This is book 3 of the Hanger Horsemen Series, Christian Historical Read. Luke Davenport, is the lone brother now. All the other brothers have started their lives with a family. He is now on his own to tackle the job of getting rustlers. He has been given the job to track down the recent rustlers and he jumps at the chance. Damaris Baxter has left her home to move to Texas and take care of Nathan, her nephew, after her brother dies. She meets Luke because Nathan is in trouble and Luke wants to help. Is there more to the story then she is being told? Does Luke find more attention needed to Damaris to keep her safe? How did her brother really die?

If you like to have a light hearted romance in a country setting, read this book. It is a good afternoon read that will take you to a different time and place dealing with family as a priority. This is book 3 of the series, but can be read as a stand alone.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.

Although this is the third book in the series, it reads well on its own. I felt like I got to know Luke and Damaris quickly as the author showed through their actions the strengths and vulnerabilities they have. Damaris was so patient with Nate, even when he pushed her away time and again. I admired her devotion to care for her nephew as he struggled through his grief and anger. Luke rolls into town and almost immediately bonds with the little family as he investigates, protects, and becomes a male role model for Nate. There didn't seem to be as much humor in this story, but that made the little moments of subtlety more noticeable. Even with all the difficulties they are enduring, I loved the positive attitude of Damaris and Luke, and the way they lifted each other. They seem to be total opposites, but they have the important things in common, making them complement each other in the relationship. I enjoyed their sweet slow burn romance!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Luke Davenport, aka Preach, is my favorite of Hanger's Horsemen, this is his story. He is hired to find out who is rustling Mr. Grimes' cattle and a prime suspect is the neighbor kid, Nathaniel. When Luke arrives he discovers Damaris Baxter, the aunt, isn't an older lady like he thought she was. Damaris moves to Texas as Nathaniel's guardian when her brother dies unexpectedly. Working together the three try to find out who is really stealing the cattle and for what purpose. There is a lot of action, humor, mystery, bad guys, faith, and romance in this story. Throughout the entire series if a Horseman needs help all he has to do is call on one of the others and they will be there for him, no questions asked. They show up for each other.

This is my first book by Karen Witemeyer that I’ve read, and I think we have the start of a beautiful friendship here! I simply adored the story, the characters, her writing style, everything. Action, mystery, romance, family tension, this one has it ALL.

Quiet, bookish Damaris Baxter often felt overlooked and invisible to everyone except her older brother. She seldom saw him, though, because he’d moved away to Texas. When he dies suddenly, Damaris learns that he named her as guardian of his son, her nephew, Nate.

Luke Davenport’s upbringing was rough. He grew up with violence and anger around him, but he didn’t let it define him. As part of Hanger’s Horsemen, he’s been able to help right some wrongs. The Horsemen are settling down, though, and they’ve all found a place to rest except for him. He figures on a nomadic life…until he encounters Damaris and Nate.

Damaris isn’t your typical romance heroine. She’s nerdy (yay for the book nerds!), reserved, of average pleasing looks. She started the book out nervous and scared about a lot of things. She had to steel herself to jump into situations that needed jumping into. She isn’t drop dead gorgeous or super confident. But she’s real. I could relate to her as she tried to figure out how best to help Nate deal with his father’s death and how to show him that trouble wasn’t the path he wanted to choose. She jumped headlong into a new life in Texas to help the nephew she loved, and it was a delight seeing her grow in confidence and in wisdom as the book progressed.

Luke wasn’t the perfect hero, either. He’d had some difficulty in his life. He doubted himself, doubted whether he was meant to ever have things easy. But he kept on trying to do the next right thing. When he saw that Nate was running headlong toward trouble, he stepped in to try to redirect him. He didn’t hesitate to jump into a fight when the cause was just, even at great risk to his own safety. And he wasn’t going to let Damaris go it alone trying to learn more about her brother’s death in mysterious circumstances.

The secondary characters were also nicely fleshed out. Dr. Jo was one of my favorites. Witemeyer writes her women capable and strong, even if they don’t realize it at first. It’s nice to see female characters in historical fiction who don’t necessarily abide by the expectations for women in their time period. And Nate was so very teenage boy! I liked seeing how Luke and Damaris never gave up on him, even when he was determined to fling himself headlong into trouble.

