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The Wives of Bowie Stone
Knowing that she can save the life of a condemned man by offering to marry him, Rosie Mulvehey opts for a marriage of convenience to ex-cavalry man Bowie Stone, who promises to save her rundown farm as his part of the agreement.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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1,590 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Osborne
30 books492 followersaka
Margaret St. George
Maggie Osborne is the author of I Do, I Do, I Do and Silver Lining, as well as more than forty contemporary and historical romance novels written as Maggie Osborne and Margaret St. George. She has won numerous awards from Romantic Times, Affaire de Coeur, BookraK, the Colorado Romance Writers, and Coeur du Bois, among others. Osborne won the RITA for long historical from the Romance Writers of America in 1998. Maggie lives in a resort town in the Colorado mountains with her husband, one mule, two horses, one cat, and one dog, all of whom are a lot of aggravation, but she loves them anyway.
Margaret St. George
Maggie Osborne is the author of I Do, I Do, I Do and Silver Lining, as well as more than forty contemporary and historical romance novels written as Maggie Osborne and Margaret St. George. She has won numerous awards from Romantic Times, Affaire de Coeur, BookraK, the Colorado Romance Writers, and Coeur du Bois, among others. Osborne won the RITA for long historical from the Romance Writers of America in 1998. Maggie lives in a resort town in the Colorado mountains with her husband, one mule, two horses, one cat, and one dog, all of whom are a lot of aggravation, but she loves them anyway.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
September 10, 2021
3.7 stars
I wasn't planning on writing a review for this but I must talk about it.
"I'm not going to help you destroy yourself." He drew a breath and looked at her, trying to recall how she looked and smelled when she was fresh out of a bath. "Getting drunk won't change the past. It's time to forget the past, clean up your life and move on."
"I am so sick of your lectures! Stop drinking, stop smoking, stop swearing, stop remembering … I might as well stop living!" She stared at his tight jawline. "You just don't understand, do you? There's nothing in this whole miserable world I'd like better than to forget what he did to me! And I could forget if only I'd had the chance to say my piece and shoot the bastard. Everything would be different!"
"It's too late for revenge. You've got this crazy idea that Frank Blevins can still see you and hear you. He's dead, Rosie. Blevins has been dead for three years. I'm sorry you didn't get to say your piece, and I'm sorry that life isn't fair; but it's too late to change that. It's over now."
I highlighted the hell out of this story, there were so many quotes and scenes that hit me in the feels. This was published in 1994 but has the tone I've been crying for in newer published books. First off, the title is magnificent in it's simplicity. The Wives of Bowie Stone. It's so apt because this is basically two connected novellas melded into one book.
Considering that Rosie was about as loveable as a stink bug, he didn't understand why he liked her; but he liked her more the longer he knew her. She was generous to bastards who did not deserve her generosity. She was fiercely loyal to Lodisha, John Hawkins, and even to him. No roustabout had ever worked harder than Rosie did. She groused about little things that didn't matter but didn't complain about the things that did. On those rare occasions when something tickled her, her laugh was light and infectious and transformed her scowl into something lovely that could steal a man's breath away. Fresh out of the bath, she was the most beautiful and most desirable woman he had ever seen. And sometimes she was so painfully vulnerable that a child could have crushed her. Shaking his head, he led Ivanhoe toward his stall and a rubdown. When he thought about Rosie blurting, "But I thought you liked me a little," a painful tightening stretched across his chest. This strange wounded woman whom he'd had no right to marry was beginning to get under his skin.
It starts in a small farming town in Kansas where Bowie Stone is about to be hung. He's a disgraced former Union Officer who supposedly disobeyed a direct order to participate in the slaughtering of Native Americans and then later supposedly shot his commanding officer in the back. Out west though, men are needed and this town has a law that if any woman picks a condemned man to marry, he's free. Rosie Mulvehey claims Bowie and he's saved from the noose. Rosie is dressed like a man, the town drunk, and besides labor, wants nothing to do with Bowie. We learn fairly quickly that she wants Bowie to help her with planting wheat and is determined to turn the first profit the farm has ever seen. She's so determined because her stepfather never had a profitable year and she wants to prove that she isn't all the names he called her and “beat” him and “win”. Her alcoholism and attitude become even more clear during an explosive scene when she reveals that she was raped by the stepfather for years.
"Just because you look pretty doesn't mean I'm going to attack you or make unwelcome advances."
"That's what it usually means. The only time a woman is safe from poking is when she's ugly."
Rosie's character had an uncontrollable immaturity that was frustrating at times but so understandable as we know that kids can remain trapped in the age they were when their trauma occurred. It's mostly rooted in her wanting to be “ugly”, not bathing, wearing baggy clothes, drinking, and cursing. Right away you can see how Bowie is going to be good for her, he doesn't give into her temper tantrums and he also doesn't try to control her actions or judges, he makes her want to change because she wants to be better herself.
So Bowie and his new wife Rosie are the first novella and the companion novella follows Bowie's first wife. Yep, The Wives of Bowie Stone, remember?
"I am never going to marry you, Mrs. Stone," he said when they had traveled another mile in silence.
Bowie had an older brother but he ended up dying in a carriage accident but not before he begged Bowie to marry Susan, a woman who was about to be engaged to and who was pregnant with is baby. Bowie marries Susan but then joins the Union army and is off to fight but he makes his father promise to take care of Susan and the child. When Bowie's troubles reach D.C., his senator father is disturbed in a way that has him deteriorating physically and dies. Susan thinking Bowie was hung, finds herself without a man to rule and guide her life and for a society woman, she is lost. It turns out Bowie's father knew her child wasn't Bowie's but didn't know it was his older son's and he only leaves her forty dollars thinking she trapped Bowie into marriage. Then the lawyer says he can't release Bowie's estate money until they have a death certificate and body, which Kansas just keeps ignoring their requests for. So Susan finds herself penniless with a child to feed and society turning their back on her because of Bowie's reputation. She decides to answer a mail order bride ad and travel west.
She couldn't cook, couldn't wash or iron. She didn't know anything about building a house or fishing or livestock. He couldn't imagine her wringing a chicken's neck and preparing it for supper. But by God, Susan Stone had courage.
When she gets to Wyoming, Gresham, the man who placed the ad isn't impressed with her lack of stature and inability to cook, clean, or generally work, plus he doesn't want a kid. She finds herself almost penniless and no man to help. Gresham keeps saying he isn't responsible for her but feels bad and sets up an appointment for her to possibly be a teacher.
For the first time in her life, Susan Stone had won respect in her own right.
So, while this is romance, Rosie and Susan's battles and journeys are the highlights here. I loved the two sides of a coin theme, Rosie wasn't looking for a man to help her live but got one and Susan was looking for a man but had to help herself. It's the Rosie knew how to survive but didn't know how to live and Susan knew how to live but not survive. The way these two historical women took the challenges placed on them and conquered them was a thing of beauty. Because of the two stories in one, the novella feel of some quickness and at times wishing there was time to spend more time with, this had a just the bare bones feel to it. You're getting the emotion from Rosie learning her self-worth and moving to recovering alcoholic and Susan's fear from not having a man to take the responsibility and then courage and exhilaration as she is at the helm of her life. It's not cloaked in ridiculous over-the-top and was all the better for it.
"I can speak for most of them. The most important thing is, you aren't to blame for what Blevins did to you. He didn't hurt you because you wore a skirt or because you dressed your hair a certain way or walked a certain way or because you looked pretty. Blevins hurt you because he was weak and brutal. He was a coward and sick inside. Maybe he was evil. But he was to blame for what happened, Rosie. Not you. It was never your fault."
************
“You're not to blame for being victimized. You have nothing to be ashamed of; you can hold your head as high as any woman in this county. You're not dirty or ugly or anything else you might be thinking. You're fine and strong and decent. You're a worthwhile person, Rose Mary Mulvehey. You deserve respect and admiration."
