Sunday, May 24, 2020

SPOTLIGHT TOUR - The Outlaw's Daughter

In this blog post, I am happy to be hosting a Blog Tour for The Outlaw's Daughter by Margaret Brownley with her Hawywire Bride series. I am including a review for all three books in this series.


Title:   Cowboy Charm School
Author:  Margaret Brownley
Series:  Haywire Brides #1
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical Romance
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   384
Date of Publication:   September 4, 2018
My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

When Texas Ranger Brett Tucker accidentally derails a wedding, he's determined to bring the estranged couple back together...but he never dreamed he'd start falling for the bride!

Texas Ranger Brett Tucker hates to break up a wedding, but the groom—notorious criminal Frank Foster—is a danger to any woman. So he busts into the church, guns blazing...only to find he has the wrong man.

STOP THAT WEDDING!

Bride-to-be Kate Denver is appalled by her fiancé's over-the-top reaction to the innocent mistake and calls off the wedding—for good. Guilt-ridden, Brett's desperate to get them back on track. But the more time he spends with Kate, the harder he falls...and the more he yearns to prove that he's her true match in every way.

(previously published September, 2018)

MY THOUGHTS:

Brett Tucker is doing his darnedest to display altruistic behavior. Brett is a Texas Ranger and manages to interrupt a wedding as he has just caught his man, Frank Foster. However, it is the wrong Frank Foster! The wedding is nearly ruined and Brett approaches the bride to offer his apologies. The problem is, Frank, the groom, has an insane jealous streak and immediately chaos ensues and a fight breaks up. Bride-to-be Kate Denver has had enough of Frank and his jealous behavior and ultimate calls the wedding off.

Brett feels incredibly bad. So, he is determined to do whatever it takes to bring this couple back together. I immediately thought of the Cyrano de Bergerac tale. Brett soon discovers that Frank is far from the romantic type as he begins coaching him. After all, he suggests to Brett that a tire jack would serve as the perfect make-up gift to Kate. Meanwhile, Brett is still looking for the criminal he tried to find at the outset and continues on in that endeavor as well. Brett soon discovers that a match should truly be made - and that perhaps he should be the man in Kate's life. What does Kate have to say about things? Determinedly she resists Frank's attempts at a reconciliation. Does her letting Frank go for good have anything to do with her growing feelings towards Brett?

Cowboy Charm School is a warm and delightfully sweet love story. There was so much humor in this story. There were Frank's allergies, Brett's attempts and Kate's responses - and all of these made this quite the pleasurable read. I thoroughly loved the characters in this story, even Frank. The story takes place in Texas in the late 1800s and Kate was a candy maker, which I thought was an admirable profession for a woman to have during those days. She also was an animal lover, which I really enjoyed. This engaging story captured my heart and I was able to read it in one sitting. This is the first in the Haywire Bride series and I am looking forward to the next story.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.


Title:   The Cowboy Meets His Match
Author:  Margaret Brownley
Series:  Haywire Brides #2
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre:   Historical Romance
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   384
Date of Publication:   May 28, 2019
My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:


His first mistake was marrying her.

His second was falling in love.


Chase McKnight will do anything to secure his family's ranch—but marriage to a complete stranger? That's a hard pill to swallow. Yet the will is clear: Chase needs a wife by his side if he wants to keep his home, so he meets his veiled lady at the courthouse steps and reluctantly says "I do."

Too bad he married the wrong bride.

When Boston runaway Emily Fields agreed to marry a Texas stranger to escape her family's scandal, she wasn't prepared to get hitched to the wrong cowboy! Stuck in a secret compromise, she has one year to learn the ways of the ranch and convince Chase's family they're happily married. But when the lie becomes true, the past catches up to them and they must save the love they never expected...

MY THOUGHTS:

In this second book in the Haywire Brides series, a marriage similar to mail-order bride goes completely wrong. Emily Fields has run away from Boston and was following through and planning to marry a man in Texas. This gives her a chance to get away from a scandal that is chasing her. However, when she looks into the angry eyes of Chase McKnight, she wonders if she has made the biggest mistake of her life.

Chase McNight is furious about what he has to do. His family ranch could be lost due to a stipulation by his father that whoever married first - Chase or his brother - the ranch would go to them. So, Chase agrees to marry a widow, which would end up helping her too, as she is also a mother. In a rushed ceremony confusion reigns and before they realize it, Chase and Emily are now husband and wife.


