The Lady Takes A Gunslinger by Barbara Ankrum

 (Wild Western Rogues #1)

...and with the flip of the last page, my heart gives out a happy sigh!!

I wasn't planning on reading a full book this weekend, but once I got started, I was hooked and had to keep going! Reese and Grace's story is a perfect fit for what I crave right now - a heroine who's tough but yet vulnerable and a hero who's pretty rough around the edges and the digging to get to the soft spot inside is so worth it! 

I found myself laughing out loud several times, rereading pages just to experience it all again, and falling in love with both Reese and Grace!

I have a new book to add to my favorites list, and one that will be a joy to revisit again!

Pistols and Petticoats Anthology

From bestselling authors Barbara Ankrum, Adrienne deWolfe and Sharon Ihle come three fresh novellas, featuring three firebrand ladies, each determined to make her mark while making her match. 

ETHAN'S BRIDE - 27,000 word sequel to CHASE THE FIRE (Wild Western Hearts, Book 4) 
Violet Bradford desperately wants a child. Believing herself barren, she answers Dr. Ethan Walker's advertisement for a mail-order bride in Colorado, knowing he only wants one thing: a mother for his young daughter. Surely the joys of motherhood can compensate for a loveless marriage. But Ethan's broken heart won't stop tugging at hers. And Ethan soon realizes he must risk his heart again or risk losing it all. 

SHADY LADY - 26,000 word prequel to DEVIL IN TEXAS (Lady Law and the Gunslinger, Book 1) 
Fiery singing sensation, Sadie Michelson, thinks falling in love is bad for business—until William "Cass" Cassidy, a hotheaded gunslinger, sets his sights on wooing her. But when a Texas Ranger arrives in Dodge City to extradite Cass for a crime of passion, Sadie must use all her wits and wiles to lure the law from her man's trail. And that means risking everything—including Cass's love. 

BAREBACK BRIDE - 25,000 word sequel to THE BRIDE WORE SPURS (The Inconvenient Bride Series, Book 1) 
Expert horsewoman, Shannon Winterhawke runs away from home to join the Buffalo Bill Wild West extravaganza. Shannon is hired on the spot, but the show's head horseman, Seth Edwards, simply sees another flighty gal looking for a cowboy fling before settling down with some unsuspecting fool. But all bets are off as Shannon slowly sneaks into Seth's heart and lassoes him with his own rope. 

My reviews:

So far, only read ETHAN'S BRIDE - super fun and adorable story! Had to finish once I got started!!  Great into to Barbara Ankrum's writing and I'm looking forward to reading more!

The other book in this anthology I'm super excited to read is Shady Lady - I learned about the Lady Law and the Gunslinger series by Adrienne deWolfe and knew I wanted to make sure I got the prequel to the series.  This is on my tbr pile.

The Gunslinger's Vow by Amy Sandas

Absolutely stinkin' AWESOME!! This is one of the best western historical romances I've read!! It has everything I crave in a HWR and delivers it with both barrels smokin'!

You'll get a rough, scary, tough-guy hero whose heart and soul is battered and bruised, but there's still something deeper inside that makes him fully who he is.

You'll get a delightful heroine who makes you struggle between wanting to be her best friend and along for the ride or to be her so you can have Malcolm's intensity focused on you. She's strong, determined, and fully capable, but she still stays fully feminine.

The drama was from mostly outside sources (thank the Lord!) and the adventure and charm keeps the pages turning.

This is a book I look forward to revisiting! 

The Bank Robber's Lament by Sara Barnard

This is a cute (very) short story with alot of sweet. A troubled, lost man and a hurting woman find their way to a start of a hea through a precious child and a few bad choices turned surprisingly not so bad.

Prettiest Little Horse Thief by Gail L. Jenner

I love a rescue story, especially when this is how the hero meets the heroine -- he's a good man who won't stand aside when he sees evil happening. Give me a heroine who's both vulnerable and strong and a hero who knows what he wants, and I'm swoonin'. This is an enjoyable little story that's easy to fit in when you don't have a whole lot of time to read but need a little escape.

Lariats, Letters, and Lace anthology

Mail Order Mix-Up by Kaye Spencer

On a quest to discover more older couple stories, I ran across A PERMANENT WOMAN by Kay Spencer and adored the story. Then, to my delight, I found out that in this anthology, MAIL ORDER MIX-UP told the story of one of the best friends and I couldn't wait to dive in!

Sometimes people think too cautiously (and take too long) for their own good, so three uber-cute granddaughters banded together to get their grandpa a new wife, which of course meant a grandma for them! The history of the main characters softens your heart and has you rootin' for some happy times for Dale and Irene. It's a slow building love story (which perfectly fits with Dale's patient way of thinking and deciding things and Irene's cautious concern) which gives plenty of sweet and charming moments, and then even throws in a little bit of a drama (from outside sources) to keep things moving and exciting.

Loved spending time enjoying Dale and Irene's hea story!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rest of the anthology is on my tbr pile still.... several more authors in here I'm looking forward to enjoying their stories!

The Badge and the Bride by Livia J. Washburn

Emily and Nick's story charmed my heart!

So, I thought I knew what I was getting into, yeah? An innocent woman hanging in there till she found herself in need of a rescue, and a tough lawman who owns the skills to get the job done and claim the damsel in the process.

Well, yeah, there's that... but there's more. Twists and turns abound that just kept me charmed and surprised. 

The Badge and the Bride delivers a fun twist of a story to be captivated by!

Every Girl's Dream by Cheryl Pierson

I adored this short and sweet story!! Of course, it was so good, I would loved to have had it be longer, but then it wouldn't have been the short story I was needing, either!

