Review: The West at It's Best!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 23, 2013
Outlaw Muse by Lauren LinwoodLauren Linwood’s talent for writing wonderful romantic stories has just surpassed itself!  This is an incredibly vivid romance set in the American Old West.  The characters are wonderfully written and intensely believable.  From the authentic scenery to the setting of the times this tale is a masterpiece of both romance and the old west. If we did stars…this would be a five star from me!While I’ve never been particularly fond of western stories, I have to say this one tweaked my interest and held me captive all night. It’s a page turner from the beginning to the very end.  I’ve become a Linwood fan and will continue to read her wonderful stories for as long as she wishes to put them on “paper” or screen…whatever!The story begins in America – 1859, with the sad reality of poor Irish-American children being put on an “orphan train” and sent to new families willing to “adopt” (a polite word for child slavery for the most part) children left homeless and some parentless from the cities.  Linwood did an excellent job writing the experience of these children as well as the often too true nature of those that adopted them. The main character children Serena and Bill Sullivan are such orphaned twins.  Promises made to their dying mother that they would remain together were of course, not the case.Serena a lovely girl of ten did her best to keep her brother with her, but due to having a club foot which most felt limited his ability to “work” the farm kept him from being selected and they were immediately separated.  Serena was taken by a morally dark German farmer and his wife and son.  She was immediately made to work and at night was forced to “please” the man and later his son as well in the pleasures of the flesh (at the age of 10, unfortunately not abnormal for this period).  This horrible nightmare of a childhood is treated admirably by Linwood and revealed slowly through Serena’s memories.The story continues, now in 1874 – London, with the sad story of a playwright who just couldn’t commit to love losing the lover and friend of long standing to a titled man willing to give the lady love, marriage and a family.  Daman Rutledge, third son of an English Earl and therefore having to make his own living, lost his ability to write when his ex-friend/lover died in childbirth sometime after leaving him. Do to the death of his father and his second half-brother, his only sibling left asked him to see to some family business in Texas for him.While on his brother’s business, Daman learns to adjust to the place and the work as he helps on a cattle drive from Galveston, Texas to Abilene, Kansas. Linwood gives just enough flavor of the times and the trip to let you get to know the characters and the secondary characters are unique and add their own touch to this well told story.The really interesting things begin to happen quickly now, as Daman looking for a “quieter” place to stay than the rowdy cow-town, goes to a place not far away, the small farming community of Crombar Creek. When he arrives he witnesses a hanging in progress of a beautiful young woman, he hears many women telling the crowd that the woman did nothing wrong and that the man had also forced himself on them over the years as well…during the growing unrest of the crowd and the confusion, Daman makes the most fortuitous decision of his life.  He shoves the sheriff (the guy you’ll love to hate) about to hang the woman, off the platform and proceeds to cut her down and throw her over his shoulder and runs off with her in his wagon.That’s the setup…the rest you really must read for yourselves!  Do yourself a favor and don’t miss this wonderful rollercoaster ride of adventure, romance, love and so much more.  Even if you are not normally drawn to western stories, this will thrill your romantic soul!  We have found a talented treasure in Lauren Linwood and I wish you as much enjoyment as I’ve had reading this latest offering!Copy supplied by the author for an honest review.