Again, those quotes are from a book published in 1994, don't spend all your time in newer releases, there are some wonderful hidden gems out there. Anyway, the men take a little bit of a backseat because of how emotional the women's journeys are. However, in his quiet but steadfast way, Bowie Stone cemented his nomination for my end of year Romancies awards. Gresham definitely plays second fiddle to all the characters but he flashes beautifully at times, especially as he goes from refusing to admit feeling bad for Susan to not leaving her side and crying with her after a horrible moment.
"If you want to kill yourself with drink, fine. That's your choice. If I prefer to make love to a woman who will remember it in the morning, that's my choice."
Much is made about Rosie having to give up liquor in order to live but to her alcoholic persona, Bowie matches with his ghost. His story is always lingering in the background with his guilt over killing his commanding officer, his will to live is about as strong as Rosie's. I loved how the author mirrored Rosie having to be able to be in the saloon without drinking with Bowie having to fight a second attempt at hanging, they both ultimately have to save themselves but they also have that foundation of previously growing love and strength from the other and I think some books miss that part.
"Needing someone is as much a part of life as breathing. When we no longer need someone, we're alone, the worst kind of alone there is. You are long past needing a man to survive. Don't mistake that kind of need with needing a man—a certain man—to be fulfilled and happy. It isn't the same thing. Time is shorter than we think it is. Don't delay doing something you know in your heart is right."
When I read that above quote, I thought “Yes!”, I want my heroines to stand on their own but in romance I also want them to stand supporting and supported by the hero.
"You were magnificent out there," he said softly. Taking her wrists, he raised her hands to his lips and kissed her bandaged fingers. "I don't know another woman who could have done what you did. I'm proud to know you, Rose Mary Mulvehey. I hope to hell that you get the crop you deserve."
He thought she was magnificent. He felt proud to know her. Hot tears pricked at her eyelids and she couldn't breathe. No one had ever said anything like that about her. The sentiments and the sincerity in his eyes made her feel strange and almost sick inside. Joy and pain and disbelief built a searing pressure behind her chest.
There were times that I got some The Prince of Midnight by Laura Kinsale vibes, with the heroine in so much pain that accepting any form of love could shatter her.
Loving and being loved, that was the most powerful revenge of all.
I could go all day quoting this story, Bowie Stone was a quiet hero, a hell of a one, but this wasn't his story, this was all about Rosie and Susan for me. The novella format with it's two sides of a coin heroines worked beautifully but it also kept the page count too low for both romances. A definite hidden gem, read this one and then come talk to me about it!
I wasn't planning on writing a review for this but I must talk about it.
"I'm not going to help you destroy yourself." He drew a breath and looked at her, trying to recall how she looked and smelled when she was fresh out of a bath. "Getting drunk won't change the past. It's time to forget the past, clean up your life and move on."
"I am so sick of your lectures! Stop drinking, stop smoking, stop swearing, stop remembering … I might as well stop living!" She stared at his tight jawline. "You just don't understand, do you? There's nothing in this whole miserable world I'd like better than to forget what he did to me! And I could forget if only I'd had the chance to say my piece and shoot the bastard. Everything would be different!"
"It's too late for revenge. You've got this crazy idea that Frank Blevins can still see you and hear you. He's dead, Rosie. Blevins has been dead for three years. I'm sorry you didn't get to say your piece, and I'm sorry that life isn't fair; but it's too late to change that. It's over now."
I highlighted the hell out of this story, there were so many quotes and scenes that hit me in the feels. This was published in 1994 but has the tone I've been crying for in newer published books. First off, the title is magnificent in it's simplicity. The Wives of Bowie Stone. It's so apt because this is basically two connected novellas melded into one book.
Considering that Rosie was about as loveable as a stink bug, he didn't understand why he liked her; but he liked her more the longer he knew her. She was generous to bastards who did not deserve her generosity. She was fiercely loyal to Lodisha, John Hawkins, and even to him. No roustabout had ever worked harder than Rosie did. She groused about little things that didn't matter but didn't complain about the things that did. On those rare occasions when something tickled her, her laugh was light and infectious and transformed her scowl into something lovely that could steal a man's breath away. Fresh out of the bath, she was the most beautiful and most desirable woman he had ever seen. And sometimes she was so painfully vulnerable that a child could have crushed her. Shaking his head, he led Ivanhoe toward his stall and a rubdown. When he thought about Rosie blurting, "But I thought you liked me a little," a painful tightening stretched across his chest. This strange wounded woman whom he'd had no right to marry was beginning to get under his skin.
It starts in a small farming town in Kansas where Bowie Stone is about to be hung. He's a disgraced former Union Officer who supposedly disobeyed a direct order to participate in the slaughtering of Native Americans and then later supposedly shot his commanding officer in the back. Out west though, men are needed and this town has a law that if any woman picks a condemned man to marry, he's free. Rosie Mulvehey claims Bowie and he's saved from the noose. Rosie is dressed like a man, the town drunk, and besides labor, wants nothing to do with Bowie. We learn fairly quickly that she wants Bowie to help her with planting wheat and is determined to turn the first profit the farm has ever seen. She's so determined because her stepfather never had a profitable year and she wants to prove that she isn't all the names he called her and “beat” him and “win”. Her alcoholism and attitude become even more clear during an explosive scene when she reveals that she was raped by the stepfather for years.
"Just because you look pretty doesn't mean I'm going to attack you or make unwelcome advances."
"That's what it usually means. The only time a woman is safe from poking is when she's ugly."
Rosie's character had an uncontrollable immaturity that was frustrating at times but so understandable as we know that kids can remain trapped in the age they were when their trauma occurred. It's mostly rooted in her wanting to be “ugly”, not bathing, wearing baggy clothes, drinking, and cursing. Right away you can see how Bowie is going to be good for her, he doesn't give into her temper tantrums and he also doesn't try to control her actions or judges, he makes her want to change because she wants to be better herself.
So Bowie and his new wife Rosie are the first novella and the companion novella follows Bowie's first wife. Yep, The Wives of Bowie Stone, remember?
"I am never going to marry you, Mrs. Stone," he said when they had traveled another mile in silence.
Bowie had an older brother but he ended up dying in a carriage accident but not before he begged Bowie to marry Susan, a woman who was about to be engaged to and who was pregnant with is baby. Bowie marries Susan but then joins the Union army and is off to fight but he makes his father promise to take care of Susan and the child. When Bowie's troubles reach D.C., his senator father is disturbed in a way that has him deteriorating physically and dies. Susan thinking Bowie was hung, finds herself without a man to rule and guide her life and for a society woman, she is lost. It turns out Bowie's father knew her child wasn't Bowie's but didn't know it was his older son's and he only leaves her forty dollars thinking she trapped Bowie into marriage. Then the lawyer says he can't release Bowie's estate money until they have a death certificate and body, which Kansas just keeps ignoring their requests for. So Susan finds herself penniless with a child to feed and society turning their back on her because of Bowie's reputation. She decides to answer a mail order bride ad and travel west.
She couldn't cook, couldn't wash or iron. She didn't know anything about building a house or fishing or livestock. He couldn't imagine her wringing a chicken's neck and preparing it for supper. But by God, Susan Stone had courage.
When she gets to Wyoming, Gresham, the man who placed the ad isn't impressed with her lack of stature and inability to cook, clean, or generally work, plus he doesn't want a kid. She finds herself almost penniless and no man to help. Gresham keeps saying he isn't responsible for her but feels bad and sets up an appointment for her to possibly be a teacher.
For the first time in her life, Susan Stone had won respect in her own right.
So, while this is romance, Rosie and Susan's battles and journeys are the highlights here. I loved the two sides of a coin theme, Rosie wasn't looking for a man to help her live but got one and Susan was looking for a man but had to help herself. It's the Rosie knew how to survive but didn't know how to live and Susan knew how to live but not survive. The way these two historical women took the challenges placed on them and conquered them was a thing of beauty. Because of the two stories in one, the novella feel of some quickness and at times wishing there was time to spend more time with, this had a just the bare bones feel to it. You're getting the emotion from Rosie learning her self-worth and moving to recovering alcoholic and Susan's fear from not having a man to take the responsibility and then courage and exhilaration as she is at the helm of her life. It's not cloaked in ridiculous over-the-top and was all the better for it.
