Wow, how odd that 2 books in the same series can be SO totally different. I hated the first Hell's Eight book. I decided to give this one a try because others seemed to like the series and what the heck I read for free at work so at least I wouldn't be out any cash if it was another stinker.

It was so much better than Caine's book. This one had an actual coherent plot. There were 3 sex scenes which were to the point, relatively short and had a beginning middle and end. With one caveat of which more later. One of the things I disliked so much in the first book was that it was almost one big sex scene. They lasted pages and pages and usually never got anywhere. They were mostly abortive. And on top of that lacked caring on the hero's part. Here though the scenes were much more intrinsic to the plot, sweeter and moved the plot along. Not to mention the fact that the first scene was nearly halfway through the book.

The plot in this one was much much stronger. There was a better feel for the old west in this one. I enjoyed the hero. I thought that his reservations about being an indian man with a white wife were valid and true to the times. He was man who had never been loved or felt love and so tried hard to show a soft side to the heroine. His actions seemed very loving to me. On a side note one of the things I liked about Tracker was that after he had to leave his horse behind to escape with Ari, he went back for him because just any horse wouldn't do. He wanted 'his' horse. But it wasn't written in a mawkish non realistic way.

I liked the heroine. She was not a doormat. She pretty much rolled with the punches, took responsibility for her actions and tried to find happiness with what she had without a whole bunch of maudlin whining. That's not to say she was a Mary Sue but that even when she had bleak black moments she tried to overcome them and keep in mind what was important and she could usually pull herself out of the pit. She also had a child as a result of rape by Commancheros and she loved him without reservation which being the baby lover I am, I liked her reaction there.

There were a few things that kept this from being rated higher. First there were some parts in the plot where people knew things that had not been spelled out to them. It seemed sort of like the author knew her reasons so thoroughly that she forgot that some of her characters wouldn't know as well without being told. There was some mix ups in editing when the wrong characters names were used. That is purely cosmetic and it was easy enough to tell who was really meant but it was there. Some of the scenes seemed shorter than they should have been maybe more talking should have been done to reach some of the conclusions that people did but on the whole this was pretty solid 3 star writing.

Now about that sex scene caveat. The final scene on their wedding night was sweet and romantic and then the author threw in some anal action. That just squeecked me out. I mean if an author wants to include and anal scene fine by me. But it needs to be in the proper place. Somewhere in a hot and heavy scene in the middle of the book where they are doing it just for the kink perhaps. NOT on their wedding night after reaffirming their vows in the sun in a field of daisies and he is promising to "cherish you with my heart, my soul and body" while he is doing that particular deed.

And finally, stop with the "he's Hells Eight now," references. "they're Hell's Eight" "When Hell's Eight comes after them" "He'll grow up Hell's Eight." Ugh double Ugh. That's just plain bad English. I get the sentiment already. Just stop. ( )

Lots of touch points, emotional ups and down and some heavy issues
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Good book. Tracker is a member of the Hell's Eight "family" who have been working hard to find the missing twin sister of Desi, from Caine's Reckoning, who was kidnapped by Comancheros. All of them are also Texas Rangers. I have read two of the three earlier books, though not the first one. Fortunately, there has been enough backstory in each one that the story is easy to follow. Each man has a lead to follow in order to find Ari, with Tracker having a feeling that his is the right one. He is right, but things are not what he expected when he finds her. She is living quite happily with an elderly Mexican couple, who claim her as their daughter-in-law and her son as their grandson. However, she has no memory of her past, and Tracker is afraid to tell her the truth for fear of the effect it could have on her.

I liked both Tracker and Ari. Tracker is twin brother to Shadow (Shadow's Stand). Both are Mexican/Indian who suffered greatly as kids before they were taken in at Hell's Eight. He's a hard man, but is also very loyal to those he cares for. From the beginning of the search, he has felt a connection to Ari, one that he knows could destroy him if he let it. I loved his patience when he found her, as the sight of him brought a flashback to what happened to her. He's determined to get her back to her sister as soon as possible, no matter how he has to do it. I also liked Ari. She is much stronger than she gives herself credit for. Now that she is starting to heal, she has begun to have questions about the past she can't remember, and hasn't been entirely satisfied by the answers she gets. After their initial meeting, she discovers that she feels a sense of safety and trust when she is with Tracker, though she isn't sure why. I also liked how, with his help, she began to overcome the fears that periodically hit her.

I liked the development of their relationship. There is a definite and strong attraction between them, though Tracker tries to resist it. Because of who and what he is, he knows that a relationship with a white woman is sure to bring trouble to both. But the only thing that matters to Ari is how she feels when she is with him. Not to say there aren't some bumps along the way. With the bad guys breathing down their necks, the only way to get Ari to leave with him is to kidnap her, which she doesn't take well. Though once she is aware of the danger, she steps up and does her best not to slow them down. I loved how protective he was of her, and that she became just as protective of him. Ari is just as attracted to him and has far less interest in resisting. As a matter of fact, she becomes quite determined in her pursuit of him. I loved that his heritage has no effect on her feelings for him. There are several scenes where Ari brings out a softer side of Tracker, where he shows a depth of feeling he didn't know he could have. There are also a couple of really sweet scenes of Tracker with Ari's baby. When they make it back to Hell's Eight, Tracker is sure that Ari will see how impossible a relationship between them is, and is stunned when she continues her pursuit of him. I loved their big moment at the end, as they make their promises to each other.

Part of the story involves their escape from the men pursuing Ari and why they are so determined. As is revealed in earlier books, and expanded in this one, both Ari and Desi are heiresses of a fortune back East. Their kidnappings and abuse have been instigated by a crooked lawyer who is after their money. The men of Hell's Eight are determined to find the man and put an end to the threat. The pursuit of Tracker and Ari as they escape from Mexico to Hell's Eight was intense. The descriptions of the chase and the landscape were vivid, and I could practically feel the heat and hear the gunfire. When they got Ari to safety, then went after the lawyer, things did not go entirely as planned, with Shadow taking matters into his own hands.

There were also some deeply emotional moments as Ari and Desi were reunited. Thanks to the machinations of the comancheros who kidnapped them, Ari had been left thinking that she had been betrayed by her sister. It takes some rather forceful efforts by Tracker to get Ari to listen to Desi's side of the story. I ached for them both as they tried to find their way back to each other, and wept a few tears when their reconciliation was complete.

I loved the support that all the men of Hell's Eight give each other. Their teamwork is incredible, as is shown in the various confrontations they experience. Though none are "touchy-feely" with each other, they don't have trouble pointing out when someone is being and idiot emotionally. I loved seeing the ease with which those who have found love are able to show it, and provide the example for those whose turn is yet to come. ( )

xx ( )

This is the first time I've encountered a mashup of the Wild West and the "true love means not saying 'No' when he reaches for the lube" genre, unexpected to say the least. McCarty has done a good job of setting up a large group of men to feature in sequels. If TRACKER'S SIN is representative of the rest of the series, I'd say they're a solid choice for historical romances with an edgier, erotica feel. ( )