Constance O’Banyon Hawk’s Pledge

Hawk's Pledge

Constance O'Banyon

Leisure, Jul 2006, $6.99

ISBN: 0843956356

In 1866 Texas, despondent Whit Hawk gives up at least for now his quest to find his father and returns to the orphanage where he and his sisters and brother grew up. To his shock the place has been burned to the ground; he learns that his brother Drew still lives and searches for him, but his other siblings are probably dead.

Whit begins a search for Drew, which take the depressed man to Jacqueline "Jackie" Douglas' ranch. While his horse heals from a leg injury, Whit helps Jackie with her spread. However, he learns her ranch is up for bid so he decides to use his card playing skills to earn the money to win the place at auction. He does to the ire of Jackie until he tells her he loves her and gives her outright ownership of half the spread.

HAWK'S PLEDGE is a well written western romance with a mystery subplot (what happened to his parents and siblings) that starts off slowly setting the theme for this tale and the subsequent other miniseries titles. Once the background is established and Whit and Jackie are clearly attracted to one another, Constance O'Banyon's fine Reconstruction Era Texas tale accelerates into hyperspeed. The likable lead couple makes for a fine pairing as he has a quest to complete, which means he must choose between his love of Jackie or that of his "living" sibling.

Harriet Klausner