The two are very poorly suited, but now they have to try and make it work, because the ranch means everything to Chase. His new wife is in no way suitable for ranch wife. So, Chase does his best to teach her, no matter how frustrating it is, and eventually, feelings begin to stir within the couple. But, what of the ones they were supposed to marry in that rushed wedding? What about the true reason Emily fled in the first place? Well, in this wonderful story, these questions are answered.

In this delightful story, readers are presented a couple who find that they could indeed find love, and along the way, resolve difficult situations and creating a wonderful future together.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

***SPOTLIGHT POST***

Title:   The Outlaw's Daughter
Author:  Margaret Brownley
Series:  Haywire Brides #3
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre:   Historical Romance
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   384
Date of Publication:   May 26, 2020
My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

He may be a Texas Ranger but 
he only has eyes for the outlaw's beautiful daughter...

Texas Ranger Matt Taggert is on the trail of a wanted man. He has good reason to believe that Ellie-May's late husband was involved in a stagecoach robbery, and he's here to see justice done. But when he arrives in town, he discovers the thief has become a local hero...and his beautiful, young widow isn't too happy to see some lawman out to tarnish her family's newly spotless reputation.

Ellie-May's shaken by her encounter with the Ranger. Having grown up an outlaw's daughter, she'll do anything to keep her children safe―and if that means hardening her heart against the handsome lawman's smiles, then so be it. Because she knows Matt isn't about to give up his search. He's out to redeem himself and find proof that Ellie-May's husband wasn't the saint everyone claims...even if it means losing the love neither expected to discover along the way.

PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RoM4Ag
B&N: http://bit.ly/3augPN8
Apple: https://apple.co/2ynUNgS
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3fnPZbN
BAM: https://bit.ly/3fn9Wzx
Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3dgVQ0P

MY THOUGHTS:

Matt Taggert is a Texas Ranger bent on finding out the truth behind a stage-coach robbery. At the same time, he thoughts are never far away from his brother, who is a man running from the law. When he heads to a small town and meets a woman named Ellie-May, he does his best to prove that her now deceased husband was responsible for the robbery.

Meanwhile Ellie-May has never had it easy. For starters, as the title suggests, her father was an outlaw, thus leaving her to a lifetime of taunts and disrespect from others. Something happened in her life that took that nasty opinion of Ellie-May and her children away. In fact, now the town shows more than a little appreciation for her. With the Texas lawman in town, asking questions that might prove her husband was a thief, is about to destroy any sense of comfort Ellie-May has. 

Meanwhile, Matt does not let up in his investigation, even though he is rather drawn to Ellie-May. She herself finds Matt to be appealing. However, with the questions and the accusations that Ellie-May has to contend with, it is hardly likely that any feelings the pair have towards one another will lead to anything more promising.

The Outlaw's Daughter was a wonderful read. The conflicts were apparent as the dilemma always was front and center. It was very easy to be drawn to Ellie-May and her children. Also, Matt was just the perfect hero in this book, especially as he was bound by duty, all while he proved to be a genuinely kind and caring man. I loved this book, as well as the first two books in this series and hope to read much more by Ms. Brownley.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy the following excerpt:

Haywire, Texas

1887


“Hold it right there, mister!”

Matt Taggert froze in place. The woman’s voice sounded serious, as did the metallic click announcing she was armed.

Not wanting to alarm her, he held his hands out where they could be seen and turned to face her, taking it nice and easylike.

The owner of the voice stood at the entrance of the barn, the sun behind her back. The woman was small in stature but nonetheless looked like she meant business. Least her shotgun sure enough did.

Loosely braided hair the color of silken corn fell from beneath a floppy felt hat. Keen blue eyes looked him up and down, stopping momentarily to study the Colt hanging from his side and the badge on his leather vest. Apparently, nothing she saw relieved her mind as her weapon remained pointed at his chest.

“You can put your shotgun down, ma’am,” he said. “I mean you no harm.”

Matt’s assurances won him no favor, and the shotgun didn’t budge. “What are you doing, snooping ’round my property?” she demanded.

“Name’s Taggert. Matt Taggert, Texas Ranger,” he said. When even his name and profession didn’t convince her to lower her weapon, he added, “I’m looking for Neal Blackwell. I knocked on the door of the house, but there was no answer. Thought maybe I’d find him here in the barn.”

“Well, you thought wrong, mister.”

He studied the woman with narrowed eyes. “If you don’t mind my asking, ma’am, who am I speaking to?”

“I’m Mrs. Blackwell.”

