I received a complimentary copy of this book and I also purchased a copy.

I am giving this 10 gold stars (meaning Out of this World!!!!!) What a wonderful way to kick off a new series! I adored this story of Clay Colby and a bunch of outlaws who are basically good men that life threw a curve ball at them. Clay dreams of building a town and starting anew in the Texas land. Unfortunately two other women have turned him down already. Clay hopes that this new woman will be the old to help him in his quest. Monday dawns bright and early but another set of outlaws have burnt down the few buildings that they have built. Good Lord, Clay hates Mondays!

Luke and Josie arrive with Talley Shannon. She traveled to marry Clay to get away from her past. Her evil stepmother kills her father and older brother before putting Talley into a mental institution with instructions to kill her but not before making her suffer! Talley was able to escape and lived amongst other escapees. Talley dreams of a loving home and agrees to marry Clay. When Talley leaves to meet Clay, another escapee, a young blind 8 year old girl, Violet becomes distraught. Talley brings Violet with her.

Life for the three of them is a challenging one. There are many hurdles they have to overcome to get to really becoming a family.

This book is written in a dual POV format. That helps me to really connect and identify with the characters. I was really saddened to see this story end but look forward to the next one.

This is a slightly sexy story. There was nothing graphic in nature and the scenes were beautifully written. I highly recommend this story if you adore the alpha male with an equally strong female. I adore historical romances and this one is one that you shouldn't miss.

“Sometimes a person had to cling to hope no matter how slender the thread.”

The Mail Order Bride’s Secret by Linda Broday is Book Three of the Outlaw Mail Order Bride Series. While all the books can stand alone, don’t do it! The characters overlap, and each book is a treasure to be enjoyed and savored.

In 1881, Hope’s Crossing in the Texas Panhandle is home to outlaws, renegades, and anyone else looking for a new beginning and a fresh start. Tait Trinity is the star of The Mail Order Bride’s Secret and next in line for a bride. But this particular intended bride, Melanie Dunbar, has a secret as big as Texas and a hidden agenda that could very well spell the end of Tait Trinity. But what is a young lady to do when her life and her twin sister’s life are at stake?

Tait is a wanted outlaw, holed up in Hope’s Crossing and biding his time until he can hopefully secure a pardon for his crimes and begin anew as a free man. Melanie is the daughter of a gambling father who has no qualms about leaving his twin girls to take the heat as he escapes into the night to avoid an angry town. But Melanie is no shrinking violet and has seen her share of saloons, bedrooms, and card games. When Melanie finally arrives in Hope’s Crossing to meet Tait in person, she finds a smoldering hunk of a man and his recently orphaned niece and twin nephews. The situation for both of them has taken a decidedly unexpected turn. Watching these two navigate a new relationship and handle two angry and frightened young boys and their adorable three-year-old little sister will make you laugh and turn you to mush.

Linda Broday has created a believable Texas world and populated it with all sorts of wonderful characters, both good and bad; young and old, who entice, intrigue, and entertain. For Melanie, her marriage to Tait starts off as nothing more than a cruel sham to save herself and her sister, but can she come clean and throw the truth down at Tait’s feet? Can the love they are beginning to feel conquer the betrayal and the danger headed their way? It is only a matter of time before Tait must face the consequences of his past and Melanie must face an incredibly hard decision.

A main theme in The Mail Order Bride’s Secret (in the entire series, actually), is family and what it means to be a family. Children play a vital, contributing role in all these stories, and it is interesting to see how gruff outlaws and women who never knew they wanted children rise to the occasion when children are in need of family and love.

While revenge and shootouts are served up and dished out, The Mail Order Bride’s Secret is ultimately about trust, loyalty, love, and the sweet human need for companionship, family, and friends. Even as the romance heats up between Tait and Melanie, the danger and drama run high as these two first face off against each other before joining forces to outwit and outmaneuver an extremely bad man with an old grudge and no scruples whatsoever in how he exacts revenge. Keep a close eye on Melanie’s father because he is full of surprises and may just steal your heart, and one recurring character in Hope’s Crossing that I personally want to read more about is Dr. Mary and her necklace made of bullets.

I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.

