BOOK REVIEW- KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS by Linda Broday

Duel McClain has lost everything he's ever loved: his wife, his son, his sense of self. But when a strange twist of fate—and a poker game he'll never forget—leaves an innocent little girl in his care, Duel vows to defend his new family to his very last breath. If only he knew a single thing about taking care of babies...

Just as Duel swears his life can't get any more complicated, a beautiful woman stumbles into the light of his campfire, desperate for help. Jessie Foltry is hungry, tired, and running for her life. She agrees to help Duel care for the child in exchange for his protection, even as she fights to guard her broken heart. But Duel will do whatever it takes to make Jessie see that the Texas plains have more than one kind of knight, and perhaps their salvation is closer than either of them could have dreamed...AMAZON 4 STARS

This was a good story with a lot of emotional elements too.  The book info gives you that impression and it does deliver.  Marley Rose became quite an important part of the story just like her introduction into Duel's life.  That was one poker game that impacted his life in a big way.  And for Duel the surprises just kept coming.

Jesse had lived through some pretty horrific abuse at the hands of her husband for years.  And to be honest, because of that I wouldn't recommend this book for younger readers.   But putting that part aside, the sense of family that developed for Jessie through the McClain's was sweet to read.  She went from being almost totally alone to having the McClain family surrounding her and rooting for her.  

The story did slow down part way through the book.  But I think it was so  you could see the struggles that the main characters were going through.  They had painful pasts to try to get past and getting to know each other as well.  Also, you could feel the building of the sense of trouble hanging over their heads but you just didn't know how and when it was going to fall.

On one last note,  Marley Rose didn't say a lot but what she did say was cute and she reached out to people and animals with a lot of love.  It was heartwarming considering how brutal her earlier days were before Duel and Jesse.