In Honor's Defense is the delightful conclusion to Karen Witemeyer's Hanger's Horsemen Series. While I've enjoyed all the books and novellas Karen has written, I believe In Honor's Defense is the best one yet. The wounded but gentle warrior, Luke Davenport (A.K.A. Preach) is a delightful mix of pure hero despite his insecurities and pain from his past. Luke has met his match with Damaris Baxter. Karen's heroine drew me in from the start with her propensity to have a book in hand, and her ability to excel at being unseen and overlooked. Karen's In Honor's Defense is a well-thought out and crafted tale that pulls the reader in from the first page and doesn't let them go until the conclusion. It's a book I highly recommend.

~While this book was provided for free, I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review. (2022)

Karen Witemeyer has wrapped up another fantastic series with In Honor’s Defense, the third and last book in her Hanger’s Horsemen series. I’ve been eagerly anticipating Luke Davenport’s story, and what a great tale it is. I love a hero who has had trials and hardship in his life but overcomes them, heals, and grows stronger because of them.

Damaris Baxter feels like she’s invisible to others and is content to sit quietly by and let others shine--that is, until her brother dies and she is suddenly thrust into the role of guardian to her fourteen-year-old nephew Nathaniel. She moves to Texas to care for him and finds he’s turned into quite a handful.

When Luke takes a job at a nearby ranch tracking down some cattle rustlers, he meets Damaris and Nathaniel and lends his help. Luke is such a good role model for Nathaniel, helping him mature and become better. I loved the scriptures Luke could quote to help him in any given situation, therefore earning him the nickname, Preach.

I enjoyed seeing Damaris come out of her shell and develop some courage and confidence. She and Luke were good for each other, helping each other see their worth and goodness.

“I didn’t ask you to tell me who you were, Luke. I asked you to tell me who you are.”

With lots of action, adventure, a good dose of inspiration, and a dash of romance, this book has something for everyone, and it’s easy to see why Karen Witemeyer is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. Although it’s part of a series, it could be read alone, but the backstory in the first two books adds to the enjoyment of this book. This book is headed for my keeper shelf, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for this author. 4.5 stars

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers. All opinions are my own.

Damaris is an aunt/guardian with the patience and compassion of a saint. She's paired with Luke aka "Preach" who is the adult version of her nephew/ward. I've enjoyed Preach as a character in previous books for his steady, quiet nature and habit of being a vessel for the Holy Spirit by providing well timed Biblical verses. In this story we learn about his upbringing and more "wild" past and how he grew into a more mature, albeit adrift, person.

What I liked:
- the humor
-unique characters
-applicable use of scripture
-Damaris' private reflections on her values /adherence to them
-the story was different (murder mystery mixed in) and interesting


And not so much:
-I find self-described "plain" characters tend to fixate on their looks as much as their good looking counterparts. And it's undermined by the love interest privately dwelling on their attraction to said plain person. It wasn't over the top in the story, but still enough to annoy me.

-Damaris gives an impassioned speech about her desire to really know Luke, saying she is only interested in who he is *now* and won't judge him for anything he's done in his past. This is said directly after he says, "I served at Wounded Knee. My unit slaughtered women and children." He says NOTHING ELSE. And she just brushes it off. It's dismissive of his feelings and experiences WHICH SHAPED HIM. Her attitude rubbed me the wrong way. It felt like a missed opportunity at the very least and was very unrealistic in the way that she didn't really listen to him or ask any questions. Just offered general platitudes.

-The end of the plot went off the deep end for me. I'm looking at the villain and their motivations for their choices and thinking, this behavior no longer makes sense (again and again and again). Why does it always have to escalate to such extremes?

-As always, I think this story would have been stronger from one POV.

When Damaris' brother dies, she gets custody of her nephew. She leaves her life as caretaker to her aunt behind to brave the dangers that swirl around her nephew. Can I just say that Damaris is a saint? Nate was a total brat but she remained patient with him and continued to treat him with patience, kindness, and love.