Former outlaw, Clay Colby is waiting for his mail order bride. He and others are trying to straighten up their lives and build a town. Just when his bride is to arrive, some no good burns it down. He knows that when his wife gets there, she will never stay. Tally Shannon and a little girl that she has grown attached to, show up. She is a strong woman who has escaped a asylum, placed there by a stepmother who wants her dead. Tally wants protection for her and Violet, who is blind. Clay and Tally get married and live together peaceably until ghosts thought long gone come back into their lives. Will they be able to vanquish them and make this new beginning work? It's a trip back into the wild West where towns and lives were being started. Weak people should not apply because they won't make it. When you have people standing with you, it makes a difference. I loved this book. The old West comes alive in the pages of this book. I received this book from Net Galley and SourceBooks, Casablanca for a honest review.

The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride is the first book in the outlaw mail order bride series, which is connected to some of Broday’s previous series so it was really fun to see old favorites that connected to this story. This story was a unique twist on mail order brides and I really liked that it wasn’t your average mail order bride romance but with all the aspect of the “wild west” that you can admire and Linda Broday has always done a wonderful job in crafting beautifully penned westerns and this story is no different.

Clay and Talley is a pairing that takes us on a journey to the wild west. Clay is lonely, he craves someone to love and to grew old with and someone to raise children with. He hasn’t had the best luck in women, who seem never able to be strong enough to stick by his side through the hard stuff and he tends to always be abandoned by women he thought he could care about in the long haul. But he tries one more time with Talley, who he thinks might just be strong enough to stick with him no matter what. Talley has been living in hell for years. Her step mother, after her father and brother were killed suspiciously, forced her into an insane asylum and she went through hell and now that she is free, she is determined to free the iinnocent women being held there. Some of them with mental disabilities and others innocent, but tossed in because family members didn’t want them. One, a little girl, she rescued who is blind and has adopted her of a sort as her daughter. Talley doesn’t know if her marriage with Clay will work though because she is being hunted by those who run the asylum but she will do everything that she can to protect her daughter. Clay and Talley ‘s relationship is strained at first, but soon they develop a strong affection for each other, an affection that builds into something more stronger. But Talley has her reservations and doesn’t trust men easily, but she realizes that Clay is strong and kind enough to take her on and protect her from the dangers that hunt them

The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride is a stunning romance that sweeps the reader off their feet pretty instantly. What I truly loved about this story was the beautiful love that builds between Clay and Talley. Now at first, I wasn’t quite on board with the heroine, she tended to leave when things get tough, always running but she does learn her lesson pretty quickly. My issue with the heroine is that she tended to break her promises to Clay and take the cowards way out with no protection and anything. But I love that her daughter truly helps her see that Clay can be trusted and that he is strong enough for them both. Even though the girl is terrified of men, she slowly begins to trust Clay and loved their beautiful father-daughter relationship form. Clay is one of the best heroes’ you can read. He is strong, protective, kind and understanding. He never judges either of his girls and just accepts and loves them for who they are and even though he has been burned bad by women in the past he doesn’t let that keep him from true happiness with Talley.

Overall I found Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride to be a stunning story of adventure, edgy suspense, tender moments to delighten you and a romance to cheer on!!

Former outlaw Clay Colby is abuzz with his mail order bride's expected arrival. He's fought long and hard to drag Devil's Crossing out of lawlessness...so when his homestead is set ablaze by a bitter rival, he's heartbroken. There's no woman in the world who'd stand by him now. But Tally Shannon is no ordinary woman. After escaping the psychiatric hospital in which she was wrongfully detained, Tally only wants someone to protect her and the little girl under her care. She doesn't mind that Clay's home is dang near burned to the ground—not when he makes her feel so safe. So cherished. But it's only a matter of time before the ghosts of her past come calling...and her loving cowboy must defend his new bride—and the family they built together—to his very last breath
This was a good story. I liked both main characters as well as the side characters. I really rooted for Clay and Tally as they try to build their lives (and town) together. I look forward to reading more from this author.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride, by Linda Broday is a 2019 Sourcebooks Casablanca publication.

Fast-paced adventure with strong, well-drawn characters!

Clay Colby is a former outlaw trying to live his life on the up and up. He’s worked tirelessly to bring law and order to Devil’s Crossing. But just when his new bride is set to arrive, his homestead is set ablaze by a bitter enemy. Now, he’s sure his future wife will decide he’s not worth sticking around for.