"I can speak for most of them. The most important thing is, you aren't to blame for what Blevins did to you. He didn't hurt you because you wore a skirt or because you dressed your hair a certain way or walked a certain way or because you looked pretty. Blevins hurt you because he was weak and brutal. He was a coward and sick inside. Maybe he was evil. But he was to blame for what happened, Rosie. Not you. It was never your fault."
************
“You're not to blame for being victimized. You have nothing to be ashamed of; you can hold your head as high as any woman in this county. You're not dirty or ugly or anything else you might be thinking. You're fine and strong and decent. You're a worthwhile person, Rose Mary Mulvehey. You deserve respect and admiration."
Again, those quotes are from a book published in 1994, don't spend all your time in newer releases, there are some wonderful hidden gems out there. Anyway, the men take a little bit of a backseat because of how emotional the women's journeys are. However, in his quiet but steadfast way, Bowie Stone cemented his nomination for my end of year Romancies awards. Gresham definitely plays second fiddle to all the characters but he flashes beautifully at times, especially as he goes from refusing to admit feeling bad for Susan to not leaving her side and crying with her after a horrible moment.
"If you want to kill yourself with drink, fine. That's your choice. If I prefer to make love to a woman who will remember it in the morning, that's my choice."
Much is made about Rosie having to give up liquor in order to live but to her alcoholic persona, Bowie matches with his ghost. His story is always lingering in the background with his guilt over killing his commanding officer, his will to live is about as strong as Rosie's. I loved how the author mirrored Rosie having to be able to be in the saloon without drinking with Bowie having to fight a second attempt at hanging, they both ultimately have to save themselves but they also have that foundation of previously growing love and strength from the other and I think some books miss that part.
"Needing someone is as much a part of life as breathing. When we no longer need someone, we're alone, the worst kind of alone there is. You are long past needing a man to survive. Don't mistake that kind of need with needing a man—a certain man—to be fulfilled and happy. It isn't the same thing. Time is shorter than we think it is. Don't delay doing something you know in your heart is right."
When I read that above quote, I thought “Yes!”, I want my heroines to stand on their own but in romance I also want them to stand supporting and supported by the hero.
"You were magnificent out there," he said softly. Taking her wrists, he raised her hands to his lips and kissed her bandaged fingers. "I don't know another woman who could have done what you did. I'm proud to know you, Rose Mary Mulvehey. I hope to hell that you get the crop you deserve."
He thought she was magnificent. He felt proud to know her. Hot tears pricked at her eyelids and she couldn't breathe. No one had ever said anything like that about her. The sentiments and the sincerity in his eyes made her feel strange and almost sick inside. Joy and pain and disbelief built a searing pressure behind her chest.
There were times that I got some The Prince of Midnight by Laura Kinsale vibes, with the heroine in so much pain that accepting any form of love could shatter her.
Loving and being loved, that was the most powerful revenge of all.
I could go all day quoting this story, Bowie Stone was a quiet hero, a hell of a one, but this wasn't his story, this was all about Rosie and Susan for me. The novella format with it's two sides of a coin heroines worked beautifully but it also kept the page count too low for both romances. A definite hidden gem, read this one and then come talk to me about it!
October 30, 2023
This book was written in 1994. I really enjoyed it and plan to read more by this author. I rate it 4.25* There have been some really great reviews written so read some to get a better understanding of the plot as I am only going to write about my thoughts. Beware there is almost every trigger that you can think of in this book. I enjoy reading about women who develop, grow stronger and become more independent. The book tells the plight of 2 extremely different women and does go between the 2 timelines of the story and that took some getting used to reading. The side characters are equal to the main characters in humor and personality.
March 17, 2019
This is probably my 4th or 5th Maggie Osborne book and they have all been solid 4 star reads for me. This one was no exception. Usually we read about the tortured Hero but it is the Heroines that are tortured in these books. Strong, independent women who feel they are not worthy of love.
There are two stories running through the book ... both interesting in their own ways.
Rosie, Rosie, Rosie... so proud. Had a tough life and felt she did not deserve happiness.
Bowie ... really liked him. I won't go into much detail about the book. You can read in the blurb what it is about. Times were tough back then.
I tried to finish it last night but one part just broke my heart and I started crying ... decided to wait until today to finish it.
There are two stories running through the book ... both interesting in their own ways.
Rosie, Rosie, Rosie... so proud. Had a tough life and felt she did not deserve happiness.
Bowie ... really liked him. I won't go into much detail about the book. You can read in the blurb what it is about. Times were tough back then.
What was she seeing in his eyes? Regret? Sorrow? Determination?
"A man chases life or he chases death."
I tried to finish it last night but one part just broke my heart and I started crying ... decided to wait until today to finish it.
February 3, 2020
An interesting and unusual plot line. The plot is believable on the whole, and as a reader you do wonder how it's going to be resolved. Rosie and Bowie fall in love, neither of them expecting to. Susan somehow transforms herself from a helpless, dependent woman into someone with some spirit and strength. She and Gresham fall in love too.
It's kinda nice to get double value with two romances in the one book. Unfortunately, I did start to get a bit annoyed when chapters would suddenly switch from Rosie and Bowie to Susan and Gresham. It's not my fav type of novel structure.
The book stared off quite interestingly, and you were really drawn into Rosie's story. Why was she so unhappy? What did Frank Blevins do? And when you find out, ugh! *shudders* Poor Rosie. Her behaviour was extreme, but understandable.
But the book did move fairly slowly, and for me got a little bogged down in the middle. I was getting sick of the chapter switching, and I started to skim a little. Luckily I got to the end before too much skimming, and it all finished satisfactorily. I liked the book OK, but couldn't really give more than three stars.
I read this book for the Romance Across the Ages challenge - January 2020 theme - Western.
It's kinda nice to get double value with two romances in the one book. Unfortunately, I did start to get a bit annoyed when chapters would suddenly switch from Rosie and Bowie to Susan and Gresham. It's not my fav type of novel structure.
The book stared off quite interestingly, and you were really drawn into Rosie's story. Why was she so unhappy? What did Frank Blevins do? And when you find out, ugh! *shudders* Poor Rosie. Her behaviour was extreme, but understandable.
But the book did move fairly slowly, and for me got a little bogged down in the middle. I was getting sick of the chapter switching, and I started to skim a little. Luckily I got to the end before too much skimming, and it all finished satisfactorily. I liked the book OK, but couldn't really give more than three stars.
I read this book for the Romance Across the Ages challenge - January 2020 theme - Western.
March 26, 2011
In the town of Passions crossing, a county ordinance allows a woman to marry a convicted man to save him from hanging. There were 4 men facing the noose and Rosie Mulvehey has first choice. After dismissing 3 men, she picks Captain Bowie Stone. Rosie is in desperate need of a man to help her get in her crop. She is marrying for this reason only, she is not interested in an actual relationship. For that matter, neither is Bowie Stone.
Rosie has been severely physically and sexually abused by her deceased step father. She thinks that if she can get in a profitable crop, just once, she will have won and have her revenge against HIM. Rosie is quite a character. She does not bathe, wears men's clothes, she is an alcoholic and cusses and swears like a man.
Bowie is not looking to fix Rosie but he is a good man and has a good heart. He comes to realize that underneath all that grime and men's clothes, Rosie has a heart of gold. Bowie was wrongly accused and is empty like the walking dead due to all that has happened to him. When he sees Rosie while taking a bath, he is shocked to see she is actually a very beautiful woman.
There are many twists and turns to this story, there is a secondary story going on with Bowie's family back east. A very emotional and page turning read that deals with many unsavory issues.
Rosie has been severely physically and sexually abused by her deceased step father. She thinks that if she can get in a profitable crop, just once, she will have won and have her revenge against HIM. Rosie is quite a character. She does not bathe, wears men's clothes, she is an alcoholic and cusses and swears like a man.
