THE GOLDEN RULES OF LOVE – TAMMY ANDRESEN
Annie’s temper is as fiery as her hair and she is determined to keep men at a distance. Mack doesn’t seem to understand or just isn’t put off by her narrowed eyes and sharp tongue. Slowly, as they navigate the dangerous goldfields of San Francisco, he is wearing her down.
MY REVIEW:
The Golden Rules of Love is a historical romance with some mystery thrown in. Annie Sullivan’s husband left her in a strange city alone and poor while he took off for the San Francisco Gold Rush of 1849. Now a widower, Annie is crossing the country on a wagon train determined to find out what happened to her husband and to get the gold he hid. After being abandoned by her husband, Annie is determined never to belong to anyone again. The wagon train boss, Collin Mackinnon, wants to change that. He finds her strong, attractive, stubborn, and secretive. She finds him attractive, dependable, overbearing, and meddling. They both find it hard to resist each other and are what each other needs but have some things to settle from their past.
Tammy Andresen wrote characters that are developed and interesting. They grow with the storyline. The setting is written so you can imagine what it was like back in that time; from the California trail ride with the fear of Indian attacks, to finally reaching the destination and the unruliness of San Francisco. An easy and enjoyable read. This is the first book by Tammy Andresen and I look forward to reading more of her books.
BLURB:
Annie Sullivan knew one thing for certain. After being dumped in St. Louis by her late husband on his way West, she would never trust a man again. A woman could only rely on herself, love and marriage were fool’s gold. The one thing Garrett Sullivan left her before he died was the real thing, gold bars. There were two problems. The first, she had to travel from St. Louis to San Francisco to retrieve them into a rat’s nest of gold seekers known as 49ers. The second was that the wagon train boss, Collin Mackinnon, with his good looks and kind ways, was making her forget that she never wanted another man again.
Mack needed to put Annie Sullivan out of his mind, but that flaming red hair was burning a mark on his heart. She was one damn fine woman. The problem was he had his own past to work through and a carefully planned future that did not include a hot-tempered woman who abhorred marriage and had caught gold fever. He would not be drawn into the false lure of a gold hunt.
As the two travel to San Francisco together, their feelings grow, and the real treasure becomes apparent. But can Annie set aside her hopes for gold and her distaste for marriage to find The Golden Rules of Love?
EXCERPT:
“Is your temper as fiery as your hair?” He chuckled and his lips playfully kissed hers. Annie tilted her head to give him better access.
“Sometimes. Do you always meddle in other people’s business?”
“Not usually. You seem to be an exception.” His hand trailed along her neck.
“Then why are you?” If he hadn’t been kissing her between questions, she probably would still be spitting mad. But with his lips playfully nipping at hers, all she could muster was desire.
“I’m worried about you. You’re tough but even the strongest men fall in a place like the goldfields. I just want to help you.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Her childhood was spent on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy spent many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.
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