Talley Shannon’s life has been very hard. She’s just made a daring escape from a psychiatric hospital, from which she was wrongfully detained, and is trying to build a new life for herself and the little girl she has taken charge of.

Despite the scene she observes upon her arrival, she feels safe with Clay and is determined to go through with the marriage. However, she and Clay both have demons from the past nipping at their heels, and despite the increasingly passionate feelings developing between them, those demons are bound to catch up to them sooner or later-

To be honest, this is the first western historical romance I’ve read in ages and ages. I read my fair share of them back in the eighties and nineties when the genre was super popular- albeit politically incorrect, a lot of the time. (They aren't now, of course!) The genre didn’t entirely disappear, but Regency period romances rose in popularity to the point of pulling off what basically amounted to a coup d'état on the entire genre. All other historical time periods fell from favor after that. Oh, sure, there are still authors out there who stayed with the genre, and newer authors who carved out a niche for themselves writing about the western frontier, but they aren’t nearly as plentiful as they used to be.

While I am a big fan of Sourcebooks Casablanca publishing, and their contemporary writers, by the time I realized they published a few western historical romance series, I was pretty burned out and frustrated with the entire historical romance genre in general- with a few notable exceptions for favorite authors.

But, when I was offered a chance to promote this book on my blog by the publisher and by Lone Star Book Blog Tours, I decided to take a leap of faith- and I am so glad I did!

I loved this story!! The characters are bold and brave, the pacing is brisk, with smoldering sensuality and lots of action and adventure. There is a plot I can sink my teeth into, but it is also a heartwarming and inspirational story.

This book was a very welcome change of pace for me and reminded me of how good these western romances can be, and how much I miss reading them. I also loved the colorful and vibrant cover of this book which is in keeping with the sweet romantic dances the main characters enjoyed in the story.

Overall, the authenticity and the excellent storytelling, makes this one a five -star read!! I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series.

I love a mail order bride story. I used to be addicted to stories of the wild west but for some reason I got burned out. This story brought me right back. I loved the characters! He is a former outlaw who now is bring law to his lawless town and she escaped from a psychiatric hospital where she was wrongly detained. How can these two not draw you in?? Highly recommend!

Sometimes you see the title of a book and you just hafta. Outlaw + Mail Order Bride... yeah, that caught my fancy and I was eager to jump into the next exciting Western Historical romantic adventure by an author who has written some of my favorites in the genre. And, it was a good call. This book gripped me from page one and I was engaged with the characters and their struggles and wanting them to find their happiness nearly more than they did.

The Outlaw's Mail Order Bride is the start of a new series. But, surprise! I loved that this series is a spin off from the last book in the Men of Legend series, To Marry a Texas Outlaw, Luke and Josie's story. For those who read that, remember the fugitive women that Luke knew out in that canyon and some of his equally tarnished hero outlaw friends? Yep, we are getting their stories now.

The story opens on a dramatic scene when Clay wakes to the day his mail order bride is to arrive and hopes she is the kind of woman who can live simple, work hard, and believe in his dream of starting over. Then an outlaw and his cronies who don't want reform and a new town of hope burn up Clay and the other's hard work and threaten more if he doesn't quit. So, he only has smoldering buildings, a dugout cabin and a tent city to greet Talley. This is it for him and he will give his all to make it happen, but the past just won't let him, it seems.
Tally has her own demons to slay and she doesn't have much trust and hope left after the horrendous things that have been done to her, but the sight of Clay's resolve and his gentleness with blind little Violet. She's willing to take just one more chance to find the unconditional love and acceptance with a man and family of her own that she's always wanted even if she has to work hard beside Clay to have it.

Things are really hard for both Clay and Tally to get a new start. They are both wanted outlaws and circumstances more than evil intent now have them paying. My heart broke for both of them and all the other men and women outlaws who wanted a second chance and were corresponding back and forth with Luke and Josie acting as the go betweens.

Clay and Tally were strong people and there was a spark between them from the beginning. Wariness on both their parts, but longing and vulnerability too. They were amazing together and I loved seeing their frontier life and the town come into shape as their relationship grew as well.