Bowie is not looking to fix Rosie but he is a good man and has a good heart. He comes to realize that underneath all that grime and men's clothes, Rosie has a heart of gold. Bowie was wrongly accused and is empty like the walking dead due to all that has happened to him. When he sees Rosie while taking a bath, he is shocked to see she is actually a very beautiful woman.
There are many twists and turns to this story, there is a secondary story going on with Bowie's family back east. A very emotional and page turning read that deals with many unsavory issues.
September 18, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded up to four because it held my interest even when I was muttering “seems unlikely” under my breath
Well-written twofer, but character motivations and choices felt a little off from beginning to almost end. I liked all four of the main characters and the author established them well enough, but:
***spoilers***
Bowie—Considering how honorably Bowie had been raised and had conducted himself as a Cavalry officer, I couldn’t figure out why it took him the whole book to realize he would make those same choices over and needed to accept and live with the consequences. Conversely, it seemed completely dishonorable that he would “poke” (sheesh, was this really how they referred to sex in the old west?) Rosie—we all know what possible consequences might arise from that—when he knew he had to leave her. He said he loved her, but what kind of love leaves her broken and used? She was right when she said he was just like Frank.
Rosie—Some of Rosie’s nastiness made sense. If she was filthy and smelly enough, men would leave her alone. Check. If she was drunk enough it dulled the pain. Check. But I’m darned if I can understand why she went into town every Saturday night to wreak mayhem and end up in jail. And frankly, she usually sounded more like a feral 12-year-old than a damaged and fearful 23-year-old seeking revenge on a dead man.
Bowie and Rosie’s developing relationship didn’t click for me in the beginning because she spent too much time filthy and intoxicated and I didn’t see the attraction, even if she was a hard worker. It did improve, though, after Rosie started bathing and detoxed.
Susan—I liked Susan’s evolution, although the woman she was in the beginning of this book made me despair for my gender, however authentic it seemed for the time period. I loved how she was willing to do anything for her son. Assuaging grief with sex seemed out of character for a woman like this, though, in spite of her evolution.
Gresham was the only major character who didn’t have a “jump the shark” moment. Yay, that.
Well-planned story arcs kept the pace lively, and you gotta love the excitement of a cattle stampede. All in all, in spite of challenging my credulity occasionally, an entertaining read.
Well-written twofer, but character motivations and choices felt a little off from beginning to almost end. I liked all four of the main characters and the author established them well enough, but:
***spoilers***
Bowie—Considering how honorably Bowie had been raised and had conducted himself as a Cavalry officer, I couldn’t figure out why it took him the whole book to realize he would make those same choices over and needed to accept and live with the consequences. Conversely, it seemed completely dishonorable that he would “poke” (sheesh, was this really how they referred to sex in the old west?) Rosie—we all know what possible consequences might arise from that—when he knew he had to leave her. He said he loved her, but what kind of love leaves her broken and used? She was right when she said he was just like Frank.
Rosie—Some of Rosie’s nastiness made sense. If she was filthy and smelly enough, men would leave her alone. Check. If she was drunk enough it dulled the pain. Check. But I’m darned if I can understand why she went into town every Saturday night to wreak mayhem and end up in jail. And frankly, she usually sounded more like a feral 12-year-old than a damaged and fearful 23-year-old seeking revenge on a dead man.
Bowie and Rosie’s developing relationship didn’t click for me in the beginning because she spent too much time filthy and intoxicated and I didn’t see the attraction, even if she was a hard worker. It did improve, though, after Rosie started bathing and detoxed.
Susan—I liked Susan’s evolution, although the woman she was in the beginning of this book made me despair for my gender, however authentic it seemed for the time period. I loved how she was willing to do anything for her son. Assuaging grief with sex seemed out of character for a woman like this, though, in spite of her evolution.
Gresham was the only major character who didn’t have a “jump the shark” moment. Yay, that.
Well-planned story arcs kept the pace lively, and you gotta love the excitement of a cattle stampede. All in all, in spite of challenging my credulity occasionally, an entertaining read.
June 14, 2015
My my, this author never fails to surprise me. Instead of containing one love story, The Wives of Bowie Stone tells 2 different tales.
Rosie Mulvehey is a kind-hearted drunk who doesn't like to bath. She hides herself under baggy man shirts & is always unkempt. She is in a desperate need to obtain a profitable crop, but she lacks the manpower to tend to her land. A visit to town gave her an opportunity to get that manpower. Captain Bowie Stone is sentenced to be hung for a murder. In Passion's Crossing, there is a loophole that let a man escape from his hanging by marrying a woman. Rosie picks Bowie as her husband. They get married & go back to her farm.
Back in the farm, Bowie is asked to strip himself bare before being given a bath by Rosie's helper, a black woman called Lodisha. A few days later, they start working on the farm. Bowie's part is to pull the plow. Together with an Indian called John Hawkins, the three of them work restlessly everyday. By the end of every day, they are so damn tired that they have to drag themselves back to the house, dreading the next day to come. As they work side by side, they start to grow feelings for each other.
Rosie's determination to succeed in yielding a profitable crop is fueled by her hatred towards her deceased stepfather, Frank Blevins. She wants to show that she is better than what Blevins always says about her. And she thinks of it as an act of revenge even though he is already dead. To escape the hell that is her life, she is always drinking & becomes a drunk. Every Saturday she will ride to town & spend the night in jail for shooting up the saloon. Bowie knows that underneath all that rude & manly demeanor, there is a very lovely girl waiting to be brought to light.
Her feelings for Bowie make her wanna change for the better. She starts drinking less & actually takes care of herself. One day, after they got home from a ball, they finally made love and that is when she also realizes that making love does not always equate to pain, but it can also be both enjoyable & pleasurable. She wants to do it again & wonders why Bowie doesn't seem to want to. He forces her to quit drinking or he won't touch her again. And so life resumes blissfully.
Just when she thinks her life is going to be perfect, a herd of longhorns threatens to ruin her crops ready for harvest in just a few days. Unbeknownst to her, Bowie actually harbors a secret that is enough to shatter her trust in him & her soul.
I always love Maggie's heroines. They serve as an example to show that women too can work as hard as a man & be as strong and brave. As the story progresses, Rosie changes from an unkempt drunk to a beautiful strong woman. And Bowie, oh how my heart breaks for you. He works himself ragged & always faces death in the face. He thinks that he should have died during the execution and is not worthy of life.
The other story is about Susan, a woman who is left penniless after her father in law died from a heart attack. Armed with only $40, she set out on a train west-bound with her young son. In contrast with Rosie, Susan has never known hard work & is always served by a servant. In this story, we see how she struggles to become a teacher to provide for herself & her son. She too changes for the better. From a watering pot who cries at the first sign of trouble to a woman who manages to deal with dire & devastating situations such as the death of her son. All along she is helped by a generous man who can't help but to fall in love with her.
Although I would have preferred the story to be centered on Rosie, I cannot say that I don't enjoy Susan's story. It is as equally engaging as Rosie's story. How Ms Maggie manages to be so awesome is unfathomable to me. Thumbs up ! 4.5 stars for The Wives of Bowie Stone
Rosie Mulvehey is a kind-hearted drunk who doesn't like to bath. She hides herself under baggy man shirts & is always unkempt. She is in a desperate need to obtain a profitable crop, but she lacks the manpower to tend to her land. A visit to town gave her an opportunity to get that manpower. Captain Bowie Stone is sentenced to be hung for a murder. In Passion's Crossing, there is a loophole that let a man escape from his hanging by marrying a woman. Rosie picks Bowie as her husband. They get married & go back to her farm.
Back in the farm, Bowie is asked to strip himself bare before being given a bath by Rosie's helper, a black woman called Lodisha. A few days later, they start working on the farm. Bowie's part is to pull the plow. Together with an Indian called John Hawkins, the three of them work restlessly everyday. By the end of every day, they are so damn tired that they have to drag themselves back to the house, dreading the next day to come. As they work side by side, they start to grow feelings for each other.
