Is her kidnapper the only man who can keep her safe?
Robbing a stagecoach on Christmas Eve and abducting a woman passenger is the last thing Luke Sullivan expected to do. He just wanted to reclaim the money stolen from his pa, but instead ends up rescuing a feisty copper-haired woman who was on her way to marry Sullivan’s dangerous enemy.
Emily McCarthy doesn’t take kindly to her so-called rescue. Still, she’s hoping Providence will turn her stituation for good, especially when it seems Luke Sullivan may just be the man of her dreams. But Luke has crossed a vicious man, a powerful rancher not used to losing, and Emily is the prize he’s unwilling to sacrifice.
The Vigilante’s Bride isn’t your typical romance, and it’s definitely not your typical inspirational romance. Harris pushes the bounds of Christian romance in a new and refreshing way.
The story opens with our heroine being asked, forcibly, to leave the orphanage, the only home she’s ever. Without giving her an option, the board of directors at the orphanage answers a newspaper ad that will bind Emily in matrimony to a man not of her choosing. Fortunately for Emily, fate intervenes in the guise of a stagecoach robbery.
As a reader I can buy the difficult circumstances, giving a woman during this period little choice, but there are times when Emily’s character does not always stay the course. It is difficult to believe that she would willingly accept her fate when it comes to leaving the orphanage, yet fight the hero every step of the way even after she meets her would be husband. But, I have to say, even with the inconsistencies, I do admire Emily’s feisty nature, which comes in handy in difficult situations.
Our hero, Luke Sullivan, is far from perfect. And I like him. A lot. He definitely gets cowboy of the year award from me. The author does an excellent job portraying a man wandering his way back to God, especially with this wounded alpha type. Luke is the quiet-intelligent type, even if he is a bit rash in a few of his actions. There are several scenes that I absolutely loved finding in a Christian inspirational. I could tell you what they are, but then I’d have to tie a rope to the nearest tree. 🙂
The romance between the two is near perfect, even if their love is resolved much sooner than I would have liked. I did miss the much-anticipated black moment that one would expect from two very dominate personalities, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any *sigh* moments, because there were. And delicious ones, too.
My biggest complaint about The Vigilante’s Bride is some confusion involving the land rights. There were a few times when I had to go back and read to figure out what was what. However, the confusion is very minor and does not take away from the story.
If you’re looking for an out-of-the-box inspirational that pushes the bounds then I highly recommend this novel. Even with the minor issues, The Vigilante’s Bride is a definite keeper.