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The Vigilante's Bride (Yvonne Harris Texas Rangers)
Montana Territory, 1884
Is Her Kidnapper the Only Man Who Can Keep Her Safe?
Robbing a stagecoach on Christmas Eve and abducting a woman passenger is the last thing Luke Sullivan expected to do. He just wanted to reclaim the money stolen from his pa, but instead ended up rescuing a feisty copper-haired woman who was on her way to marry Sullivan's dangerous enemy.
Emily McCart
...moreHardcover, Large Print, 365 pages
Published
January 1st 2011
by Thorndike Press
(first published August 1st 2010)
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Sep 04, 2010
Margaret
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Margaret by:
Relz Reviewz, CFBA
I love this book, as in love love love this book. The Vigilante's Bride is my first experience with author Yvonne Harris and you better believe it will not be my last. The romance in verbiage and actions is palpable and beautiful. If you know any of my taste in books, you know that I love Mary Connealy and Tracie Peterson and even though Yvonne's book is slightly shorter, she's right up there in my favoritism. I can hardly put the book down, and then when I think I've only been reading for a sho...more
4 likes · like · see review
view all 4 comments
Sep 24, 2010
joy *the clean-reader extraordinaire*
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
*2.5 stars*
LIKES: the gorgeous cover, the fast-moving plot, the characters themselves, the indians, the western setting
DISLIKES: the unrealistic and irritating conflicts between the romantic leads -- why are they constantly angry with each other? no real reason or validity is given to their temper tantrums; several scenes are simply left unresolved/unfinished; also, the plot could've used more fleshing out
not nearly as satisfactory as similar books of the same genre, but it's worth a day's read...more
LIKES: the gorgeous cover, the fast-moving plot, the characters themselves, the indians, the western setting
DISLIKES: the unrealistic and irritating conflicts between the romantic leads -- why are they constantly angry with each other? no real reason or validity is given to their temper tantrums; several scenes are simply left unresolved/unfinished; also, the plot could've used more fleshing out
not nearly as satisfactory as similar books of the same genre, but it's worth a day's read...more
I read most of it... Stopped about 100 pages from the end (read the large-print version) and skipped to the ending, which really didn't surprise me much at all. I usually never do that ever.
This book was very very dull, in realms of writing style and plot development. This is a very slow-paced book. Nothing really happens in it at all, besides some very well-worn cliches, such as the love interests hate each other and want to make each other miserable in the beginning and the girl is terrified...more
This book was very very dull, in realms of writing style and plot development. This is a very slow-paced book. Nothing really happens in it at all, besides some very well-worn cliches, such as the love interests hate each other and want to make each other miserable in the beginning and the girl is terrified...more
I really liked this book. I love westerns, and enjoyed this one. I've never read any of Yvonne Harris' books before but would gladly read others in the future. The beginning shows Emily who was raised in an orphanage being kicked out by the board as she is of age and they need room to take in young orphans in her place. They answer a mail order bride advertisement for her and pledge her to someone she has never met. They pay for her fare on the stage coach and send her off. The stage is held up...more
Dec 16, 2011
Rachel Thompson
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical,
romance
I downloaded this book for free for my Sony e-reader.
Emily is an orphan. After she turns eighteen, she is sent out west to become a mail-order bride, but her stagecoach is robbed. While she's standing in the middle of the road, the robber returns to kidnap her. Luke is intent on making sure Emily knows just who she's agreed to marry before she goes through with the deed.
First of all, I am sick to death of characters named Luke. They pop up in historical romances (especially westerns) way too oft...more
Emily is an orphan. After she turns eighteen, she is sent out west to become a mail-order bride, but her stagecoach is robbed. While she's standing in the middle of the road, the robber returns to kidnap her. Luke is intent on making sure Emily knows just who she's agreed to marry before she goes through with the deed.
First of all, I am sick to death of characters named Luke. They pop up in historical romances (especially westerns) way too oft...more
I usually love mail-order bride stories, and I even like an occasional western, but the combination of both in this book just did not do it for me. I’m not sure where it started to go wrong, but overall, the story did not flow well.
I came into the story expecting Emily’s point of view. After all, the story is called “The Vigilante’s Bride,” emphasis on bride. She came out west as a mail-order bride to this foul man, which she, thankfully, did not have to marry. Once she was released of her marit...more
I came into the story expecting Emily’s point of view. After all, the story is called “The Vigilante’s Bride,” emphasis on bride. She came out west as a mail-order bride to this foul man, which she, thankfully, did not have to marry. Once she was released of her marit...more
Jul 05, 2011
Kimberly
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
no one
Shelves:
gentle-reads
There are two reasons why I finished this book:
1. My local library has an adult summer reading program and I can fill out an entry form for prize drawings for each book I read. While I understand that some library patrons may be less than honest when it comes to filling out entry forms for books they may or may not have finished reading, I am adamant that if I'm going to fill out an entry form for a book, I've actually finished reading the entire book.