One thing I love about this author's historical westerns- okay two things- is the attention to historical details and making sure her stories fit in with the authentic background of the times. I also appreciate that she isn't afraid to make frontier life a little dark and gritty which also lends itself to giving the story a good balance of romance and realism. The bad guys were tough and made the conflict formidable. The tension leading up to the big showdowns kept me flipping pages just as much as the fabulous hard-fought romance.

The surrounding cast of characters from both their posse of friends were just as wonderful as the romance pair. This book was the set up for all these others to get their story, too.

All in all, I was enthralled and can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. Historical western romance fans, we have a winner. Grab it!

My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Outlaw's Mail Order Bride is fast paced and action-packed, and plenty of nail-biting moments - along with a few twists and surprises I didn't see coming. It's not a sweet, soft fluffy romance - this is a story with teeth, and the characters endure some pretty difficult circumstances.

But lest you forget, this IS indeed a romance novel as well, and the love story between Clay and Tally - along with a few steamy scenes - is a good one. This is story of finding love, starting over, overcoming adversity, and of learning that there is more to people than how they appear on the surface.

Linda Broday is a master at pulling you into a story and plucking at your heartstrings, and this novel definitely has its share of tragedy that plays well into the desperate, desolate setting of the Old West. Her character development is wonderful as is her imagery, and there are wonderful secondary characters in this tale whose own stories I hope to see in future editions of this series.

Last summer, I participated in the book tour of Linda Broday's previous book TO CATCH A TEXAS STAR in which I provided an excerpt from that book for my post that continues to be my #1 most viewed content! Broday's fans absolutely adore her, and when this book popped up for tour, I HAD to find out more about these stories that hold such a deeply special place in the hearts of her readers! This book was a fantastic place to start within two genres that I don't immediately reach for, Westerns and Romance. The author's passion for writing these stories truly translates to the page, making everything vividly come alive within the picturesque beauty of the Texas landscape!

Action-packed from beginning to end, this story was not only gripping, but provided some deeply compelling and heartfelt moments that made it hard to pull away from. Although this was the first book of a new series, the story falls within the sweeping saga of the author's previous works. And while there is no need to have read any of those prior books to understand this story, there was just enough information about previous events and characters that has me intrigued to pick up more as I wait for the next installment!

"This was his final chance to change."

As an outlaw, Clay is far from perfect, but his heart of gold and willingness to seek redemption make you root for his happy ending despite the many setbacks along the way. Tally's brutally harrowing circumstances could have very well broken her, but she is determined to write her own future. Together, they empower each other and are a force to be reckoned with. Their relationship displays strong character development throughout the course of the story despite such a quick introduction through the underground mail order bride service. While it completely makes sense within the context of the story, I have to agree with a previous reviewer, that I too would have loved seeing how they came to know one another through their letters to ultimately cement a decision to wed. The fact that we aren't privy to such intimate details in no way diminishes the story by any means, but rather spotlighted a personal preference that would have perhaps taken it to another level.

"It's best to remember, girl - even the most saintly people have a past, things they've done wrong, regrets aplenty. And every sinner has a future."

This cast of characters is some of the liveliest bunch of people I have ever read! Each was so distinctly drawn that the reading experience became a source of visual viewing pleasure in my mind. Aside from the obvious handful of rotten apples that you'll despise without question, there are several stand outs that initially leave a bad taste; however, just don't judge too quickly because you may find yourself rooting for them as well! This merry band of misfits is seeking a second chance and building a community from the ground up that they can finally call their forever home. I look forward to returning to this town to bear witness to its development as well given the author's ability to capture the harsh realities of the wild Texas frontier in such an amazingly detailed and riveting way so as to make it a character onto itself.

While incredibly heartbreaking at times, the story offers a rich sense of hope throughout that leads to a touching and satisfying hard won happily ever after. Readers will be truly captivated!

It’s no surprise (to me at least) that when a new Linda Broday book becomes available on the Lone Star Lit Tours, I jump at the chance to read it. This is the fifth book of Ms. Broday’s that I’m reviewing! Besides the obvious reasons to pick up The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride (which had me at Western Romance), the two aspects of Ms. Broday’s books that I love the most is that secondary characters from one series find their own happy endings in the next series and that we get to catch up with characters that we already know and love.