Rosie's determination to succeed in yielding a profitable crop is fueled by her hatred towards her deceased stepfather, Frank Blevins. She wants to show that she is better than what Blevins always says about her. And she thinks of it as an act of revenge even though he is already dead. To escape the hell that is her life, she is always drinking & becomes a drunk. Every Saturday she will ride to town & spend the night in jail for shooting up the saloon. Bowie knows that underneath all that rude & manly demeanor, there is a very lovely girl waiting to be brought to light.
Her feelings for Bowie make her wanna change for the better. She starts drinking less & actually takes care of herself. One day, after they got home from a ball, they finally made love and that is when she also realizes that making love does not always equate to pain, but it can also be both enjoyable & pleasurable. She wants to do it again & wonders why Bowie doesn't seem to want to. He forces her to quit drinking or he won't touch her again. And so life resumes blissfully.
Just when she thinks her life is going to be perfect, a herd of longhorns threatens to ruin her crops ready for harvest in just a few days. Unbeknownst to her, Bowie actually harbors a secret that is enough to shatter her trust in him & her soul.
I always love Maggie's heroines. They serve as an example to show that women too can work as hard as a man & be as strong and brave. As the story progresses, Rosie changes from an unkempt drunk to a beautiful strong woman. And Bowie, oh how my heart breaks for you. He works himself ragged & always faces death in the face. He thinks that he should have died during the execution and is not worthy of life.
The other story is about Susan, a woman who is left penniless after her father in law died from a heart attack. Armed with only $40, she set out on a train west-bound with her young son. In contrast with Rosie, Susan has never known hard work & is always served by a servant. In this story, we see how she struggles to become a teacher to provide for herself & her son. She too changes for the better. From a watering pot who cries at the first sign of trouble to a woman who manages to deal with dire & devastating situations such as the death of her son. All along she is helped by a generous man who can't help but to fall in love with her.
Although I would have preferred the story to be centered on Rosie, I cannot say that I don't enjoy Susan's story. It is as equally engaging as Rosie's story. How Ms Maggie manages to be so awesome is unfathomable to me. Thumbs up ! 4.5 stars for The Wives of Bowie Stone
April 21, 2023
This was an intriguing book. It’s really two stories in one and follows both of Bowie’s wives. Rosie’s character really got on my nerves, but I loved Bowie. I also enjoyed Susan’s story, though the loss of Nate proved absolutely heartbreaking. I didn’t understand how Susan’s character recovered so quickly. Also, I wish she had made her man work harder for her love after he had rejected her so many times!
It seemed like death was a device to justify Rosie and Bowie being able to be together, because otherwise Bowie would’ve abandoned Rosie (and unknowingly his own biological child) for Nate and Susan. I enjoyed the story, but thought that it ended rather abruptly. I wanted to see Bowie and Rosie happy in Oregon with their child. I needed an epilogue!
It seemed like death was a device to justify Rosie and Bowie being able to be together, because otherwise Bowie would’ve abandoned Rosie (and unknowingly his own biological child) for Nate and Susan. I enjoyed the story, but thought that it ended rather abruptly. I wanted to see Bowie and Rosie happy in Oregon with their child. I needed an epilogue!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2011
If I could give this book more than 5* I would. I just loved this story. Magggie Osborne writes lovable but flawed characters so well.
I loved how she wrote Rosie (h).She had a horrible past, was an alcoholic, refused to bathe, and basicly lived life as a man. What becomes obvious to the reader is that this is her way to insulate her self, to keep every one at arms length and protect her self from repeating what her stepfather had done to her.
Bowie (H), was a walking ghost, a dead man that didn't die. He feels that he didn't have the right to cheat death and that it would have been better for everyone if Rosie had let him hang. As a reader, we watch him suffer a huge amount of guilt, didn't really care if he lived or died. The only thing he cared about was helping Rosie get her first harvest in and then getting home to settle problems there.
The transformation that Rosie makes takes most of the book, as it should be. It wouldn't have been realistic for her to change in the first half of the book, she was in too much pain for it to happen so soon. Bowie's transformation was less severe but it still took most of the book.
One more thing was that there really was 4 main characters in this book. Susan (h) was the first wife of Bowies, a marrige of conv. He married her befor going to war. She was going to marry his brother until he died in a carriage accident. Susan was pregnant and instead of letting her be ruined he married and was going to raise his brothers son as his own. After they wed, Bowie went off to war and Susan lived with Bowies father. After gettin news that Bowie had been hanged, his father died and Susan was left penniless. With no other choice she answers a mail-order bride add and moved her and her son to Wyoming.
Another thing that I really liked is that Susan was another really likeable character. She wasn't written as the evil first wife keeping Bowie and Rosie from being happy. She had her own struggles and transformation to make and it was just as fun to read as was Rosie's. Gresham (H) wasn't as fun to read for me as Bowie but he was another good character. He couldn't stop himself from helping Susan even though he would say that he really didn't want anything to do with her and her son.
Lodisha and John Hawkins are great background characters that were lively and loveable. When this book ended I just wasn't ready for it to end, I wanted to keep reading about them.lol
I loved how she wrote Rosie (h).She had a horrible past, was an alcoholic, refused to bathe, and basicly lived life as a man. What becomes obvious to the reader is that this is her way to insulate her self, to keep every one at arms length and protect her self from repeating what her stepfather had done to her.
Bowie (H), was a walking ghost, a dead man that didn't die. He feels that he didn't have the right to cheat death and that it would have been better for everyone if Rosie had let him hang. As a reader, we watch him suffer a huge amount of guilt, didn't really care if he lived or died. The only thing he cared about was helping Rosie get her first harvest in and then getting home to settle problems there.
The transformation that Rosie makes takes most of the book, as it should be. It wouldn't have been realistic for her to change in the first half of the book, she was in too much pain for it to happen so soon. Bowie's transformation was less severe but it still took most of the book.
One more thing was that there really was 4 main characters in this book. Susan (h) was the first wife of Bowies, a marrige of conv. He married her befor going to war. She was going to marry his brother until he died in a carriage accident. Susan was pregnant and instead of letting her be ruined he married and was going to raise his brothers son as his own. After they wed, Bowie went off to war and Susan lived with Bowies father. After gettin news that Bowie had been hanged, his father died and Susan was left penniless. With no other choice she answers a mail-order bride add and moved her and her son to Wyoming.
Another thing that I really liked is that Susan was another really likeable character. She wasn't written as the evil first wife keeping Bowie and Rosie from being happy. She had her own struggles and transformation to make and it was just as fun to read as was Rosie's. Gresham (H) wasn't as fun to read for me as Bowie but he was another good character. He couldn't stop himself from helping Susan even though he would say that he really didn't want anything to do with her and her son.
Lodisha and John Hawkins are great background characters that were lively and loveable. When this book ended I just wasn't ready for it to end, I wanted to keep reading about them.lol
October 21, 2010
The two wives of Bowie Stone do not endear me. One was abused for 4 years, didn't lift a finger, then went self-destruct. Another kept swooning and crying for a man to help her. I do understand it's THE era, but when I read I expect the lead to be exceptional , to be different in some way either in moral character or trait. Don't see it here.
One more thing, when you're being abused and planning a revenge, do you really need four years? Does it have to be a gun to finish the job? Can't it be a knife or some other means that should have been readily available? If you asked me, I wouldn't have waited for 4 years to save and buy gun and bullets after my mother got killed and I myself being raped by the same man. But, hey..if Rosie did the same she would have been hanged before she even met Mr. Stone, and there would be no story to tell, wouldn't it?
Bowie Stone is no better. What's the excuse of him not telling Rosie the truth after her love declaration. No, make it their first love making. I don't care about many good qualities he has, he has no business stringing her along like that when he knows darn well he'd leave.
The story itself reads like a fairy soap opera. Over-the-top secondary characters. Sudden change of many hearts. One very convenient death. Big letdown after the experience of Jenny Jones.
