Clandestine by Cheyne Curry

Publisher:      Blue Feather Books

Tia Ramone and Jody Montgomery come from different worlds.  Tia is a former CIA operative whose career was ruined when she was accused of botching an assignment.  Jody comes from a prestigious and wealthy family, though she prefers charity work and aiding homeless animals to the society functions her mother would like her to attend.  Those worlds collide when Tia is blackmailed into kidnapping Jody.  Tia realizes that her drinking problems have gotten her into this situation, but she can’t understand why anyone would want to do something like this to Jody.  Anthony, Jody’s husband, appears to be a successful businessman, but appearances can be deceiving.  As Tia comes to know her hostage better she develops feelings for her and wants to help Jody.  She just needs to find a way to get both women out of the situation alive.  Anthony has some definite ideas about thwarting that.

This could be a standard romance of rich girl meets poor girl of her dreams and off they go happily ever after.  Curry is a better writer than that however.  She knows how to present her characters to create just the effect that she wants and that keeps them interesting.  Tia could easily be a character that the reader doesn’t like, but, instead she comes off as a “Sad Sack” who deserves a break.  Jody is almost too innocent in her view of the world, but when juxtaposed against her mother and her husband, she becomes a sterling example of a human being.  Curry doesn’t pull her punches either.  Jody’s mother and husband come off as being just as vicious and double-dealing at the end of the book as they appear from the first.  There is no softening of the characters to redeem them.  Curry creates a story that is a romance with a little adventure in it and some really despicable characters who are trying to thwart the lovers.  That leaves the reader cheering for her main characters.

Clandestine is an interesting book to read.  The main characters are appealing, the pacing is right and it holds the reader’s attention.  Those are all of the ingredients for an entertaining experience.

Renegade by Cheyne Curry

Publisher:                P. D. Publishing

Trace Sheridan is a dirty cop who decides to go straight, but there is a crime family after her, so she risks trying out the time travel machine that a friend has been working on.  That is how she finds herself in the old West in 1879 and involved with Rachel Young.  Rachel is trying to hold out on her ranch against the most powerful family in Sagebrush, the Cranes.  The Cranes run the town and Ben Crane is determined to force Rachel to marry him. Trace decides to work on the ranch to try and help Rachel and she begins to stir up the town against the Cranes.  The Cranes have literally never met anyone like Trace and neither has Rachel.  Eventually the women establish a partnership to bring down the Cranes, but it ends up meaning much more.

Cheyne Curry has created a very enjoyable book that reads quickly.  Once you get past the implausibility of time travel, the story takes on a real tone of the old West.  Trace Sheridan becomes a likeable character as she tries to help Rachel and in doing so, redeems herself for her past life.  The historic aspects of the book are accurate enough to pass for the truth.  Unlike some novels, Trace and Rachel don't present themselves as two women having a relationship in front of the whole town and expect the local people to accept that in a time when they would more likely be hung or run out of town.  Trace plays her part as a man and maintains that image in an accurate manner.  The fact that Rachel is willing to help her maintain the charade when she discovers the truth adds reality to the situation.

Renegade is a rousing story of the Old West where the villains are truly bad, the damsel is in distress and the hero is a square-jawed straight shooter, except that he's a woman.  It combines adventure with romance to provide an enjoyable book.