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Outlaw in Petticoats |
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Maeve Loman has had her heart crushed before; she isn't about to have it happen again. When she takes Zeke Halsey up on his offer to help her discover the truth about her father, she's sure she can control her traitorous body and not fall for the man's considerable charms. Zeke Halsey has wanted Maeve Loman since he first set eyes on the prickly schoolteacher. Even as she thwarts his advances, he sees the desire burning in her eyes. He knows she feels abandoned and uses bravado to keep people at arm’s length. Offering to help her find her father, he hopes to prove he’s not going anywhere. |
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Romantic tales of the old West |
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Zeke kneed his horse up alongside her gelding. “Any chance you know how to use that pretty gun you have hanging from your hip?” He said it in jest, but realized his error when she turned a narrowed blue gaze on him. “It just so happens, my father taught me one thing before he left us.” She drew the pistol from her holster, leveled it, and cocked the hammer with her thumb. Maeve glanced at him; a sly, crooked smile tipped her lips. She squeezed the trigger. Peering past the spiral of smoke at the end of the pistol, Zeke watched a pine cone fly off a limb. Maeve rode over to the pine cone, dismounted, and handed it up to Zeke. He whistled and stared at the hole in the middle. “Not bad. You can watch my back any time.” Her dark eyebrows arched and her mouth opened slightly. Zeke wanted to lean down and kiss her. When she found her voice she asked, “You don’t care that I can outshoot most men?” “As long as you don’t use that on me, you can outshoot anyone you want.” He couldn’t keep from laughing. She expected him to get all upset she was a better shot than him. Maeve obviously hadn’t been studying him like he studied her. “I don’t understand you. Most men would have a conniption if a woman shot better than them.” She mounted her horse. “Any man worth his salt knows his weaknesses and doesn’t begrudge someone else who is better.” He shook his head. “And Sweetheart, you’re better with a pistol than I am.” He nudged his horse up alongside hers. He caught her behind the neck with one hand and leaned in, capturing her lips before she could move away. Dang, but she tasted good. When he felt the horses moving apart, he let her go. Her eyes remained closed and she licked her lips. The quick rise and fall of her chest, made him grin. She could deny her feelings all she wanted, but he knew how he affected her and he’d keep on plying her with kisses until she realized he wasn’t going any where. |
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Maeve is a courageous woman of the Old West, but modern readers will certainly relate to her struggle to maintain her own identity and not get swept up in a whirlwind of emotions with a man she has yet to trust. Despite her overwhelming attraction to Zeke (the sexual tension between them positively sizzles), the most difficult thing for Maeve would be to become dependent on a man, shackled by his concern and care, knowing one day he could just up and leave her destitute. |
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Zeke, on the other hand, struggles, as many modern men must, to understand and accept the woman he loves on her terms, without smothering the very qualities he loves about her. Strong and commanding, he wages an emotional and sensual battle for the heart of the woman he loves that will undoubtedly pull at your own heart. (I admit it—I fell in love with Zeke Halsey!)
With Zeke and Maeve, Ms. Jager has created two complex and compelling characters. Swept along in their adventure, the reader can’t help but be stirred by a man who is prepared to work so hard for love while relating to a woman who fears the trap of commitment. Ms. Jager’s emotional development of both characters is made more evocative placed against the backdrop of the Old West. With an intriguing mystery, an action-packed adventure, fully realized characters and a story filled with surprising twists, Ms. Jager has crafted a sensual and gratifying romance that will have you turning those pages. A keeper for any lover of romance or the Old West. |
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