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Cover of Touch the Wind

Touch the Wind

First published 1979 · 411 pages

A sweeping, sun-baked vintage romance where danger and untamed desire collide in the rugged mountains of Mexico.

What it feels like

Reading this novel is like stepping into a time capsule of 1970s romance, where the drama is unapologetically high and the passions are feverish. The atmosphere is steeped in the sun-baked, rugged majesty of the Mexican Sierras, providing a stark, wild contrast to the polished wealth left behind. It moves at a brisk, breathless pace, driven by the intense, volatile friction between a privileged captive and her dangerous captor. The prose is lush and melodramatic, lingering on flashing eyes, sweeping vistas, and the overwhelming physical pull of forbidden desire. It is a perfect escape for readers who love the sweeping, untamed, and often problematic intensity of vintage bodice-rippers, offering a thrilling plunge into reckless, high-stakes romance.

Mood
  • sun-baked
  • tense
  • rugged
  • feverish
Tone
  • melodramatic
  • earnest
  • intense
  • sweeping
Pace
brisk
Themes
captive-captor dynamics · untamed desire · culture clash · surrender to passion · wealth versus wilderness
The writing
Lush and dramatic, leaning heavily into sensory descriptions of rugged landscapes and overwhelming physical attraction.
The arc
Moves from the shock of sudden captivity and loss of control to a feverish, reckless surrender to forbidden passion.
Who it's for
Readers who crave the unapologetic melodrama and sweeping, high-stakes passion of vintage 1970s romance novels.
Content notes
  • kidnapping and captivity
  • dubious consent
  • violence
  • outdated cultural depictions

About the book

Janet Dailey, the author who has touched the hearts of millions, shines in this unforgettable novel. Sweeping from the wealth and glamour of a modern Texas city to the rugged majesty of Mexico's High Sierras, this is a magnificent tale of desire and destiny from one of the world's most beloved storytellers.

All her life, beautiful Sheila got what she wanted. Now she yearned for the raw passion of a man beyond her reach, a violent, mysterious outlaw whose followers adored him. A lion of a man who held her for ransom -- a man who would trade her for a fortune in gold. But Sheila wanted only him -- with all the reckless longing of her body and soul.

Description from Open Library.

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