Review: Short Western Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 19, 2011
After nearly 10 years Rancher Austin Cade returns to Liberty, Missouri looking for help from the James-Younger gang in recovering his stolen prized mare. Once in town, he finds Darcy, the first girl he ever kissed and never forgotten. Darcy never forgot Austin either, but thought he died in the war. Soon, Darcy and Austin start remembering what it was like to be together and trying to let go of the tragedies in their past. But danger surrounds Darcy as she acts as a go-between for her notorious cousin Jesse James and passes along Austin's request for a meeting.ALMOST AN OUTLAW was a satisfying short read. Even though it was short, it was packed full of emotions and fleshed out characters. I really liked both Darcy and Austin. Darcy had a disappointing marriage that ended with her husband's death for which she blames herself. Unable to let go of the past, she's still wearing widow's black even after 3 years. Austin lost his mother as a teenager and went on a rampage. Known as the White Comanche, Austin was a vigilante gunslinger who saved Darcy's life once.The story flowed nicely and wasn't bogged down. The mystery of what happened to the horse is answered pretty early on, but the danger to Darcy and the gang was nicely handled. The mystery and danger were not the focus of this story--it was the romance.The conflict between Darcy and Austin was believable and heartfelt. No-it wasn't "the misunderstanding." I appreciated how it wasn't sugar coated and how Austin just told Darcy how it is. It was harsh truth, but I liked Austin more for just saying it.The story could have been longer and more developed, but I liked it just how it was.(74 pages)