Luke is the last unmarried horseman and the best choice when it comes to an investigation that takes place miles away from where the horsemen had settled down. He did not expect to find a hurt, angry young man who reminded him of himself or a woman that made him dream of home.  Luke had a residual wildness from his upbringing but he found stability with Damaris and Nate.

I enjoyed seeing these three lonely and often overlooked people forge a family in the midst of danger and challenges. Luke was truly a man of honor and took the time to teach Nate to become a man of honor as well. In Honor's Defense is not just a love story. It's the forging of a family.

Readers will be reminded that when we have challenges, God doesn't expect us to fight alone. He fights with us and for us. Readers are also reminded of the importance of memorizing Scripture which helps us to get our minds right in various situations.

In Honor's Defense is the third book in the Hanger's Horsemen series but can be read as a stand-alone. I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.

I think this was my favorite book in the series. Damaris has long felt invisible but when she's called on to take over custody of her nephew, she determines to rise to the occasion and become like the heroines she's read about in books. I admired her dedication to her nephew even when he was misbehaving. She's sensitive to his grief and takes courageous steps for those she loves.

Luke feels like a misfit. He's the last single horseman and doesn't feel he deserves a good woman. Damaris sees who he really is. They have great chemistry. Luke understands Nate because he feels he was that angry kid once.

There's a mystery to solve and plenty of danger. It was a great read. You can read this book on its own or as the conclusion to a fun series. Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This story made my heart rate go up, especially in the later part of the book. It was exciting but scary kind of exciting. I hated how Luke looked down upon himself because he focused on who he was but loved that since he could see like traits in the kid he never gave up on trying to help him. And his treatment of Damaris was nothing but sweet and gentle. So, tough he might be but his heart is good. Took him a while to see and accept his goodness though. Both Luke and Damaris were willing to give anything for their loved ones and by relying on God managed to make good win over evil. I liked both these characters and even liked Nathaniel in the end.

The Horsemen in this series are wonderfully good and honorable people, trying to help those in need and in doing so, are blessed with a better life for themselves, though improving their own lives was never their intent. I have enjoyed each of these stories.

This is Christian lit. Not too overbearing but lots of quoted scriptures and prayers throughout that help them win the day.

Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: yes
*I received a complimentary ARC through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

I loved this conclusion to the series. This one might even be my favorite of the trilogy. I found the characters to be well written and the plot was fabulous. Loved it!

First sentence: Invisible people rarely received correspondence. A fact Damaris Baxter had accepted long ago.

In Honor's Defense is the third book in the Hanger's Horsemen trilogy by Karen Witemeyer. This historical romance focuses on Luke Davenport (aka "Preach"). He is our hero; and he's made appearances in the previous books. He's come to town to help a rancher find the rustlers responsible for stealing his cattle.

But who is our heroine???

Damaris Baxter has recently moved from St. Louis to Texas to become the guardian of her (now teenager) nephew, Nate. He's angry and bitter. He feels that his father's death was not accidental but instead murder. His heart is so full of anger, hurt, bitterness that there's just not much room to love an aunt he barely knows. Damaris ("Aunt Maris") loves fiercely and unconditionally. He may not be ready to love her, but she loves enough for two. She'll be there patiently waiting--no matter how long it takes. Even if he never quite loves her back.

The meet cute for this couple is adorable. Nate has trapped Damaris in the cellar. Luke has come to pay a visit to this "spinster" aunt. Perhaps Nate has seen or heard something about what's going on on their neighbor's ranch. Regardless, it won't hurt to get another perspective on the situation. But instead of a spinster aunt and nephew, he finds a seemingly empty house...except he hears someone yelling for help. The spinster is so NOT a spinster. And absolutely nothing follows is as he could have predicted....

Circumstances soon have Luke spending a LOT of time with Damaris and Nate. And he doesn't see that changing any time soon. He senses the two are in great danger...and it may take all his wits (plus calling in some favors from his friends) to keep them safe.