2. I wanted to write a one-star review for t...more
1. My local library has an adult summer reading program and I can fill out an entry form for prize drawings for each book I read. While I understand that some library patrons may be less than honest when it comes to filling out entry forms for books they may or may not have finished reading, I am adamant that if I'm going to fill out an entry form for a book, I've actually finished reading the entire book.
2. I wanted to write a one-star review for t...more
5 likes · like · see review
THE VIGILANTE’S BRIDE by Yvonne Harris had all the ingredients for a good historical romance.
Luke Sullivan is not a man most want to contend with. Angry and bitter when he finds out his father was swindle in a card game by Bart Axel – an act that forever changed his life – Luke sets out to settle the score. When he discovers Axel’s courier will be on a stage leaving town, Luke decides to take what is rightly his. What he didn’t expect to find is young Emily McCarthy, a girl betrothed to Axel al...more
Luke Sullivan is not a man most want to contend with. Angry and bitter when he finds out his father was swindle in a card game by Bart Axel – an act that forever changed his life – Luke sets out to settle the score. When he discovers Axel’s courier will be on a stage leaving town, Luke decides to take what is rightly his. What he didn’t expect to find is young Emily McCarthy, a girl betrothed to Axel al...more
The Vigilante’s Bride isn’t your typical romance, and it’s definitely not your typical inspirational romance. Harris pushes the bounds of Christian romance in a new and refreshing way.
The story opens with our heroine being asked, forcibly, to leave the orphanage, the only home she’s ever. Without giving her an option, the board of directors at the orphanage answers a newspaper ad that will bind Emily in matrimony to a man not of her choosing. Fortunately for Emily, fate intervenes in the guise o...more
The story opens with our heroine being asked, forcibly, to leave the orphanage, the only home she’s ever. Without giving her an option, the board of directors at the orphanage answers a newspaper ad that will bind Emily in matrimony to a man not of her choosing. Fortunately for Emily, fate intervenes in the guise o...more
Book Cover: It is an interesting cover. Typically, it wouldn't catch my interest.
Emily McCarthy, an 18 year old Chicago native and orphan, must marry a Bart Axel, a wealthy rancher in Montana. However, Luke Sullivan, has other plans when he robs Bart's stage coach as an act of vengeance due to Sullivan's family losing to Bart in a rigged game. There may be love in expected places.
Emily and Luke are opposites of each other. Emily is a petite 18 year old, and Luke is a 26 year old tall and tough...more
Dec 10, 2010
Brenna
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
genre-christian-fiction,
genre-historical
Not stellar, but not horrible, either. (Sorry, I'm kind of a picky reader.) It kept my attention and I read the book straight through in a single afternoon, so it has that in its favor. :) There were occasional scenes that I didn't really get--like the one in the horse's POV--and some of the scene changes didn't always...flow, I guess, as well as they could have. But I liked the main guy, and I mostly liked the heroine, though I found her a bit annoying in the beginning. And in the middle. But I...more
For fans of historical fiction (and handsome cowboys!), The Vigilante’s Bride is a gem. The story takes place in the 1800’s, in the Montana Territory and begins with Chicago native, Emily McCarthy, making her way west to Repton, Montana to marry a man she’s never met.
Although the wealthy widower, Bartholomew Axel is a stranger, he may very well be Emily’s salvation. With no place to go and no family to turn to, Emily is in need of a quick fix for her situation as she is being forced to leave Al...more
Although the wealthy widower, Bartholomew Axel is a stranger, he may very well be Emily’s salvation. With no place to go and no family to turn to, Emily is in need of a quick fix for her situation as she is being forced to leave Al...more
Yvonne Harris
2010
Bethany House
Fiction/Historical
Reviewed by Cindy Loven
Set in Montana Territory in 1884, we find young Emily McCarthy on a stage coach on her way to be married to a total stranger. All arranged by the director of the orphanage where Emily was raised. Now that she is of age, they need the room she lives in so arrangements have been made. Emily is not happy about this at all, but has resigned herself to accepting it.
