Helpful Score: 2
Maggie Osborne is so good at striking a note of empathy with her main characters. Her heroines are not your overdone simpering, naive, nit wits. Instead, they are crusty on the outside but display a depth of character that is inspiring. (Jenny Jones and Low Down from Silver Lining are my personal favorites.) Her love stories build beautifully and leave you with an ending that is uncontrived and rewarding. What a wonderful author!!!
Helpful Score: 1
Maggie Osborne never disappoints. She is one of the best, most orignial voices in romance today.
Jenny Jones would face a firing squad the next day. Marguarita offered to die in Jenny's place if Jenny would take her child to the child's father in CA or take the child to raise. Jenny agrees only to be faced with: A child who hates her, many cousins of the child who wish to kill both Jenny and the child, harsh conditions in the desert, on early railroad cars in Mexico, a stranger who is shot while trying to help, and strange emotions that Jenny had never felt and never expected to experience.
Jenny feels that promises must not be broken and that her word is all that she has --- until a little runt of a girl softens her defenses and a rugged cowboy steals her heart when she is not looking.
Jenny Jones would face a firing squad the next day. Marguarita offered to die in Jenny's place if Jenny would take her child to the child's father in CA or take the child to raise. Jenny agrees only to be faced with: A child who hates her, many cousins of the child who wish to kill both Jenny and the child, harsh conditions in the desert, on early railroad cars in Mexico, a stranger who is shot while trying to help, and strange emotions that Jenny had never felt and never expected to experience.
Jenny feels that promises must not be broken and that her word is all that she has --- until a little runt of a girl softens her defenses and a rugged cowboy steals her heart when she is not looking.
Helpful Score: 1
The Promise of Jenny Jones is a very original, good old fashion story. Jenny Jones is a unwomanly mule driver getting ready to go in front of a firing squad in Mexico because she killed a man defending herself from his advances. She won't lie to save herself because morally lying is wrong. Her reputation is that she would never break a promise, her word is all she has. She is alone in the world, poor, never been loved by anyone, but she has integrity. She makes a promise to a dying mother to take her spoiled, pampered 6 year old daughter and return her to her father in California. In exchange the mother will face the firing squad for Jenny Jones.
The story was inspiring with a good moral lesson. It was very clean with minimal sexual tension. It was more of an adventure then a romantic love story with shoot'em up gunfights as the H/h trailblazed across the old west terrain. It took me a while to buy into the love/sexual connection between the main characters, Ty and Jenny, mainly because Jenny was so homely. She was very large, manly, dirty, and she had lice so bad she had to chop off her hair- call me shallow but, that all seemed pretty hard to overcome. She was attractive in Ty's eyes though and it he made it believable. In the end the connection was beautiful and had me choked up. Graciela the 6 yr old was a pain in the butt!!, but she grew on me and her and Jenny learned a lot from each other.
I have read other books from this author and they seem to have the same kind of heroine, manly, downtrodden, yet strong sense of honor. There is some makeover but, doesn't seem to overly beautify them by the end.
The story was inspiring with a good moral lesson. It was very clean with minimal sexual tension. It was more of an adventure then a romantic love story with shoot'em up gunfights as the H/h trailblazed across the old west terrain. It took me a while to buy into the love/sexual connection between the main characters, Ty and Jenny, mainly because Jenny was so homely. She was very large, manly, dirty, and she had lice so bad she had to chop off her hair- call me shallow but, that all seemed pretty hard to overcome. She was attractive in Ty's eyes though and it he made it believable. In the end the connection was beautiful and had me choked up. Graciela the 6 yr old was a pain in the butt!!, but she grew on me and her and Jenny learned a lot from each other.
I have read other books from this author and they seem to have the same kind of heroine, manly, downtrodden, yet strong sense of honor. There is some makeover but, doesn't seem to overly beautify them by the end.
Helpful Score: 1
Five stars just arent enough! This is an amazing story. Maggie Osbornes forte is character development and it shines in this book!
Twenty-four year-old Jenny Jones is going to die tomorrow before a Mexican firing squad all because she wouldnt lie. She was attacked by a drunken Mexican and shot him to prevent an assault. The moment she said shed shot the man, she was doomed -- circumstances didnt matter.
Margarita Sanders, a Mexican aristocrat who will die soon of consumption (tuberculosis), offers to trade places with Jenny. Her price? Take Margaritas 6 year-old daughter (Graciela) to the childs father (Robert Sanders, an Anglo) living in California. If he is no longer living, Jenny must raise the child herself.
The problem? Graciela is the heiress to 2 vast fortunes, from both her father and her mother. The Mexican cousins on the mothers side want to kill her (to inherit from Margarita).
Lest you think this is too simple a task, consider three other problems. Graciela is a prissy brat who is used to being waited on and coddled. Jenny and Graciela take an instant dislike to each other and Graciela wants to go to ANY relative rather than stay with Jenny.
Finally, lots of greedy people are related to Graciela and they all seem willing to do a little killing in order to get a piece of the inheritance.
Fortunately for Graciela, Jenny is a resourceful, fearless woman who is on a mission. Just when it looks like there are too many of the enemy, Jenny runs into another one - Ty Sanders, brother of Gracielas father -- who doesnt want any help taking his niece back to California.
Before long, folks are being stabbed, shot and tossed off trains! Theres lots of action and dialogue that rings true.
This is a wonderful story enjoy!
Twenty-four year-old Jenny Jones is going to die tomorrow before a Mexican firing squad all because she wouldnt lie. She was attacked by a drunken Mexican and shot him to prevent an assault. The moment she said shed shot the man, she was doomed -- circumstances didnt matter.
Margarita Sanders, a Mexican aristocrat who will die soon of consumption (tuberculosis), offers to trade places with Jenny. Her price? Take Margaritas 6 year-old daughter (Graciela) to the childs father (Robert Sanders, an Anglo) living in California. If he is no longer living, Jenny must raise the child herself.
The problem? Graciela is the heiress to 2 vast fortunes, from both her father and her mother. The Mexican cousins on the mothers side want to kill her (to inherit from Margarita).
Lest you think this is too simple a task, consider three other problems. Graciela is a prissy brat who is used to being waited on and coddled. Jenny and Graciela take an instant dislike to each other and Graciela wants to go to ANY relative rather than stay with Jenny.
Finally, lots of greedy people are related to Graciela and they all seem willing to do a little killing in order to get a piece of the inheritance.
Fortunately for Graciela, Jenny is a resourceful, fearless woman who is on a mission. Just when it looks like there are too many of the enemy, Jenny runs into another one - Ty Sanders, brother of Gracielas father -- who doesnt want any help taking his niece back to California.
Before long, folks are being stabbed, shot and tossed off trains! Theres lots of action and dialogue that rings true.
This is a wonderful story enjoy!
