First, the cover of this book is just gorgeous! Second, what a great premise and not something I have ever read. The town of desolation welcomes gunslingers,,,if they either get married or get a job. So fun! Of course, our hero marries a feisty, opinionated bride and the sparks fly from there. Really enjoyed and look forward to more by this author.

This is one knee-slapping hilarious book. I remember laughing at the last book and the fun continues. I laughed out loud so many times. Michelle captures the essence of the Wild West along with the sweet romance between Adam and Nora. Bless his heart, Adam could not catch a break and it was kind of fun to see a hero who had to work for it without it coming easy. Fantastic!

You know the minute someone says they have rules for living that they're all about to be broken in the most epic ways, right? Too bad no one clued Adam in on this or maybe he might have saved himself. Luckily for us, however, he didn't.

I'm a total sucker for a handsome cowboy, and Adam completely fit the bill. Rugged, attractive, and funny in an often self-deprecating way, I was half in love with him myself. Despite his reputation as a rough and tumble gunslinger and gambler, he has a big heart and a lot of compassion. The way he helps everyone out really endeared him to me. His unflagging devotion to Nora, against all odds, was heart-warming.

Nora is the kind of woman I want to be. Strong, independent, willing to take on any challenge that faces her, she's a real inspiration, especially for the time period. Her issues with her father resonated with me and made me empathize with her struggles. Also, her struggle to give up some of her control and allow Adam to do things for her was nice to watch. She didn't have reason to trust many people, but his attempts at winning her over were sweet.

The premise of this book is what caught my attention. That Adam and Nora accidentally get married without realizing it set the tone for the rest of the novel. Chaos, laughter, and lots of will they, won't they follow. In addition, the side characters really brought the town to life. I also appreciated the way that their instant attraction to one another slowly grows into mutual affection, even if they both deny it. I'm definitely going to have to pick up the first in this series to see if it's as much fun as this was.

A fun romantic read about an independent woman in a fix and a retired gunslinger looking to hide out from an unlawful lawman. Quirky characters abound, both two legged and four. There are some steamy moments once Nora and Brady succumb to their mutual attraction. I felt some of the characters’ speech patterns and vocab leaned towards modern expression but it was not a deterrent for me. While this is the second in the town of Desolation series, this can read as a stand alone. I’m hoping the series continues with Preacher’s story!

Historical romcom is an underrated subgenre. I loved this book. It's fun, silly, and heartwarming. Accidental wedding leads to shenanigans and love. I love Adam and Nora and I think their relationship is really beautiful. I also love that Nora is tall and has a bigger body. Love seeing that rep.

Four and a half stars

Michelle McLean’s second in her Gunslinger series is The Gunslinger’s Guide to Avoiding Matrimony, and is a delightful western historical.

While essentially on the run for his life, Adam Brady stumbles across the little town of Desolation, one he’d nearly given up as mythical. While getting acquainted with what he hopes to be his new home, he ends up more or less married to one Nora Schumacher. When one confirmed bachelor and one fiercely independent self-possessed woman who needs a husband at least in name cannot determine whether they’d be better off wed, the hijinks truly begin.

Michelle McLean does an excellent job with Adam and Nora’s story, balancing the humor with the heartfelt as they find themselves at cross purposes. They find themselves genuinely admiring the other, even though it would be far simpler to bury those feelings entirely.

Ms McLean also does a terrific job with bringing to life the joys and ties (good and not so good) that come with love, and the frustrations and often unfair circumstances that the “fairer sex” face.

Well written and entertaining, this makes me eager to pick up the other titles in the series.

Fun and funny! A nice follow up to the first in the series. And a heroine who is tall! Sigh. It makes my heart happy.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Gunslinger Adam accidentally marries Nora in the wild west town of Desolation. Adam’s trying to outrun the bounty hunter on his tail when he finds himself in a town where gunslingers are welcome…if they marry or get a job. Adam does not want to marry but finds himself hitched to Nora, who has her reasons for wanting to hold onto Adam. I felt like the premise was far-fetched and made little sense. Would marrying reform a gunslinger? The characters of Adam and Nora are likable but felt a little flat to me. There are humorous parts and areas where the story does move quickly and caught some of my interest, but overall this just wasn’t a favorite for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, for the chance to provide an honest review.

