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Americana series #1
Rainbow
Ever since the day her father sold her dearest friend (and half-sister) away from their home in Louisiana, Meredith Seaton has sworn to do whatever she can to find her and help others on the road to freedom. Her pose as an empty-headed, flirtatious belle, is the perfect masquerade for a courier. The last thing she needs is her unwanted attraction to a Mississippi steamboat scalawag and slave owner.
Quinn Devereaux, river boat captain who endured ten years of captivity after being betrayed by a woman, has sworn never to lose his heart again. He can’t understand his attraction to the silly and vain Meredith who travels on his boat as a passenger. Yet for some odd reason, he is drawn to a woman who represents everything he despises. Worse, any relationship might jeopardize his work with the Underground Railroad and the people who’d become his salvation.
Quinn Devereaux, river boat captain who endured ten years of captivity after being betrayed by a woman, has sworn never to lose his heart again. He can’t understand his attraction to the silly and vain Meredith who travels on his boat as a passenger. Yet for some odd reason, he is drawn to a woman who represents everything he despises. Worse, any relationship might jeopardize his work with the Underground Railroad and the people who’d become his salvation.
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 29, 2015
A second read of a book I really enjoyed in the past, with interesting characters and plot.
April 19, 2021
Finding love in dangerous times
A great story filled with all the Heartfelt emotions! It was a dangerous time for slaves and those helping them to become free in the underground railroad! Such courage and strength it took to escape slavery and also for those who helped them. Another great read by Patricia Potter!
A great story filled with all the Heartfelt emotions! It was a dangerous time for slaves and those helping them to become free in the underground railroad! Such courage and strength it took to escape slavery and also for those who helped them. Another great read by Patricia Potter!
August 10, 2023
Good read, interesting storyline. The two main characters are involved in freeing slaves but are unaware of each other's involvement which leads to interesting scenarios. Both main characters are damaged from things that have happened in their past. This is why they are doing things to make amends and to help others find freedom.
June 6, 2019
The book opens with 8-year-old Meredith Seaton being roughly separated from her black half-sister. Widower Seaton had become involved with the housekeeper and their offspring - Lissa - was 6years of age. Widower Seaton was concerned that the girls looked so much alike and that others would notice this light-skinned mulatto was his. Thus, he sold the child; and Meredith swore she would find her sister.
Meredith became a helper in the Underground Railroad while seeking her sister. Meredith is now 24 years of age and dresses as a frumpy, mindless Southern belle. As she travels to friends along the Mississippi River, she helps slaves to escape their lives. By dressing and acting silly, she protects herself from the slave hunters, who would have to imprison or kill slave helpers.
While on one of her trips, she finds herself on the Lucky Lady and meets the captain -- Quinn Devereux. They are instantly involved in a sparring match - one trying to figure out the other. Quinn also has secrets; they are so horrible that he has never told anyone the full story.
Quinn's back story is so gruesome that Potter only shares a bit at a time. He has become a gambler and a wastrel; his demeanor is cold and arrogant. He and Meredith lock horns quickly. The story is complicated with subplots aplenty.
This book is about change; the country is heating up over the issue of slavery. The folks on each side of the argument are hardening their stances. Quinn needs to change, but his past experiences stand in the way. Meredith is often wary of her role and would like to change - but feels committed to finding her sister, Lissa.
Through the story, I felt the ominous marching of time toward a conflict that would become the Civil War. Helping slaves was becoming more dangerous each day. Potter does a great job of building the tension. I didn't think her plotting was as tight as most of her other books; however, I had a hard time putting it down.
Quinn Devereux will reappear in NOTORIOUS, the 3rd book in this trilogy.
Loosely Joined Series
Rainbow - the story of Quinn Devereux
Lawless - the story of Lobo/Jess
Notorious - the story of Marsh Canton
Meredith became a helper in the Underground Railroad while seeking her sister. Meredith is now 24 years of age and dresses as a frumpy, mindless Southern belle. As she travels to friends along the Mississippi River, she helps slaves to escape their lives. By dressing and acting silly, she protects herself from the slave hunters, who would have to imprison or kill slave helpers.
While on one of her trips, she finds herself on the Lucky Lady and meets the captain -- Quinn Devereux. They are instantly involved in a sparring match - one trying to figure out the other. Quinn also has secrets; they are so horrible that he has never told anyone the full story.
Quinn's back story is so gruesome that Potter only shares a bit at a time. He has become a gambler and a wastrel; his demeanor is cold and arrogant. He and Meredith lock horns quickly. The story is complicated with subplots aplenty.
This book is about change; the country is heating up over the issue of slavery. The folks on each side of the argument are hardening their stances. Quinn needs to change, but his past experiences stand in the way. Meredith is often wary of her role and would like to change - but feels committed to finding her sister, Lissa.
Through the story, I felt the ominous marching of time toward a conflict that would become the Civil War. Helping slaves was becoming more dangerous each day. Potter does a great job of building the tension. I didn't think her plotting was as tight as most of her other books; however, I had a hard time putting it down.
Quinn Devereux will reappear in NOTORIOUS, the 3rd book in this trilogy.
Loosely Joined Series
Rainbow - the story of Quinn Devereux
Lawless - the story of Lobo/Jess
Notorious - the story of Marsh Canton
August 5, 2011
Rainbow is a hard read for me. I like both Quinn and Meredith and when the story is just about them it is wonderful! Because of events in their past trust does not come easy for them and neither does love. They are both pretending to be someone they are not and they both have secrets to hide from each other; they try so hard not to love each other.
The hard part for me is the setting of the story, it is right before the Civil War and it is about the under ground railroad. This is just not one of my favorite story lines or time in history.
I wrote this before I finished the book and I was going to give it 3 stars but now that I have finished the story I'm giving it 4 stars. This was a wonderful emotional story!
The hard part for me is the setting of the story, it is right before the Civil War and it is about the under ground railroad. This is just not one of my favorite story lines or time in history.
I wrote this before I finished the book and I was going to give it 3 stars but now that I have finished the story I'm giving it 4 stars. This was a wonderful emotional story!
August 15, 2013
I like stories about the underground railroad, and vaguely remember liking stories by Potter before, but this one was too incoherent. It had that peculiarly American thing of trying to be a book that is both full of subtlety and deception AND have everything completely explained and spelt out. It just doesn't work! Nuances, spelt out, cease to be nuances, folks. Plus several characters had to act extremely oddly to keep the various deceptions going.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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