Knight on the Texas Plains kicks off Linda Broday’s Texas Heroes series, very nicely if I might add. This is the type of romance that easily sweeps you away. Duel McClain’s wife and child are gone and he is brokenhearted. One day after winning a poker game he winds up with a baby girl. I know it sounds weird, but the baby’s father is horrific and Duel wins the baby in the card game. Unable to leave the poor little girl behind, Duel figures he will take her back home with him and give her to his sister and her husband to raise, thereby saving her.

While traveling back to his hometown of Tranquility, Texas, Duel runs across Jessie Foltry. Jessie is running for her life, she’s battered and traumatized. Seeing how hurt she is, Duel convinces Jessie to help him take care of Marley Rose for the time being and the three set off. Once Duel gets into town with Jessie and the baby, he is reminded that Jessie might be looked at as a harlot if the townspeople know that she is living with him out of wedlock. So of course, Duel proposes to Jessie for the sake of her reputation.

I fell for this story-line hook, line and sinker. The baby girl in need of a home, brokenhearted Duel McClain who lost his wife and baby in childbirth and Jessie Foltry who is a domestic abuse survivor. These three needed each other and fate brought them together and it was a sweet story.

Jessie’s back story was a sad one, but she stood strong during a time period when women were seen as property and she could hang for defending herself against her husband’s abuse. As the story-line flows, Jessie is a wanted woman and she is fearful she might actually be hanged. I liked that she was honest with Duel and vice-versa and the two always communicated well. Jessie told him exactly why she was on the run and Duel was there to help her, without wanting anything in return. They fall for each other of course and it was nice seeing it all unfold with a few plot twists along the way. I loved the way Marley Rose wins him over too, it was cute.

He’s definitely the knight in shining armor type but I liked that the heroine saved herself first, and he saved her after that.
The writing flowed perfectly and as I said I was swept away as I read. If you are looking for sweet Western historical romance with a HEA, look no further.

Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any kind of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. I received my free review copy of Knight on the Texas Plains by Linda Broday via Sourcebooks.

https://bookwormnai.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/knight-on-the-texas-plains-by-linda... ( )

This book was simply a delight to read! I was completely swept away by this wonderful story filled with characters that will stay with me. I used to read a lot of western historical romances but haven't picked up in years. I really decided to read this book on a whim and what a good decision that turned out to be. This was a book that was nearly impossible for me to put down once I started reading and I ended up finishing it in less than 24 hours. This book had so many wonderful elements that just seemed to work together flawlessly.

Duel McClain is a character that I won't be forgetting anytime soon. At the start of the story, Duel wins a little girl in a poker game. It quickly becomes obvious that while he has good intentions, he has no idea what he is doing. As luck would have it, Jessie finds her way to his campsite needing help. She is able to help Duel care for Marley Rose while he works to keep her safe. They have all been through some really tough times but together they seem to be stronger and really make a wonderful family.

I fell in love with these characters. Duel was such a good man. He was always trying to do the honorable thing and put other people's needs above his own. Jessie went through some horrible things before meeting Duel. She is a survivor and doesn't make excuses. She is honest with Duel from the very beginning despite what she thought it might cost her. She was such a caring person and her strength never ceased to amaze me. Marley Rose really helped to bring them together. The love the three of them shared really melted my heart.

I thought this story was really original. I am always looking for something that is a little different when I pick up a book. This one was a pleasant surprise. Duel and Jessie had such vivid and heartbreaking backstories that I was immediately hooked. Their romance was built on trust and respect and was at a much slower pace than I would have expected. There was plenty of excitement to keep the story interesting and the end of the book turned out to be quite intense.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical romance. I am really excited that this is the beginning of a new series because I can't wait to read more. This is the first book by Linda Broday that I have read but she has definitely captured my attention with this one.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley. ( )

From BackCover:
UNDER A STARRY TEXAS SKY

Duel McClain was no knight in shining armor—he was a drifter who prided himself on having no responsibilities. But a poker game thrust him into the role of father to an abandoned baby, and then a condemned woman stumbled up to his campfire. The fugitive beauty aimed to keep him at shotgun's length, but obvious maternal instincts belied her fierce demeanor. And she and the baby were clearly made for each other. Worse, the innocent infant and the alleged murderess opened Duel's heart, made him long for the love of a real family. And the only way to have that would be to slay the demons of the past. ( )