Bound for Sin by Tess LeSue is an entertaining historical romance with a slight element of suspense. While this latest release is the second installment in the Frontiers of the Heart series, it can be read a standalone.

Georgiana Bee Blunt needs a husband to safely escort her and her children to California. After placing an ad in the newspaper, she is overwhelmed with prospects who do not quite live up to her standards. However, rugged frontiersman Matt Slater is just the type of man she is looking for but he is not in the market for a wife. When Georgiana's past unexpectedly catches up with her, Matt gallantly comes to her rescue. Matt reluctantly agrees to pretend to be engaged to her in order to protect her and her kids as they travel halfway across the country. With a smoldering hot attraction burning brightly between them, will Georgiana and Matt's fake relationship turn into a lasting romance?

Georgiana is definitely in a tight spot and despite her pampered past, she is now virtually penniless and desperate to get to California. She has not spent much time with her hellion children and she is floundering in her attempts to keep them under control. She has plenty of gumption but her now deceased husband, Leonard, left her in a precarious situation that Georgiana is desperate to rectify.

Matt is a reluctant hero who very chivalrously sets aside his qualms to help Georgiana travel safely to California. He is kind-hearted, compassionate and treats everyone with respect. Despite his awkwardness with Georgiana, Matt is surprisingly at ease with her children and he deftly reins them without much trouble.

Although Matt and Georgiana's romance is an enjoyable addition to the Frontiers of the Heart series, Bound for Sin has a slow moving and somewhat predictable storyline. Like many historical romances, villains abound and Georgiana is a bit of a damsel in distress. But in a refreshing change of pace, Matt might be a little shy but he proves to be very protective of the charges in his care. Georgiana's children are rambunctious and their antics are quite humorous. With one final twist, Tess LeSue brings the novel to a somewhat abrupt but satisfying conclusion. ( )