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Wildcatter's Woman
Four years after her divorce, Vanessa Cantrell owns an interior decorating firm, a European sports car, and an apartment in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Even though she filled her home and her life with expensive things, she couldn’t fill the void left by her ruggedly handsome ex-husband, Race.
When tragedy brings them together again, she finds he is still the same irresponsible wildcatter she’d walked out on. But he hasn’t lost his powerful, sensual magnetism. She’s still drawn to him…but Vanessa knows she must never again become a wildcatter’s woman.
Even though she filled her home and her life with expensive things, she couldn’t fill the void left by her ruggedly handsome ex-husband, Race.
When tragedy brings them together again, she finds he is still the same irresponsible wildcatter she’d walked out on. But he hasn’t lost his powerful, sensual magnetism. She’s still drawn to him…but Vanessa knows she must never again become a wildcatter’s woman.
145 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1982
About the author
Janet Dailey
400 books1,862 followersJanet Anne Haradon Dailey was an American author of numerous romance novels as Janet Dailey (her married name). Her novels have been translated into nineteen languages and have sold over 300 million copies worldwide.
Born in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, she attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband, Bill. Bill and Janet worked together in construction and land development until they "retired" to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Janet to write the Americana series of romances, where she set a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Janet Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was NO QUARTER ASKED.
She had since gone on to write approximately 90 novels, 21 of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. She won many awards and accolades for her work, appearing widely on Radio and Television. Today, there are over three hundred million Janet Dailey books in print in 19 different languages, making her one of the most popular novelists in the world.
Janet Dailey passed away peacefully in her home in Branson on Saturday, December 14, 2013. She was 69.
Born in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, she attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband, Bill. Bill and Janet worked together in construction and land development until they "retired" to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Janet to write the Americana series of romances, where she set a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Janet Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was NO QUARTER ASKED.
She had since gone on to write approximately 90 novels, 21 of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. She won many awards and accolades for her work, appearing widely on Radio and Television. Today, there are over three hundred million Janet Dailey books in print in 19 different languages, making her one of the most popular novelists in the world.
Janet Dailey passed away peacefully in her home in Branson on Saturday, December 14, 2013. She was 69.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 13, 2019
Lost my review but believe me this book sucked. She divorced him four years ago because he lost all their money and house on an oil well that was dry. She had issues from her childhood and she was afraid of losing everything. She made a good life for herself and is now financially secure . The Hero is still looking for oil. She goes to get him when his Father has a heart attack and he is seriously an ass. She goes to his apartment for him to shower and change and one of his f buddies is hanging out in her robe in the hallway asking for beer. They go in and while he's showering she finds pantyhose and lipstick smeared glasses and it's just disgusting. Yes he is a manwhore. How nice. She's been celibate of course. At the end he says all those women were just sex and he never made love to them. He only makes love to the heroine that he loved so much. Oh Thank you for clearing that up. I guess I don't feel that std coming on because you just had sex with all of them. Just gross. Not my kind of book. That was it. I finished the book but note to myself: NEVER AGAIN!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2022
“When you walked out on me at a time when I needed you most, I swore I’d never let you tear me up like that again. I went through hell when you left me.”
“Why can’t you love me the way I am, Vanessa? Why did you try to change me?”
“If I could make you feel anything, I’d make you love me.”
“You don’t want me, but neither do you want me to have the pleasure of some other women.”
“None of them were you, Vanessa. They weren’t even good imitations. Why do you think I went through so many of them? I kept telling myself there would be another woman out there who could make me feel the way you do. There isn’t. I spent four years of searching, so I ought to know.”
- Said by the H -
The H and h divorced four years ago. Now they meet again because the H’s father is in hospital.
A lot of emotion, passion and bitterness between them. He’s a rude, raw, intense alpha male. And he makes no secret of his feelings for her. He is different from many other H’s, because he isn’t rich and he doesn’t have a secure job with a steady income.
He wasn’t faithful to her in the years that they were separated, but in this case I can understand, because they were divorced, she was the one filing for the divorce and they were divorced for a few years.
For people condemning him, I wonder how many of them would stay faithful to an ex who had walked out on them and had filed for divorce.
“Why can’t you love me the way I am, Vanessa? Why did you try to change me?”
