I didn’t realize when I requested this book that it was a rewrite. I enjoyed reading it again. I have always enjoyed this author’s books. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Love Diana Palmer, her books get me mad, happy and can make me cry. You actually get two love stories in this book, Amelia and Quinn brother and sister both take the rough and rocky road to romance. Diana Palmer tends to have someone with health issued (no perfect people) in her books this one deals with an abusive father and how Amelia copes in an era women have few rights. As with all her books a must read

This is a re-read for me. I first read, Amelia, when it first came out back in 1993. I loved it then and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it again. I have been a huge fan of Ms. Palmers for years!! She loves writing about alpha males who love innocent, yet strong heroines. Amelia and king, fit this bill to a tee. A true Diana Palmer romance at its finest.

This is a reissue of one of Diana Palmer’s earlier books. It looks at what was the start f the Culhane dynasty in her texas novels. This is Amelia and King’s story with a smaller role given to Quinn and Maria’s story. It a story forged in the harsh early 1900 dust and barren lands on the Texas Mexico border. Marriages had to be able to survive not just love but the harsh land and the rustic living. King didn’t believe Amelia was tight for the until she proved him wrong and then he could not stay away from her. This is a classic Diana Palmer with excellent writing from start to finish.

You know a book has made an impact when you’ve moved on to your next book but wake up the next morning still thinking about the characters. Amelia and King have quite a story to tell, and I suspect they’ve secured a place in my heart permanently. I’ve been a Diana Palmer fan for years, but this book is like no Diana Palmer I’ve ever read. First of all, I was surprised that this is a historical romance, and secondly, Ms. Palmer certainly turned up the heat in this one! The chemistry between Amelia and King was explosive. They were like fire and gasoline, and long before they ever got together!

Amelia finds herself at the Culhane family's Latigo ranch when her father is invited on a hunting trip with Brandt Culhane and his son Alan. Amelia’s father has determined Alan would be an appropriate suitor for Amelia, and he also hopes to do business with Brandt Culhane. Amelia has different ideas, but adapts subservient behavior to placate her father. After Amelia's younger siblings and mother died and her father's subsequent buggy accident, her father's behavior changed drastically, with violent outbursts and physical harm to Amelia. So Amelia stays behind with Mrs. Culhane and the oldest son, King, as the rest of the men depart on their trip. King Culhane also happens to be best friends with Amelia's brother, Quinn, and she's always had a bit of a crush on King, but King, for some unknown reason, treats Amelia cruelly and avoids her whenever possible. Of course, Amelia hides her true personality and holds her tongue, maintaining the persona least likely to upset her father.

I’ll be honest. When I read an early copy of this book, I really had a hard time warming up to King, which I suspect is the exact intent Ms. Palmer had when crafting his character. Of course I immediately sympathized with Amelia, having had such a hard life at such a young age. Make no mistake, though, Amelia is no shrinking violet. Life was hard in the early 1900's in Texas, and it spared no cruelty on Amelia. Any woman would need a strong constitution to survive what she had. When the time came and Amelia was able to reveal her true personality, she wasted no time displaying her magnificent strength, quick wit, stunning intellect and sharp tongue.

This book reads like a historical saga, and I was surprised with the short timeframe it covered, considering all of the events that took place. There is certainly never a dull moment, with Quinn, a Texas Ranger, tracking a bandit, all that took place with Amelia and her father, and King’s romantic entanglements. Even if you read only contemporary romance, like me, I urge you to give this book a try. It’s rich and colorful, exciting and intense, and poignant and inspiring. Definitely a five-star read, and I suspect Amelia will easily make a place for herself in your heart.

*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.

I love Diana Palmer! Every book is amazing and you can't put it down until you are finished!! I loved this book and I will always read her stories.

Amelia was another great historical enemies to lovers, best friends little sister, with cowboys, read. It follows the trope beautifully, and Amelia is a completely likeable and sympathetic character. She has experienced some real losses in life, and continues to endure a painful existence. She is just trying to survive the crappy hand fate has dealt her. King's outright disdain for her hurts and puzzles her, but the fleeting moments he is more than nice to her, are worse. They leave her confused and embarrassed, full of self-doubt and worry. Things do work out in the end, but they take a jagged path to get there, bringing out the worse, before things can get better

I found this to be a good book but a little difficult to read. Amelia is definitely a very complex character that suffers some terrible violence at the hand of her father. King isn't your typical hero in a romance novel. He definitely has a lot of flaws & it took me a long time to see any redeeming qualities in him. I wasn't sure what made Amelia even think twice about him. I this this is a pretty realistic portrayal of the time period, so for that reason I would recommend reading it.

