GIVE ME A TEXAS OUTLAW Author: Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda, DeWanna Pace ISBN: 9781420111736 7/2011 ANTHOLOGY Publisher: KENSINGTON ZEBRA
Okay this review is going to be a little different. This is a anthology book, so I'll be reviewing each story separately, rating each story separately, and then give my overall rating. The Outlaw by Jodi Thomas - Rating: 3.5 roses A pregnant girl makes up a fake fiance and ends up marrying an outlaw to keep her secret. Personally the premise bothered me a little bit, because I kept thinking, 'Why not marry a regular guy if you are going to bribe him?', but I set that aside once I saw how cute Cozette and Michael were together. The relationship was an odd one, but one that seemed to suit the couple. The three uncles of Michael sometimes stole the show because they were just so funny. Overall this is a cute story. It was a little rushed for my taste, but that I can excuse as it being a novella. Trouble in Petticoats by Linda Broday - Rating: 5 roses This is about a younger sister kidnapped, and the older sister and the hired gun trying to save her. I will get this out of the way right now. I had trouble reading this story because of the hero's name: Johnny Bravo. If you remember the 90s cartoon, you will know why. Every time I read the name, I would either want to say, 'Do the monkey with me', or 'Man, I'm pretty'. Even worse, there were times I'd imagine the cartoon character in the place of the hired gun. I'm not ashamed to say I stared death in the eyes because I was laughing so hard. Other than that, the story was extremely enjoyable. This was my favorite of the four stories. I could relate to the heroine's—Larissa—determination to rescue her little sister. My little sister means the world to me, and even the thought of something happening to her nearly kills me. So the story was more than a bit heart wrenching to me. The romance between Larissa and Johnny was very sweet. It developed out of the fact that Larissa had so much love for her sister, and Johnny respected and even admired that. I really wish this had been a full book as I could have spent a lot more time with these two. Texas Flame by Phyliss Miranda - Rating: 2.5 roses Texas Flame is about a female bank robber and her ex-sweetheart who is supposed to arrest her. This was one of the more intriguing plots. In this one, the female is the outlaw. The heroine, Savannah, is wanted for robbing banks, and over the course of the story we come to realize why she is doing this. The hero, Ethan, is assigned to arrest her, but is finding it difficult as they used to be together. I thought this one was a bit rushed and could have been more balanced out if it hadn't been so slow in the beginning. The dialogue bothered me as it was too awkward. Also, apparently this is a part of a series by this author, which would explain why I was so lost at times. Most Wanted by DeWanna Pace - Rating: 4.5 roses An accidental outlaw frees a hired gun to help her get home in Most Wanted. This is my second favorite story in this book and was just barely beaten for the top rank. The heroine, Odessa, is so adorable and sweet, you instantly fall in love with her. The hero, Shadow, is just this guy who is in over his head, and it's funny to see the situations he gets himself into. Both of these characters are out shined by Odessa's mother Maddy. She is a madame that just completely stole the show. She is shameless and sassy, and you start to wonder if Odessa is really her daughter because of how different they are. The relationship between Maddy and Odessa was funny and very realistic. Overall, GIVE ME A TEXAS OUTLAW is a really good 4 Rose Read, and a definite buy for fans of the Old West romance genre. Caitlin Turner |
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