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Book Review By Rachael High
Beautiful Dreamer by Elizabeth Lowell

Hope Gardener loves her ranch more than anything, and she can barely keep it running. Her wells are running dry and her cattle are starving. The only way she can get water is from the pumps on the neighboring ranch, owned by a man who has tried to rape Hope in the past.

Rio is a man who really has no home. He is a wanderer with a gift for finding water. When he hears Hope needs help, he finds her and is instantly captivated by her. He agrees to help her find water, and they spend a lot of time together going over her ranch. He begins to fall in love with her, but doesn't want to hurt her so he decides to stay in town to cool off. While he is gone, the rancher who tried to rape Hope before comes back to finish the job, and Rio arrives just in time to save her.

That night Rio and Hope become lovers. They both know Rio will leave someday, so they are both slightly uneasy. They begin drilling for a well, and when it finally breaks into water, Rio leaves.

Hope is devestated, but is pleased to discover she is pregnant. She knows Rio never expected to have children because he is part Indian and thought no woman would want his children. Her ranch is empty after she sold all of her cattle, but soon people start arriving from all over the West with gifts. They all tell her that they owed Rio for finding water for them, and this is what he wanted as repayment.

The ranch begins to thrive again, but Hope is still lonely. She goes riding one night, and while she is gone Rio returns. He tracks her down and apologizes for leaving her, telling her he loves her and wants to marry her. When he tells her she doesn't have to have his children, she smiles and lets him know that she is already having them.


Plot & Themes
Time/era of story
Making a living subplot Yes
Making a living: - pioneering in countryside
If one lover chases another... - he chases after her
Children/Pregnancy Yes
Children/Pregnancy: - Get accidently pregnant

Main Male Character
Profession/status:
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Sex makes him
If he's not white he must be... - indian

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status:
Effect of sexing
Unusual characteristics:

Setting
Desert? Yes
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - lot of descript of animal care

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
What % of story is romance related? - 90%
How explicit is the sex? - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - impregnation/reproduction
Focus of story - equally on him and her
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
How much sexing? - 5-9 sex acts
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