One more thing, when you're being abused and planning a revenge, do you really need four years? Does it have to be a gun to finish the job? Can't it be a knife or some other means that should have been readily available? If you asked me, I wouldn't have waited for 4 years to save and buy gun and bullets after my mother got killed and I myself being raped by the same man. But, hey..if Rosie did the same she would have been hanged before she even met Mr. Stone, and there would be no story to tell, wouldn't it?
Bowie Stone is no better. What's the excuse of him not telling Rosie the truth after her love declaration. No, make it their first love making. I don't care about many good qualities he has, he has no business stringing her along like that when he knows darn well he'd leave.
The story itself reads like a fairy soap opera. Over-the-top secondary characters. Sudden change of many hearts. One very convenient death. Big letdown after the experience of Jenny Jones.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2020
I started off really enjoying this one but things fizzled out in the middle. It wasn’t anything specific really. It’s probably just me!
I will say Rosie was great. Maggie Osborne’s leading ladies are always strong and determined. I like that. Bowie as just okay for me. 🤷♀️
Another one for my liked it but didn’t love it shelf. 😊
August 17, 2018
Okay ,I am going to start with a really short story myself. I came across Maggie Osborne in a local library through Silver Lining and the misfortune was i hadn't renewed my card so i couldn't take the book home. I sat in the library for an hour reading the first fifty plus pages of the book, I was .... horrified... to know that i hadn't read anything or bought anything by this author before, so i went home the same day, checked amazon ,and fell in love. I read "silver lining" , then "Promise of Jenny Jones" , and yesterday when I completed another book by her, I fell hard again. This book was simply Prodigy, something I am going to tell my younger brothers and sisters whenever they ask me[ they do ].
The heroines , yup two stories , two handsome heroes and two lovely heroines, well back to the heroines, Rosie and Susan were incongruous in looks, behavior , Gait , passion , everything. The heroes both Bowie and Gerald were different, one an attorney, the other was in army. The best was the narration, how the author went from hard-ass Rosie to Timid Susan was Exemplary.
FIVE MAGNIFICENT STARS AND MORE IF I COULD GIVE!!!!
The heroines , yup two stories , two handsome heroes and two lovely heroines, well back to the heroines, Rosie and Susan were incongruous in looks, behavior , Gait , passion , everything. The heroes both Bowie and Gerald were different, one an attorney, the other was in army. The best was the narration, how the author went from hard-ass Rosie to Timid Susan was Exemplary.
FIVE MAGNIFICENT STARS AND MORE IF I COULD GIVE!!!!
February 21, 2025
This has been on my kindle for years, so I finally tried to give it a shot. The book reads like two separate novellas that are loosely connected through Bowie overlapping to make one book. I’ll call them A & B, storyline A is what is given in the blurb.
Storyline A- Takes place in Kansas 1880 and opens with Bowie Stone agreeing to marry Rosie to avoid being hanged in exchange for helping her with her farm. I eventually skipped this entire storyline as I found Rosie insufferable. She’s a very crass, dirty, alcoholic that I found so immature, and yes, she had a sad story of abuse, but this was 1880. I really doubt (unfortunately) her story was rare for the time. (Susan will also suffer an equally heartbreaking tragedy that I do feel the author got right for the time. Again, terribly sad, but I think fairly common for that time, so I believe it would’ve been handled differently.) I expected tougher stuff from Rosie, and her growth took too long for my patience, but that was a Jac thing.
Storyline B- Takes place in Washington DC 1880 and then Wyoming follows Susan and Nate Stone, Bowie’s original wife and son. Susan quickly finds herself destitute and travels west for an arranged marriage that doesn’t exactly work out.
The two storylines alternate until the end when Bowie crosses over for a bit. I believe the main idea is that Rosie needs to learn how to be softer, more vulnerable, and learn how to let Bowie in. While Susan needs to learn to be independent and learn how to survive on her own.
Bottom Line- I’m torn, I found A slow going and frustrating but enjoyed B a lot. I liked Bowie and Susan best and kind of wish it would’ve just been their book. It’s a slow burn, so you’ll need patience. I feel like it needed an epilogue, it just ends.
Storyline A- Takes place in Kansas 1880 and opens with Bowie Stone agreeing to marry Rosie to avoid being hanged in exchange for helping her with her farm. I eventually skipped this entire storyline as I found Rosie insufferable. She’s a very crass, dirty, alcoholic that I found so immature, and yes, she had a sad story of abuse, but this was 1880. I really doubt (unfortunately) her story was rare for the time. (Susan will also suffer an equally heartbreaking tragedy that I do feel the author got right for the time. Again, terribly sad, but I think fairly common for that time, so I believe it would’ve been handled differently.) I expected tougher stuff from Rosie, and her growth took too long for my patience, but that was a Jac thing.
Storyline B- Takes place in Washington DC 1880 and then Wyoming follows Susan and Nate Stone, Bowie’s original wife and son. Susan quickly finds herself destitute and travels west for an arranged marriage that doesn’t exactly work out.
The two storylines alternate until the end when Bowie crosses over for a bit. I believe the main idea is that Rosie needs to learn how to be softer, more vulnerable, and learn how to let Bowie in. While Susan needs to learn to be independent and learn how to survive on her own.
Bottom Line- I’m torn, I found A slow going and frustrating but enjoyed B a lot. I liked Bowie and Susan best and kind of wish it would’ve just been their book. It’s a slow burn, so you’ll need patience. I feel like it needed an epilogue, it just ends.
February 14, 2012
3 ½ stars. Two women with problems overcome them, change, and fall in love. Good storytelling.
STORY BRIEF:
Bowie was dishonorably discharged from the Cavalry because he refused to follow an order to kill Indian women and children. Then he shot someone in self defense, but the witnesses lied. He is going to be hanged. Kansas has a shortage of men and a strange law. A woman can save a condemned man if she agrees to marry him. Rosie inherited a farm and needs a man to help run it. She chooses Bowie who agrees to marry her and stay with her until one harvest is brought in.
Rosie’s stepfather Frank beat her mother to death and then beat and raped Rosie. He accidentally died. Rosie is full of anger and hatred toward Frank. Her only revenge is to show that she can make the farm profitable when he couldn’t. She gets drunk daily but is still able to work hard.
Bowie is married to Susan and has a child. Susan has been taken care of by maids and servants her entire life. She faints easily. She is in Washington D.C., staying with Bowie’s father who believes she tricked Bowie into marrying her. The father dies and his will forces her to leave his home within a week with only $40 in her purse. The family attorney won’t give her any money from Bowie’s estate because there is no death certificate. Susan has nowhere to go. She sees an ad by Gresham who wants an educated woman as his wife. She travels with her son Nate to Wyoming to marry him. When she arrives he won’t marry her because she lied to him. He didn’t want someone with a child, and she has no cooking, cleaning, or wood-chopping skills.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is my fourth Maggie Osborne book. The subjects/topics may not be as pretty as those in many romance novels, but I like them. In two of these books she has more than one romance happening. I think some authors (doing only one romance per novel) have a hard time filling 300 pages so they add filler and ponderings. If there is not enough story for one romance, I’d prefer Maggie’s style of two romances with no filler.
This kept my interest. I enjoyed the changes the characters went through. The relationship developments were well done. I was surprised with how things worked out with Susan, which I liked. There is some grieving and hardship, but I see that more as storytelling. It is not an overwhelming downer, but there is sadness. Don’t expect humor.
I had a problem with Bowie’s dishonesty. He marries Rosie to save his life, and he’s honest enough to tell her he will only stay one season. But he was dishonest by not telling her he was already married. I think he should have told her this before Rosie started having feelings for him. She needed a hired hand, and she would not have thrown him out just because was a bigamist. But on the other hand it was a way to have conflict for a couple who fall in love but can’t be together. I guess I’d prefer this over some of the contrivances too many other authors use, for example vague communication and inaccurate assumptions. You’ll enjoy the story more if you can accept this dishonesty bump.
DATA:
Story length: 378 pages. Swearing language: moderate, including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 3. Total number of sex scene pages: 10. Setting: 1880 Kansas and Wyoming. Copyright: 1994. Genre: western historical romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve read the following Maggie Osborne books. Dates are copyright dates.
