Hannah Brides of the Oregon Trail Book 1
Historical Western Romance
Firehouse Publishing
January 23, 2019
151
Desperate times call for desperate measures, so when Hannah Granger's little sister takes off for Oregon with a group of mail-order brides to meet her new husband, Hannah has no choice but to follow. She expects her sister to find trouble, and she does. But what Hannah doesn't expect is to fall for the hired gun traveling with the wagon train as they make their way along the treacherous Oregon Trail. The bounty hunter is tall, dark and dangerous, everything she's avoided her entire life. But when she begins to suspect criminals are riding just four wagons back, she'll do just about anything to convince him to listen...and to protect her fragile younger sister from the truth about what this trip is costing them both.
The only thing bounty hunter Joe Stanton wants is to avoid trouble. He's tagging along on this trip to the Oregon Territory to put a little extra cash in his pocket and take a break from the hunt. The only woman he ever loved broke his heart and his last bounty cost an innocent man his life. Joe's had enough blood, death and betrayal to last a lifetime. So why, then, does he make Hannah's secrets his own? Why does he lie to protect her? And why does the stubborn woman's dogged attempts to help him track down criminals drive him insane with worry.
Maybe because he's falling for the red-headed beauty. Maybe because if he doesn't keep her close, they'll both end up dead.
Reviewed by: Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Review Team
It is 1852 and Hannah Granger and her sister Lydia are about to undertake a very difficult trip to Oregon City in the Washington Territory. One hundred and three women have agreed to be mail-order brides travelling in fifty wagons, a trip that will take five to six months to complete.
Lydia has agreed to be a bride to a sixty year old rich man named Walter Mosley and he gave her permission to bring along any family member she wished and he would provide for them all.
Hannah and Lydia had no money and would have no home since they were way behind in their rent. Hannah wanted to open her own dress shop when she arrived in Oregon City hopefully a dream that could be fulfilled with the help of Lydia’s new husband. With their wagon loaded and being pulled by oxen they took off having been forewarned that this was a long and dangerous trip.
Hannah loved her sister Lydia who in a very short time had already found a pet in need of her, a three legged kitten about to be killed. They hadn’t even begun the journey and Hannah was sure there would be many more needy animals that would be joining them in their wagon. Hannah cared for the oxen and the cows they brought along but she was suffering with her feet due to having new boots that were poorly fitted. Not wanting to alarm Lydia she would go to the water to remove her bloody socks and cool her feet and that was when she met Joe Stanton who helped her get to the water and who gladly helped bandage her feet.
Joe was a bounty hunter who was now hired as a scout for the wagon train and he became a daily visitor to Hannah and Lydia’s wagon. Joe was handsome and set Hannah’s heart to pity pater even though she knew that a man like him could never be interested in someone like her. She always considered herself plain especially next to Lydia who was beautiful and everything a man could ever want. In spite of her lack of confidence Joe paid her attention and seemed to show an interest in her.
When Hannah sneaks a peak inside of Joe’s saddle bags she finds wanted posters and she recognizes three of the men, men who are travelling with the wagon train and men that Joe is after. When Hannah tells him about the men Joe realizes that they will have to wait until they get to their next stop since they are in the middle of nowhere and there is noone to turn the men over to.
Joe cares for Hannah but the last woman he loved broke his heart and caring is all he can offer a woman, love is not something he can feel anymore, or so he thinks. I don’t want to go into too much about the story and about Joe and Hannah but I will say that I loved this book and read it in a few hours. Something does happen between Hannah and Joe that changes their relationship completely and that is all I am going to say, you will have to find out for yourself.
This was Joe and Hannah’s story and I hope that Lydia’s story is next since she was the one that put Hannah and Joe together.