“If I could make you feel anything, I’d make you love me.”
“You don’t want me, but neither do you want me to have the pleasure of some other women.”
“None of them were you, Vanessa. They weren’t even good imitations. Why do you think I went through so many of them? I kept telling myself there would be another woman out there who could make me feel the way you do. There isn’t. I spent four years of searching, so I ought to know.”
- Said by the H -
The H and h divorced four years ago. Now they meet again because the H’s father is in hospital.
A lot of emotion, passion and bitterness between them. He’s a rude, raw, intense alpha male. And he makes no secret of his feelings for her. He is different from many other H’s, because he isn’t rich and he doesn’t have a secure job with a steady income.
He wasn’t faithful to her in the years that they were separated, but in this case I can understand, because they were divorced, she was the one filing for the divorce and they were divorced for a few years.
For people condemning him, I wonder how many of them would stay faithful to an ex who had walked out on them and had filed for divorce.
May 4, 2023
Η αγαπημένη Τζάνετ Νταίηλυ, είναι μια συγγραφέας που έχει δώσει πολύ ωραία δείγματα δουλειάς, επί πολλά χρόνια! Η συγκεκριμένη ιστορία της πραγματεύεται την δεύτερη ευκαιρία στην αγάπη, που δίνεται σε λίγους ανθρώπους! Όταν μετά την πικρία, την οργή και το πόνο, έχεις το ψυχικό σθένος να αντιμετωπίσεις όσα έχουν συμβεί. Όταν δέχεσαι τον άνθρωπο που αγαπάς, χωρίς να προσπαθείς να τον αλλάξεις! Γιατί έτσι τον αγάπησες! Ιδιαίτερη ιστορία που "σπάει τα κλισέ" , καθώς ο ήρωας είναι πολύ ιδιαίτερος σαν χαρακτήρας και σαν ιδιοσυγκρασία! Άλλες φορές με χιούμορ, άλλες με μεγάλη ένταση, άλλες φορές με συναίσθημα, κατορθώνει αυτή η ιστορία να κρατά αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη! Μου θύμισε κάποιους στίχους που διάβασα πρόσφατα και ταιριάζουν απόλυτα με την ιστορία: "Δεν μπορώ να μου συγχωρέσω που κάθε φορά φεύγοντας, δεν σου έλεγα πόσο ήδη μου είχες λείψει. Τότε...." Μου άρεσε πολύ!!!!!
June 12, 2022
I'm halfway through but dnf my this guy is just an asshole and he's gross there's o attractive qualities
here he's broke, his place is covered in beer bottles, he chose his financially draining career over her but oh
I slept with several women since we divorced but none of them were you but
makes 0 changes or moves to get her back
just stays the same and prays on her
weakness for him no thanks and she
still falls for this and sleeps with him.. I couldn’t stomach the thought.
here he's broke, his place is covered in beer bottles, he chose his financially draining career over her but oh
I slept with several women since we divorced but none of them were you but
makes 0 changes or moves to get her back
just stays the same and prays on her
weakness for him no thanks and she
still falls for this and sleeps with him.. I couldn’t stomach the thought.
April 6, 2010
Nice quick read.
Wildcatter is a term for someone drilling for gas or oil I found out.
Wildcatter is a term for someone drilling for gas or oil I found out.
April 5, 2026
Sorry but I don’t find Race attractive at all. There is no shame in chasing your dream, but it becomes a problem when you ignore reality. If you want love and marriage, you also need to think about your wife’s security and happiness. You can’t just gamble everything when you have nothing. That is not passion, that is irresponsibility.
When Race came back to Vanessa’s apartment, it honestly felt like he was slowly depending on her. And with his mindset, it’s not even hard to imagine he could risk that too one day. That kind of person is not reliable.
Also, I don’t understand how someone who is constantly broke is shown getting so many women. Attraction is not just about looks. Stability, responsibility, and self-respect matter too. So this part feels unrealistic and poorly written.
And his logic about love and sex being different makes no sense to me. To have sex with someone, you need attraction, comfort, and some level of feeling. That doesn’t come from nowhere. So acting like sex is completely separate from emotions just sounds like an excuse, not logic.