I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED every single minute of this one. I liked the first book in the series. I really loved the second book. Like I thought there was no way to top the second book. But I think this third book may just be my favorite in the series. Maybe. I'd have to reread the second book to be absolutely sure. But then chances are I'd end up rereading the third book again just to double check. It might just be a never-ending cycle of me trying to make up my mind.

I loved Luke. "Preach" has always been such a great character. And getting to know him in this one was great.

Damaris. What can I say about Damaris???? She was the big surprise for me. I always have a feeling that I am going to "love" the hero in Witemeyer's romances. But Damaris, well, I just ADORED her. Together these two just made me GIDDY with glee.

The book definitely had lots of SWEETness. But it also had some intense moments that were action-packed.

I would give it a million stars if I could.

In Honor's Defense
by Karen Witmeyer
Pub Date: June 7, 2022
Bethany House
Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
This is # 3 in the series and I have not read the previous two. I thought this was a wonderful book and I am happy to recommend it. I purchase this author for our library and patrons love Karen's books.
This is the 3rd and final installment in the Hanger's Horsemen series. If you haven't read the other 2 books, you'll be able to follow this storyline just fine. If you have read the other books, it is fun to catch up with the other horsemen in the background while Preach gets his own story. This book follows Preach/Luke as he comes to the aid of a rancher whose cattle are being stolen.
Enjoyable read!
4 stars

In Honor's Defense is the third installment from Karen Witemeyer’s Hanger’s Horsemen. I have always adored her historical novels and this one is no different. It was great to go back in time in Texas. I loved getting to know Damaris and Luke and I was quickly caught up in their story. I enjoyed the adventure, mystery, romance and the element of faith within the pages. As always with a Witemeyer novel, it includes a good dose of laugh out loud scenes. There was nothing I did not love about this tale. It was fabulous.

In Honor's Defense will be getting a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading clean Historical Romantic Fiction. I will never get tired of books written by Karen Witemeyer and will be looking for more in the future.

I received a paperback copy of In Honor's Defense from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

In Honor's Defense
By: Karen Witemeyer

Story Line: 4 Stars
Depth: 4 Stars
Faith: 5 Stars
Love Story: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars


In Honor's Defense is the final book in the Hanger's Horseman trilogy and it was a satisfying ending to the series! Luke Davenport is the only horseman who hasn't settled down and he has no intentions to. Always needing to be on the go, Luke constantly battles his past riddled with abuse and neglect and longs to protect others. Itching for another opportunity to fight for justice, he takes a job tracking down rustlers.

Damaris Baxter leads a quiet and lonely life. She has always felt invisible and has come to terms with her plain life. However, when her older brother passes away and she is appointed guardianship of her nephew, she quickly packs up and moves to Texas, determined to be the family Nathaniel needs. She quickly learns parenting a boy who is not only grieving losing his dad, but is convinced his dad was murdered, is no easy feat.

When Nathaniel gets into trouble and has a run in with Luke, he quickly becomes the protector of this sweet family of two. Damaris and Luke are determined to seek justice and find the truth, but can they do so with their hearts staying intact? The realness of these characters is beautiful and we could not help but fall in love with them. Karen did a fabulous job keeping us guessing with the mystery that was laced throughout the book while drawing us so fully into the lives of Luke and Damaris. We highly recommend this series as we thoroughly enjoyed it!


Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.

I have yet to read a Karen Witemeyer book that I don't love. Karen's newest book, In Honors Defense, is her latest offering and I adored it. Luke Davenport and Demaris Baxter are intriguing characters who each for their own reasons feel that they do not deserve a family of their own. However, when they meet God changes their plans. This was a fun book to read and it was great to sit back and enjoy a western romance. I highly recommend this whole series. All three books show God's redemptive power.

