Lawman in the High Lonesome by Rosanne Bittner

Like the enthralling rugged beauty of the Outlaw Trail, Lawman in the High Lonesome provides a breath-catching journey through tragedies and triumphs.

I loved experiencing the depth and breadth of emotions and adoration shown from both Matt and Elly with their families and then towards each other. They both had heavy burdens of grief they were healing from, and together they were able help with that healing. Elly needed someone who would desire her for more than just a helpmate - need and love her for herself, and Matt needed someone he could protect and cherish - and to stand up to him and beside him. Their gut-deep attraction and connection kept pulling them back together, and circumstances allowed for them both to be willing to dive in and take a chance on the other and not let a good thing get away.

I loved how the whole world came to life around me, both in the vast wild-west setting and in the variety of supporting characters. Wisdom and love from Matt's mother, villainous surprises from the bad guys, kindness and sweetness from the trio of prostitutes, the devotion from Elly's best friend - it all weaves together to deliver an engrossing story that you don't want to have end.

This was just the kind of epic, sweep-me-off-my-feet historical western romance story I've been needing to escape into. And yet again, another Rosanne Bittner story has found it's way to my favorite shelf.

Some favorite quotes:

God simply chose you to be one of His avenging angels rather than a preacher. You were never meant to be docile and forgiving. You’re a good person, Matt, but the way you go about it is different from your father.

She just wanted to be a full woman again, loved simply for who she was, faults and all. Just loved.

Life could be so damn cruel. If things were different, a woman like Elly would have been the perfect answer to his loneliness. He knew instinctively he could fall in love with a woman like that.

Well, I know from experience that a woman can get under a man’s skin and create an itch that drives him crazy.

She loved watching him do anything. There was such a masculine sureness about him. She felt so safe.

Ride the High Lonesome by Rosanne Bittner

Raw and poignant, Ride the High Lonesome seizes your attention from the start and keeps you spellbound until the end.

Fate intertwines Kate with Luke, at first simply for survival, and then as time goes on, as a peaceful solace to their hearts. In a time and place where surviving was a constant challenge, they provided motivation and strength to each other, quickly becoming the ideal match for each other. While both had a past that created mental wounds in desperate need of healing, that vulnerability left them open to the beauty they could find together. The trials encountered built the solid foundation and trust needed to heal and move forward, claiming the good out of life they both needed and desired.

I adored being there as Kate found her strength again, let go of her loneliness and fears, and settled into the love and security Luke provided. I think she's alot like most women out there - stronger and braver than she realized, and just needed the right encouragement and time to claim that for herself. I loved Luke's deep sense of honor, respect, protectiveness, and determination. He carried a heavy burden and had some dark demons messing with him, but he dug deep and didn't allow them to destroy the good he found in his Kate. Luke had his moments of larger-than-life virility, but it was perfectly woven in with moments of vulnerability and a touch of [make you wanna growl at him], keeping him real-to-life.

This story quickly became one of my top favorite Rosanne Bittner tales, with the emotional impact, epic story-telling, and the charm of an captivating love story. Bringing the wild vastness of Wyoming to life around me, I felt transported back in time and became lost in a different reality. I took my time reading this book just because I wanted to soak up every moment spent with Luke and Kate and didn't want it to end. And when it was over, after I took a few moments to soak it all in, I jumped back in to reread favorite parts... and I can't wait to revisit them again and again!