Faith was a vital part of the story for both of our main characters. Luke relied on Scripture in every situation. I should have so much knowledge of the Bible tucked away in my heart. Prayer was a regular part of their lives, and trust in God was essential. The romance was clean. Luke and Damaris were notably careful not to put themselves into situations where temptation might overcome them, and their relationship had time to build.

Rich in faith and love, with good guys to cheer for and bad guys to boo and hiss, In Honor’s Defense is everything I love in a good book. Five stars, and I can’t wait for my next Witemeyer read!

This book was an amazing read. It portrays what it was like to live in the olden days. What comradeship really was all about. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and will stay with you long after you have finished reading. An amazing story. Will definitely look for books by this author again.

In Honor’s Defense is an amazing final book in the Hanger’s Horseman trilogy. I love Luke aka Preach as he discovered Damaris and Nathaniel. They were wonderful characters to watch as they grew into a family through trials and hardships. Luke struggles with them and it made the story so much stronger. I loved the mystery, the undeniable attraction and the heart of family. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading. It was so engaging! This is another strong series by Karen Witemeyer and I look forward to rereading the whole series from start to finish in the future.

I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review but I did purchase a copy for myself and I read from the published version.

I can't say why I put these books off. I enjoyed book 1 and was excited about continuing the series. If I'd had book 2 immediately, I probably would have read it immediately. But time dimmed my excitement to return to the series, so I put off reading book 2. And even though I enjoyed it as well, I only finished reading it right before book 3 released. I knew I would want to read the third book eventually, but I didn't want to jump into it immediately. So I put it off. Now that I try to analyze it, I wonder if the mystery is what puts me off. I know the entire book isn't dedicated to the love story but also to some mystery or bad guy that has to be addressed. And something about the book description for this particular book just had me putting on the breaks.

I guess, ultimately, I'm glad that I waited to read this book when I did because it spurred me out of a reading slump. I went from not reading at all, and not even having much desire to do so, to devouring this book within a couple of days. Considering how busy real life is right now, that was a feat.

Luke is the Horseman the group calls Preach. That's because he's always reciting Bible verses. But Luke doesn't have a cheery past. His mother left when he was ten, and his father was an abusive drunk. The faith Luke found when he was in the army, as well as the brothers that adopted him as their own, gave him purpose. But now his fellow horsemen are settling down, and Luke feels adrift. He takes a solo job that brings him to Maris and Nate.

Demaris is used to being overlooked. She has been deemed a spinster and sent to be the companion to her aunt. Her older brother was the only one who could pull her out of her shell. And when he dies, leaving his fourteen year old son an orphan, Demaris steps in to raise him so he can stay on the property his father and mother are buried on. But Nate is an angry teen and blames their neighbor for his father's death. As a result, Nate has been pulling nightly pranks. Things like hacking up a garden, leaving snakes in various places, etc. He doesn't realize that he's about to stumble into real danger.

Luke has been hired by the Baxter's neighbor to find the rustlers and missing cattle they've been stealing. And Mr. Grimes is set on blaming Nate Baxter for his missing beeves since Nate has been a nuisance. One night when Luke is keeping watch, the rustlers appear attempting to steal another cow when Nate accidentally stumbles upon them in an attempted prank on Mr. Grimes. Luke saves Nate from the rustlers but ends up with multiple stab wounds. And Nate gets Demaris to transport Luke to their home and nurse him back to health.

Of course, Luke and Demaris begin to form a relationship, and Luke even sees himself in Nate, and he takes him under his wing. I won't give any more details than that about the plot or twists. But even though I wasn't sure I would like this storyline, I actually did. Mary Whitmeyer does a great job of establishing characters you can't help but root for. Even Nate, with all his anger and teenage acting out, was easy to feel sorry for and hope he could overcome his grief.

Favorite quotes:
-Invisible people rarely received correspondence.

-To be chosen for herself--it was the secret desire of her heart. To be important to someone. More than a glorified servant who fetched and carried and entertained at her aunt's whim. To be wanted truly for herself. Seen instead of invisible. Valued instead of tolerated.

-...one who'd rather rail at the world for dealing him a raw hand than actually do anything to make it better.

-"Your aunt's not the kind of woman to choose what's easy over what's right," Luke said.

-"Contentment isn't chained to a certain set of circumstances, Luke. It's portable. You can take it with you wherever you go."

