The Gaucho’s Lady by Genevieve Turner
Released: July 19, 2018
Historical Romance
Self Published

Reviewed by Mandi

Favorite Quote: “Eliana Sofia Suarez Herrera,” he said with deep satisfaction, ” you are glorious.”

I very much enjoyed this book! I’ve read the historical series that Genevieve Turner co-writes with Emma Barry and have liked a lot – but I’ve never read Turner on her own. I was intrigued that this book was set in Argentina in 1905. I don’t think I’ve read a romance set here and I think the author does a nice job with the location (at least as purely a reader and one who has never been to Argentina).

Our hero Juan Moreno is a gaucho, or “a cowboy of the South American pampas.” Pampas means an extensive, treeless plain.  Juan is currently living a chaotic life. He left his home in San Francisco after fighting with his family. He decided to see the world, and saw some of it, before landing as a gaucho in Argentina on a very wealthy man’s ranch. When one of Juan’s best friends started to die, he promised him he would look after the woman who man loved. And Juan did – he offered her a marriage of convenience to keep her safe and they eventually grew quite fond of one another. She was pregnant, and she and the baby died in childbirth. Juan has great guilt over not being able to keep her safe and letting down his late friend. After all of this, Juan is ready to head home to California and just as he gathers his things, a woman enters his tent holding a gun.

Eliana Suarez is known as the quiet daughter. The spoiled, youngest princess. Her older sister was bold and fearless, but even that couldn’t keep influenza away, and her older sister dies, while engaged to be married. Eliana’s father and her late sister’s fiance are abusive men, and now this man wants Eliana as his wife, since her sister died. Eliana does NOT want to marry this man, and her mother fears for her safety as well. Her mother hatches a plan – to kidnap the gaucho at gunpoint, and make him help Eliana flee to Buenos Aires, where she can hide out with a friend and hope her father can’t find her. That is how Eliana finds herself holding a gun pointed at Juan. Eliana hates guns, hates violence, hates adventure and just wants a quiet, peaceful life. But she knows she can’t marry this man and she must find the courage to run away. Juan still feels guilt over the death of his wife and decides to help Eliana escape, to maybe ease the burden of guilt on his mind.

“Please. Please don’t condemn me to a fatal marriage.”

That…God, he wished she hadn’t said that. He looked to the trunk, where Marisol’s wedding flowers sat.

I couldn’t save her. Juan knew it wasn’t his fault, that there was nthing to be done, but his heart burned still.

You could save this woman. That was his conscience again, slippery as a serpent. FOr his supposed better sense, it certainly was sly. You must save her. No one else is coming. You heard her: a fatal marriage.

Juan might be bone weary at the thought of playing caballero to yet another lady in distress, but he couldn’t refuse such a plea.

This is just the sweetest book, with lots of adventure and super steamy love scenes. You will find yourselves absolutely rooting for Juan and Eliana. Juan is the type of guy who feels the need to help people. He carries guilt – not only over his late wife, but how he treated some of his family before he left. He doesn’t really know Eliana, as working as a gaucho kept him far away from the family. But he can see the desperation in her eyes and finds it in his heart to try to help her escape. Along the way the start to fall in love and it is really romantic.

Eliana has lived a very sheltered life from the outside world. She knows men can be mean and violent, as her father has abused her mother for many years. While it makes her sick to carry a gun, she finds the courage to make Juan help her escape. During their journey she has to push herself to survive and finds joy and self-confidence when she manages to get out of tough situations or endures one more dirty day on the road. She is also very attracted to Juan and his mustache and wide shoulders. She’s never been kissed, but her body leads the way and demands Juan’s attention.

She lifted her face to the sun of his.

His beard was thick, tangled, while the cheeks above were smooth. And his eyes—had a man ever looked at her with such gentle, reverent intent?

She pressed her hands into the wall behind her, curled them around the sharp, rough hunks of brick and held tight, her breath coming in short bursts.

One heavy thigh came against hers, pressing her legs apart. Her heartbeat was heavy in her mouth. Then his other thigh came to rest against hers. Her skin tightened in a rush. And finally his hips came flush into the cradle of hers, a thick length pushing into her belly.

Heat spread through her in a dizzying rush. While she might have been sheltered from society, she wasn’t sheltered from nature, not on an estancia where the business was breeding. She knew the difference between a bull and a cow. And Señor Moreno was all bull with that thing between his legs.

She is scared to tell him she wants passion – heavy and even a little rough. Her journey to discovering herself, both on the road and in the bedroom is done very well. I really loved her.

I also adored Juan. He realizes something very important with Eliana early on. Well first, he makes sure consent is there in all areas, as she is a bit naive and never wants to take advantage of her. But he also realizes that she has never had a chance to make any decisions for herself. I like that he acknowledges that even though she made him help her escape, that was not her choice. Forced into his protection, was not her choice. Living where he knows the best to survive, is not her choice. He not only acknowledges it, but he makes sure she knows she has options, once they are under a bit more safety.

The end is wrapped up maybe a tiny bit too fast for me. I think some events are rushed but nothing that distracts you too much from the story line.

I adored this couple and I hope you find your way to them.

Grade: A-

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