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 … 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…
Romano’s story sizzles with the tension of lovers—one struggling to blend Apache ways and white, the other torn between East and West—searching for a way to join two lives going in opposite directions.
— Ruth Hull Chatlien, Blood Moon, and The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte
The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley, a superbly crafted romantic page-turner, is a deftly spun tale of ill-starred sweethearts in the American West. Darby, a charming farm girl, and Cayo, Apache raised, a secretive man with a disturbing past. Sparks ignite, burning intensely despite cruel circumstances to separate them—an expertly woven story with witty dialogue, fast-paced plot, and stunning, enchanting prose!
— Michelle Cox, award-winning author of the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series.
more
Wonderful Historical Fiction and Delicious Western Cowboy Romance
“The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley” by Nina Romano is a delightful read, and I finished Romano’s novel over a two-day period. Her writing grabbed me by the lapels, and I kept wanting to read more. I felt completely immersed in the story, the adventure, the romance, the historical time period, and the geography.
“The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley” is a wonderfully well-written western cowboy romance full of adventure and surprise. The novel is textured and layered with excellent dialogue, delicious scenery, and a marvelous cast of characters. Romano’s novel is poetic in its descriptive quality and epitomizes an excellent historical western novel in dialogue, action, adventure and narrative. Her writing allows one to really sense both the geographical and historical landscape of the book. The author has done extensive research of the historical time period, and Romano’s knowledge makes this a great piece of historical fiction.
The story centers around Darby and Cayo, and the novel follows the main characters from glimpses of youth thru adulthood. In many ways, Romano’s novel is a coming of age story. The love between the two main characters is about two people struggling with loss, independence, and free-will, as well as both of the main characters reconciling with the outcomes of promises made in their youth.
There is both subtle and detailed character development and a wonderful supporting cast that emphasize both Cayo and Darby’s growth as individuals. “The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley” also discusses, albeit indirectly, gender, discrimination, class distinction, and racial issues in a historical context. The reader comes to know the main characters not just through their passionate love for each other, but also through their interaction with the supporting characters.
I highly recommend Ms. Romano’s newest novel to all that love great writing, historical fiction, and tales of the pioneering West during the mid to later 1800’s. People who love a great romance story will also love “The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley”. Ms. Romano couldn’t have chosen a better book cover as the image immediately drew me to classic western movies like “True Grit” as well as the more recent remake of that movie. This historical novel is a great read!
A deftly spun tale of ill-starred sweethearts in the American West. A romantic page-turner that you won’t want to put down!
This is a beautifully written love story.
Life gets in the way and prevents Cayo and Darby being together. Many unexpected twists and turns throughout their journey.
Cayo’s background is very interesting, and he is pulled between two worlds. I particularly enjoyed the culture, struggles, and traditions of the Apache that the writer included in the story.
It flowed beautifully, had interesting characters and was a pleasure to read.
I hope there is a sequel to follow.
The story is a romance in the hard times of the West in 1874. Darby McPhee has a tough life. She has promised her mother to get educated and move on, in her life.
Cayo Bradley was kidnapped as a child and brought up in an Apache tribe.
Cayo is not accepted by the society of his times and that is when he meets Darby. The two fall in love and the story records of whether they get together despite all odds.
The characters and the times were all portrayed very well and the narration was excellent. Enjoyed it.
Put aside any stereotypes you may harbor about what constitutes a “Western romance.” This is a lush, complex, historically compelling tale, managing to be both spare and sensual in its setting and emotions. The violence is disturbing but authentic to the period and never gratuitous, the sex voluptuous, tinglingly illicit, and multi-dimensional. The juxtaposition of cultural norms among the Native Americans tribes, the white American frontier, and white Midwest urban society is something we can never know enough about, and the author’s depth of research is front and center.
