cover image Dreams at Dawn # 1

Dreams at Dawn # 1

Marie Lindquist. Bantam Books, $2.5 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-553-26289-6

Maggie, the feisty heroine of the opening book of the Texas Promises trilogy, saves her father's land by driving a herd of longhorns from San Antonio to distant Sedalia. She hires cowhands for the job, including Buck, who has recently started to work at the ranch, and then signs herself on as cook, though she knows little about the task. An Indian kidnaps her but she escapes and then almost dies of sunstroke. Maggie makes a huge profit from the drive, and returns home without Buck after a quarrel, though they later reconcile. The cattle drive seems remarkably trouble-free; the Indian-taking-the-white-woman device is used twice, in one instance accounting for the sudden appearance of a beautiful half-breed. Maggie's chief trait is her spunk, which she maintains throughoutthere is little character development. Lively writing and a vivid setting will nevertheless engage young historical romance fans. (12-up)