The Gunslinger's Guide to Avoiding Matrimony was at times very humorous and exciting, and other times it was extremely slow and dull.

I love the concept of an old West retirement community for criminals. Gunslinger Adam strolls into Desolation, and through a series of over the top events, finds himself hitched to Nora.

Some of the supporting characters were very funny, and the book had its moments. But I think the romance was lacking in the "feels" and chemistry department, and the pacing was a bit all over the place.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.

Eh. I thought I’d go out of my comfort zone and try a western for a change.

Didn’t really like the hero,right off the bat. DNF

Part of a series that probably should be read in order.

Right from the start , you will like the hero. Then all hell breaks lose with an unintended marriage, a community of intriguing people and a wonderful heroine who is hardworking and loving daughter. The book kept me laughing at all the jobs the hero worked at. There are moments that tug at the heart as well. Excellent book to read. It was hard to put it down.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the second in a series based in the town of Desolation, where almost everyone is an outlaw of some description, but essentially a decent person.

I was looking forward to reading this one, and I was not disappointed. Nora is friends with everyone, including all the men in town, but this doesn't help her when she needs to get married to prevent her grief-stricken father from selling her homestead out from under her! She's not your typical feminine beauty - she's tall and solid and helpful. Which means that most people underestimate her as a woman.

Enter Adam, a gunslinger running from a bounty hunter, who definitely does not make the same mistake as the rest of the men in Desolation. Even though he has vowed to avoid marriage at all costs, he can't help but be drawn to Nora - which is fortunate, because he has just accidentally married her!

This is a really sweet, funny story. I really like how Nora and Adam fall for each other despite their misgivings, and how the town eventually accepts him. I can't wait to find out what happens in Desolation next!

This book is a western romcom. I love books that make me laugh and this one sure did! Adam was just a very backward, awkward kind of guy. He's also a gunslinger, so that is a strange combination to start with. Then you mix him with a very strong, masculine dressing woman that he tries really hard not to have a thing for (sorry, dude, the bathtub scene gave you away), who is desperate to be married to save her home from her wastrel of a father and what you get is one pleasurable read.

I loved the gradual turn around of the relationship between Nora and Adam. They started out "accidentally getting married" and then grew to actually like each other in a manner that was very touching. There's the rom. The com comes in all the jobs that Adam fails at in order to be able to stay in Desperation per the rules, without having to actually commit to the marriage. He definitely should have just stuck with shooting people instead of working in the businesses in Desperation. He was fired so many times!

I really had fun with this book! Thanks to Entangled Pub and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

A delightfully funny novel filled with the absurdly amusing antics of a gunslinger who finds a hidden town where he can retire from the law. The problem is he must either marry or find a job to stay there. He is so not into marrying but accidentally does during a group wedding ceremony. His bride is actually perfect for him if he was the marrying type. Lots of crazy things ensue that make the novel laughingly move along. I loved it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Gunslinger’s Guide to Avoiding Matrimony was a SURPRISE, you guys!! This was way more similar to a British historical romance than I was anticipating, which is the romance genre I am most familiar with.

Adam Brady is a gunslinger who has always been great at making choices that get him in trouble. Nora is a 25 year old (might I say spinster?) in the town of Devastation, which is a haven for outlaws who are trying to retire in peace. Adam waltzes in, accidentally (kind of) marries Nora, which is convenient for her and very inconvenient for him. There’s a lot of antics between Nora’s friends in town who become Adam’s friends, and this was so fun!!!

I loved how positive and outgoing Adam was, he felt very much like a recency character in his attitudes and his values. Nora was such a strong, independent woman that it was nice for her to find that she did have people that were there for her, including Adam. I was really nervous about the third act break up (because we always know that it's coming), however!! I loved the twist that Michelle threw in! A lovely story that read really well and kept me captivated!