As she nears her destination, the stage is held up and robbed, an...more
2010
Bethany House
Fiction/Historical
Reviewed by Cindy Loven
Set in Montana Territory in 1884, we find young Emily McCarthy on a stage coach on her way to be married to a total stranger. All arranged by the director of the orphanage where Emily was raised. Now that she is of age, they need the room she lives in so arrangements have been made. Emily is not happy about this at all, but has resigned herself to accepting it.
As she nears her destination, the stage is held up and robbed, an...more
Oct 27, 2010
April
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
western-inspirational-historical-fi
THE VIGILANTE'S BRIDE by Yvonne Harris is a delightful, entertaining Inspirational Historical Fiction set in 1884 Montana Territory. It is well written with details, depth, twists and turns. It has romance,wit,mail order bride, bride-be-abduction, hope, faith, love, survival, cowboys, cattle rustlers, authentic dialog, Crow Indians, orphan children, stolen land and assassination attempts. The characters are real life, engaging, charming and work well together. This story shows how God can take d...more
Emily McCarthy grew up in an orphanage and is now on her way from Chicago to Montana Territory as a mail order bride. But she never makes it to her wedding since her stagecoach is robbed and she is abducted. And it’s a good thing too because she was going to marry Bart Axel, a nasty man and the enemy of Luke Sullivan, her abductor. Axel is not pleased with Luke and plans to get rid of him, for reasons other than Emily, but things don’t turn out as either of the cowboys planned.
It’s been a long t...more
It’s been a long t...more
This book takes place Dec 1884 in Chicago Ill. we are introduced to Emily McCarthy, an 18 yr old girl who has lived in the Aldersgate Home for Girls most of her life, she had been working as a teacher but was suddenly informed by the director that she has been promised to Bartholomew Axel as his new bride. He had advertised in the paper and an arrangement had been made between him and the school that Emily would travel to Repton Montana to become his wife. Emily can't imagine doing such a thing...more
Yvonne Harris in her new book, "The Vigilante's Bride" published by Bethany House Publishers gives us a Western thriller that, if Alfred Hitchcock were alive today, he would want to direct it.
This is a Western and I really like Westerns, filled with cowboys, Indians, gunfights, cattle drives and greedy, land swindlers. This is a thriller, the good guys are in deadly danger practically from page one and the danger escalates as the story progresses. This is a romance. This is a story filled with g...more
This is a Western and I really like Westerns, filled with cowboys, Indians, gunfights, cattle drives and greedy, land swindlers. This is a thriller, the good guys are in deadly danger practically from page one and the danger escalates as the story progresses. This is a romance. This is a story filled with g...more
The year is 1884. The nation is in the midst of a severe depression, jobs are scarce and young Emily McCarthy is being forced to leave Aldersgate Home for Girls, the only home she has ever known. The wealthy widower, Bartholomew Axel, has advertised for a wife in the Chicago Daily Tribune and the board of directors of Aldersgate has accepted his offer on Emily's behalf. Young Emily, at the age of 18 and with no other prospects in sight, reluctantly agrees to accept the marriage proposal and sets...more
The genre of this book is 'Christian Romance'. I'm agnostic, so I didn't mind the story arc of the cowboy finding God through the woman he loves, but the whole romance angle of this came off hokey. Really. I think the book could have done with a sight LESS of it.
Most of the plot focuses on a cowboy who's trying to go straight, trying to abide by the law, and how life seems to be playing against him. It's also about the Chicago mail-order-bride he kidnaps to get even with his rival. And how, alle...more
Most of the plot focuses on a cowboy who's trying to go straight, trying to abide by the law, and how life seems to be playing against him. It's also about the Chicago mail-order-bride he kidnaps to get even with his rival. And how, alle...more
4.5 stars. But I'm giving it 5 stars here because I just had so much fun reading this book.
I loved this book. Perfect Old West story/ historical Christian romance. I came across this book by accident and what a happy accident!
The title and the beginning of chapter 1 are misleading. If you are looking for a very silly romance with lots of lovey dovey scenes, this is not your novel. Now, if you like a good fast-paced story with a strong male character and good historical features, you should give...more
I loved this book. Perfect Old West story/ historical Christian romance. I came across this book by accident and what a happy accident!
The title and the beginning of chapter 1 are misleading. If you are looking for a very silly romance with lots of lovey dovey scenes, this is not your novel. Now, if you like a good fast-paced story with a strong male character and good historical features, you should give...more
This book had a lot of the elements I remember enjoying from my childhood — gun-slinging men constantly putting themselves in danger for the people/things they care about, strong (if a little naive) women who find ingenious ways to help the people in their lives and open their eyes to God, conniving villains whose desperation ends in their downfall, and hilarious confrontations between the people you already know are going to fall in love by the story’s end. Those story traits always keep me up...more
Luke Sullivan is a man who has always tried to live on the right side of the law. Emily has no choice but to marry a man she has never meet let alone corresponded with. Then a chance of luck give Luke a chance to get back a little of what was taken from his family, and saves Emily from a man she was to marry.
