Thursday, March 9, 2023

BOOK REVIEW- Winning Maura's Heart (The Hangman's Daughters# 1) by Linda Broday

    

Romance

Description

A handsome stranger on her doorstep!

Texas, 1876. Maura Taggart is an outcast. She is the daughter of a hangman and tainted by association - no reputable man would ever want her as his wife. And now she is homeless, along with her sister and the group of children in their care. But Maura has grit. She finds a nearby mission where the nuns agree to take them in and set up an orphanage. But trouble is just around the corner . . .

The Calhoun brothers are identical twins but on opposite sides of the law. Cutter is a deputy Marshal, Jonas an outlaw. When Cutter attempts to break his brother out of a notorious gang, they are shot, and Maura finds one of them wounded, close to the mission - but which brother is it?

 As the stranger regains his strength under Maura's care an attraction between them grows, but there's a question over his identity. Can he be trusted and why has his presence brought danger to their door? With the orphanage under threat can Maura trust this handsome stranger both with their safety and with her heart?

AMAZON LINK 

4 STARS

 This is an emotional story that starts with both Maura and her sister Emma being ousted from a town without mercy.  Oh, they were already outcasts because of their father being a hangman.  But the town felt no remorse of using  them working tirelessly helping when the yellow fever hit.  But as soon as it was done, they were quickly kicked out of town.  Maura and Emma have had to live through a lot of hardships because of their father.  They learned to survive and move with their heads held high.  Although Emma is involved in this story, it really has more to do with Maura as the title suggests. 

I really liked how Maura and Emma stepped up to help the children orphaned by the yellow fever.  The town could care less about them and were happy to throw them out too.  What precious kids they turned out to be, which made the story even better.  It just seemed like every time they turned around there was someone else who needed rescuing and were gathered in.  The nuns made me smile and added so much to the story too. 

The dangers and secrets that were waiting was well written too.  And Calhoun had plenty, some of which their Uncle Max was pretty perceptive about.  Uncle Max, what a character he was when he showed up!

Things do start out kind of slowly but set a really good foundation and when the action starts it does move along. 

I liked how the story ended with all the concerns handled.  And a hard earned H.E.A.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

(NETGALLEY)




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