Nobody's darling

A romantic romp in the best sense

From the first page, NOBODY'S DARLING is laugh-out-loud funny, warm-hearted, and full of adventure. Madeiros' voice is amazingly crisp and easy to read. Writers frequently will find themselves thinking "gee, I wish I'd written that," yet the refreshing turns of phrase, wit, and subtle employment of literary devices never get in the way of the story. From hero and heroine to every minor player, the characters fairly spring off the page. All are complex and enchanting in their own way. The hero and heroine are the kind of folks who stand out in a crowd without ever seeming to be too good to be true or too stupid to live. The Darling gang is a delightfully inept bunch with a volatile edge. One wonders how they ever managed to survive -- much less create a dangerous reputation for themselves -- since they all seem more like overgrown wayward boys than outlaws. The lawmen are rife with their own moral ambiguities, and the wealthy are as bereft in their own way as the downtrodden. The "working girls" are just slutty enough to be fun, but not so slutty as to be sleazy. Even the dogs, cats, horses, and mules have their foibles and blessings. Despite all the complexities of character, everyone's various parts seem to fit him or her, never leaving readers wondering "why did he/she do that?" It's worth noting that for all her admirable skill, Madeiros indulges -- gleefully, almost -- in a couple of authorly "sins" about which contemporary fiction writers are warned ad nauseam. Point of view slides all over the place with reckless abandon. Adverbs barge in without even bothering to knock. Historical accuracy evidently felt the need of frequent coffee breaks. It's a testament to Madeiros' storytelling ability that none of those things do more than whisper in the back of a reader's mind before retreating in the face of the pure joy of immersion in the tale. NOBODY'S DARLING is highly entertaining. To descend into moribund cliche: Readers will laugh, they'll cry, they'll wish t...