Review:

I just finished a Danielle Steel romance, and one of the things I liked about it is, the variety of male characters who chased the heroine's heart. It was a romance with a mystery woven into it, because, you weren't sure until you read the ending which man would be successful in his quest.

Rita Hestand's ebook has that same winning formula. Trick rider Candy Arnold has not one, but at least three attractive men wooing her: Joe Munroe with his "mellow voice" and "dark satin eyes" saved her from the "White Demon"; Doug Chapman is built like a quarterback and a master of kissing; and Charles Fargate is lean and tanned, and "impeccable."

Even so, Candy longs to be in only one man's arms, where her search for real love will finally end.

Who will the lucky man be? Grab a copy of this ebook and solve the mystery yourself!

Kassidy Emmerson is the author of "How To Slash Your Top Ten Expenses NOW!" This ebook is available at Albooktross.com and Booklocker.com, respectively.

Candy Arnold is a rodeo rider who moves from the excitement and danger of the rodeo circuit to take up a new, and what one would expect, quieter life when she inherits her father's run down ranch. She and her Uncle Roscoe make the long trip, full of plans for their future.

But as we know, plans, no matter how well made, often go awry. So it is with Candy's new life. Danger from the old life seems to have followed her into the new. Someone is either trying to scare her or kill her. And she doesn't know why or who to trust.

This imaginative and talented author has caught the excitement, frustrations, joy, and pain brought by love as it catches the unwary heart. This is a story that will satisfy any reader of romance. Bring your imagination and settle in for a pleasant read.

The reader will smell the dust, taste the grit of the arid Texas countryside and worry about sunburn from a searing, desert sun. Rita Hestand knows her territory and you will find it an interesting visit!

Review by Anne K. Edwards, author of "Death Comes Knocking"

http://www.rfiwest.com for eBook Reviews Weekly

SUSPICIONS OF THE HEART by Rita Hestand
November 2001 Writer's Exchange E-Publishing
Contemporary Western
Rating: 3 1/2 roses
Reviewed by Celia (Celia@aromancereview.com)

It's not very often that our first meeting with a heroine involves the poor thing being face down in the dirt of a rodeo ring with imminent death staring right at her, but that's what happens to Candy Arnold within the first few pages of this interesting new romance by Rita Hestand.

It seems it's not her day to die however, as salvation, in the handsome form of one Joe Munroe, sweeps her out of the path of the rampaging bull and into his arms. Ordinarily, this would be the signal for a case of romantic attraction/lust/desire to develop, but this story takes a slightly different path. Candy Arnold is a complex woman, struggling with issues that will strike close to home for many of her readers. Candy is plagued with self-doubt; she worries about her looks, her ability to succeed and her social awareness. Her sense of sexual self-confidence is next-to-nil and some of these concerns can be laid at the door of her failed marriage.

Joe, on the other hand, is a relatively straightforward man! In other words, he wants Candy, but is afraid of rejection. (It's the fragile ego thing again.) He has some past history trailing around after him as well, but is much better able to put it behind him than Candy is. All these hangups aside, the basic issue between both Candy and Joe is one of trust, and this is really the story of how two wary people learn about trust and placing their faith in someone else. It's a triumph of hope over experience. Both characters have their faults; Candy is too ready to welcome her ex back into her life. And Joe is a bit too controlled - you gotta love a man who knows when to stop.

The secondary characters are well drawn and play their precise roles with enthusiasm, but seldom overshadow the love story that develops between Joe and Candy. The pacing is brisk and this book fortunately avoids the dreaded "exposition" disease. The settings are an important and accurate part of this tale - I had to get something to drink several times to wash the dust of the ranch out of my throat while reading it!!

So if you're looking for an eBook that will drop you into the middle of an untamed land and fascinate you with a glimpse of the people who live there, then consider Suspicions of the Heart - a romance with a generous dash of Stetsons and longhorn cattle.

Suspicions of the Heart
Rita Hestand
Writer's Exchange E-Publishing Rating 3 Stars

Candy Arnold tried living in Dallas and she even married Charles Fargate, an attorney and good friend of her fathers. The marriage was doomed from their wedding night, and Fargate killed it when Candy caught him cheating on her. Three years later Candy is wrapping up her career on the rodeo circuit. She was in the middle of her rodeo trick-riding event when she was thrown from her horse, Lancer. When she looked up from the floor of the arena, she was facing a very angry bull. A fast thinking rider and his horse saved her from the bull and she later found out Lancer had somehow come up with a puncture wound on one of his legs. It was also a mystery as to how the bull got out of the pen. She later found out Joe Munroe had come to her rescue and that he had the neighboring ranch to the one she had inherited from her father.

Candy and her Uncle Roscoe were determined to make the ranch home even though everyone kept telling them it was beyond saving. When she went to see Fargate about her father's will, he tried to talk her into giving them another chance or at least giving up her plans to make the ranch her home. He also told Candy he had inquires about buying the ranch. One of the inquiries was from Joe Munroe.

After arriving at the ranch, Candy and Uncle Roscoe start having problems and Joe seems to always to be around to rescue them. When Fargate shows up to talk Candy into selling the ranch, suspicions are high. Joe's aunt Aggie tells Candy that she has water on her land, which the county needs and which is why someone wants to buy it.

SUSPICIONS OF THE HEART has a fast-paced plot that has some very interesting characters. Both Candy and Joe are afraid of love because of past experiences and it is interesting to watch them admit to their feelings for each other. The solution of the mystery is filled with surprises. Reviewed by Hattie Boyd