Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Outlaw Bride by Jenna Kernan
Historical western romance released by Harlequin Historical 1 Feb 08
Every romance in my keeper stash has a moment I call the “emotional sucker punch.” That moment in the story where the author takes all the fear, desperation, emotional intensity, wraps it around her characters, and then slams it straight into the readers’ gut. Jenna Kernan seems particularly skilled at this, and her most recent Harlequin Historical western is no exception. This book has everything I look for in a romance.
Bridget Callaghan left her family up in the Cascade Mountains determined to get help. Through sheer stubbornness, and a bit of luck, she makes it to Sacramento, only to find help in short supply. No one is crazy enough to go up into the mountains in the dead of winter – except for maybe Cole Ellis. Unfortunately for Bridget, Cole is sitting in prison waiting for a date with the hangman’s noose because he took it in his head to steal the mayor’s horse.
Cole Ellis is in prison because he wants to die. He has lost everything because of the mountains, and has given up on life. Then in waltzes Bridget, full of fire, desperation and just crazy enough to break him out of prison. No doubt about it, despite his desire to die, he admires her gumption. He makes a promise to try and save her family.
What follows is a fantastic frontier style western where hero and heroine must battle the elements to survive. The Cascade Mountains are like a secondary character to this story, fighting Cole and Bridget at every turn. Along the way secrets are revealed, desires felt, and passion ignited.
To borrow an old expression, Kernan’s heroine has “sand.” There’s a grit and determination to her that is beyond admirable. This is no flighty little miss who cowers in a corner and waits for the man to rescue her. Oh no! She knows she needs Cole Ellis to save her family, and he’s going to help her even if she has the break the law in order to get it.
It’s what these characters have been through, and what they must overcome, to achieve their happily-ever-after that makes this story so remarkable. Certainly it’s a romance. It’s a story of love, devotion and family. But it’s also a story of survival. Of one woman’s grit, stubbornness, and tenacity to fight for everything she holds dear. And that dear readers is what romance is all about. These characters earn their happily ever after, and the author wrings every last drop of emotion out of the reader in order for them to get it. Brava!
Grade: A
Summary:Breaking him out of prison was the easy part . . .
Bridget Callaghan was willing to do anything to save her family, stranded in the Cascade Mountains. The only man who could attempt such a treacherous rescue mission was Cole Ellis, but he was behind bars – and condemned to hang!
Bridget’s boldness in breaking him out of jail was the jolt Cole needed to give his life purpose again. But with a posse at their heels and the mountain looming, she couldn’t help but wonder if putting her trust in this tough, life-hardened man wasn’t the biggest danger of all . . .
Read an excerpt.
Cascade Mountains? Oh, man, I’ve got to get this book, since that’s right in my backyard (so to speak) and I’ve never read a romance set there. I read High Plains Bride by Kernan and it was wonderful. Great review! Makes me want to run out and buy it but it’s a Feb release so not in the stores anymore. Drat. Oh, wait, PBS has a copy.
Renee: I’ve read a couple of books by Kernan now, and she does have a wonderful “sense of place” in her stories. Something I didn’t mention in the review, this story also takes place pre-Civil War (1850). It gives the book more of a “frontier” feel, I think – and personally I love frontier-style westerns where the couple has to battle Mother Nature.
And in case you strike out at PBS – it’s still for sale over at Amazon and eHarlequin…..
I loved this book. I can’t speak highly enough about it. My husband read it and really liked it too.