So if I were you, I would brew up a pot of tea, power off the phone, and settle in for a great read.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

Hanger’s Horsemen ride again! I was looking forward to Luke’s story and I was not disappointed.
Damaris has always known she’s not a beauty. After a life of being overlooked she’s resigned herself to the single life, until her oldest brother dies leaving her custody of his son.
Nate lost his mom when he was seven years old, now he’s lost his dad. He knows it wasn’t an accident and he’s going to make the man that’s responsible pay. Aunt Damaris is not going to stop him.
With all the other Horsemen happily married Luke is feeling unsettled.
When he takes a job hunting down rustled cattle there’s much more going on than he expects, and he has no idea that just next door is the one woman and teenager who will change his life forever.
This book has characters tied together by threads of faith and overcoming misconceptions about themselves. There’s plenty of action, romance, and a sense of family. I loved it.
I received a copy courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and this is my honest review.

The Hanger's Horsemen series by Karen Witemeyer is one of my favourite historical romance series! I loved the previous two books a lot, but I think this one is my favourite! I really loved it!!

It's sweet, funny and with a lot of action.
I really adore the sweet chemistry between Luke and Damaris. They are adorable together!

Damaris feels invisible, she longs to feel important to someone and to be chosen for who she is. She's is really sweet and caring.
When her brother dies, she gets custody over her nephew. Her nephew is pretty mischievous and doesn't make it easy for Damaris at first.
He makes some poor choices, but is deep down a very sweet boy who is just grieving.

Luke is really protective, attentive and has a heart of gold. Yet he doesn't believe he is a family man. He didn't have a good example of family life.

Fate has brought these three amazing but scarred people together. Can they overcome their difficulties from inside and outside? Can they help heal each other?

Find out in this wonderful new book of Karen Witemeyer!

I would definitely recommend you to read the first two books in this series first. And then don't wait to long to read this chem of a book!

This book has it all with sweet romance, mystery, and action all wrapped into one. I really enjoyed this book and definitely want to read the other books in this series after reading this one! Luke Davenport was a wild man who found God and now fights for good and justice. He is brought into a small town to help find some cattle rustlers. Damaris Baxter has always been invisible in her large family. When her older brother Douglas dies, leaving his son alone, Damaris is called to take care of her 14 year old nephew Nathaniel. Together will Luke and Damaris be able to solve the ongoing problems before it’s too late? Definitely give this book a read!
#InHonorsDefense #NetGalley

Karen Witemeyer's books never disappoint, and In Honor's Defense is no exception. Contuinuing her Hangar's Horsemen series, Witemeyer focuses on Luke Davenport's story. Hired to huntdown some cattle rustlers, Davenport finds himself tangled up with Damaris Baxter and her nephew Nate, accused of rustling. The believeable, likeable characters everyone can relate to, the frontier Texas setting, and the surprising plot twists all work together to keep the reader turning pages way past bedtime!

I appreciate how Witemeyer weaves in everyday faith. It's not pie-in-the-sky, but just down-to-earth people learning how to live out their faith on a daily basis and how it impacts all they do. How Witemeyer can do that without being preachy, I don't know. So many can't, but she can! I highly recommend this book or any other book by Witemeyer.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

I almost couldn’t put this book down. And when I did put it down, I looked forward to picking it up again. I see now why Karen Witemeyer is such a popular author. She writes skilfully. The Christian elements are incorporated really well and it was refreshing to have a tough main character who sprouts Bible verses every now and then.

The romance was top notch too, though I may have been irritated with the constant chest bursting sensations experienced very often by the love birds. Ha! The story did feel a bit familiar but all in all, it’s a worthwhile read. I will consider buying this title for the church library because of the good spiritual lessons.

In Honor’s Defense is a glorious book. Glorious. The whole Hanger’s Horsemen series has been excellent, but I think this might just be my favorite. Hard to say. But I think it just edged the other two out.

For the third and final offering, Preach takes center stage, alongside Damaris, who has spent most of her life blending in to the shadows. But then her brother dies suddenly and Damaris must leave the security of home and travel to Texas to care for her grieving nephew.

Preach, whose only family is the other Horsemen, is hired to help catch rustlers on the next ranch over but after a vicious attack, he’s left in Damaris’ care while he regains his strength.