“Mrs.—” That was a surprise. If her husband did indeed rob a stage, he sure in blazes hadn’t spent any of the stolen loot on his wife. Her sinewy body looked like it had been shaped by hard work and even harder times. If that wasn’t bad enough, her dress had enough patches to shingle a roof. The scuffed leather boots showing beneath the frayed hem of her skirt fared no better.

Nor did the animals in the barn, which included one skinny milk cow and a swaybacked mare.

Nevertheless, the woman earned his begrudging respect. Despite her shabby attire, she held herself with a quiet dignity that seemed at odds with her circumstances. He sensed that her squared shoulders stemmed from hard-earned inner strength.

“I need to talk to your husband,” he said.

Some emotion he couldn’t decipher flickered across her face. “Well, you won’t find him here.”

“If you’ll kindly tell me where I can find him, I’ll be on my way.”

Suspicion clouded her eyes, and he could almost see the cogwheels turning in her head. “What business does a Texas Ranger have with Neal?”

Before he could answer, a boy no older than five or six appeared by her side and tugged on her apron. “Mama?”

Dressed in knee pants and a checkered red shirt, the child peered at Matt from beneath a black slouch hat. A handsome lad, he had his mother’s blond hair and big blue eyes. He also matched his mother’s determined demeanor.

Matt grimaced. He hadn’t counted on Blackwell being a family man. Nothing worse than having to arrest a man in front of his children. It was bad enough cuffing one in the presence of his wife. But if Blackwell couldn’t answer Matt’s questions, arresting him was a real possibility.

The woman’s stance didn’t waver, but her voice softened as she addressed her son. “Go back to the house, Lionel. Mama’s busy right now.”

Before leaving, the boy looked Matt up and down, curiosity written on his little round face. “Is he a bad man, Mama?”

“Let’s hope for his sake he’s not,” his mama replied. “Now, go.”

Lionel’s face grew more solemn as his probing eyes met Matt’s. Matt winked in hopes of relieving the boy’s mind, but the stoic look remained. Never had Matt seen a child so young look so serious.

“Go,” his mother repeated, and this time Lionel left without further ado.

Mrs. Blackwell gave her shotgun a shake as if to remind Matt she meant business. “You still haven’t told me what you want with Neal.”

Matt couldn’t think of a tactful way to explain his business, so he came right out with it. “I need to talk to him about a stage robbery that took place last year.”

Her gaze sharpened. “Why?”

Partly because of the shotgun and partly because something about the woman brought out his protective instincts, Matt chose his next words with care. “I have reason to believe your husband has…certain information that would be helpful in my investigation.”

She discounted his explanation with a toss of her head. “Why would you think such a thing?”

“I’m not at liberty to say, ma’am. Least not till I talk to your husband.”

Her blue eyes narrowed. “If you think Neal had anything to do with that robbery, then you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“That may be true,” he said slowly. “But I still need to talk to him. It’s the only way I can wrap up my business and—”

“You’ll wrap up your business a whole lot quicker if you just leave now.”

Matt drew in his breath. If she were a man, things would be easier. For one thing, a man would have been disarmed by now. He would have seen to that. After letting his outlaw brother escape, Matt couldn’t afford another blunder. Not if he wanted to keep his job. Still, he wasn’t about to use physical force on a woman. Not unless he had to.

“I’m sorry, ma’am.” He ever so slowly lowered his hands to his side. “I can’t leave. Not till I talk to your husband.”

“That’s gonna be a little hard to do,” she said with a wag of her shotgun.

He arched an eyebrow. “Why is that?”

“Well, mister, it’s like this. My husband, Neal, is dead.”

***

Excerpted from The Outlaw’s Daughter by Margaret Brownley. © 2020 by Margaret Brownley. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

New York Times bestselling author Margaret Brownley has penned more than forty-five novels and novellas. She's a two-time Romance Writers of American RITA® finalist and has written for a TV soap. She is also a recipient of the Romantic Times Pioneer Award. She makes her home in Southern California. Visit her online at margaret-brownley.com.

7 comments:

  1. This looks so sweet. Though the hero does share a name with my first boyfriend. 😂

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, dear. I hope that doesn't ruin it for you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a new author for me - thanx for sharing your lovely reviews

    ReplyDelete
  4. It is the first I am hearing about this author.
    The stories do sound interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Not familiar with the author but then I don't read cowboy books so not sure these would be for me anyway. Great reviews.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is a new author to me. Thanks

    ReplyDelete