3 ½ stars. The Wives of Bowie Stone 1994
4 stars. The Promise of Jenny Jones 1997
3 stars. A Stranger’s Wife 1999
4 stars. I Do, I Do, I Do 2000
STORY BRIEF:
Bowie was dishonorably discharged from the Cavalry because he refused to follow an order to kill Indian women and children. Then he shot someone in self defense, but the witnesses lied. He is going to be hanged. Kansas has a shortage of men and a strange law. A woman can save a condemned man if she agrees to marry him. Rosie inherited a farm and needs a man to help run it. She chooses Bowie who agrees to marry her and stay with her until one harvest is brought in.
Rosie’s stepfather Frank beat her mother to death and then beat and raped Rosie. He accidentally died. Rosie is full of anger and hatred toward Frank. Her only revenge is to show that she can make the farm profitable when he couldn’t. She gets drunk daily but is still able to work hard.
Bowie is married to Susan and has a child. Susan has been taken care of by maids and servants her entire life. She faints easily. She is in Washington D.C., staying with Bowie’s father who believes she tricked Bowie into marrying her. The father dies and his will forces her to leave his home within a week with only $40 in her purse. The family attorney won’t give her any money from Bowie’s estate because there is no death certificate. Susan has nowhere to go. She sees an ad by Gresham who wants an educated woman as his wife. She travels with her son Nate to Wyoming to marry him. When she arrives he won’t marry her because she lied to him. He didn’t want someone with a child, and she has no cooking, cleaning, or wood-chopping skills.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is my fourth Maggie Osborne book. The subjects/topics may not be as pretty as those in many romance novels, but I like them. In two of these books she has more than one romance happening. I think some authors (doing only one romance per novel) have a hard time filling 300 pages so they add filler and ponderings. If there is not enough story for one romance, I’d prefer Maggie’s style of two romances with no filler.
This kept my interest. I enjoyed the changes the characters went through. The relationship developments were well done. I was surprised with how things worked out with Susan, which I liked. There is some grieving and hardship, but I see that more as storytelling. It is not an overwhelming downer, but there is sadness. Don’t expect humor.
I had a problem with Bowie’s dishonesty. He marries Rosie to save his life, and he’s honest enough to tell her he will only stay one season. But he was dishonest by not telling her he was already married. I think he should have told her this before Rosie started having feelings for him. She needed a hired hand, and she would not have thrown him out just because was a bigamist. But on the other hand it was a way to have conflict for a couple who fall in love but can’t be together. I guess I’d prefer this over some of the contrivances too many other authors use, for example vague communication and inaccurate assumptions. You’ll enjoy the story more if you can accept this dishonesty bump.
DATA:
Story length: 378 pages. Swearing language: moderate, including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 3. Total number of sex scene pages: 10. Setting: 1880 Kansas and Wyoming. Copyright: 1994. Genre: western historical romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve read the following Maggie Osborne books. Dates are copyright dates.
3 ½ stars. The Wives of Bowie Stone 1994
4 stars. The Promise of Jenny Jones 1997
3 stars. A Stranger’s Wife 1999
4 stars. I Do, I Do, I Do 2000
October 21, 2017
I have liked the other books by this author but I can't like The Wives of Bowie Stone. At first I really liked our Hero. His problems were mostly because he acted with honor. But then he went and behaved in a way that ruined it all for me.
Some spoilers below:
I could handle the H marrying to save his own life and agreeing to help the h. But when they slept together and he didn't come clean, I was so turned off I skipped the rest of the book and only read the end. He was married and had no business involving her heart let alone taking a chance of a pregnancy if he was just going to leave. Remember the honor I admired in the H? Well not anymore. Now he's just a jerk in my eyes. Couldn't read anymore of his lies.
If you want a great Maggie Osbourne book read The promise of Jenny Jones.
Some spoilers below:
I could handle the H marrying to save his own life and agreeing to help the h. But when they slept together and he didn't come clean, I was so turned off I skipped the rest of the book and only read the end. He was married and had no business involving her heart let alone taking a chance of a pregnancy if he was just going to leave. Remember the honor I admired in the H? Well not anymore. Now he's just a jerk in my eyes. Couldn't read anymore of his lies.
If you want a great Maggie Osbourne book read The promise of Jenny Jones.
November 4, 2011
Maggie Osborne is an amazing writer and writes some of the best western historical romances I've ever read. While this was no exception, there were elements that I found hard to read about. Most particularly, the subject of abuse and alcoholism. I felt she handled it well. The story had a serious tone to it and had several heart-wrenching moments but also had enough of a lighter tone to it that it didn't totally depress me.
March 21, 2019
3,5 stars
Enjoyable read but didn't LOVE it.
Twist
Child abuse, another triggers
Enjoyable read but didn't LOVE it.
Twist
Child abuse, another triggers
September 16, 2024
An underrated GEM!!!
Amazing, compelling, unforgettable! Love Maggie Osbornes' spitfire heroines and the Heroes who adore them. Page turning stories that go right on the keeper shelf.
This one gets you right in the heart. A must read, outstanding 🇺🇸 HR
Amazing, compelling, unforgettable! Love Maggie Osbornes' spitfire heroines and the Heroes who adore them. Page turning stories that go right on the keeper shelf.
This one gets you right in the heart. A must read, outstanding 🇺🇸 HR
June 9, 2010
After reading The Promise of Jenny Jones, I thought NOTHING could top it. I stand corrected....The Wives of Bowie Stone is even better!
This book is not for the faint at heart because it tackles tough issues. Rosie, the heroine, is an alcoholic who was sexually abused by her step father. Her character broke my heart. The after- affects of her abuse have left her damaged beyond repair...until Bowie Stone comes into her life.
I love redemption/transformation stories...and this is defintely one of those. As the title conveys, there are two Mrs. Bowie Stone's, but please don't let this deter you. There are two separate story lines happening in this book. Maggie Osborne skillfully and brilliantly tells each of the stories and then weaves them seamlessly together to create what I believe is a "perfect ending".
The Wives of Bowie Stone is an unbelievable love story. One that touches the heart and proves that love has the power to transcend even the harshest of circumstances. I can not recommend this book highly enough.
This book is not for the faint at heart because it tackles tough issues. Rosie, the heroine, is an alcoholic who was sexually abused by her step father. Her character broke my heart. The after- affects of her abuse have left her damaged beyond repair...until Bowie Stone comes into her life.
I love redemption/transformation stories...and this is defintely one of those. As the title conveys, there are two Mrs. Bowie Stone's, but please don't let this deter you. There are two separate story lines happening in this book. Maggie Osborne skillfully and brilliantly tells each of the stories and then weaves them seamlessly together to create what I believe is a "perfect ending".
The Wives of Bowie Stone is an unbelievable love story. One that touches the heart and proves that love has the power to transcend even the harshest of circumstances. I can not recommend this book highly enough.
April 22, 2011
I really like Maggie Osborne's westerns. She does a great job of creating the dirty, challenging, world of the early west. I love the way she draws her characters;women, men, Indians, miners, farmers, shopkeepers. Both of her westerns that I've read have featured people on a journey of self destruction taking a permanent detour to redemption and finding happiness in the process. It was well worth the trouble of finding this book through our inter library loan system.
People who like Cheryl St. John would probably also like Maggie Osborne.
People who like Cheryl St. John would probably also like Maggie Osborne.
October 21, 2014
Loved loved loved this story. I need to read it again!
July 31, 2021
You want a good read? Pick Osborne, she never disappoints. This is my fourth book by the author and I loved them all. Saving her books to read on a fine rainy afternoon. That explains it all.
May 14, 2019
A harsh story set in the wild west, about a disillusioned man who doesn't think he has much of a reason to live, a woman who is unable to move on from her past trauma and is hell bent on self-destructing in an effort to get an impossible revenge, and a limp noodle of a woman who is forced to get a backbone and take charge of her life.
Rosie, , saves Bowie from hanging when she agrees to marry him, intending to use him as a worker in order to get a good harvest from her farm.