The pace picks up in the second half of the book, as Darby transitions from teen to woman, using her two years in St. Louis, away from Cayo and New Mexico, to gain not only an education but to sort out her feelings about where she belongs, what she wants for herself, what societal norms she can or cannot accept. Cayo is a deeply complicated character, kidnapped as a child and raised by Apaches, now attempting to return to white society as an adult. His demons are real and seemingly insurmountable, born of a horrendous decision that to anyone would be the very definition of unthinkable, sort of an Old West version of Sophie’s Choice. As is so often the case in real life, the “why” of Darby and Cayo’s love never comes into sharp focus. And that’s not necessary for us to root for good things to emerge from their obstacle course whose end we can’t see until the final page. Semifinalist for Chanticleer International’s Laramie Award.
Let me start by saying I never read westerns or romance. Except for the occasional Elmore Leonard, I read almost exclusively literary fiction or YA/Middle Grade. This one took me far outside my normal reading zone and wow, I’m glad I went. This is classified as Western Historical Romance. That is because people need categories. This novel is what I would call JUST AMAZING. The breathtaking sweeping scope of this novel puts me in awe. There is a big difference between wanting to love a book and then loving it. From the moment I learned that Cayo is named after the Trickster I was fully engrossed. This novel has the best of all things to me. The landscape of New Mexico is almost a separate character. I really saw myself in both Cayo and Darby. Raised in a family of Cherokee I very much related to Cayo in that sense but I also related to Darby in the sense that she is deeply driven and willful and coincidentally I lived in St Louis And the language, the incredible language and detail and description that never descends into overly long passages but is perfect and precise and moves the narrative forward. This book is simply perfect. Impossible to put down, exceedingly well written, dynamic and it kept me guessing. From the opening chapters I could not have predicted the outcome. I never give spoilers so I will keep that tradition going but I will tell you this is an amazing read and if you’re criteria is simply “a great novel” then you’ve found it right here. SO glad I found this gem.
I am in love with this author’s work and have started the Secret Language of Women and read two complete books of her poetry which I highly recommend as well. The Author’s grasp of language and imagery is inspiring and magnificent.
Nina Romano’s historical novel, The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley, takes place in the rugged ranchlands of New Mexico in the mid-1800s. Ever since her mother died, Darby McPhee, 16, has taken care of her father and four brothers. She dreams of doing what her mother wanted for her, to become educated. She has an invitation from her aunt, her mother’s sister, who will pay Darby’s way to St. Louis, Missouri, to live with her and get an education. It’s a dream come true.
Darby has been attracted to shy Cayo Bradley, a cowboy who works on a neighboring ranch. Cayo never says much to her, but his attraction is obvious and Darby yearns to hear the words she knows he wants to say.
Cayo’s real name is Connor Bradley. He was abducted as a child and raised by the Jicarilla Apache Tribe. The story covers his years with the Apaches, how he becomes one of them, learning their ways, using the name they give him, Coyote. He eventually leaves the tribe and finds work as a cowhand on a ranch.
As Darby and Cayo become acquainted, they fall in love. Still, Darby feels compelled to get the education she’s always wanted. Their parting is heart-wrenching, but both feel it’s temporary. In just a few years they can be together forever.
Darby loves school and does well, cramming as much education as she can into her busy schedule, yet always dreaming of returning to Cayo. Cayo, on the other hand, is having a tough time of it. He misses Darby; she’s in his every thought. He’s desperate to be with her. Then uncontrollable circumstances threaten to shatter their dreams.
By using flashbacks to Cayo’s previous life and alternating between the two main characters, the author delivers a fast-paced, heart-rending story with compelling and believable characters. I heartily recommend The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley, a story that kept me captivated to the end.