The Gunslinger’s Guide to Avoiding Matrimony by Michelle McLean
I loved this book!!! What a fun, witty, and often hysterical story! Adam Brady, gambler and gunfighter, often makes the wrong choices. Even when he has the best interests of those around him in mind. The guy can’t get a break. He meets a beautiful woman, Nora Schumacher, and accidentally says I do at the wrong moment and ‘bam’ he’s married. Well, their meet cute is definitely something unique :). His bad luck throughout the book just enhanced his appeal. Nora is a force of nature, tall, smart, capable, and beautiful. She needs a husband but doesn’t want to be married. Most of the town’s male population doesn’t understand her or see her appeal, but Adam does. The zaniness of their early story reminds me of James Garner movies “Support Your Local Gunfighter” and “Support Your Local Sheriff”.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Adam, Nora, and the cast of characters of Desolation, a town in the middle of nowhere for people who don’t want to be found. Although Adam gets off on the wrong foot with the sheriff because of their past, he manages to show his perseverance and determination in all he does; and I got the sense of the town really coming around to him (even while finding much humor in his actions).

I love the way the characters met, their growing attraction and respect for one another, and the way Ms. McLean wove in the town and Adam’s past for a final confrontation and wonderful conclusion. And I really enjoyed laughing my way through this story. This is a first read for me with this author and I’m already ordering her backlist of books. Thank you for an advance copy of this book, this is my voluntary review.

I give the writer a big plus at providing a story that had me entertained for a few hours. Adam and the sheriff certainly did get along in the most unique way. I enjoyed that the book read very quickly for me. I took this a page turner with a lot of excitement in it. The romance between Nora and Adam was very patient in some ways and others a heated relationship. I loved the the story was a fun read with laughter and sentimental moments.

This was a quirky, unusual and sometimes even funny story. Even though it had good plot ideas it also took me long time to even get into it. Sad to say. But I think that's on me because the writing was good but just didn't pull me in as much as I would have liked.
I did like Adam's favorite phrase. "Where's the fun in that?'' It cropped up at just the right or is that improper time?
The people of the town did add a lot to the story. And things do speed up towards the end as trouble comes to town.
It all comes to a good end with a H.E.A. and Epilogue at the end. I will be giving it 3.5 stars when it opens on Amazon.


" I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book. And these are my honest opinions about it.”

This is such a fun adventure. How in the world can you get accidently married? Adam is tired. He just wants to quit running. He is being chased by a relentless lawman. The guy is probably worse than the criminals he chases, but he is after Adam and won't let up. When Adam stumbles across Desolation, he thinks he has found a place he could hide out. The problem is the local sheriff. He is a man that Adam has tangled with over the years and the sheriff is not a fan of Adam. While he is standing around talking to a woman he just met, they both realize that there is a mass wedding going on and they might have just gotten married. Adam refuses to put anyone else in danger, so he is avoiding matrimony at all costs. Nora needs a husband, but she doesn't want one. So, she keeps after Adam to make their marriage legal. He can't do that because someone could find him. They are at a stalemate. What do they do?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely love, love, love this series! The Gunslinger series is guaranteed to make you smile! The Gunslinger’s Guide To Avoiding Matrimony is the second book in the Gunslinger series. This is Adam and Nora’s story.

Adam is a gunslinger wanting to retire. Adam finds the town of Desolation, a town he thought was fictional, known for giving men of criminal natures a new start. Nora is an independent, lonely woman facing losing everything she has if she can’t find a way to stop her father from gambling away her future. Adam and Nora are thrown together through hilarious circumstances. Adam must find a way to meet the town’s expectations and irritating laws while avoiding Nora if he wants to stay.

Adam is the unluckiest, accident-prone man! He tries fiercely to avoid Nora, but his lousy luck throws him into Nora’s path every time. Nora has always felt ignored, unwanted, and unattractive. Even her father berates her every chance he gets. I loved Nora’s spunk! Nora stands toe to toe with this notorious gunslinger, and Adam is hopelessly lost to Nora’s charms.

This book is a romcom and western expertly intertwined. If you don’t read westerns, I implore you to try this series. I instantly fell in love with this wily bunch of townspeople. The plot is flawlessly comical and endearingly romantic. The book is fast-paced, and I didn’t want it to end! I love that the characters from the first book showed up again. However, Adam and Nora’s story stands on its own. I have eagerly awaited this second installment, and I was ecstatic that it exceeded my expectations. Michelle McLean always delivers a well-put-together, hilarious, passionate story that leaves the reader wanting more. Michelle McLean, please write more Gunslinger books! I can’t wait to see what newcomer will haplessly wander into Desolation next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.