I'm so glad that I picked In Honor's Defense up when I did. This book was exactly what I needed to spur me out of a deep reading slump--one of the worst I've been in for years. Luke and Demaris had a sweeter journey than I expected. And I don't know why I felt a little dread before starting this book. In the end, In Honor's Defense gets 4 Stars. Have you read In Honor's Defense? What did you think? Let me know!

Good. 3rd book in the series and follows the last horseman.

Demaris is a sweet character, but very gullible and naïve. Her nephew outwits and out-tricks her multiple times, and it's only Preach who can actually figure him out.

They're a sweet couple but a bit mismatched at some times. The horsemen always riding to the rescue was a bit old, since it seems to happen in every book.

When the Horsemen settle down, there is one man left to answer the call for help in Texas rounding up rustlers. When her brother dies suddenly she is the one to answer a call to head for Texas to care for her nephew. Well, they are both called to the same place and when trouble comes calling they both find working together is unavoidable. This story drew me in and I had a hard time putting it down. Just had to know what the next page held.
I was gifted a copy from the publisher through NetGalley, my review and opinion are voluntary.

This book wrapped me in it’s embrace as I lived the fear, hopelessness, danger, desire, faith and love along with Damaris, Nate, Luke, the Horsemen and each supporting character. The author so cleverly interspersed the Gospel message throughout, drawing the reader to the Heart of the Father, stirring hope in even the hardest of hearts. I’m blessed to have discovered her and look forward to reading more of her writings.

There are so many things to like about this book from the characters to the setting to the drama. I enjoy country life and riding horses, and being immersed in the vividly described countryside was a great way to vicariously have those pleasures for a little while.

The three central characters Damaris, Luke, and Nathaniel became real to me as I followed their story to the very satisfying conclusion. Luke came across as a superhero, who wore boots and jeans instead of a cape, and, even though he was flawed in some ways, it was easy to see how he won the heart of Damaris. But she was so fainting heroine. She was stronger than she’d ever thought of herself when faced with challenges, and it was great to see how she rose to the difficulties and dangers of ranch life and never gave up on her nephew who was so deep in his grief over losing his father.

There were so many unique turns of phrase that I highlighted throughout the book until I finally realized I couldn’t quote them all in a review. One in particular comes when Damaris is struggling so hard with a difficult decision after Nathaniel has been arrested for rustling and is locked in jail. Luke is with her and he thinks, “She looked so lost, as if she were drifting on the open sea, only to have him start dismantling her boat, board by board. Needing to shore her up somehow, he cupped her cheek and stilled her wagging head. Her gaze lifted. Met his. Pleaded for something solid to hold on to. Never had his towering frame felt quite so flimsy.”

Finding such treasures of careful wordage in descriptions of special moments and special places is always a delight for me when I’m reading. I pause and read them over a few times, just to savor the wonderful use of craft. I paused quite a bit while reading this book.

For readers who enjoy Christian romance, with a great deal of suspense and drama thrown in, this is the perfect book to pick up for a satisfying summer read.

Ahh!! I loved this series, but from the first book I knew I *needed* Preach's book, and it was so worth the wait! I loved Luke's character early on, and adored his story in this one! Fraught with the emotional writing and unexpected twists of the first two, along with some new surprises, In Honor's Defense was such a treat to read!

I adore Hangers Horsemen and am sad that their stories are now at an end. I would love to see a story for Nate, Rawley, and Abner but I can only submit the suggestion. From the first mention of Preach, aka Like Davenport, I have thirsted for his story. I was amazed to find a troubled past in the Bible quoting Corporal but it made me that much more invested. Maris is beauty overlooked until Like arrives and frees her from a cellar. From the beginning Luke saw Maria and it was the beginning of the journey of finding love for him. He always thought love had passed him by but God was simply holding out for the best for Luke and Maris and Nate make the perfect people to round out the beginning of Luke's family.

This book is one of Karen's best, however I think I feel that way after I finish each one! However, this was a great way to end this trilogy and I had been waiting for this story to be told. Loved it!

While I hadn't read all of the previous books in this series, I still enjoyed this story! The heroine was especially delightful to get to know, as she blossoms in the Wild West.