Personally some of the story line seemed a little disjointed, but with the humor that is the book, it made up for the disjointed story line. I think there could have been more to show how th...more
The Vigilante’s Bride by Yvonne Harris is a Christian fiction book that is set out west in the late 1800’s. Luke is a vigilante who wants to avenge his father’s death. He decides to rob the man responsible. To do this he must intercept a stagecoach, only when he robs it, he gets more than what he was after. Emily is from Chicago and is sent out west to marry in exchange for money to the orphanage she worked at. She doesn’t want to marry a man whom she has never met, doesn’t know anything about,...more
Aug 23, 2010
Molly
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Molly by:
CFBA; Bethany House Publishers
Shelves:
book-review
First, let me just that had I come across this book in the store, I would have INSTANTLY fallen in love with it just from it's cover! When I opened the package that this book came in and I saw this amazing cover, I was in awe. The cover is pure breathtaking! This is one of those instances in which you CAN judge a book by it's cover, or at least, I did and was not disappointed!
Yvonne Harris' first Historical novel is beautiful. She has the writing ability to create a story that hooks the reader,...more
Yvonne Harris' first Historical novel is beautiful. She has the writing ability to create a story that hooks the reader,...more
Emily McCarthy is told that she will be leaving her orphanage home to marry Bartholomew Axel, a man she has never met. Although she does not want to do this, she travels to his home in Montana, only to be kidnapped on the way. Luke Sullivan knows Axel, and he believes that he is saving Emily from a horrible future. In time, Emily sees that he may be right, but this is only the beginning of the trials they will face.
With romance, adventure, and suspense, this is a light and enjoyable book. I enjo...more
With romance, adventure, and suspense, this is a light and enjoyable book. I enjo...more
Is She the One He's Unwilling to Let Go?
Luke Sullivan just wants to reclaim the money stolen from his father. One stagecoach heist later, his pockets are full and he's one feisty mail-order bride richer. Only problem is, she was on the way to marry his bitter enemy--and she doesn't take kindly to her "rescue."
Yet crossing this dangerous man is only the beginning of Luke's problems. As he realizes what a true treasure the beautiful--but headstrong--redhead in his care is, how far will he go to pr...more
Luke Sullivan just wants to reclaim the money stolen from his father. One stagecoach heist later, his pockets are full and he's one feisty mail-order bride richer. Only problem is, she was on the way to marry his bitter enemy--and she doesn't take kindly to her "rescue."
Yet crossing this dangerous man is only the beginning of Luke's problems. As he realizes what a true treasure the beautiful--but headstrong--redhead in his care is, how far will he go to pr...more
In 1884 unwed women have few options, even less so for orphans like Emily McCarthy who at eighteen is informed she will be married to a wealthy rancher per his recent advertisement. With no family, employment prospects or means to support herself, Emily resolves to do her best to become a good wife to Bart Axel. Being abducted by a tall, dark, ruggedly handsome yet completely infuriating cowboy is the last thing Emily expects upon her arrival in Billings, Montana. Even more distressing is the di...more
The author wrote to me and told me this, quite interesting:
“I have a couple of things about the book that aren't generally known. For instance, it is based on fact--there really was a vigilance committee by the same name in Montana and run for Granville Stuart (a real man who became an ambassador after he got out of the cattle business in Montana.) My fictional hero ran the committee for Stuart in the story. Stuart's group makes an appearance or two in the story. They were the good guys and Stu...more
The beginning of this book really drew me in! There is some great imagery--some lines that really made me feel like I was there, experiencing the haunting and wild aspects of the West. And the anticipation, along with the action, made me power through the first half of the book, eager to keep on reading.
However, I must say that I was disappointed with some parts of this book. There were some great set-ups at the very beginning for some deep digging into emotional turmoil, but I sensed a loss of...more
However, I must say that I was disappointed with some parts of this book. There were some great set-ups at the very beginning for some deep digging into emotional turmoil, but I sensed a loss of...more
Oct 08, 2010
Valerie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2010,
for-book-reviews
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Yvonne Harris earned a BS in Education from the University of Hartford and has taught throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic. Unofficially retired from teaching, she teaches writing at Burlington County College in southern New Jersey, where she resides. She is a three-time finalist for the Golden Heart, once for The Vigilante’s Bride, which is her debut novel.
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