Sandy M’s review of The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon
Historical Romance published by Lake Union Publishing 9 Apr 24
This is one of those stories in which we know the ending. As I read this heartfelt and utterly emotional book, I kept putting it down as it came closer and closer to that ending, not wanting it to go down in the same way we’ve heard for years. In spite of that, Amy Harmon gives us a romance for the ages.
Butch Cassidy has decided to change his outlaw ways and find a life he perhaps could have had if he’d done things differently. One of those things is having love and a family of his own. When he meets world-renowned singer Jane Touissant, his wish for normal and happy isn’t to be – he’s leaving the country on the morrow to get as far away as possible from those men who will never let him live if he’s ever apprehended. Becoming Noble Salt the night they meet is quite fortuitous as their lives intersect over time.
Jane has also lived a horrendous life, despite her fame, surviving only by sheer will and eventually for her son, after years of abuse by an English nobleman distantly related to her husband/manager, who turns a blind eye at every turn. When her son Agustus comes along, she is determined to flee once her husband is out of the picture. And she nearly makes it.
Fortunately, Noble is in Paris at the same time she is and once again hears Jane perform, and their meeting this time is very different. Though they start out with a business arrangement, Butch has been in love with her for years, but Jane is slow to move in that direction. She’s never trusted a man in her entire life, and with Noble being a breath of fresh air, little by little he wins her over, especially when she sees his love for her son. Gus practically steals every scene as this story progresses, and he brought me to tears late in the book when it seems all is lost and hell is about to break loose. All his scenes with Noble are both delightfully happy and incredibly sad.
The way Noble brings Jane into love is as soul searing as it is heart breaking. The way Jane finally believes in that love and willingly allows it to envelop them is all consuming and breathtaking. I have never been more grateful for creative license in all my 50+ years of reading. Ms. Harmon is a master at delivering stories that grab you from word one and never let you go until all tears, fears, excitement, love, and every other emotion known to man is nearly spent – nearly, because these characters and their story will stay with you in all those iterations even after you have closed the book.
If you’ve not read Amy Harmon, her books are in Kindle Unlimited and right now very decently priced if you don’t subscribe. Start with this one. I guarantee you will be amazed and crave more of her wonderful work.
Grade: A+
Summary:
When infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy decides to go straight, he discovers that too many of the powerful men he crossed won’t let bygones be bygones. To have a chance at a new life, he’ll have to become someone else entirely.
A brief, fateful encounter with the celebrated singer Jane Touissant on the eve of his escape offers a glimpse of what might have been, but Butch disappears, leaving her behind, until their paths unexpectedly converge again in Paris.
Despite having discovered his true identity, Jane trusts the outlaw and enlists his protection on her upcoming American tour. Although Butch is reluctant to agree, fearing his sordid past may put the woman and her young son in danger, the salvation she offers is too hard to resist.
As they set forth on their journey, Butch’s past and Jane’s secrets put them at risk from threats far greater than the law, and this legend of the American West will have to decide what matters most—his life, his legacy, or the woman he loves.
No excerpt available.