I love a good second chance at life story, and this is an excellent one. Preach never through he’d get to settle down, but after healing, can’t seem to see himself too far from Damaris. And Damaris must learn to trust God’s plan for her life, a life she never imagined would include one of the heroic horsemen.

When you add in appearances by the other horsemen and Dr. Jo, this becomes a wonderful farewell lap for the cast of this series. And it works well as a standalone too, but really, why wouldn’t you read the other two? Highly recommended.

Grab a copy or read an excerpt of In Honor’s Defense

Visit Karen Witemeyer’s website

Check out the other books in the Hanger’s Horsemen series

Another wonderful book by Karen Witemeyer! This is the 3rd and final installment in the Hanger's Horsemen series. If you haven't read the other 2 books, you'll be able to follow this storyline just fine. If you have read the other books, it is fun to catch up with the other horsemen in the background while Preach gets his own story. This book follows Preach/Luke as he comes to the aid of a rancher whose cattle are being stolen. When Mr. Grimes requests the Horsemen, Luke answers the call as the others have hung up their hats, but he still yearns for adventure. Baxter land is next door to the Grimes ranch, and Mr. Grimes suspects young Nathaniel of rustling his cattle. When Luke goes to pay Nathaniel a visit, he encounters Nate's Aunt Damaris and is drawn to her. Through a series of events, a mystery that includes the death of Nathaniel's father (Damaris's brother), threats and unexpected alliances, Luke and Damaris draw closer together.

As Luke has been the horseman that intrigued me the most with his penchant for quoting scripture, his rough around the edges persona, and his large size, I was glad to finally get his story as well. As is typical for the author, there was a good dose of humor, as well as some action and a solid dose of faith with this historical romance. I very much enjoyed both the story and the characters. Damaris is a plain wallflower type and seeing those types of characters develop grit throughout a story and win the hero's heart is wonderful. I relate much better to the "plain" looking characters than the beauties that seem to pop up in all of the other novels. Her faith, strength and quiet determination were her own breed of heroism. I also enjoyed watching Nathaniel grow spiritually and emotionally throughout the story as well. All in all, this was a fabulous read and I would recommend to fans of historical romance.

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

Damaris Baxter knows how to fade into the woodwork. In fact, on outings with her large family, they’ve accidentally left her behind. She doesn’t know how to raise a teenage nephew, though. Damaris leaves the comfort (and boredom) of the known for the unknown—Texas. She doesn’t expect her loving nephew to have morphed into a surly young man. Convinced Nate, her oldest brother’s son, just needs love, Damaris sets out to raise him.

But Nate keeps acting like a closed book with resentment between the covers. Nothing feels like her beloved novels. Until a handsome stranger rescues her from Nate’s latest prank.

Luke Davenport has always longed for what he’s never had—a home and a real family. His mother abandoned him, his father abused him and without the kindness of the townspeople, he never would have survived. The Civil War came along, and Luke found comradery with his unit and Captain Matthew Hangar.

After taking part in the massacre at Wounded Knee, Hangar and a few of his men resolve to fight justice to right the terrible wrong they participated in. But now the other men have found love and domestication, and Luke sets out on his own to save a small-time rancher from cattle rustlers.

He doesn’t expect to rescue a damsel in distress or find his heart’s desire—nor to almost losing his life.

Why I Loved This Book

Karen Witemeyer is the master of inspirational historical romance, and In Honor’s Defense is no exception. Suspense, intrigue, history, and romance blend together to make a fast-paced story readers won’t want to put down. Readers will identify with Damaris as she transforms from a wallflower to a fierce fighter for her nephew’s rights.

The sweet love story between Luke and Damaris unfolds gently, as both protagonists realize they have value and strength in God. Without this knowledge, they would never have the courage to embark on a life-long relationship.

Although part of a series, readers can enjoy In Honor’s Defense as a standalone novel. Fans of Jody Hedlund, Jen Turano, or Abigail Wilson will love this book.