Wide Open Spaces

By Roz Denny Fox

Wide Open Spaces by Roz Denny Fox released on Feb 22, 2002 is available now for purchase.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373710461
• ISBN13: 9780373710461
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: Harlequin Books
• Length: 299 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

ONE OF THE BETTER BOOKS ON THE MARKET

It is really a treat to find a book that gives true motivation for the story. Save our Land! although SOS sounds better. Now that the developers have gotten a lot of inroad - not many can afford it. I like the group of military men who have formed a conservation group, Save Open Spaces and the excellent explanation of how they work. It seems to be the salvation of Coltrane Quinn after his 5 years in a foreign prison. The villians sure are money-grubbing people - Colt's ex-wife and Summer's ex-husband. The rescue of the eaglets was a great start to the plot - a bit hair raising when Summer almost pitched over the lip. Doesn't she give a thought to the child she has at home? Colt's lose of his ranch and his Morgan's caused enough bitterness to destroy any trust he had in women. Rory added the right touch to Summer's troubles with a child on the ranch. I enjoyed the communications between Summer's family and Trace with Colt and how the story was unraveled to reveal the growing connection of these main characters. Although I don't relish the sex before marriage issues this was handled with a bit of delicacy and not dwelled upon too much. This is meant to be a trusting surrender of man and woman to each other with commitment. Anyway you will have to search a bit to find a better ongoing plot. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -M It is thoroughly enjoyable.

Wide Open Spaces....

WIDE OPEN SPACES by Roz Denny FoxRoz Denny Fox wrote several Harlequin books based on characters that belong to a conservation group called SAVE OPEN SPACES, and here is one of these books. WIDE OPEN SPACES centers on the romance between Coltrane Quinn and Summer Marsh. Colt works for SOS, and his mission is to obtain the land owned by Summer Marsh, a recent divorcee and mother of a 7-year old son, who is trying to run this ranch on her own and keep it in the family. The large ranch has been a part of her family for many generations, and she is currently fighting her ex-husband Frank Marsh over the property. Frank deceived her father by befriending the elderly man, and found his way into Summer's heart in order to get a hold of the land. It wasn't until her father died that Summer knew what type of man she had married.While Frank is doing his best to get the land so he can sell this prized Oregon property to land developers, Colt is trying to figure out how he can obtain this huge ranch for SOS. Their ultimate goal is to have the ranch set aside as Government protected property to preserve the wildlife and the farm animals that currently reside within the confines of this land. Colt finds out that Summer has lost her hired hands to a local developer, and in order to help her out and buy time for SOS, Colt volunteers to work the ranch to save her cattle, with the help of his friend Tracey. Summer has no idea that Tracey and Colt work for SOS. They keep this a secret as long as they can, so that their boss Gabe Poston has time to set the deal in motion. Colt thinks the best solution would be for SOS to buy the property and take on Summer as the manager. That way she can stay on this property and hand it down to her son when the time comes, and with the help of the government, she'll be able to keep the ranch going indefinitely.While Summer, Colt and Tracey try to round up the cattle, things start to happen around the ranch. Someone tries to steal her prized bull, and later on someone tries to kidnap her son. A rescue attempt with a nest of baby eagles leads to a dangerous adventure that brings Colt and Summer closer together, but Summer and Colt both have been hurt badly in prior relationships, and the wall always comes up before either of them can get too close to the other. When Summer finds out through a friend that Colt was talking in secret with a man in a business suit in town, she begins to distrust Colt and fires him. But if she can't trust Colt, whom can she trust?I enjoyed WIDE OPEN SPACES. This is my third book written by Ms Fox, and I enjoy the way she writes. Her characters always seem believable and likable. Although she doesn't always write about the great outdoors of Oregon, I can tell that when she does, her heart is truly in the writing. It is obvious how much she loves the state of Oregon, and its heritage to ranching and to its wildlife. I'm giving this book 4 stars.

exciting romantic suspense

In Oregon, Summer Marsh's family has owned The Forked Lightning Ranch for four generations. However, her claim to the land of her ancestors is in jeopardy, as her former husband Frank wants to sell his half, obtained through the state's divorce laws, to a developer. To keep her ranch, the court ruled that Summer needs to pay Frank just under four million dollars within six months or he is free to sell to anyone. Summer worries about how she will obtain the cash that she does not have. Former horse breeder veterinarian Coltrane Quinn knows the feeling of spousal betrayal too and supports Frank in the dispute. However, besides wifely mistrust, Coltrane has a hidden agenda to buy this ranch for his environmental group, Save Open Spaces. He reconsiders his position when Summer brings him an injured animal and even volunteers to use his military experience to save the offspring as he has fallen in love. Though the lead characters are a delight and the support cast provides depth, Oregon owns WIDE OPEN SPACES as the story line paints a picturesque panorama. Summer is an ethical individual and Coltrane learns a lot about true values from her lifestyle. Though Frank is too villainous in a Machiavellian way, the state tourist bureau should give Ms. Denny a commission because a flood of visitors will trek the beautiful scenery as lovingly described by this author.Harriet Klausner

Loyalties and legacies -- Very highly recommended

Roz Denny Fox has a gift for using obscure news articles as the premise for evocative tales that capture the reader's heart. WIDE OPEN SPACES, Fox shares in the introduction of the novel, comes from a conservation ad aimed at saving "imperiled landscapes." Around this simple ad, Fox creates Summer Marsh -- a woman intent upon the preservation of her heritage and her son's legacy.Under Oregon divorce laws, Summer's ex-husband is entitled to half of Forked Lightening, and intends to collect in cash. He takes her court to force the sale, and the judge gives Summer only six months to come up with 3.8 million dollars to buy out Frank's interest. The prospect looks hopeless as none of the banks want to lend her the money, and she barely meets expenses and keeps the ranch in the black. Frank vows to see her bankrupt within a year with Forked Lightening up for auction if she refuses to sell. Coltrane "Colt" Quinn tends to side with Frank Marsh until he meets Summer when she brings a bald eagle to the vet with a wing injury resulting from poachers on her land. He is swept into her life as he volunteers to help her rescue the eagle's offspring from their mountainous perch. Special forces training in the military might have prepared him for the physical challenges of assisting Summer, and later working for her, but even a vicious ex-wife cannot shelter a heart that feels such strong kinship with a woman like Summer. Fox brings her love for the WIDE OPEN SPACES of Oregon to this novel, creating a landscape rich in beauty and nuance. Summer is a woman who values her heritage not just for its land but also for its spirit. She's determined to preserve the land and protect from development, yet she also realizes the land comes second to her son's well being. A woman of strong morals and ethics, Summer also exhibits the flaws that make her vulnerably human. Interestingly, Colt begins with a grudge against women; siding with Frank's point of view until he actually sees for himself Summer's inherit goodness. Further, his guilt over his own deceptions regarding Forked Lightening provides strong motivation for his character. This beautifully crafted, marvelously realized tale comes very highly recommended.

Wide Open Spaces leaves no space for boredom!

...This story is action-packed. If it isn't one thing, it is half a dozen others ... Never a dull moment from page to page. I could hardly put it down. A must read for all, especially if you have ever dreamed about Wide Open Spaces!