A very good series and after reading am keen to read the books about previous characters that were in the first series. Looking forward to reading Jacks story next.

The Outlaw's Mail Order Bride was my first time reading Linda Broday and I loved it. Linda Broday has been on my TBR list for a while now and I can't believe I waited so long to read one of her books. This book has some of my favorites in it. You got the mail order bride, the reformed bad boy, cute children, and the villains got their comeuppances! When it comes to historical romance early American Western historical is my favorite. It is also the one genre that is hard to find good authors in. Well I am happy to say I just found another. Linda Broday will be another go to when it come to Western historical romances.

Clay was such a good guy. Don't get me wrong he wasn't perfect, but that made him a better hero in my book. Also he had no problem saying sorry. I love when a man can admit to being wrong. I loved how he didn't bat a eye about taking in a little blind girl and making her his daughter. Clay was supportive, sweet, and understanding. He worked so hard to make a good life for his fellow reformed outlaws, his wife, daughter and himself. I totally fell in love with Clay. Tally was equally amazing. I love strong brave heroines and Tally was all that and more. Tally had such spirit. My heart broke for the things she lived through. She had fear and a good reason to be fearful but she fought with everything she had. She also went out of her way to help others. She was the perfect wife for Clay.

Clay and Tally's relationship felt strong and real. The reason for this is because the author did a great job of really building up their connection. There was tons of character and relationship development. And not just with the main couple. The secondary characters were amazing too. I became attached to the other ex outlaws, I fell in love with Dr Mary, and I even had a soft spot for Rebel. On top of great character build up there was a great plot too. I loved that I felt like I was transformed back to the wild west. I loved that the bad guys really got what they deserved and I loved that I got so invested in the characters that I can't wait to read each of their HEA. This was a great find and I'm so glad I read it!

Let me correct any misconceptions you may have from the cover of this book. THE OUTLAW’S MAIL ORDER BRIDE is not a sweet or gentle romance novel. The story is gritty, it’s real, and it’s as tough as its characters. If you are bothered or triggered by difficult subjects, this is not the book for you. What Tally endured in the asylum is horrific and hard to read at times, but made for a gripping and engaging read.

The book starts at Tally and Clay’s first meeting. Tally has recently escaped from an insane asylum and is on the run from the proprietors. As a part of a voluntary mail order bride program, Tally agrees to marry Clay. Clay is an outlaw wanted for justified murder who just wants to build a safe town for the people who need it and have a wife of his own to love and cherish.

Every character in this book has had a difficult life. The Wild West in the 1800s was not an easy time to live in, and I love that Ms. Broday didn’t shy away from telling it like it was. As a contrast, Clay is one of the sweetest heroes. The way he loved and took care of Tally brought tears to my eyes.

The rich, three-dimensional characters in this book combined with lovely prose and a fast-moving plot made it hard for me to put this book down. I felt like I was reading an epic saga. Danger, heartbreak, romance, THE OUTLAW’S MAIL ORDER BRIDE has it all. I was so sad when I got to the end of the story. Thank goodness this is the first book in a new series! I can’t wait to read the next one.

Overall, I can’t recommend this book more. My emotions were fully engaged from the first page, and I was on the edge of my seat until the last. This is the historical western romance I didn’t know I needed in my life.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

The Outlaw's Mail Order Bride is the first book in Linda Broday’s new series Outlaw mail order brides.
Former outlaw Clay Colby is anxiously awaiting the arrival of his mail-order bride. He has worked tirelessly to drag Devil’s Crossing from lawlessness. On the eve before his bride’s arrival, he is devasted when his homestead is set alight by a bitter rival. He has nothing to offer a woman now.
Talley Shannon is no ordinary woman. Having escaped a psychiatric hospital is searching for a protector, for herself and the little girl she has taken under her wing. She doesn’t care that Clay has no home, she feels safe with him and that’s what matters most to her. When past ghosts come back to haunt them, they must overcome it together or let themselves be pulled apart.
I enjoy Linda Broday’s mail-order bride stories, they feature strong independent characters that have overcome extreme harshness to have their happy ever after. This book does not disappoint with compelling characters and an intriguing story. Well worth a read.
I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not my cup of tea. And that's completely my fault for requesting a book that I knew would probably not be something I would enjoy.

