Review: All the things I love about Western romances
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 10, 2014
I had read Renegade's Bride (one of my favorite all time romances) and Renegade's Kiss a while back so I was excited to pick up this first novel in the series. It should be noted that they all can be read standalone.From the beginning, I was pulled into all the elements I love in Westerns: the rugged frontier, rough and seedy characters, the sense of being on the edge of a wild and lawless place. Best of all are those gritty heroes with a sense of honor! Holt wins Kieran in a card game, but the man who holds her father's debt isn't willing to let her go so he comes chasing after them. The two are eventually forced to pose as a married couple (another favorite storyline!) in a trek across the frontier, evading the villain while fighting their own growing feelings for each other.One of the great things about reading historicals for me is how it's not so easy to jump into each others arms. I've always loved Barbara Ankrum's books for the sexual tension and the build of attraction between the hero and heroine. Holt's Gamble is a wonderful example of that. I recommend it for lovers of old school Westerns and also recommend the next two books in the series which get even better.