Sheena impressed me with her grace and softness and accepting nature. She carried a heavy burden, and yes, she struggled with it, as anyone would, but she also wouldn't let it fully define and control her, either. Her spirit matched Cal's perfectly and she was able to give him what he needed: empathy, acceptance, and love.

Cal didn't shy away when he saw a woman in need, or from the hard stuff. He kept being her rescuerer every time she needed it, and the way he claimed Sheena melted my heart! 

There was so much in the book that I love to experience in my stories: low drama, high on connection/spark, fun and dangerous adventures, swoony heroes and charming heroines. Definitely loved my time with Cal and Sheena!

Entangled by Anna Lowe

Awesome jungle adventure story! A little different than expected and that made this 2nd chance love story turn out awesome!

Innocent as Sin by CA Asbrey

CA Asbrey did it again! Innocent as Sin is just as addictive and charming as her debut novel, The Innocents!

I was immediately hooked from the first page and found myself transported back in time to where we left off with Nat and Abi and Jake. We get to dig a little deeper into the history of Nat and Jake and see how their past made them the men and family they became. We also get just a few hints into Abi's past as well. The connection between Nat and Abi is just as, if not more so, magnetic but yet still fragile. But this isn’t just Nat and Abi’s story - it’s also Nat and Jake’s story as well as Jake and Abi’s story. Each relationship individually and collectively is unique and provides a necessary element to the overall story.

This book had me giggling and happy-sighing, tearing up and worrying. The interaction between Jake, Nat and Abi, how their bond was nurtured, strengthened and tested, drew me into the story so strongly that I experienced the same emotions as them. Several surprises leave you struggling to breathe and not shatter into pieces.

The twists and turns of the murder mystery provided its own form of entertaining torture in following and piecing together the clues and trying to pick up on any hints that may be easily overlooked. Just reading about the forensic techniques and tools available at the time boggled my mind in their great but limited results.

Without losing momentum from the first book, this sequel delivered everything I was expecting and more! I am anxiously waiting on pins and needles for the next in the series, and will not shy away from begging for many more to follow! (no pressure! haha!) CA Asbrey quickly solidified herself as one of my favorite authors with the way her words weave and envelop me into her world!

A Westward Adventure by Kristy McCaffrey

What a cute cute cute story!!

I was looking for something short and sweet just for an hour or so escape and this totally fit the ticket! Amelia was spunky and sassy. Ned was laid back and funny and quite the gentleman for being a rough and tumble bounty hunter. Together they were adorable! 

If you are looking for a easy going sweet read, this is one to pick up! 

Found Hearts by Cheryl Pierson

Alex and Evie are two lost hearts searching for that special someone to make their heart whole, without even realizing it. Alex just thinks of finding a mother for his two boys and Evie is just looking for a safe home. Putting blind trust in the other, Evie comes to Alex as a mail order bride. Learning to communicate deeply and fully with the other lead to them being vulnerable and letting their hearts connect. This is an insta-love quicky story that provides all the feel goods. Throw in a little danger and some motherly wisdom and you got yourself a story that packs a little punch. 

Wild Texas Hearts by Tracy Garrett

My heart melted with this slow burn romance.

Wolf and his son Cal had alot of healing to do after the death of the rest of their family. But in the midst of it, their lives entangle with Lizzie.

I loved the way Wolf was as a father, a grieving widower working through the pain, and then as the man who was figuring out what a treasure he had in Lizzie, and then not letting her go.

Lizzie, for being a not typical woman in that time frame, still had her own beautiful sense of femininity and grace, just packaged and wrapped a little differently, and gave her all to Wolf and Cal as only she could. She proved to be an amazing woman, perfect for the Richards men.

After reading Texas Gold, I was thrilled to discover that Wolf got his own hea and I loved how it turned out for him, Cal, and their Lizzie.

Hammered by Jasinda Wilder

(Dad Bod Contracting #1)

Jesse and Imogen's story sucked me in and kept me addicted! I need to find me a Dad Bod Contracting company! haha!

I loved loved LOVED that they were older (40s) and even though there was some drama with insecurities and fears, they were ADULTS about it, and it wasn't unrealistic stupid drama.

I was along for the ride with all the laughter, swoons, struggles, and wins. Plus, there's some gentle nuggets of truth weaved into the pages that I think so many of us (women especially) need to be reminded of and believe in.

Time Plains Drifter by Cheryl Pierson

Oh my goodness.  What did I just read?!?!  I wasn't prepared for what an amazingly twisted and intriguingly charming story Time Plains Drifter turned out to be!  The combination of historical western and time travel, good vs evil,  and adventure and romance had me captivated from the first page - which drops you right into the action and doesn't let up for a moment.

I don't recall reading a book that had this unique kind of world building in it - combining the supernatural with the natural and feeding you nuggets of truth for your soul along with emotional tidbits for your heart. 

Rafe and Jenni blew me away with how powerful their connection to each other was, gifting the other with strength, acceptance, and love that they both so desperately craved.  As much as this was Rafe and Jenni's story, it was also all about Cris and Rafe.  Their brotherly love and devotion to each other, no matter the cost, hits you deep inside.   

Throw in some surprising secondary characters in Beck, Cris, the kids - even Josiah - and the tangled webs continue to be weaved.

This book makes you think about how just one decision can ripple out and have untold consequences.  How when it's all on the line, how much are you truly willing to risk to dream and protect and claim.

I'm hoping that someday we'll be able to see a sequel come out to tie up the couple of loose threads, but even without, the story of the d'Angelicos feels complete with enough foreshadowing to satisfy.

If you're looking for something to make you laugh, cry, cringe, cheer, swoon, and charm, you don't
want to miss out on this deep and entertaining story.  It's a perfect read whether you're young (older teen) or old, man or woman.