I enjoyed this gritty western about mail order brides for outlaws. These brides have been through hell and so have the men they travel to marry. How they create a true partnership in the face of adversity is the real story. Clay hasn't had much success in the past finding a wife until Tally arrives. It takes time but they learn to trust each other and start a new life together.

Another good read by Linda Broday. This is a series taking off from previous series Men of Legend. Which when reading that series you do want to know what happens to others at the end of a book. It is nice to see what happens in Clay Colby life. There was too much going on with sub plots. I was interested but, too much. I did like the book and will definitely read the next book coming out soon.

In the past I always felt "meh" about reading western historical romances. They were okay, but didn't thrill me. I do believe the talented Linda Broday has changed my position on this genre! This book had non-stop action, suspense, drama and steamy loving. I must read more of her stories, and I eagerly await the next book in this exciting new series.

This series is apparently a spin off of a previous one. Don't worry; this one totally stands alone. (Warning: You WILL want to go back and read the previous series. I was excited to find I actually own those books already. Yay me!) Clay Colby was an outlaw, but he decided to go straight and build a town that would be a haven for other folks like him. He was lonely and wanted to wed. Enter Tally Shannon, who agreed to be his mail order bride. She arrives, carrying a lot of attitude and mental baggage. Oh, and a little blind girl. Clay was not expecting that!

At first I was not horribly fond of Tally. She was hard to like. Considering she had escaped from a mental institution where she had been horribly brutalized, one could understand her issues. Clay was likeable right from the start. He worked hard to win her over, as well as Violet, the little blind girl. Even though Tally tried to resist him, the chemistry was there. As their relationship grew, my liking for Tally grew. But as often happens with outlaws (and mental institution escapees, of course), the past catches up with them.

Clay and Tally were fantastic leads. However, the supporting cast was just as wonderful. Especially compelling were Violet, Bullet the dog, Rebel (a woman from Clay's past), Dr. Mary and Montana Black (who at the beginning burned down the town Clay and his friends were building). I particularly liked Jack, a fellow outlaw. I want more of him. I challenge you to read this book without tearing up; bet you can't do it. You will cheer for this entire town of outcasts and misfits.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Another good book of Broday's to escape into. One of the things I love about her writing is how she makes the West come to life. I could really picture in my mind the town Clay and the other outlaws were building.

Although I didn't like Tally as much as I have Broday's other heroines, her story was still tragic. This seems to be a prevalent theme in Broday's books and it works well in tandem with the harshness of the West. I liked that female friendship played a small role in her evolution and the town's. What could have become a catty, angst-filled story-line (a woman, Rebel, from Clay's past reappearing), ended up being a sweet friendship between Tally and Rebel.

There was plenty of Western action, romance, and sweet family/friend moments that I've come to expect and enjoy of Broday's novels. I think the next one in this series is about Jack, the ex-lawman outlaw and for that I am excited.

In romance novels, my favorite sub-genre is mail order brides. I was surprised with the outlaw twist and the interesting information about the genesis of a town.

The all story was quite interesting, however I did found some inconsistencies in the plot. Still, it´s a great title and I really want to read the rest of the Outlaw Mail Order Brides series.

I received a copy of this story through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed Clay and Talley's story. After meeting Talley in the Men of Legend series, I was happy to see her get her HEA!

Clay and Tally have been writing to each other and it is finally time for them to meet. Unfortunately, the town that Clay had hoped to bring Tally to has been practically burned to the ground. Clay doesn't think Tally will stay when she sees the place.

Tally is tougher than Clay realizes and agrees to stay and get married. Although both have issues stemming from their past, they get along well together. But when Talley's past comes to haunt her, things may change. Can this relationship withstand the trouble to comes?