This story is a typical Diana Palmer book. Older man falls for younger girl and feels like he should not be attracted to her. There is a bug misunderstanding and the woman gives in way too easily to the man. I liked most of this book I just wish Amelia could stand up to the man and not be so overwhelmed with feelings and attraction she gives into him all the time.

I don’t normally care for historical romance but I enjoyed this book. King is opinionated, hardheaded and often cruel to Amelia. I felt so sorry for Amelia, so many people were cruel to her. She is a tough young lady though and King doesn’t know what hit him!
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Diana has done it again. She never stops giving me what I need in a story. I loved this book. 5 stars are not enough!

Oh Diana Palmer you are a true legend! Your writing never ceases to amaze me. Such beautiful written words and loved the characters in this book. I am partial to cowboys though so I may be a touch biased. A great story to read when you want to get away from the ‘real world’ and Diana Palmer knows exactly how to take you away on that fairytale. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face with this wonderful sweet romance. Job well done once again by my old time favourite author. Love her.

AMELIA by Diana Palmer is a wonderful story. Filled with incredible imagery and full of life characters. Diana Palmer is a gifted storyteller as her many books can attest to. No one tells stories like she can. Reading about Amelia and King is a wonderful journey.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

This was not at all my cup of tea and I am already not a fan of historical romance, but some of the violent tendencies are too much. I don't usually find the genre romanctic or realistic an this drives that opinion home.

I received an arc from Netgalley. Ms. Palmer is one of my all time favorite authors and I am so glad I had an opportunity to review this book.

Even though her books always tend to have the same theme, older man, younger woman and man tries to deny his feelings, the author has an outstanding way of drawing you in and falling in love with the characters. There are always unique twists.

I liked this book, King thinks Amelia is a weak individual and he needs a strong woman in his life to be by his side. He is mistaken about his thoughts on Amelia and his actions put Amelia in deadly danger.

Will Amelia be able to forgive King?
Some of the scenes were disturbing.

Amelia, is written in the normal Diana Palmer style. So if you've read books by her before and like them, then you'll enjoy this one too probably.
King can't stand Amelia. Because of this she has been found lacking in his eyes for so many reasons. Of course we know why she is the way that she is though. King was such a jerk, I would have liked to see him grovel a little bit more before Amelia forgives him.

I found that these two characters frustrated me throughout this book. Amelia and King are both strong personalities and quite stubborn. They love their family and despite everything, have some strong chemistry. Of course there are others vying for their attention, but in the end, their love for one another is too strong. Even though I thought they would never get there, they do get their HEA. This was an enjoyable read.

ARC given via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I DNF'd this around 50% of the tale gone, after the scene that I've highlighted below. The 'hero', King, has just raped Amelia, and her father, who's violent and who's beaten her with fists and a belt many times before, finds her loss-of-virginity soiled clothing and beats her unconscious. When King's parents find out, they merely tell him he has shamed them, and he experiences some remorse - what a HERO, not.

Yes, in my book, no pun intended, this is an out-and-out rape scene, disguised as a dominant male doing what a dominant guy of his time might do, when he wants to prevent a marriage: take a female by force and hope to impregnate her and shame her publicly. I know it's a tale set in 1900, and I have seen similar in Diana Palmer books, but those didn't quite cross the same line, so this is horrifying. If an editor has read and allowed this, especially with all that's happening with the MeToo movement, he/she should be ashamed. I am aware that it's a re-publication of a 1993 tale, but this is so misogynistic, it's unbelievable. What was the author and publisher thinking?