Bowie's life had taken a number of wrong turns before leading him to the noose, . He has made his peace with dying, but accepts the marriage that would save his life, despite .
Susan, the third point of view in the book, is .
They each cause big ripples in each other's lives, with Rosie and Bowie helping each other heal and find love, while Susan's circumstances lead her to her own adventure, where she finally learns how to stand on her own two feet, before she finds her own happily ever after.
The book isn't bad but I think it was a bit too dark for my current mood and too light on romance and warm and fuzzies. I think I'll take a long break before reading any more of the author's books.
Rosie, , saves Bowie from hanging when she agrees to marry him, intending to use him as a worker in order to get a good harvest from her farm.
Bowie's life had taken a number of wrong turns before leading him to the noose, . He has made his peace with dying, but accepts the marriage that would save his life, despite .
Susan, the third point of view in the book, is .
They each cause big ripples in each other's lives, with Rosie and Bowie helping each other heal and find love, while Susan's circumstances lead her to her own adventure, where she finally learns how to stand on her own two feet, before she finds her own happily ever after.
The book isn't bad but I think it was a bit too dark for my current mood and too light on romance and warm and fuzzies. I think I'll take a long break before reading any more of the author's books.
August 28, 2015
Western Romance Not nearly as good
I still enjoy Ms. Osborne's writing style, but the dual storyline in this one brings the momentum to a screeching halt.
First we have Rosie, a drunk. About the time her story begins to get interesting, we switch to Susan, an useless woman who can't make a single decision for herself. Then, about the time Susan's story gets interesting, we switch back.
Unfortunately, the switch-up's occur before either heroine becomes likeable, so by the time I came back to their respective stories, I never connected with either one. This book never did engage my emotions.
Bowie as a hero is okay, although fairly tepid, Susan's "hero" isn't hero material at all. And I was really disappointed to find no humor in this novel, the other books I've read by Ms. Osborne really shine with laughter.
But the thing that bothers me most about this story is the plot, both couple's happy endings are dependent upon
The novel is not clean, there are a couple of bad words and the Lord's name taken in vain a few times. There are one or two intimate scenes, easily skipped, but the novel itself is about as far from sensual as you can get in a romance novel. If I was assigning a heat index, it would be abysmal.
If you are new to Ms. Osborne, instead of this one, I recommend The Promise of Jenny Jones by Ms. Osborne, it's the best of the best.
I still enjoy Ms. Osborne's writing style, but the dual storyline in this one brings the momentum to a screeching halt.
First we have Rosie, a drunk. About the time her story begins to get interesting, we switch to Susan, an useless woman who can't make a single decision for herself. Then, about the time Susan's story gets interesting, we switch back.
Unfortunately, the switch-up's occur before either heroine becomes likeable, so by the time I came back to their respective stories, I never connected with either one. This book never did engage my emotions.
Bowie as a hero is okay, although fairly tepid, Susan's "hero" isn't hero material at all. And I was really disappointed to find no humor in this novel, the other books I've read by Ms. Osborne really shine with laughter.
But the thing that bothers me most about this story is the plot, both couple's happy endings are dependent upon
The novel is not clean, there are a couple of bad words and the Lord's name taken in vain a few times. There are one or two intimate scenes, easily skipped, but the novel itself is about as far from sensual as you can get in a romance novel. If I was assigning a heat index, it would be abysmal.
If you are new to Ms. Osborne, instead of this one, I recommend The Promise of Jenny Jones by Ms. Osborne, it's the best of the best.
February 15, 2024
A powerful … can’t put the book down story!
🔸🌾 The Wives of Bowie Stone by Maggie Osborne (1994), is set in 1880s rural Kansas where according to the law, a man can be saved from the hangman’s noose if a woman picks him to marry her. Rosie chooses Bowie Stone, a former US calvary officer to help with her farm .., he soon discovers she’s an alcoholic.
✔️ Heroine who wear pants.
✔️ Heroine was horrifically abused by another man.
✔️ Heroine is stunningly beautiful tho at the beginning no one knows it.
✔️ Ten year age difference between the MCs.
✔️ Hero was physically attracted first to the heroine, then the heroine falls in love and declares her love first. Steamy sex scenes before marriage.
✔️ Heroine constantly cusses and swears which the hero wants stopped.
The Bowie Stone book really reminds me of LaVyrle Spencer’s writing.., vivid character development and a very emotional story. A gem!!
🔸🌾 The Wives of Bowie Stone by Maggie Osborne (1994), is set in 1880s rural Kansas where according to the law, a man can be saved from the hangman’s noose if a woman picks him to marry her. Rosie chooses Bowie Stone, a former US calvary officer to help with her farm .., he soon discovers she’s an alcoholic.
✔️ Heroine who wear pants.
✔️ Heroine was horrifically abused by another man.
✔️ Heroine is stunningly beautiful tho at the beginning no one knows it.
✔️ Ten year age difference between the MCs.
✔️ Hero was physically attracted first to the heroine, then the heroine falls in love and declares her love first. Steamy sex scenes before marriage.
✔️ Heroine constantly cusses and swears which the hero wants stopped.
The Bowie Stone book really reminds me of LaVyrle Spencer’s writing.., vivid character development and a very emotional story. A gem!!
April 9, 2012
An all around good book.
One thing in particular I found very brave when it came to the things the author wrote:
It was a good turning point and solid reason for Bowie and Susan to not have a future. It was written and executed well, especially considering the fact that he was loved by Susan’s new love interest. He was not a bothersome or unwanted character that you could just dispose off. It had to, and was, written very carefully and realistically. This, in addition to all the other realistic themes that went trough the novel, made it a worthwhile read.
One thing in particular I found very brave when it came to the things the author wrote:
It was a good turning point and solid reason for Bowie and Susan to not have a future. It was written and executed well, especially considering the fact that he was loved by Susan’s new love interest. He was not a bothersome or unwanted character that you could just dispose off. It had to, and was, written very carefully and realistically. This, in addition to all the other realistic themes that went trough the novel, made it a worthwhile read.
July 27, 2016
Bittersweet. Powerful.
I wish I could have killed the man for half (all?) the story. I loved Rosie and hated the wife, then I tumbled back and my feelings with me.
I wish I could have killed the man for half (all?) the story. I loved Rosie and hated the wife, then I tumbled back and my feelings with me.
July 31, 2022
I feel like I've read this book before because as I read the book I remembered parts of it. Ah well - it was still a strong, compelling read. One that I was not exactly expecting.
The author places her romance in the American West - so the tropes of frontier life about here (including an ignoring of all the problematic issues with the treatment of Indigenous peoples - ah well).
Ms. Osborne has a penchant for strong, independent heroines who have issues that they are dealing with. This book has the same with Rosie - who actually has gone through a lot of dark things in her life and struggles with alcohol throughout the book. Please check out trigger warning because I was kind of surprised at how dark this book gets.
Overall, I found this book very compelling - I enjoyed the romance and really was rooting for both Rosie and Bowie. It made me tear up so it was a little sadder than I was hoping for. Still I will be checking more from this author out in the future.
The author places her romance in the American West - so the tropes of frontier life about here (including an ignoring of all the problematic issues with the treatment of Indigenous peoples - ah well).
Ms. Osborne has a penchant for strong, independent heroines who have issues that they are dealing with. This book has the same with Rosie - who actually has gone through a lot of dark things in her life and struggles with alcohol throughout the book. Please check out trigger warning because I was kind of surprised at how dark this book gets.
Overall, I found this book very compelling - I enjoyed the romance and really was rooting for both Rosie and Bowie. It made me tear up so it was a little sadder than I was hoping for. Still I will be checking more from this author out in the future.
November 10, 2019
This is my second Maggie Osborne, and just like the first one, there was nothing wrong with the writing or the plot in general, but it just didn't do much for me. I'm thinking maybe I just don't connect with this author.
May 15, 2021
SO SO SO CLOSE TO A 5 STARER BUT THE ENDING WAS MEH
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