Clay and Tally were perfect for each other. He was so protective of her and Violet. Tally just needed to learn that there were people out in the world that she could trust with her life.

This was a great start and I'm excited to see what Broday has in store for us with the rest of this series!

The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride by Linda Broday is the 1st book in her new western Outlaw Mail Order Brides series. I have enjoyed Broday’s previous books book in a couple of her other series, and I am happy to say this was a wonderful start to another good series.

We meet our hero, Clay Colby, who is in the process with some of his outlaw friends, trying to rebuild a town (Devil’s Crossing) for them to start a new clean life. Clay is waiting for the wagon train to arrive bringing him his mail order bride. When Clay meets his bride to be, he is shocked to see a young girl with her.
Talley Shannon is determined to protect herself, as well as the young blind girl under her care. Tally is on the run from some bad guys, and marrying Clay will help her begin a new life. Tally’s history is sad, as she escaped a terrible psychiatric hospital that she was falsely admitted by her greedy evil stepmother, after her father died. Both she and the little girl, Violet were abused and tortured, but Tally is a strong and forceful woman. Tally explains that if he wants to marry her, he will have to accept Violet too.

What follows is both an exciting story line, and a sweet romance between two people with flawed pasts that will catch up with them. Tally has problems with trust, especially with always being on the look out of the evil men still stalking her. In time she realizes that Clay is a good man, who will do anything to protect her, and Violet, whom he begins to treat like his own daughter. Though early on, Tally tries to run in fear of those following her, but Clay will prove to her that he is in this for the long run, and promises to protect her. Slowly more people come to join their town, and help with the rebuilding process. They all stick together to protect Tally and Violet. There were some great secondary characters they we got to meet, and learn to care for, such as the Januarys, Dr Mary, Rebel, and it was great to see Luke and Josie from Broday”s previous series.
What I loved the most was watching Tally fight her trust issues, and allow herself to fall in love with Clay. Violet, though struggling with her blindness, was a treasure, who became more self sufficient with the those in town who loved her. Clay’s dog Bullet was a perfect companion for Violet, and protective of them all.

The last half of the book was very exciting, as a few times they find themselves in dangerous situations, which will bring them face to face with the three evil men following Tally. Another group of women who escaped the asylum were rescued by Clay and Tally, bringing some to their town. When they stave off the bad men, and the nasty stepmother, they head home with good news. Tally is free, and Clay receives amnesty, and a happy time for all. But just when things begin to look good, a shocking surprise will come back to rear its ugly head, causing intense action and threats to their survival, with both Rebel and Bullet seriously injured.

Linda Broday has once again given us another wonderful new western historical series, with a fantastic group of characters, and a couple we fell in love with. The Outlaw Mail Order Bride was an emotional, exciting, romantic story that played often with our emotions.

The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride by Linda Broday is book one in her Outlaw Mail Order Brides series. This historical western romance is a spinoff of Broday’s Men of Legend series. The author is well-known for her bestselling western romances and this one will undoubtedly be another bestseller.

Clay Colby is an outlaw wanted for murder. He’s eagerly awaiting the arrival of his mail order bride, Tally. He’s frustrated and afraid that Tally will walk away when she arrives and sees that the town he built has been burned. Clay’s accustomed to women leaving him and hopes Tally can overlook the condition of her new home.

Tally Shannon is also a wanted fugitive with a bounty on her head. She escaped from an insane asylum, where she was wrongfully held. She arrives with an eight-year-old girl she rescued from the asylum and hopes that this won’t be a deal breaker for Clay.

The untamed, but beautiful, Texas landscape is a vital part of the story. The harsh environment adds to both life’s hardships and it’s triumphs. The concept of inner beauty over outer, surface, beauty is stressed throughout the novel. An aspect that I appreciated.

