Rochelle Wayne

I read Destiny last week while on vacation by the cabin at the lake and it was the perfect quick, mindless summer read. I mean that in a good way.

Orphaned Sharla Matthews has been raised by her guardian Olivia, who has passed away. Olivia was wealthy and raised Sharla as her own, leaving her an inheritance for when she turns twenty-one. Olivia is about six months shy of her birthday so she figures she will leave town for six months, return when she’s twenty-one, claim her inheritance and buy a ranch and live on the farm the rest of her life. James Rayfield is Olivia’s widower and plans on marrying Sharla and taking her inheritance. He resents Sharla but also wants to get her into bed, so it’s a win-win for him. Sharla cannot stand James and does not want to be under the same roof with him any longer. When James winds up dead, Sharla is blamed.

Enter Madam Maxine, who happens to run the local brothel and wants to help Sharla. She gives her a false identity as a lady of the evening, and sends her off to Texas with bounty hunter Lance Slade. Lance has no idea he’s helping a wanted woman at first and as the plot thickens, the two fall in love.

Meanwhile, back at home, James brother Dexter is hell-bent on finding Sharla and having her hang for allegedly killing his brother. He happens to find love unexpectedly with another plot twist. Maxine is trying to find out who really murdered James so that Sharla can be cleared. I like Maxine’s character from the start, she’s a smart business woman and we get some of her back story. The real murderess is trying to cover her tracks and make sure Sharla hangs instead of herself. There are also a few other side characters added to the mix as Lance and Sharla are on the run. We learn that Lance’s family was murdered five years ago and he is intent on hunting down the killers. This is the main issue over his and Sharla’s relationship. He wants revenge and can’t commit to love until he gets it.

The slow burn between Lance and Sharla was nice and I liked them together. The plot twists kept coming and the book moves at a fast pace. There is alot going on here, while these two are on the run, but it didn’t overwhelm the storyline, it added to it. It’s a fun read. There was love, fugitives on the run, revenge, family drama, and murder woven in nice and neatly. And of course, the happily ever after.

Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any kind of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. I purchased my copy of Destiny by Rochelle Wayne.
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