Review of Lady Broke

[Barbara Ann RS]

Lady Broke is a great historical romance set in the Wild West during late 1800’s, with a cast of ruthless outlaws, a handsome bounty hunter bent on revenge, and a strong-willed young lady determined to defy her father’s demand that she settle for a marriage she does not want.

The heroine of the story is Christie who travels to Nevada to help her Uncle Will and Cousin Leigh after the recent death of her aunt. Her offer of assistance also provides a temporary reprieve from her father’s insistence that she get married. He has already found a suitable husband for her athough she’s never even met the man. During a time when women’s options for the future were limited, I admire her quest for independence, even if it means she must leave behind a family that she adores and the comforts of living in a genteel Boston society.

Just as Christie is adjusting to life in the uncivilized world of the west, she inadvertently becomes the target of a notorious gang of outlaws, after she witnesses a robbery by the Everrett brothers who are able to elude bounty hunter, Nat Randall, and make their escape. Nat is hot on their trail and his sole mission in life is to capture the brothers and bring them to justice. His search for them brings him into contact with the frustratingly stubborn Christie who can identify one of the brothers and wants to testify against him knowing that this may put her life in danger. She refuses to heed Nat’s harsh warning to stay out of the fray if she wants to stay alive, and their antagonistic relationship becomes even more complicated because Nat can’t seem to stop kissing her. Christie is the first woman in a very long time that’s turned his head, but he refuses to let her distract him from finding the Everett brothers. Very few people know how important their capture is to him. He has a personal vendetta against the men and will not stop until he gets revenge.

The arrogant, bull-headed Nat Randall is the last thing Christie needs in her life. He awakens a passion in her that she has never known, and she does not need a man like him to complicate her life. However, a series of dramatic events keep drawing them back into each other’s lives no matter how much they try to resist each other.  Christie is young and a bit naïve, but her quick wits, confidence, and determination help her survive the danger she faces. I like that even in the midst of perilous situations, Christie is still able to show compassion, put others before herself, and forgive the mistakes of the people she loves.  I know that Nat is a good man, but the guilt he carries with him and his single-minded search to find the Everrett brothers are barriers that prevent him from moving forward with his life and cause a lot of heartache for both Christie and him. Nat is a flawed hero, and the undeserving way he treats Christie some of the time shows he isn’t ready for an emotional commitment no matter how attracted he is to her beauty and sassy personality.  Nevertheless, they are a great match for one another, and I can’t help but root for them to eventually find their way to each other.

Lady Broke is an engaging, well-written story with the flavor typical of westerns, complete with a robbery, stagecoach holdup, gunfighting, kidnapping, and a sensual romance with steamy passion that made for a pleasant reading experience.

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. 

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