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I’m typically not much for Western Romances but several Inspirational writers have recently lured me into this market. Ms. Brownley is one of them. Her books tend to have light, fun plots with a sweet love story that just puts a smile on my face. This one was no exception. 
Maggie Cartwright is a Pinkerton detective and darn good at her job. Her latest assignment is a case that has been frustrating the agency for several years. A train robbery that left one man dead has law enforcement and Pinkertons alike completely baffled. The eyewitness description is more than a bit hazy, and the only physical clue is a money clip with the initials G.T. Then a break in the case happens – five hundred-dollar bills from the robbery show up in Arizona Territory. Maggie and her partner Chuck “Rikker” Greenwood are dispatched to the town where the money appeared. Their mission is to prove that Garrett Thomas, the local tinker, is the Whistle-Stop Bandit. To that end, Maggie will play the part of the mail-order bride he requested.
Right away Maggie gets more than she bargained for. Garrett’s aunt turns up to plan their wedding and puts her under a deadline. Garrett’s children almost immediately worm their way into her heart. And Maggie finds herself falling hard under the spell of Garrett, whose name might match the initials on the money clip and whose looks might match those described by the witness but whose demeanor is far from what she expects. As she goes about her daily life and uncovers a shocking lack of evidence she is increasingly under pressure. Not only is she thisclose to falling in love, her wedding day is looming just ahead. Somehow she finds the thought less scary than enticing.
The nice thing about the false identity romance plot is that it comes with a built-in conflict. We know that the hero and heroine are at some point going to have a come-to-Jesus moment where the truth must be told and the lies hit the fan and leave muck all over people. At the start of this particular novel that added a nice edge to the tale. We watch Maggie and Garrett fall in love and our hearts beat a little bit faster over trepidation of just how the fall out will take place. Will Garrett prove to be a complete jerk or will he be forgiving and understanding? Is it even possible to be forgiving and understanding when you have been that thoroughly deceived? (Of course it is, this is a romance novel.)
One quibble I had though is that I felt the moment of confrontation came a bit too late in the story and just had way too much baggage attached with it. Most people wouldn’t forgive anywhere near as easily as Garrett did given everything that had happened and I just found it more than a bit unbelievable that the two wound up working things out with a minimal amount of angst. In fact, believability, that complete stretching of my suspension of disbelief, was the big drawback to the book for me. The depiction of the community, the fact that everyone found it acceptable for Garrett and Maggie to live together without marriage or chaperone (unless one counts two young children) stretched my credulity a tad too much.
Fortunately, the book has lots of positive aspects that more than balance that out. The characters are charming, the romance heartfelt, the mystery intriguing. I might have guessed who one of the bank robbers was early on but the partner left me baffled to the end. More importantly, the author blended serious and light with a master hand, delivering a tale that was enjoyable and fun without being complete fluff.
This is an Inspirational so faith and God were discussed regularly but I didn’t feel preached at in any way. If you’re looking for a tale that is more heartfelt and sunny than realistic I think this just might be the book for you.
I've been an avid reader since 2nd grade and discovered romance when my cousin lent me Lord of La Pampa by Kay Thorpe in 7th grade. I currently read approximately 150 books a year, comprised of a mix of Young Adult, romance, mystery, women's fiction, and science fiction/fantasy.
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Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.