Because of all this, I don’t see their marriage working in real life. A relationship needs balance. Dreams are fine, but without responsibility, it will fall apart. This “happy ending” only works because it is fiction.
And honestly, Phillip feels more like a real man than Race ever could be. He seems stable, responsible, and dependable. Race has passion, but no foundation. And without that, he doesn’t feel like a hero at all.
When Race came back to Vanessa’s apartment, it honestly felt like he was slowly depending on her. And with his mindset, it’s not even hard to imagine he could risk that too one day. That kind of person is not reliable.
Also, I don’t understand how someone who is constantly broke is shown getting so many women. Attraction is not just about looks. Stability, responsibility, and self-respect matter too. So this part feels unrealistic and poorly written.
And his logic about love and sex being different makes no sense to me. To have sex with someone, you need attraction, comfort, and some level of feeling. That doesn’t come from nowhere. So acting like sex is completely separate from emotions just sounds like an excuse, not logic.
Because of all this, I don’t see their marriage working in real life. A relationship needs balance. Dreams are fine, but without responsibility, it will fall apart. This “happy ending” only works because it is fiction.
And honestly, Phillip feels more like a real man than Race ever could be. He seems stable, responsible, and dependable. Race has passion, but no foundation. And without that, he doesn’t feel like a hero at all.
December 30, 2024
too much
This is a very good book. As all Janet Daily books, it’s a real story. And it’s good love story. It’s well written. No faults. So why didn’t I enjoy it. Let’s just say it hit too close to home. This book is set in the 70s. A time when phones had wires, there was no internet, and people weren’t so mean to each other. It was also a time when men were chauvinistic, domineering, and controlling. I lived it. I got hurt. My heart was broken. While I remember the sweetness of being young -I also remember the pain of being powerless in a man dominated world.
This is a very good book. As all Janet Daily books, it’s a real story. And it’s good love story. It’s well written. No faults. So why didn’t I enjoy it. Let’s just say it hit too close to home. This book is set in the 70s. A time when phones had wires, there was no internet, and people weren’t so mean to each other. It was also a time when men were chauvinistic, domineering, and controlling. I lived it. I got hurt. My heart was broken. While I remember the sweetness of being young -I also remember the pain of being powerless in a man dominated world.
November 1, 2020
And she was so concerned that he never needed her, but you see, the bigger problem for me was just the way he was operating in her house like it was his own. Demanding an ownership of her bed, like it was his place and not hers. And by then, they're not even a couple. And what about the rapey vibe in the air when she denied become intimate with him? Awful.
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December 2, 2021Best story
I truly loved this story. I enjoy each book by Janet Dailey. She shows How Much she truly enjoys her characters. I'm going to read all of her books as they are so enjoyable.
I truly loved this story. I enjoy each book by Janet Dailey. She shows How Much she truly enjoys her characters. I'm going to read all of her books as they are so enjoyable.
March 4, 2023
My all time favorite Janet Dailey
January 14, 2025
Good story, didn’t disappoint.
October 26, 2011
This book is pretty much par for the course for formula romances as far as the basic story goes, though Dailey does work in a few semi-surprises. The characters all have a definite personality of their own, and only the most minor characters, the ones that are only in one scene or so, are totally flat. As is often the case, the fairly rapid transition from not even being able to hold a civil conversation to getting along ok again to being desperately in love again somewhat defys logic...it all happens much too quickly to be totally believable that they (she in particular) could have changed their mindset so completely...and yet, the author does a good enough job of getting you involved with the characters that you can't help but be happy for them (even if some of the making up/declaring undying love again speeches send the sappy meter soaring just a bit too high). Overall, an enjoyable, mostly relaxing, light read for those that can enjoy formula romances.
July 26, 2020
Wildcatter's Woman
They had been married a few years ago. But when he couldn't even keep their home from being foreclosed she divorced him. His was of life is about taking risks. She lost all when her parents died. And that her life was not stable. She married him for love. But theirs was not a stable environment. Can these two stop hurting each other and let love heal?
They had been married a few years ago. But when he couldn't even keep their home from being foreclosed she divorced him. His was of life is about taking risks. She lost all when her parents died. And that her life was not stable. She married him for love. But theirs was not a stable environment. Can these two stop hurting each other and let love heal?
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews