Ellen O'Connell

Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold is a story of romance and family conflicts set in Colorado in 1885. Anne Wells has embarrassed her rigidly proper family since she was a child with occasional but grievous lapses from ladylike behavior. They blame those lapses for the disgraceful fact that she is a spinster at 28. Cord Bennett, the son of his father's second marriage to a Cheyenne woman, is more than an embarrassment to his well-to-do family of ranchers and lawyers - they are ashamed and afraid of their black sheep. When Anne and Cord are found alone together, her father's fury leads to violence. Cord's family accepts that the fault is his. Can Anne and Cord use the freedom of being condemned for sins they didn't commit to make a life together? Or will their disapproving, interfering families tear them apart?

Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold

Nikas

He might not talk much, but his occasional dry comments about people and situations they both knew from a lifetime in Mason were so perceptive - and often humorous - that she enjoyed being around him. Nursing him, living in his house, caring for his livestock changed nothing for Anne - she liked Cord Bennett.

This book was amazing and I really liked how it was written but I wanted to see a bit more relationship development as some parts of Anne and Cord’s relationship seemed to be skipped.

This book had a lot of time skips which I didn’t mind as even though a couple of weeks or months could go by, the author wrote it in a way that it felt like the reader didn’t miss out on too much. The only problem I had with the time skips was that the relationship development at the beginning wasn’t very detailed - they didn’t know each other and didn’t seem too interested in getting to know each other and then when they met with Cord’s family it was as if they knew each other and got along. I wanted to see a bit more of the development and I really wanted to see a few more scenes when Anne and Cord were teasing each other as those scenes were funny but there were only a few of them and mostly happened when they were around his family.

I really liked the main characters and how they interacted with the side characters - Cord didn’t really react to his family when they insulted him or said something rude about him but if Anne was near, she would set them straight. The short scenes from the side characters perspectives were really good too as I liked seeing the other characters’ POV. There were some small things that the side characters did that annoyed me a bit but it wasn’t too bad - I didn’t like how Cord’s family didn’t talk to him about the things he did or the reasons for why he acted in certain ways and just assumed the absolute worst of him. Also I didn’t like how near the end, Anne just forgives Rob after a few months of not talking to him when he let their father take her to declare her insane, abort her baby (which was very dangerous) and lock her in an asylum. I wanted to see more scenes with the family interacting with the main characters as those scenes were always entertaining and there were points in the book that hinted that the main characters interacted with other people from town but those scenes weren't shown.

I really liked this book and would definitely want to read it again.

This book was amazing and I really liked how it was written but I wanted to see a bit more relationship development as some parts of Anne and Cord’s relationship seemed to be skipped.


This book had a lot of time skips which I didn’t mind as even though a couple of weeks or months could go by, the author wrote it in a way that it felt like the reader didn’t miss out on too much. The only problem I had with the time skips was that the relationship development at the beginning wasn’t very detailed - they didn’t know each other and didn’t seem too interested in getting to know each other and then when they met with Cord’s family it was as if they knew each other and got along. I wanted to see a bit more of the development and I really wanted to see a few more scenes when Anne and Cord were teasing each other as those scenes were funny but there were only a few of them and mostly happened when they were around his family.

I really liked the main characters and how they interacted with the side characters - Cord didn’t really react to his family when they insulted him or said something rude about him but if Anne was near, she would set them straight. The short scenes from the side characters perspectives were really good too as I liked seeing the other characters’ POV. There were some small things that the side characters did that annoyed me a bit but it wasn’t too bad - I didn’t like how Cord’s family didn’t talk to him about the things he did or the reasons for why he acted in certain ways and just assumed the absolute worst of him. Also I didn’t like how near the end, Anne just forgives Rob after a few months of not talking to him when he let their father take her to declare her insane, abort her baby (which was very dangerous) and lock her in an asylum. I wanted to see more scenes with the family interacting with the main characters as those scenes were always entertaining and there were points in the book that hinted that the main characters interacted with other people from town but those scenes weren't shown.

I really liked this book and would definitely want to read it again.

After being brought together by traumatic circumstances, Anne and Cord tentatively commit to starting a life together, despite all disapproving and interfering people who surround them.

— This was a very swell read. It was vey sweet to see the characters coming together so tenderly, despite all the terrible and violent circumstances around them.

The book is set in Colorado, in the year 1885.

Cord's an incredible character who's very sadly misunderstood. It was heart-breaking to see how disgustingly racist and ignorant some people are, and how that affects his life, being the son of a Cheyenne woman. Worse than seeing how people perceive him was seeing how that affects his own view of himself, taking a toll on his self-esteem and sense of worth. 

Anne's a lovely girl who, despite coming from a terrible hateful family, was never corrupted by their gross beliefs. Very strong-willed and witty, Anne never hesitated to come to Cord's defence, even against their own families.

They had great chemistry together, building such a strong a sweet bond over time.

Despite all the dramatic highlights, my favourite parts of the book were the quiet, slice-of-life ones. Getting to see Anne and Cord live life side by side, as they slowly fall in love, was a delight.

After being brought together by traumatic circumstances, Anne and Cord tentatively commit to starting a life together, despite all disapproving and interfering people who surround them.

— This was a very swell read. It was vey sweet to see the characters coming together so tenderly, despite all the terrible and violent circumstances around them.

The book is set in Colorado, in the year 1885.

Cord's an incredible character who's very sadly misunderstood. It was heart-breaking to see how disgustingly racist and ignorant some people are, and how that affects his life, being the son of a Cheyenne woman. Worse than seeing how people perceive him was seeing how that affects his own view of himself, taking a toll on his self-esteem and sense of worth. 

Cord deserves nothing but love.

Anne's a lovely girl who, despite coming from a terrible hateful family, was never corrupted by their gross beliefs. Very strong-willed and witty, Anne never hesitated to come to Cord's defence, even against their own families.

They had great chemistry together, building such a strong a sweet bond over time.

Despite all the dramatic highlights, my favourite parts of the book were the quiet, slice-of-life ones. Getting to see Anne and Cord live life side by side, as they slowly fall in love, was a delight.

I wish this book were longer. 

:)

Lover of Romance 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

Eyes of Silver Eyes of Gold is a story I have had on my wishlist on Goodreads for YEARS and I have no idea why I waited so long for this book. Its been on many lists on the Listopia and many readers rave about this book so I just knew that it was time to grab this book and READ it. So it was sitting on my kindle for a while, and after listening to a podcast review from "Not Your Mother's Romance Book Club" I knew I had to try this book out especially since they really enjoyed it. I want to mention first that this book was heart wrenching and very emotional and deals with some tough topics that might not be everyone's cup of tea. Not fluffy lighthearted read is Eyes of Silvers Eyes Of Gold.

Our story sets off with our heroine, Anne Wells who is a huge disappointment to her family. She is a failure after breaking off her engagement to her fiancée in Boston, and her father drags her home in disgrace. He keeps her captive with little food, and she manages to escape, seeking a new life somewhere far from her family, and she finds herself sleeping in the barn of an outcast, the youngest of the Bennett family, Cord. She pleads for his help and before anything can happen, her family comes upon them and before they realize it they are both being beaten and forced into a marriage by her father and left for dead.

Anne is much better off than Cord, but still in pretty bad shape and still traumatized. But she knows that Cord is a good man and she must save his life is she can. He has been shot and beaten within an inch of his life but somehow with Anne's tender care, survives his injuries and his road to recovery is slow. Anne has to learn what she is capable of including defending herself and Cord from her father's men and even Cord's brothers who are cruel to him. At first, their marriage is one of convenience and trying to make the best of a bad situation but soon Anne wants more than that....she wants to be with Cord for good. But there is one problem....their families are trying to break them apart. But Cord and Anne are stronger together and they learn what they have together and they are willing to fight for it, no matter what the cost may be.
..he wondered if maybe just occasionally the gods designed a woman fit for a king or a prince and then gave her to an ordinary man. Maybe they did such a thing once in a while, knowing an ordinary man would treasure her more, love her better. Maybe they even let him keep her - for a while.
In this delightful story, we have a pairing of two people who are as different as night and day in some ways, but in other ways they are perfection. They have known each other since they were children, having grown up in the same town together. Anne has only met Cord a few times before marrying him, but she always found an attraction and friendship towards him despite what everyone said about Cord behind his back. I love that Anne has always treated Cord with an open heart. She has never judged him for being half native american decent and seeing him for the good man that he is.
You know, Annie, a long time ago an old man told me beauty doesn't mean much in a woman. It disappears with age. But he said some women have something better. They have a special glow that lasts all their life and just gets richer. You're like that. You really shine.
There is a TON of country type of talk in this book so if you love the country lifestyle and talking about chores (morning, afternoon and evening) and horses and farm animals...this book is a must read for you for sure. You will just delight in all the details that are discussed in this book. Those that grew up in small towns or on a farm or ranch will greatly appreciate this book. I actually appreciated that this author went so detailed with the life of being on a farm/ranch like this because some authors gloss over those details, but not Ellen O'Connell so I am really grateful for that for sure.

We also have some conflicts in this story that was really heartbreaking and yet drove me nuts at times. Their families are BOTH horrible, although Anne's family is way worse than Cord's family is. I mean, Anne's father is so mean and cruel and I hate how he treats his daughter and Cord. And Cord's family is so not good to him, believing in rumors over their own brother that they practically raised themselves. I loved his brothers' wives though, they really set their heads straight when they get out of line and that doesn't include our kick ass heroine who literally fights them with a gun. Yep loved her gumption and courage.
Anne believed she would in the end hear the words she, like all women, longed to hear, but if he never spoke of it, she would be content with this. He loved her, and she knew it, and he was capable of such tenderness it left her trembling, overwhelmed by her own love for him
The romance that builds between Cord and Anne is simply so SWEET!! Its full of complications of course. Cord doesn't believe that Anne is in for the long haul. He has some personal emotional problems that he is trying to work through, he has never had someone fight for him in the way that Anne fights for him. So you see them have to work through some serious issues before their relationship can get to where it needs to be for them. But they work through it together and seeing them doing this really develops the romance so well and I loved seeing them slowly fall in love and fight to be together and the ending was so satisfying and sweet and heartfelt.

Jo H

My Year of Historical Romance - Book 6
Gilded Age (unspecified), Midwest USA, Biracial Indigenous MMC

#FUCKATHON 2020 (Noria Reads on Booktube). Prompt; Fuck the Patriarchy.

4.5 ⭐️

And this book folks, is why despite being someone who despises the two Big A's, I'm happy as a reader for the KU programme (I do wish it was better for many of the authors, but that's for another day).

Despite some very harrowing events in these pages, especially at the beginning of the book, it is such a wholesome and family-oriented story that shows the build-up of the romantic relationship between the two leads so very well. Cord may have been pretending to be all hard and stoic most of the time, but this is certainly one occasion where actions really do speak much louder than words. And not only was his love for his Annie, his outspoken (thankfully!) and potty-mouthed Annie clearly evident, despite his insecurities, from fairly early on but so it was for his family too... despite the horrible horrible way they talked about him and treated him. After all, one only tolerates that sort of behaviour from those who are deemed worthy of our tolerance.

And Annie. Brave, smart, loving Annie, who learnt to throw away her repressed upbringing and embrace every part of her personality, warts and all. After fighting her evil pig of a father about so many things for so long, and after what he put her through and threatened to marry her off to, she took the bull by the horns and made her escape for freedom. And, thank fuck she did, because quite honestly... if she had been inclined to give in to her father I would have DNF'd the book very early on. Historical context and accuracy or not, I'm not interested in reading about that nonsense.

Annie and her new found self never let up either. She really does grow a backbone, and learns to fend for herself and her new man, even against those that call themselves family and mostly the men. She fights the patricarchy at every single turn and I LOVED IT. I think I'll forever think of her as 'Get Your Gun Annie' even though I've never seen that musical because the name is so fitting for her character.

But in addition to the wonderful romance that blossomed between Anne and Cord, this is the type of historical tale that makes me think and wonder and 
  rage
 at many of the utterly ridiculous social mores of the times, and why even though this is not a regency style historical, I have been put off reading those for so long. Here we have; 

>the intense hatred of someone merely for the colour of their skin and believing that they are savages and untamed and animalistic, 
>(white) women being scared of Cord by the mere fact of him just existing (ring any bells anyone?),
>women having to 'obey' their husbands' demands - especially for the sake of propriety in public, 
>women having to truss themselves up in harmful corsetry to be considered 'proper', 
>a man (Cord) being looked down upon for helping his wife in the kitchen, 
>people considered improper merely for wanting to live a less formal and emotionally more open and loving way of life, 
>money, power and prestige (and a little cheating for good measure) being the be-all and the standard to attain and especially being able to 'buy' anything no matter the legalities and morals... 

I could go on, but it also rings true that many of these problems still exist and perhaps are even bigger in our contemporary times and some of these things are far too often (IMO) reflected in CR. Big sigh, I can't give up reading ALL the romance, but I certainly don't need so many billionaires and alphaholes on my kobo thanks!

So much emotion was wrung out of when reading; horror, pain, surprise, guilt, tenderness, love, anger, excitement, frustration, happiness, all because of the way this story was told.

Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold

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