Reckless Angel

There's little to recommend in Law's pointless and plotless romance set in 1858 San Francisco-not historical detail, not romance, not even adventure. Having given up hope of taking over the family horse farm in Kentucky, 23-year-old Angelina Winchester, makes a solo trek west in hopes of finding a financial backer to help her begin her own horse-breeding farm. While riding around the infamous Barbary Coast district, she encounters-and tries to save-an inept horseman, Jeremiah Johnston. J.J., a part owner of a financially unstable waterfront saloon, is a klutz with horses but a master with woman, or so he claims. He sees Angelina as a waif and offers her a job as a stable hand along with room and board; and Angelina, motivated by a need to prove herself, spends days mucking stalls with occasional stops to teach J.J. the art of horsemanship-starting with hoof cleaning. And that's about as interesting as it gets until two-thirds of the way through, when a tiny spark flares as a villainous developer comes on the scene. With J.J.'s finances getting bleaker, news of a horserace with a big-dollar first prize gives the characters hope. Would that it could give the reader some, but no such luck. (Feb.)