Here's the scene that got me angry enough to abandon this book and send feedback to NetGalley - I've simply cap'd the relevant bits, but have left the paragraphs as in the tale. You'll note that at the end of the scene, it's morphed into King's POV and he's feeling sorry for himself, because Amelia has brought his on herself, and he's the victim, as now she'll expect him to marry her:

“That’s it,” he whispered hoarsely. “Look at me. Look into my eyes … as it happens!” HIS LEAN HAND CAUGHT HER THIGH IN A BRUISING GRIP TO STAY HER SUDDEN JERK AS HE PUSHED INTO HER WITH A VIOLENT DOWNWARD MOTION OF HIS HIPS. Her eyes dilated. Her mouth opened. THERE WAS BURNING, TEARING PAIN, AND SHE CRIED OUT PITEOUSLY AND TRIED TO GET AWAY, BUT HE HELD HER MERCILESSLY WITH THAT STEELY HAND AND THE PRESSURE OF HIS BODY OVER HERS. “KING, PLEASE, NO!” SHE WEPT. His teeth were clenched, and his face had gone ruddy. His eyes blazed as he moved in her in a rough, fierce rhythm. “My God, Amelia,” he choked. His eyes closed, and he began to shudder. “Oh … sweet … Jesus!” It was reverence, more than profanity, that last startled exclamation. His powerful torso seemed to hang above her as he arched there, his voice breaking, his whole body suddenly convulsed in a rigor like that of a dying man.

Somewhere outside himself he saw his own helpless abandon, the death throes of ecstasy as he spilled himself in her body and suddenly collapsed, suffocating as he continued to shiver from the violence of his fulfillment. AMELIA FELT HIM WITH SHAME AND DEGRADATION. HER EYES CLOSED TO SHUT OUT THE SIGHT OF IT. HER BODY FELT TORN AND USED AND SHE WANTED NOTHING MORE IN THAT MOMENT THAN TO DIE. The tears slid hotly down her cheeks in silence, while the man lying so still against her slowly began to stop trembling and breathe normally again. So that was what it felt like, she thought. All the soft words and long, hungry glances and tender kisses, they were nothing but a lie. HERE, AS IN EVERY OTHER WAY, A MAN WAS AN ANIMAL, A BRUTAL UNFEELING ANIMAL WHO TOOK HIS PLEASURE AND REPAID A WOMAN WITH PAIN AND DEBASEMENT. Hadn’t she heard her cousin cry and moan in just such a way through the wall at her home? How could she have forgotten! King couldn’t believe what he’d just done. His fall from grace had been sudden and unintentional, but she wasn’t going to believe that. All the excuses and apologies in the world wouldn’t undo what he’d done. He’d robbed her of her virginity, disgraced her. And now she’d expect marriage, he thought bitterly. Of course she would, because of the risk. He’d been a fool! He pulled away from her without a word and turned to rearrange his clothing.

Additionally, it comes across as racist in certain areas, especially with descriptions of Mexicans. There's specific mention of height and skin colour, and size, too, which I found unnecessary and disconcerting, and mention of a Mexican being hunted down by rich, white landowners, for some trespass. Again, I am aware that it's a book of its time, but it needs to be updated a little, to make it a little palatable.

And there's more: another character called Quinn, Amelia's brother, effectively rapes a female who's been taken against her will to what she doesn't know is a brothel - again, brothels were a thing in that day and age, but the scene was horrible. And, he makes a HUGE issue of her white skin and that she cannot be Mexican, she simply cannot, and once he's raped her, he's thinking of her as MINE, MY WOMAN.

Amelia is portrayed as a victim, time and time again, and she's brutalised physically and verbally by her father, and verbally by King. Amelia calls him an animal once or twice, and there's a couple of mentions of her wanting to throw a rock at him, and once a spittoon - WTH didn't she, silly woman? It might have given her a sense of backbone and knocked some sense into him

As for King, what a sad, sad depiction of a man. He's not worthy of being called a man, because he's nothing but a verbal and physical bully. How the author and her (2, at least) publishers thought he's hero material is beyond me.

Seriously, publisher and author, please think again. You're doing women and decent men, a disservice. I will be leaving a 1*, DNF review. I cannot believe that you have the temerity to state: A Note From the Publisher
A gorgeous update of a classic Diana Palmer novel! Originally printed in 1993!

This is a disturbing and violent novel. I've read this author before and also felt uneasy but I thought her later novels would be different. Not the case. This author makes rape scenes appear consensual. Where the hero is clearly assaulting the heroine and she still ends up with him because she loves him. Amelia is portrayed as a frail, fearful woman who takes care of her dying father and takes his abuse because he's her father. She claims to be more than a weak, spineless woman but she does not show it. I kept on reading in the hopes that she would turn it around. She doesn't. She's attracted to King but he is just as controlling and violent as her father.
Sadly this will be my last novel from this author. I cannot in good conscience read a novel that portrays violence and rape for love.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.