This one got off to a little bit of a rocky start for me but it turned a corner and by the end I was loath to put it down!
I already knew I was gonna love Luke “Preach” Davenport based on what we had seen in the first two books of this series and I was right! He was a man with a scarred past but now lived every moment trying to be the best man he could be. He had the courage and strength to fight but also was kind and humble and you couldn’t help but admire him.
Damaris was sweet, kind, and forgiving but she was also very naïve at times and her character felt a little one-dimensional. She repeatedly commented on how forgettable she was and I had to agree with her-I just wanted a little more depth from her.
However she was exactly who Luke needed and the way she became home to him was really sweet.
The little bit of mystery kept the story moving at a good pace and held my interest throughout!
In the end I really did enjoy this book and it was a great end to the series!

Is this the last of the Horsemen books? I'm not sure I'm ready to say goodbye to this group of men and their now families. I love how each of them has had a very different past and love story/journey with their new beloved. Swoony western Christian romance at its finest!!

In Honor’s Defense is a riveting underdog story told by a master storyteller! I had no idea I would enjoy this story as much as I did, and I was utterly content when I finished.

The story takes place in the late nineteenth century. It starts in St. Louis, Missouri, when spinster Damaris Baxter learns that her widowed brother has just drowned and left his sole teenage son, Nathaniel, to be raised by Damaris. She quickly moves to her brother’s ranch in Madisonville, Texas. She finds her nephew ornery and angry at the world.

When livestock begins to disappear at the neighboring ranch, the owner blames Nathaniel and hires Luke Davenport - a former member of Hanger’s Horsemen - to find his missing beeves. However, when Luke meets Damaris, a very small spark is kindled. As Luke continues his investigation into the missing livestock, one thing becomes very clear: the lives of Damaris and Nathaniel are in danger, and Luke vows to protect them. He has no idea what that will cost him, but he’s about to find out.

I mentioned how much I enjoyed this story. The plot was pretty good, but that’s not why I enjoyed it. The characters are excellent, but they’re not the reason I enjoyed it so much. The dialogue and description are top notch, but even they didn’t sway my enjoyment dramatically. It was the storytelling! It was the way author Karen Witemeyer brought everything together with her craftsmanship.

When I eat a wonderful meal, I usually can’t point to one or two ingredients as the basis of my enjoyment - but I know if I like something, regardless of the ingredients. The same is true of this story and this literary “chef” - whatever those secret ingredients are that she put into this story - I love it!

I was quite surprised by the climax. It was breathtaking and had me on the edge of my seat!

I’ve always enjoyed underdog stories, and this ranks among the best that I’ve ever read. I can also vouch for the fact that this story, despite being a part of a series, completely stands on its own. I have not [yet] read any of the other books in the Hanger’s Horsemen series, and I obviously enjoyed this one very much.

If you enjoy westerns, you’ll love this! If you enjoy romance stories, you’ll love this! If you enjoy action, you’ll love this! I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you enjoy reading, you’ll love this!

This is one of only a very few stories in my life that I wish I could give six stars to. It’s that good. I sure hope you enjoy it!

When Damaris' brother dies she goes to Texas to raise his son. She hasn't seen Nate in years, and he's not the sweet little boy she read books to and comforted when he'd lost his mom. Nate is a surly teenager playing pranks on her and sneaking out. I loved Damaris' patience. I don't think I could have reacted with love and patience for so long. Much of Nate's anger stems from thinking his father was murdered in order to get their land. And thus starts the mystery and adventure of our novel. Throw in one of Hanger's Horseman, Luke Davenport, and the adventure truly begins!

I loved rough and tumble Luke. He was protective, loyal, and a great role model to Nate (the punk). This book had a slow-burn romance, adventure, suspense, and Christian values and inspiration. Karen Witemeyer and Mary Conneally are my go to for Christian Romance. Characters do pop up from the other Hanger's Horseman novels, but this book could be read independently.

I enjoy all of Karen Witemeyer's books, but I particularly enjoyed this story of a disparate couple who are, oddly, perfectly matched!

Luke Davenport is a rough loner with a scarred past. Damaris, often overlooked and dismissed, offers him something he's never had: a home. Her compassion and kindness are a balm to his wounds - recent and past, and she and her troublesome nephew are just the family Luke needs.

The other members of Hanger's Horsemen are on hand for support, and while the romance is front and center, there is considerable action in this novel, keeping things moving at a nice pace. There's also a little mystery as what happened to Damaris's brother and who's after his land.

One of the most enjoyable books I've read this year!