In this novel, we meet up with Clay from The Heart of a Texas Cowboy and Tally, the de facto leader of the women living in Deliverance Canyon after escaping from Creedmore Asulum. The two met through Luke and Josie’s mail order bride service.

Clay is a good man with a rough past. (I always love a good guy hiding behind a bad boy.) He’s looking for someone to share his burdens of establishing his dream town and starting a family. He’s romantic as well:

"I’ll gladly work my fingers to the bone every second of every day if it means taking worry from you. I chose to care for you from the start and that hasn’t changed. This is what a true husband does for his wife. Never feel guilty for anything where I’m concerned."

Clay sees what his wife needs and provides it for her and their new family before anyone asks. Great husband material!

Tally is a strong woman. She had to be to survive the horrors at Creedmore and to care for the other women who escaped. She’s also always bringing home strays, children and adults alike. She puts her faith in herself, as she believes no one else is worth trusting. In spite of all she’s been through, I appreciate that she still finds it in herself to care for others. I admire her perseverance. But also, I admire her ability to still believe in love in spite of everything.

Both main characters show a great deal of growth and development throughout the novel, learning to trust and love throughout the novel. I especially welcome how Clay is willing to give Tally time. Time to heal, time to learn, and time to trust.

The fully developed secondary characters in Ms. Broday’s novels are just as crucial to the story-telling as our main characters. in The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride, we get to catch up with Luke and Josie, and the other Legend brothers. We also have an appearance by Dr. Mary. I love Dr. Mary! A strong character on her own, our resident doctor has great medical knowledge. Dr. Mary even makes me wonder if tattoo removal was actually a thing in 1879. We also get to know the other outlaws in town, a former saloon gal, Bullet the dog, and the most unlikely surrogate grandfather\granddaughter pairing of a blind girl and a crotchety old outlaw.

My one struggle with this novel is that the romance between Clay and Tally moves really fast. Yes, they did write letters back and forth before meeting in person, hence the Mail Order portion of the title. I did find the relationship and feelings between Clay and Tally to be real and believable. But still, the romance and feelings move fast. I would truly have liked to read those letters between Clay and Tally so I could see how their relationship builds.

I can see the prospective future stories with the other inhabitants of Hope’s Crossing and I’m eagerly anticipating them! And in case you are wondering, no, you don’t need to have read Ms. Broday’s other books to enjoy this one. But you may very well want to read them after finishing it!

Kudos to Ms. Broday for another great Western Romance.

I love a good spinoff series, and this did not disappoint. Clay and Tally’s story is so good. Clay is
the perfect hero. He is trustworthy, hardworking, and takes care of those around him. Tally is a great equal to Clay in that she is scared but unbreakable, hardworking and takes care of those around her. This story took me for an emotional ride. I was happy, crying, laughing, mad and hopeful throughout the whole thing. I can’t wait for the next book.

I usually stick to the lords and ladies of England when it comes to any historicals that I read but every once in a while something else will catch my eye. And I have to say I’m really glad that something was this book.

Things have been really, really hard for both Tally and Clay (and their friends). Horrible circumstances and maybe some bad decisions by themselves and/or others have led them down a difficult path. Clay’s life as an outlaw has left him with a price on his head but he’s intent on starting over and creating a new life for himself. One that involves a woman to share it with. Unfortunately Tally has her own demons to fight and she brings a bit of trouble with her to Devil’s Crossing.

I loved that both Clay and Tally are determined to find a way to have a good life. They don’t turn away when things get difficult, or if they do they quickly figure out that they need to stand up for themselves and what’s right even when it’s challenging. Neither of them are coming to this relationship whole but they know they want better and they are willing to work at it. There are people that depend on them and they are making a new family, a new life, together and it requires them to learn to trust each other and work together.

Broday doesn’t make things easy for anyone here but she definitely gives readers a page-turner of a story. With every new hardship or threat that comes knocking at their door, Clay and Tally do their best to meet it head on. They’ve had rough times in the past and the future isn’t coming easy, but they are going to face it together. Moments of danger kept me glued to the pages but so did the more tender moments as they work together to make a family of their little band of misfits. It’s as heart-warming as it was suspenseful, and I look forward to having Broday take me for another ride.

(Note: This is the first in this series, which is a spinoff of an existing one. It can stand alone but I’m curious how much I would have already known about these characters if this wasn’t the first book I’d read by this author. I don’t think it impacted much but may have added some depth.)

