

Arizona and New Mexico - 1891

Serene Partain grew up in the back rooms of a brothel in Tombstone, and is now working as a laundress.  She meets Sam Fickett, a con man looking for a red-haired woman for his next scheme, and when he sees Serene, he knows he has found the right person.  He informs her that he wants her to impersonate Miss Caroline Brunswold, the heiress to a huge sheep ranch.  Serene is told that the real Caroline is dead, and Caroline's cousin, Joseph Brunswold, is the wealthy shepherd king in New Mexico.  In return, Sam wants Serene to find a priest's journal and some old scrolls that Joseph is rumored to have that tell of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold.  He claims that he does not want her to steal anything, but only to make a copy of what she finds for him.  With misgivings, but wanting to get away from the taint of being a prostitute's illegitimate daughter, she agrees to the ruse.

Arriving at the ranch and expecting an elderly gentleman, Serene is surprised to find her cousin Joseph a handsome young man.  He seems to readily accept her as the long lost Caroline, but Serene is concerned about Sam -- she does not trust him and his motives.  She wants to be happy and loyal to Joseph, who has taken her from such sordid surroundings and given her a new beginning.

By becoming involved in ranch life, Serene is happy for the first time in her life.  Problems with a mountain lion killing sheep, turf wars between cattlemen and shepherds, and fear of what Sam will do if she doesn't find the journal and scrolls are her only worries.  Attracted to Joseph, she is concerned what he will do if he finds out the truth about her.

An exciting and well written story, SHEPHERD KING features a woman longing for a better life and wanting nothing more than to be part of Joseph's household.  Joseph is a good-natured, kind-hearted man, and although Serene feels guilty, she responds in kind.  They are both very likeable characters.  The loneliness of a shepherd's life also makes fascinating reading.  The secondary characters advance the tale, the handsome outlaw, the villainous Sam, and various others on the ranch.  Reminiscent of a movie from years ago about a sheep farmer, Glen Ford could easily have been the hero in this book.

An emotional tale of a man who loves the land, protecting the people who work for him, and a woman longing to love and belong, SHEPHERD KING is a good choice for your summer reading.

Marilyn Heyman
Romance Reviews Today

from Once Upon a Romance...

Reviewer: Trudy Smith
Title: The Shepherd King
Author: Shirley Raye Redmond
Publisher: Vintage Romance Publishing
ISBN: 0-9785368-1-9
Release Date: July 2006
Genre/Sub-genre: Historical Romance
Year/Setting: 1891/New Mexico Territory
Overall Rating: 4.0
Sexual Content Rating: None
Language (Profanity) Rating: None
Violent Content Rating: None


Serene Partain had a hard life. Growing up as a prostitute's illegitimate daughter has left it marks on Serene. When a stranger, Mr. Samuel T. Fickett, entrepreneur, presents an opportunity for Serene to become someone else, she can't resist. Serene doesn't like the deceit of pretending she's the long-lost Caroline Brunswold but for a better life she accepts the offer. The only thing she'll have to do is find the ancient maps of the legendary Cities of Gold as payment for this chance of a lifetime.

Joseph Brunswold, known as the Shepherd King by those that work for him, is excited that Caroline has been found. His only remaining family has been brought home to Bella Vista, the massive sheep ranch in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico Territory. Joe is distraught at the hard life Serene has had (with a little embellishment, most of the things Serene tells Joe are true) and vows to do anything in his power to make things easier for her.

After Mr. Fickett delivers "Caroline" and leaves Bella Vista, life settles down on the ranch. Joe begins teaching Serene about ranch life and the dangers that sheep ranchers have. There are mountain lions, coyotes and wolfs as well as some two-legged animals. It's during this time that Serene discovers that she's fallen in love with Joe.

After receiving a letter from Mr. Fickett, she knows she must give him what he wants or he'll never leave her alone. But she's searched everywhere and no maps are found. The only thing close is a book describing some of the Cities of Gold. Joe's father had even made marginal notes in the book. She doesn't know what this means but she can't bring herself to write Mr. Fickett with the little she has discovered. The guilt of her deceit is weighing heavier and heavier on her heart. She loves Joe, Bella Vista and those that reside there. How can she betray this love and their trust and kindness?

When Serene receives another letter from Mr. Fickett, she becomes very anxious. She knows she must tell him something or he'll never leave her alone. Apparently Mr. Fickett can't stand the wait and shows up at Bella Vista, desperate for her news. When she tells him there are no Cities of Gold, he doesn't believe her and gets back at her by telling Joe everything.

What will Joe do, send her packing or has expose his feelings for Serene?

The story of Serene and Joe was intriguing and kept me turning the pages. These characters and most of the secondary characters are strong, kind and compassionate. I found Ms Redmond's writing to keep my interest wondering what would come next. I also enjoyed the historical description of the shepherds and how they lived on the massive ranches. The joys and trials of a shepherd's life were intriguing.

A couple of things I found distracting were the references of the family relationship between "Caroline" and Joe. By these references, I couldn't figure out if they were cousins or niece and uncle as both were mentioned. The other was that the story wrapped up very quickly. Since this is a trade publication and has fewer total words than other publications, an epilogue would have been nice to find out how life was for Serene and Joe.

With this said, Serene and Joe's story was an enjoyable read. This subtle romance makes you feel good, as there's no real violence, sex or bad language, which I appreciated. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read The Shepherd King and will look forward to more from Ms. Redmond.

--Trudy