I love this story so much! It was a book I savored. I read it slowly as it would completely sweep me into another time, another place. I was right there with Cayo and Darby. It wasn’t always a pretty story. Life is as hard as it sweet. Life in the Old West was, often, brutal. The author does not shy away from this. She faced it, along with the prejudices and beliefs, (which sadly we are still working on), bringing a truth to the story. The author was very descriptive making it easy to imagine the scenes as I was reading. I love her writing style. I believe she must love words as much as I do. I know that might not make sense to some. As readers, don’t we all love them? Yes and no. We love the words that tell us the story. I love words that are not commonly used anymore. As a young girl I was heavily influenced by a red haired girl named Anne with an E who loved words. I sometimes use words that my friends look up. It’s a joke with us that is funny because it’s true. In this book I found some of those words, (yes I did show them to some of my friends, haha). This story was a linguistic feast for my soul.
Cayo has a tragic yet rich and interesting life. Darby had a struggle with hers. I really loved her strength in being true to herself. The story of Cayo’s life is woven into Darby and Cayo’s present. The story does swing a bit back and forth but I had no problem with it. To me, this book was not really a romance, yet it was. It was more about life, the choices we make, the ones made for us, and being true to our hearts. I loved this quote from the book that I feel really sums it up:
“Choices. Each one of them that a person made had consequences.”
I believe the author must have spent a lot of time researching Native Americans and white settlers to be able to tell some truths about them. It does bring to question who the “savages” were. Bad people are found in every races as are good people. Most often, though, people are a mix of bad and good. It can depend on so many factors making it difficult to decide if someone is bad or good. I spent a lot of time, while reading, thinking about what I read, thinking about the people and their choices. I love when a book does this.
I would, and have, recommended this book to friends who read historical romance. If you enjoy the Old West, I would tell you to get this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
I usually read action-adventure or mystery novels. And although this book falls outside of my favorite genres, I took a chance because I’d heard a lot of good things about the author, Nina Romano. I was not disappointed.
From the first word to the last, I was completely lost within the pages of this story. This is more than just a Western-Romance. Yes, there is a love story at the core of this book, but the way the storyline is weaved between the harshness of life in the old west and the rich history of the Native American culture, we are offered up a truly fascinating reading experience.
Darby McPhee is a young girl, quickly approaching her sixteenth birthday, who has her hands full taking care of her widowed father and her four brothers. They take care of farming the ranch and she takes care of everything else. But she is determined to better herself. While keeping a promise to her late mother, she plans a move to St. Louis where her Aunt lives, so she can pursue an education… but she is also a young woman in love.
Cayo Bradley is a young man who, through a series of unfortunate events, was captured as a boy and raised by a tribe of the Jicarilla Apache of New Mexico. Now living on his own, he takes a job as a hired hand on the Pederson Ranch in Parcel Bluffs, New Mexico. And it is there in Parcel Bluffs where he crosses paths with the lovely, young Darby McPhee.
Through a blending of flashbacks and alternating POVs, Romano treats us to a powerful look at the struggles Darby and Cayo endure as they profess their love and commitment to beat the odds and build a life together. As in any love story, it’s never easy. And there are plenty of obstacles that get in the way. No spoilers here. This is a novel that must be experienced and savored by the reader.
I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this remarkable story. The author has given us a vibrant cast of characters that draw you in and make you care about their lives. And it is the balance between these intense characterizations, a vivid 19th century southwestern backdrop, and an expertly crafted plot, that truly showcases the writing talent of Nina Romano. I highly recommend this book to anyone who simply appreciates great storytelling or loves a good fictional romance combined with a touch of historical reality.
Nina Romano’s The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley is a wonderful western romance centered on a headstrong girl who falls in love with a cowhand raised by Apaches.
Besides the intriguing storyline, what adds to the pleasure and makes this novel special are Romano’s attention to detail and the expansive, lyrical language she uses to bring the late 1800’s New Mexico landscape to life.
Another bonus is Romano’s ability to pepper her story with interesting characters such as the diabolical Hanna Pederson, the controlling Aunt Bea, and the wise elder tribesman, Mbai’.
The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley is a smart mix of emotional and physical challenges that threaten the happiness of its central characters. It is a page-turner that leaves you hankering for more.
