The Outlaw Groom

by Pat Pritchard

Book Overview

Seems like every female in Lee's Mill, Missouri, is married or about to be - but Cora Lawford doesn't even have a beau. Not for long...the young schoolteacher's pretty face and figure - and her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0821777912
• ISBN13: 9780821777916
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Zebra
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 1.0" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Great book and a wonderful, brooding hero

I don't usually enjoy American historicals, but I picked this one up on a whim and it turned out to be a good decision. I read it in one day, because I didn't want to put it down. This is the third book in a series about a group of women in a small Missouri town who form bonds through a society for their enrichment and, one by one, fall in love and marry. I went back and read the other two after finishing this one, but this was by far my favorite. Cora is the youngest member of the Luminary Society. Having just turned 21 and come into her inheritance, she's finally moved out from under the watchful eye of her strict and sometimes overbearing aunt, and built a house on the outside of town. She loves having her independence, but her friends worry about her being so far away without any close neighbors, especially after a band of outlaws moves into the area. Cora is working at her friend Lucy's store when she gets her first look at Luke Gibson, her new neighbor. He just moved back to town with his brother, Jack, after spending five years in prison for murder (He is guilty, but under the circumstances, it's hard to blame him). Before his conviction, he fought in the War between the States and now he just wants to restore the family farm and rebuild his life. The sparks between Cora and Luke are immediate, but he doesn't think he has anything to offer her, so he tries to scare her away. But living so close to each other, it's impossible for them not to see each other, especially when Cora keeps landing herself in trouble and Luke can't stop himself from running to her rescue. Luke is a great tortured hero and, though he's at times harsh with Cora, he's gentle when it matters and always there when she needs him. It's obvious he's really a good man at heart. Cora's been sheltered most of her life, but she's far from being stupid or weak. It's her impulsiveness that gets her into trouble. Luckily, she's also persistent, because it take a lot of effort to convince Luke she doesn't care about his past and is strong enough to help him fight his demons. This one goes on my keeper shelf.