Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell on April 8, 2010
Genres: Historical Romance, American West
Pages: 418
Format: eBook
Source: Self Purchased
EYE OF SILVER, EYES OF GOLD is a story of romance and family conflicts set in Colorado in 1885.
Anne Wells has embarrassed her rigidly proper family since she was a child with occasional but grievous lapses from ladylike behavior. They blame those lapses for the disgraceful fact that she is a spinster at 28.
Cord Bennett, the son of his father's second marriage to a Cheyenne woman, is more than an embarrassment to his well-to-do family of ranchers and lawyers - they are ashamed and afraid of their black sheep.
When Anne and Cord are found alone together, her father's fury leads to violence. Cord's family accepts that the fault is his. Can Anne and Cord use the freedom of being condemned for sins they didn't commit to make a life together? Or will their disapproving, interfering families tear them apart?
Eyes of Silver Eyes of Gold is a story I have had on my wishlist on Goodreads for YEARS and I have no idea why I waited so long for this book. Its been on many lists on the Listopia and many readers rave about this book so I just knew that it was time to grab this book and READ it. So it was sitting on my kindle for a while, and after listening to a podcast review from “Not Your Mother’s Romance Book Club” I knew I had to try this book out especially since they really enjoyed it. I want to mention first that this book was heart wrenching and very emotional and deals with some tough topics that might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Not fluffy lighthearted read is Eyes of Silvers Eyes Of Gold.
Our story sets off with our heroine, Anne Wells who is a huge disappointment to her family. She is a failure after breaking off her engagement to her fiancée in Boston, and her father drags her home in disgrace. He keeps her captive with little food, and she manages to escape, seeking a new life somewhere far from her family, and she finds herself sleeping in the barn of an outcast, the youngest of the Bennett family, Cord. She pleads for his help and before anything can happen, her family comes upon them and before they realize it they are both being beaten and forced into a marriage by her father and left for dead.
Anne is much better off than Cord, but still in pretty bad shape and still traumatized. But she knows that Cord is a good man and she must save his life is she can. He has been shot and beaten within an inch of his life but somehow with Anne’s tender care, survives his injuries and his road to recovery is slow. Anne has to learn what she is capable of including defending herself and Cord from her father’s men and even Cord’s brothers who are cruel to him. At first, their marriage is one of convenience and trying to make the best of a bad situation but soon Anne wants more than that….she wants to be with Cord for good. But there is one problem….their families are trying to break them apart. But Cord and Anne are stronger together and they learn what they have together and they are willing to fight for it, no matter what the cost may be.
..he wondered if maybe just occasionally the gods designed a woman fit for a king or a prince and then gave her to an ordinary man. Maybe they did such a thing once in a while, knowing an ordinary man would treasure her more, love her better. Maybe they even let him keep her – for a while.
In this delightful story, we have a pairing of two people who are as different as night and day in some ways, but in other ways they are perfection. They have known each other since they were children, having grown up in the same town together. Anne has only met Cord a few times before marrying him, but she always found an attraction and friendship towards him despite what everyone said about Cord behind his back. I love that Anne has always treated Cord with an open heart. She has never judged him for being half native american decent and seeing him for the good man that he is.
You know, Annie, a long time ago an old man told me beauty doesn’t mean much in a woman. It disappears with age. But he said some women have something better. They have a special glow that lasts all their life and just gets richer. You’re like that. You really shine.
There is a TON of country type of talk in this book so if you love the country lifestyle and talking about chores (morning, afternoon and evening) and horses and farm animals…this book is a must read for you for sure. You will just delight in all the details that are discussed in this book. Those that grew up in small towns or on a farm or ranch will greatly appreciate this book. I actually appreciated that this author went so detailed with the life of being on a farm/ranch like this because some authors gloss over those details, but not Ellen O’Connell so I am really grateful for that for sure.
We also have some conflicts in this story that was really heartbreaking and yet drove me nuts at times. Their families are BOTH horrible, although Anne’s family is way worse than Cord’s family is. I mean, Anne’s father is so mean and cruel and I hate how he treats his daughter and Cord. And Cord’s family is so not good to him, believing in rumors over their own brother that they practically raised themselves. I loved his brothers’ wives though, they really set their heads straight when they get out of line and that doesn’t include our kick ass heroine who literally fights them with a gun. Yep loved her gumption and courage.
Anne believed she would in the end hear the words she, like all women, longed to hear, but if he never spoke of it, she would be content with this. He loved her, and she knew it, and he was capable of such tenderness it left her trembling, overwhelmed by her own love for him
The romance that builds between Cord and Anne is simply so SWEET!! Its full of complications of course. Cord doesn’t believe that Anne is in for the long haul. He has some personal emotional problems that he is trying to work through, he has never had someone fight for him in the way that Anne fights for him. So you see them have to work through some serious issues before their relationship can get to where it needs to be for them. But they work through it together and seeing them doing this really develops the romance so well and I loved seeing them slowly fall in love and fight to be together and the ending was so satisfying and sweet and heartfelt.
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