A fan of Nina Romano’s wonderful historical fiction and poetry works might come to her western romance with some trepidation. Never fear! The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley features Romano’s skillful research and evocative language to bring alive 1870s New Mexico. A particular pleasure is the way Romano seamlessly brings a modern sensibility around psychological, gender and racial issues to the traditional elements of this genre. There are no smooth edges to this deep and passionate love story, and that’s just the way the reader likes it!
Curl up and be transported to the old West of the 1870s with Nina Romano’s latest novel, The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley.
Darby McPhee and Cayo Bradley, whose worlds collide, are unlikely lovers, making their story stirring and passionate. Since her mother died, Darby’s life consists of caring for her father and older brothers and working at an unfulfilling job at the general store.
Darby falls in love with Cayo, a brash but honorable local ranch hand. As a child Cayo was captured by Jicarilla Apache warriors, but lovingly raised as one of their own. Still haunted by an act of violence, Cayo has returned to the white man’s world, but is seen as an outcast. Cayo believes Darby, who has stolen his heart, is his second chance at life. For Darby, Cayo is unlike anyone she has met before. He opens up worlds she never knew existed, as she falls deeper and deeper in love with him.
The story moves back and forth in time and Ms. Romano’s relatable and multi-dimensional characters are brought to life, making this reader want to spend more time with them, learning about their hopes, fears and dreams.
As in her Wayfarer Trilogy, Ms. Romano’s attention to historical details provides such a strong sense of time and place and opens a window into new and exotic worlds and traditions.
Ultimately, The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley is beautifully and meticulously written. I highly recommend this compelling and memorable novel with universal themes of overcoming obstacles, love, loss and redemption, which will keep you wishing for more.
I have never been a fan of Western literature but this novel is so much more.
It is historical fiction as well as an incredibly touching love story.
Romano’s stories are so visual — I can picture the scene as well as the characters.
Her writing is both bold and beautiful. Romano has obviously done a tremendous amount of research on the Jicarilla Apache Indians which lends to a richness of the story.
I loved this book and highly recommend it.
This is a love story on one level, but so much more on many other levels; history, social mores, choices, and how those choices affect lives, often in the most unexpected ways. It was a most enjoyable read.
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.
I love historical westerns. I think it goes back to sitting with my Grandfather watching his old cowboy shows when I was young. So when author Nina Romano mentioned she had a western historical romance book coming out, I was absolutely thrilled! I am a huge fan of Ms. Romano’s work, she’s an author who puts her heart and soul into her writing. Her stories are always extremely well researched, rich with emotion, romance, and exquisite writing.
Connor “Cayo” Bradley is a young man who’s experienced a tremendous amount of pain, heartbreak, and tragedy in his very short life. Connor was only 10 years old when he was captured during a raid on his family home by the Jicarilla tribe. He lived with the tribe as “Coyote” until he returned to his people as a young man. A man of two worlds who struggles to fit in, and then he meets Darby the love of his life.
Darby McPhee is just turning sixteen. She has been taking care of her father, four brothers and the household for the last four years, ever since her mother died. She longs for something more, an education and a certain cowboy… But when dreams of Cayo become a reality, she’s torn on what path to take.
First I have to say, Darby was not the only one who fell in love with Cayo Bradley! His story was heartbreaking and to see all that he endured made my heart ache for him. He was a good person, who was forced into a nightmare of a situation at a very young age. As for Darby, she was a sweet young girl who was forced to grow up way too soon! I liked her, she was a hard-working girl who just wanted to better herself but struggles with leaving the man she loves.
Set in 1874 in New Mexico, this story was fantastic, truly captivating from beginning to end. Nina Romano’s writing is as always wonderful, flawless and detailed. You never just read her books, you feel them, you become drawn into them. Cayo and Darby were characters I quickly became invested in and wanted to see them get their HEA. The book is filled with fabulous secondary characters, lush and detailed descriptions of the time and places, it’s a book I struggled to put down. I would love to catch up with this couple again at a later date. Definitely a book I will be pulling out again to reread! Highly recommend the book and author!