Clay Colby’s an outlaw trying to go straight. Working with other men to build a new town called Devil’s Crossing, he longs for a partner in life. His friend Luke runs a rather unusual mail-order bride service, finding brides for men who can’t advertise through normal channels, and through Luke Clay finds Tally. Betrayed by her stepmother, she was placed in a lunatic asylum and horribly maltreated before being able to escape, taking with her several other women and Violet, a blind little girl unwanted by her parents.

Tally’s and Violet’s stories would tug at the hardest heartstrings, and Clay’s an absolute sucker. He’s also a good, patient man willing to wait for both to trust him, demonstrating in every way possible that they can do so. His romance with Tally and his care and love for Violet was both heart-warming and very believable, as well as his outrage on their behalf and determination to see justice done.

However, this is where things got a bit messy. There were an incredible amount of secondary characters in the book, so many I lost track of who was who after a while. I understand this is the first of a new series, and I think Broday may have succumbed to the temptation to introduce too many characters who will appear in later books. There was also a section where I thought the story was about to wrap up, about 85% of the way through the book, because things seemed to be about over. I assumed the rest of the book would be a preview for the next story, but no. Instead, Clay went off on a solo adventure for several chapters, introducing MORE new characters, and doing a lot of unnecessary faffing about, in my opinion. The whole section could have been erased by jumping straight to the courthouse and having him arrive with his prisoner just in time. It was unnecessary, pulled me out of the story by separating for a long section a couple I wanted to see together, and felt like unnecessary filler to make up a required word count.

While there were parts of the story I enjoyed, there were too many characters, too many subplots and also some really dark and brutal stuff a lot of people could find triggering, for sexual, physical and emotional abuse, torture and even child abuse. It was all a bit too much for a romance and at the end of the day, I wouldn’t read any more in this series or even recommend it to lovers of Western historical romance. Two stars.

Clay can’t wait to meet is mail-order bride in person but when his homestead is almost burned to the ground, he doesn’t think Tally will want to stay. Tally is hiding some secrets from her past will they find a way to forge a future together? Fast-paced read with lots of drama and suspense. I really liked this read, great characters and a story that really draws you in. I liked it!

Clay Colby is searching for a new path in life, one which leaves his outlaw past behind him. He and many of his friends, most of whom are also former outlaws, are intending to build a new town where they can be free to live ordinary lives. The loneliness has driven Clay to seek a mail order bride. He hopes this third attempt will be the lucky one, as the previous two potential brides changed their minds after seeing the primitive condition of the town, Devil’s Crossing. If Tally refuses to stay, Clay has decided he will give up the attempt and live alone for the remainder of his life.

Tally Shannon has been brutally torn from her life by her evil stepmother, who not only murdered Tally’s father, but then had Tally institutionalized in the horrendous Creedmore Asylum. In her year of captivity, Tally was hurt, used, and degraded by the depraved men running the asylum. She manages to escape, and establishes a rescue team to remove other innocent prisoners from the asylum as she is able. When an opportunity arises to become a mail order bride, Tally accepts, and heads to Devil’s Crossing to meet her intended.

Clay does have a criminal past and has done some awful things. His desire now is to live in peace, and have a home, a wife, and family. Though suffering many losses, Clay is kind, soft hearted, considerate, hard working, and a genuine romantic. I loved his vulnerability and sensitivity, which he managed to retain, even after living an outlaw’s life. He is smitten by Tally when he sees her, and his decision to love and protect her is hero-worthy. Tally has learned to be tough. Though she’s willing to give her marriage a chance, she still holds a part of herself back, not willing to fully trust a man or to give up control of her life. She blatantly tells Clay that if things don’t work out between them, she will be leaving him in the spring.

Both Tally and Clay have suffered much, and made many mistakes. While they have a strong attraction to each other, there are many external events and people that won’t allow their marriage to flow along an easy path. They have to deal with the vengeful asylum owner who’s determined to have Tally back, a woman from Clay’s past who wants him back, outside outlaws who won’t let them live in peace, and Clay’s own criminal past means there’s still a bounty on him. THE OUTLAW’S MAIL ORDER BRIDE is a realistic look at the hardships of life in 1879 Texas, as well as a tender and satisfying love story that is guaranteed to please fans of western romance.

