The Bounty Hunter's Bride

I've loved Victoria Bylin's Harlequin Historicals, partly because they have a thread of spirituality. Writing for Love Inspired Historical gives her the opportunity to weave a stronger faith element into the story which only strengthens the depth of the characters and the story line. The Bounty Hunter's Bride is a wonderful story of redemption and of the healing power of love--love between a man and a woman and God's love for us. This one is going on my keeper shelf to re-read while I wait for the next one. Sharon Gillenwater

The Bounty Hunter's Bride by http://www.victoriabylin.com Dani Baxter arrives out West to discover the man for whom she is a mail-order bride has died, leaving his orphaned children in the care of his brother. But Beau Morgan doesn't think he wants a family; he wants revenge on the man who killed his wife. Dealing with love and loss, the balance between justice and revenge, and understanding how God's hand can be amidst the heartache creates a compelling read all on their own. When one adds Vicki's special talent for creating whole characters with whom the reader can relate, her ability to tell a great story, and the message of how the Lord heals the wounded heart, you gain a story that is satisfying from beginning to end.

After Of Men and Angels, I knew this author wouldn't disappoint me. I thoroughly enjoyed Dani and Beau's story. The author took a few turns that surprised me, and as a writer that's always a plus. I like it when the story heads a direction I didn't expect. Victoria writes about children well, a skill in itself. I felt as though I knew the secondary characters, too, especially Josh and Adie. I liked that the tale was a little gritty, because the details made the setting and characters realistic in a time period I love.

Victoria Bylin write male characters who are believable. In The Bounty Hunter's Bride, a warm and touching historical romance, I thought I could smell the stink coming off hero Beau Morgan when he came off the range into town badly in need of a bath. Dani Baxter gets off a train in the Colorado Rocky Mountains expecting to meet the finace she's been writing too, but he's not there. She hires a buggy and goes out to his ranch only to find he died five day before and the fate of the three little girls she's come to love via her letters is now in the hands of a man full of vengence. Beau Morgan is her fiance's brother and a bounty hunter who's too full of hate for the man who killed his wife to let himself love again, even though he begins to realize his attraction for Dani. An maternal aunt hires Pinkerton detectives to check Beau Morgan out and challenges whether he's fit to have custody of his brother's daughters. So, Beau proposes to Dany, but only as a marriage of convenience. The marriage will be in name only to keep them out of the reach of this aunt who is quick to hit as a way of disciplining chilfen. As Beau chases the man who killed his wife down a canyon, a flash flood almost kills him and his horse. Then the outlaw aims his rifle at Beau and gets the drop on him, and Beau is sure he's going to die before he can marry Dani.

I just loved this book. It's a sweet, tender, and inspirational love story set in the old west. It was truly heartwarming to read a book like this and I highly recommend it.