cover image Love a Dark Rider

Love a Dark Rider

Shirlee Busbee. Avon Books, $5.99 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-380-75213-3

Busbee ( Each Time We Love ) reaffirms her long-held place at the top of her genre with this classic romance formula of abduction, escape, seduction and submission. The paradigmatic heroine is the orphaned, destitute Sara Rawlings, who is taken in by Sam Darnell, a distant relative. Sam marries Sara, making her heir to all his holdings--with the exception of Casa Paloma, a Texas ranch that rightfully belongs to his estranged son, Yancy. But when Sam dies, leaving Sara a virgin bride, Yancy learns that Casa Paloma is held in trust for the children Sara might have, and the only way to reclaim his estate is to marry her. Sara loves Yancy--but she also believes he may have murdered Sam's second wife. Highly visual narrative brings to life Texas of the late 1800s, from the once lush and prosperous plantations to Mexican rancheras the size of small towns. Advertising. (July)