All the characters are interesting but more background details were needed. This novel is a spinoff of another series and in some instances it reads more like a sequel than a first of series. The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride works as a standalone, though some details should have been expounded upon. I recommend reading the Men of Legend series before starting this series.

I was disappointed with the ending. Actually I was disappointed that the ending was dragged out. The extended scenes disrupted the pace of the novel. The exact same resolution could have been reached with a lot fewer words.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and rate it 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride to readers of historical romance, especially those who enjoy western romance. Be aware: this is not a chaste romance. The book also has some depictions of physical and sexual abuse that may be disturbing to some readers.

My thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

Cowboy romances normally aren't at the top of my list of books to read but something about this blurb caught my eye so I decided to give it a try. I am glad I took a chance on it because I ended up really enjoying it and read it in 2 reading sessions.

I absolutely loved Clay's character. He won my heart over from the moment he picked flowers to try and make his home more welcoming for Tally. Then we see his patience and love for a little girl, Violet, and OMG, just take my heart right now!

I liked Tally's character well enough and is broke my heart reading what she went through at the insane asylum (not to mention it always amazes me how women could be incarcerated for the craziest of reasons.). There is also a great cast of supporting characters that help make this a great story all around and watching the romance develop will leave you with a happy sign. This is my first read from this author but definitely won't be my last.

Ex-outlaw Clay Colby is having a bad week, one he hopes the arrival of his new mail-order bride will help improve. Fighting with Montana Black over the development of the town of Devil’s Crossing is just one of the reasons why he’s having a hard time of it. Black has resisted Colby’s building of Devil’s Crossing and burns down Colby’s homestead in a show of rebellion.  Clay wants to make Devil’s Crossing a bright, thriving place; still psychologically scarred from his Civil War service, he yearns for a partner to share his life with, and after two failed attempted marriages, he called to Luke Legend for help.  Luke is an ex-outlaw himself, and he and his wife Josie have a matchmaking business that sets up men of the west with prospective brides from back east.  Clay and the girl Luke sets him up with exchange some letters, and soon enough, Luke arrives with Clay’s prospective bride to see the ashes of Clay’s homestead.

Tally Shannon  escaped from Creedmore Hospital, where she’d been falsely imprisoned, and she carries scars both physical and mental from her time there. Branded with a diamond upon her cheek, she’s surprised by Clay’s tenderness, his seeming ability to read her mind, and his practicality.  In return for his protection, she agrees to have his children, wear his ring and share his bed as well as help him rebuild Devil’s Crossing, as long as he’ll also protect Violet, an eight year old blind orphan Tally has been taking care of since she fled the institution.

Clay and Tally quickly bond, as do Clay and little Violet, but they have to battle their scars and memories to win a future together. For Clay is (still) wanted for murder, and Tally has the kind of history that’s reluctant to stay buried.  Will they be able to make peace with their pasts and Montana Black?  Or will their scars eat them alive?

The main problem with The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride’s is its too-fast pacing. It has some tough, unique characters, but we rush through their getting-to-know one another process so quickly that it feels like there’s barely time to get to know Clay and Tally, let alone for them to find love with one another.

That’s not to say that Clay isn’t strong, stalwart, determined and good; and the same goes for Tally, who’s been through some amazingly dark things (yep, be aware that this book includes descriptions of previous forced abortions and rape and doesn’t shy away from how ugly asylums were in the 1800s). These are two deeply scarred people who have to figure out how to survive and live, but they trust and fall for one another almost instantaneously.  There are dashes of vulnerability, anxiety and trauma, but within the first night of her sleeping under Clay’s temporary roof, she and Clay are snuggling together, and fifty pages in Clay says he loves her. It all happens way too quickly, and I couldn’t help but feel that the reader would have benefitted from seeing the correspondence that passed between them while getting to know one another.  Missing out on that makes much of what happens feel very abrupt, though it does nicely set up the book’s theme of them-against-the-world.

And Violet – abused all of her life until she met Tally – starts calling Clay ‘Daddy’ within pages of meeting him, even though she’s been afraid of men all her life. She feels more like four or five-years-old instead of eight, though considering her background and the abuse heaped upon her that’s understandable.