There are some stories that grab you from the first sentence, and there are others that build tension and depth slowly. “The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley” manages to do both as it shuttles back and forth between young Darby McPhee and renegade Connor Bradley.
Darby is a young woman in a household of men; she dreams of a life away from the family ranch, where she can study to be a schoolteacher, as her late-mother wanted her to do. She also dreams about Cayo Bradley, the enigmatic cowboy who has stolen her heart. She hatches a plan to fulfill the first agenda item, but then realizes that will foreclose on her heart’s true desire of becoming Cayo’s girl, forever and always.
This engaging, beautifully written story of the hardscrabble life in middle America during the mid-1800s toggles back and forth between these two passionate souls, one young and innocent and anxious to begin her adult life, the other an old soul in a young man’s body, consumed by guilt and grief, hardened by life’s cruelest wrongs, but still fundamentally sound and good. It grabbed me from the start and didn’t let go, tempting me and worrying me in equal measure as these characters came to life in my mind’s eye. An absolute delight—a book that will stay in my heart forever!
Romano’s story sizzles with the tension of lovers—one struggling to blend Apache ways and white, the other torn between East and West—searching for a way to join two lives going in opposite directions.
Another stellar book by Nina Romano!
She’s done It again! It’s no wonder she’s now one of my favorite authors! I can’t imagine ANYONE that wouldn’t thoroughly enjoy her books!
Her writing style is so poetic and offers images to your mind’s eye that you won’t soon forget! Here are three instances in this book that spoke volumes to me…
“There was a harvest moon above. Its reflection seemed as bright as the lighted fires below, which gave the jealous sphere pause to stop its glow momentarily, hiding behind some clouds.”
AND…
“On the ride back, with the departing light of evening, she knew there’d soon be a smattering of stars, but the sky was sullen, only boasting a shadow of a moon, a moon bereft with clouds– how she felt every time she left Cayo.”
AND…
“His cheek was wet with tears she never dreamed he possessed. ”
How awesome was THAT? All of her books I’ve read so far are filled with lyricism similar to those few I quoted! Simply marvelous!
You will love her books!
A ballad of love, life and destiny in the West…
There aren’t many romantic masterpieces out there or stories where two souls are truly meant to be but this book is both and so much more. Nina Romano delivers an epic story of love and life while conveying a rich history of the American West. It’s both poetic and sometimes poignant while even being brutal in parts, of course the old world was back then and you cannot fault the factual elements that are intertwined with the fiction.
‘Darby McPhee’ is introduced to readers as an ambitious and even plucky young woman who aspires to find and education and be someone more than she is. Her roots consist of waiting hand and foot for her brothers and Father; it’s a life she would prefer to leave behind. Her conflict arises in the form of mysterious man known as ‘Cayo Bradley’ whom she is madly in love with. Their romance arrives while plans look to split them apart, one of them is a runner and the other is a lover, they seemingly spend the story going round and round in what is a journey.
‘”Forever” is a dream word. An Illusion. It really doesn’t exist’
On that journey we learn of ‘Cayo’s’ extensive backstory. As a boy he was unwillingly taken in by a Native American tribe and saw some truly brutal sights. He lived a whole life before ‘Darby’ ever arrived. As much as he isn’t a true born Native, they become his family and life force throughout even though Cayo never forgot his roots. On the other side of the world seemingly Darby is mixing with those of high society while achieving an education. Of course she meets various affluent suitors but in this case, her love and destiny is that mystery journeyed man ‘Cayo’.
‘He’s a ghost of my past in my ever present’
No matter what happens some things are meant to be and that’s what I took away after reading this book. The writing style is both immersive and inviting. It’s adventure, tragedy, history and love all in one tale.