When all you want is a second chance…

The town of Devil’s Crossing was a haven for men looking for redemption and a second chance. They also wanted family…. Soon, their town was growing. Each man, woman and child with a past they wanted to make up for or escape from. Sometimes both. Tally and Clay, and the people they would soon call neighbors and friends, had hope…

This was a sweet, get lost in the past, western historical romance! Tally and Clay were damaged souls searching for purpose and someone to ease the nightmares and erase the past. To give them something to hope for. Hard work, danger? They weren’t afraid of the tough stuff that life dished out. Their unorthodox marriage was not a slam dunk even if they both wanted it so desperately. Instead it was a journey of discovery, with many emotional stumbles along the way. I loved Clay’s devotion to Tally, recognizing her strength and softness beneath her wariness. Tally saw her future in Clay’s eyes and arms but they both needed to deal with the past first…

Sacrifice and friendship, action and danger meant this love story was full of surprises. I’m hooked and can’t wait for Jake’s story next!

THE OUTLAW’S MAIL ORDER BRIDE is the first title in Linda Broday’s series, Outlaw Mail Order Brides and it packs a seriously powerful punch of a kick-off story to begin a new adventure.

I was easily caught up in the world building for this series as Clay and his friends (former outlaws) set out to change a dying town into a new viable place for them all to build new lives and find happiness. We’ll meet several intriguing, fun and downright cute secondary characters that I’m anxious to learn more about as this trilogy continues.

Tally is an amazing character. You cannot help but feel outraged on her behalf for the wrongs that have been done to her by so many truly evil people. She has trust issues, which makes perfect sense knowing her background, but she’s learning that Clay will stand beside her, protecting not only her but a sweet, innocent young girl who has also been dealt a horrible blow by those people that Tally escaped from. Watching these three form a family was a loving, enjoyable journey.

I found THE OUTLAW’S MAIL ORDER BRIDE to be packed full of action, danger, good people turning their lives around, the chance to find love for themselves, at last, some truly evil people who deserve every last thing that is dealt to them… and a whole new town that I cannot wait to learn more about over time.

I enjoyed every moment spent in this world, and if you love Western Historical Romance then this is a story you’ll want to grab for yourself. I’d not hesitate to recommend this story to any reader who enjoys a good, solid plot, interesting characters, a couple to fall in love with, watching the bad guys get what they deserve and a happy ending for Tally, Clay, and Violet.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Seemingly a story about second chances, “The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride” is actually more of grabbing your chance of a happily ever after.

Clay Colby and Tally Shannon had a prize on their heads and had wanted posters bearing their resemblance. Settling at the Texas Panhandle, which was definitely considered part of the Wild West as late as after the Civil War, our hero and heroine had a checkered past, the operative word being “checkered.”

What they did and what they had to do to survive did not belong to either black or white. The stretch of gray in-between was so long that even in the early part of the story, you already knew that being an outlaw was never part of their plan. Life just happened to them.

And voila, there they were at the Texas Panhandle trying to start a new life.

Both Clay and Tally’s background stories will tug at your heartstrings. Yes, they were not perfect in any way, shape or form. But they are humans and to borrow from Shakespeare… “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?”

That sums up Clay and Tally in my eyes. Nevertheless, I still fell in love with them. And you will, too!

The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride is Rated T for Teens due to violence.

Be still my heart! I have fallen in love with western historical romance and just cannot read enough! Linda Broday is a master at developing a sense of time and space where you almost feel you are there and with her in depth character thoughts and descriptions, they come alive off the page. Once I started, I could not stop, so set aside some time when you begin because it will pull you in quickly!
Clay and Tally both have pasts they want to forget and begin life anew as husband and wife. Clay was a previous outlaw that has tried to build a town but it seems he cannot catch a break. As his mail order bride arrives, he knows she might turn around and leave when she sees how the town has been burned.
Tally has escaped from an insane asylum, where she was wrongly held and brings with her a little girl Violet that escaped with her. These two just warmed my heart and pulled me into their emotions. Tally just wanted someone to protect her and Clay was up to the challenge.
An endearing story that I did not want to end, but in turning the last page I had to remind myself there are other books in this series to come! I highly recommend!