THE GIRL WHO LOVED CAYO BRADLEY
By Nina Romano
Reviewed by S. S. Bazinet

Description:
When Darby McPhee falls in love with Cayo Bradley, a wild cowboy from a nearby ranch, her world is ripped apart. Caught in a lifeless existence of caring for her father and brothers since her mother’s death, Darby does little else but work. But a death-bed promise to her mother to get her education now stands in the way of her heart’s desire to belong to the rough-and-tumble Cayo Bradley.

Darby is Cayo’s redemption from a horrific act in his past that torments him. After being captured as a young boy by the Jicarilla Apache, he now tries to settle back into white society—but how can he? If he loses Darby, he loses everything.

Darby is determined to keep her promise to her mother, but will Cayo wait for her? In this stunning tale of love and loss, Darby comes to understand that no matter what happens, she will always be THE GIRL WHO LOVED CAYO BRADLEY…

Review: A poignant story of love and how it can test the spirit of those who try to hold on to it!

This story begins in the summer of 1874 in ranching country located in New Mexico. Darby McPhee lives on a ranch with her widowed father and her four brothers. She’s only turning sixteen, but with her mother gone, she takes care of her brothers and father, and she does the job very well. In other words, she’s one of those strong, determined women whom we think of when we imagine the pioneer women who helped settle the west.

When Darby hears a train whistle in the distance, she associates it with independence and a promise she made to her mother before her mother died. Darby was to leave the ranch and pursue an education. Her mother’s sister, who lives in St. Louis, gives Darby a way to fulfill her promise. Darby is supposed to join her aunt and enroll in classes so that she can become a school teacher. There’s just one problem. Darby has fallen in love with a ranch hand named Cayo Bradley, and Cayo is in love with Darby.

Cayo Bradley is ten years older than Darby, and he’s experienced a lot in his twenty-six years. His background is a tragic one. As a boy, he was captured by the Jicarilla tribe. He’s scarred by not only his capture, but by a personal experience that leaves him forever carrying around a burden of guilt. Living with the tribe until he reaches adulthood, he learns their ways and respects their beliefs. However, when he returns to white society, he’s caught between two cultures. In flashbacks throughout the book, Ms. Romano does an excellent job of demonstrating how differently each culture approaches the affairs of life.

Darby decides to go to St. Louis for an education when Cayo, who feels himself to be an outcast, puts off asking for her hand in marriage. Ms. Romano beautifully portrays their intense desire for each other and their deep love. She also does a superb job of demonstrating the impediments to that love as time goes on and both Darby and Cayo are challenged by outside forces. We’re left wondering if their love can sustain all that life throws at it, and we’re anxiously turning pages, hoping that love will win out in the end.

This is a five star, well-researched portrait of western life in the late 1800s as well as a poignant story of love and how it can test the spirit of those who try to hold on to it.

Nina Romano’s website
Her author page on Amazon
Nina Romano on Facebook

My interview with Nina!