The people who populate the novel are interesting and more complex than meets the eye, which is why it’s so frustrating to have almost everything be given the short shrift for another kidnapping or stand-off or even a courtroom scene.  At three hundred pages this should be enough space to let the relationship grow realistically, but so much of the novel involves old-west style sieges and derring doo that there’s little room for careful relationships and inter-character bonding.  Violet or Tally are forever going missing or running away, Clay is forever being shot at, and the homestead is always on fire.  It’s great to watch them overcome together, but the romance needed so much more meat on its bare bones.

The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride does a lot of things right, and its view on abuse is realistically grim, but the romance needed more time to perk up before being put on the menu. It’s sweet, tender and made of two equals but the speed at which it progresses makes it impossible for me to give anything other than a qualified recommendation.

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I enjoyed reading this book. I loved this mail order bride story about a girl that wants to get out of a bad situation for the sake a her charge. She agrees to come to a town where she doesn't realize a feud is going on with her groom. This lends itself to a great plot and lots of twists and turns.

The Outlaw's Mail Order Bride, is the first book in the series. If you've read The Men of Legend, series then you will be familiar with Tally. She is one of the women of Deliverance Canyon. I like how the two series have interlocked in this way. She is a strong protective woman. Just what Clay and the new little town need.

"She was tired of settling. She wanted to be all of someone's world, not just a small part. She yearned to fill a man's heart so full that his love for her spilled out all over the place."

The Outlaw's Mail Order Bride is about Clay, who I was introduced to in The Heart of a Texas Cowboy. He was a bit mysterious in that book, and that made me curious about him. I am always happy when side-characters get their own story/HEA. And I think he found his perfect match in Tally Shannon, who escaped a psychiatric hospital in which she was wrongfully detained. She is very independent and doesn't trust easily, but she's also very practical. She is strong and can definitely take care of herself. I love these type of women in my Historical Romance books. Clay is a great guy and has turned his life around, he doesn't want to be an outlaw anymore. He was very caring and patient, especially when he first met Tally face to face. He knows he has to be cautious in not making Tally regret agreeing to marrying him. She doesn't come alone. She brings along Violet, a little girl, who is even more afraid of strangers and especially men. Clay has to do his best to win her trust. The scenes between Clay and Violet were my favorites. She was just the cutest.

"Sometimes, if we're lucky, there's a crack in the darkness and light seeps in. You're my light, Tally. My hope, my salvation, my future."

I adore Linda Broday's Historical Western Romances. She does such a great job in writing complete characters with intriguing stories. She doesn't rush anything, and this results in great character development. I do have to admit that her stories are bit on the longer side than what I usually read, but I don't really mind it in my Historical Romances. This book had plenty of romance, action, humor and some emotional scenes as well. The development in Clay and Tally's relationship is amazing, and I loved seeing it grow. They were a team and had each other's backs. They weren't perfect and made mistakes, but they knew have to fix those and learn from it. I highly recommend Linda's books to everyone who loves Historical Romances (HR). As for readers who haven't read any Western/Frontier HR, I hope you'll give it a try because you don't know what you are missing out on.

A full-figured romance novel. One that deals with woman's issues, life with few boundaries, and imperfect people. Broday put much more umphf into her western romance than what is typical and still met all the requirements of a good old-fashioned romance, without making the issues feel second rate or out of place. Recommend to western romance readers.

This is the first in the Outlaw Mail Order Bride series, Clay Colby and Talley Shannon’s turbulent story (not their love story per se, but everything happening in the plot); a HEA story with some sizzle.
This is a well written story, but not my cup of tea. I know this is a story that more, then not, will give 4 or 5 stars, I could not, as I like more romance, then turmoil and angst in my romance novels.
I have read and loved Linda Broday’s novels in the past and will continue to read them.
I received a copy of this story through NetGalley for my honest opinion.