There's nothing simple about forgetting your past.
Cole Mitchell runs the busiest saloon and brothel in Dominion Falls. He keeps his women at a distance, unwilling to relive a past he worked hard to forget.
Until the night Jane Doe falls into his saloon bleeding and near death. She wakes with no memory, only the firm belief someone tried to kill her. In the strange world of amnesia she manages to find solace in Cole's arms and he finds home in hers.
While they work together to solve the mystery of her appearance, their pasts - her lack of, and his buried - build a barrier between them.
To make matters worse, Jane's past isn't willing to let her go. A stranger proves he'll kill to keep his secrets safe. With those she loves in danger, Jane's errant memory is all that stands between them and death. Cole can only do so much to protect her, will it be enough?
First off, I did not like Cole very much at the beginning of the book. I thought he was an a-hole and I guess that was the norm for Old Western times. Quite misogynist, confident in his prowess, vulgar, and a hottie to boot, but for the most part I did not like his character one bit. I know that the reality of the situation is that he's an owner of a saloon and saloons may double as a brothel. I get that men in these positions "owned" their prostitutes like possessions, but it grates my nerves every time he ordered Daisy around. I also didn't care much for the heroine either. Despite unfortunate situation that she's in, Jane has no problem speaking her mind. That's what attracts Cole and to be honest, I have yet to read a book and not like a majority of the characters, but this book finally broke the streak. I felt like Jane's uncensored speech was that of Elena Gilbert's "Humanity Off" persona. Though I did like how she spoke her mind, her conversations with the more conservative ladies in town made me think, "God, what a hypocritical two-faced b*tch." I know that sounds bad, but I grew to care for her brutally honest personality and she does develop a filter to screen her words before she says anything too hurtful.
Amnesia Jane tries to learn more about the person she was and along the way "Jane" slowly becomes her own persona. With the spark she feels with Cole, she embarks on a mutually pleasurable relationship with Cole, much to the displeasure of the ladies of Dominion Falls. My like and dislike the the main couple came and went during the course of the story. Much like every other amnesia mystery story, Jane's forgotten past comes back in spades. Accusations of a heinous crime sends Jane on a mission to finally uncover the truth behind her forgotten past. This is where I start to feel bad for her. While Jane is living her life as Jane, she builds relationships with the people in town and has friends from all walks of life. The moment the town hears of the accusations against Jane, they all spurn her and turn their backs on her, with the exception of a few of Jane's closest acquaintances. Once the much loved belle of the town, Jane because a social pariah. This also takes a toll on her relationship with Cole and he says & does the douchiest things to Jane that made me not like him in the first place. At the end of the book, I respected Jane more as a person. As for Cole.....it's 50/50 with me. He does partially redeem himself at the end of the book, but I'm was still waiting for more.
There are many themes throughout this book. This book was riddled with ignorance, hate, mistrust, betrayal, misogyny, murder and just about everything else that made up a good read. I was hesitant in continuing beyond the first few chapters when I first started reading, but I guess it was the lure of the redeemed hero that kept me going. For the most part, I wanted to know if Cole and Jane do stick together, but what really wanted to know Daisy's fate. Her circumstances that lead to her employment at the brothel are unfortunate, but uncommon during this time. She was complacent as a prostitute, but when Jane showed up Daisy learned to have more confidence in her abilities as a doctor and as a woman. Overall this book was a good read and deserving of a rating of....
4½ STARS!!!!!
Click the links below to get your own copy today and learn more about Sarah Cass by clicking the links under her mini author bio.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Cass’s world is regularly turned upside down by her three special-needs kids and loving mate, so she breaks genre barriers, dabbling in horror, straight fiction, and urban fantasy. An ADD tendency leaves her with a variety of interests that include singing, dancing, crafting, cooking, and being a photographer. She fights through the struggles of the day, knowing the battles are her crucible and though she may emerge scarred, she’s also stronger. Now officially multi-published, she’s still working on bringing new stories to fill out her year and your reading lists. While busy creating worlds and characters as real to her as her own family, she leads an active online life with her blog, Redefining Perfect, which gives a real and sometimes raw glimpses into her life and art.
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