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Once Upon a Time in the West #2
An Outlaw in Wonderland
Once Upon a Time . . .
A Spy Was Born
Convinced his actions will save countless lives by shortening the war, Union doctor Ethan Walsh agrees to share with his government what he learns while working undercover in Chimborazo Hospital, deep in the heart of Dixie.
Confederate nurse Annabeth Phelan lost her entire family, save one brother, to the war. When that brother goes missing due to information gleaned by a spy, she swears to discover the culprit.
But spying is a dangerous game. Lives change, lives end once the truth is discovered, and falling in love amid the chaos of conflict doesn’t stand the test of time.
Separated by tragedy, the two fall down rabbit holes they never could have imagined. Reunited years later, now an outlaw and healer, Ethan and Annabeth must ask themselves . . .
Can a love born amid desperation and lies survive?
A Spy Was Born
Convinced his actions will save countless lives by shortening the war, Union doctor Ethan Walsh agrees to share with his government what he learns while working undercover in Chimborazo Hospital, deep in the heart of Dixie.
Confederate nurse Annabeth Phelan lost her entire family, save one brother, to the war. When that brother goes missing due to information gleaned by a spy, she swears to discover the culprit.
But spying is a dangerous game. Lives change, lives end once the truth is discovered, and falling in love amid the chaos of conflict doesn’t stand the test of time.
Separated by tragedy, the two fall down rabbit holes they never could have imagined. Reunited years later, now an outlaw and healer, Ethan and Annabeth must ask themselves . . .
Can a love born amid desperation and lies survive?
317 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published June 4, 2013
8 people are currently reading
682 people want to read
About the author
Lori Austin
14 books91 followersLori Austin is the pseudonym for award winning author Lori Handeland, known for her paranormal romance series, The Nightcreature Novels, as well as the urban fantasy series, The Phoenix Chronicles and the historical fantasy series, Shakespeare Undead. Under the Austin name, Lori writes sexy, adventurous western historical romance.
She is a New York Times Bestselling Author and the recipient of many industry awards, including two RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America for Best Paranormal Romance and Best Long Contemporary Category Romance.
Lori lives in Wisconsin with her husband, enjoying occasional visits from her grown sons.
She is a New York Times Bestselling Author and the recipient of many industry awards, including two RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America for Best Paranormal Romance and Best Long Contemporary Category Romance.
Lori lives in Wisconsin with her husband, enjoying occasional visits from her grown sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 20, 2015
If the first book in this series was good, this one was mind-blowing!!!
Annabeth Phelan and Ethan Walsh.
He was a spy; she was a liar.
Their love was born during the last of the North-South war, in a hospital full of dying men, bloody linens and pain. It was born in a prison where they ended together. It was born in desperation and lies.
One night was all it took to create life together.
He tasted of heat and despair; she wanted to heal him as he had healed so many others, and this was the only way that she knew.
“Need . . . you,” he whispered against her lips. “Need you, Beth. Hold me.”
When the war ended, he searched for her, found her and married her not because of that life, but because his love for her.
He dropped to one knee. “Annabeth Phelan, will you marry me?” He pulled his mother’s ring from his pocket.
Her eyes widened, then filled. “You—you—”
“Is that a yes?”
“You had that all along. . . . You were going to ask me even before . . .” She touched their child once more.
“You stood at my side, though I betrayed the cause you believed in. You gave yourself to me, your enemy.”
“Ethan,” she began, and choked.
“I lied. About everything. Who I was, what I believed, hell, how I spoke—and you forgave me. If I hadn’t already loved you, I would have loved you for that alone. I’ll always love you, Annabeth. Always.”
She blinked, and tears flew off her eyelashes, rained onto his cheeks. “I . . . ” She looked away, frowned, seemed to struggle with something; then her shoulders drooped. “I love you, too.”
But a love born in lies is doomed.
She’d sacrificed the man she loved—she hadn’t meant to, but the fact remained that she had—to get her brother back. That she hadn’t was either poetic justice or perhaps the laughter of God at someone who believed she could orchestrate fate.
-----------------------------------------------
Ethan stepped into the room, gun still drawn. Her gaze went to the weapon. “I wouldn’t blame you.”
She flicked her eyes to the windows and then back to his. “But others might.”
“You betrayed me.”
“You betrayed yourself.”
His hand tightened, and he put the pistol back in the holster, for an instant afraid of what he might do. “I think I’d remember that.”
“It was a trap, Ethan.”
“One that you set.”
“I didn’t think you’d jump into it. I was trying to prove you weren’t a traitor.”
And when the child created in love dies, the love fractures.
“I wish you were dead,” she whispered, uncertain if she were talking to Ethan or herself.
Five years after…
Broken.. he’s a shell of his former self; she’s a callous Pinkerton’s undercover agent attached to a vicious killer/robber as his woman.
Suddenly Ethan was so tired and sad, he wanted to sink back onto the floor and find another blue bottle. But first he had to get rid of her.
“You don’t have to listen to me. You don’t have to look at me or live with me.”
Or touch me, or kiss me, or love me. He tightened his mouth lest those words slip out. He might be pathetic, but he didn’t want to be that pathetic.
He’s abusing laudanum, he’s still madly in love with Beth, he’s killing himself…
She was his woman, and Lass protected his property with a swift and certain violence.
He allowed her to ride with them because she was useful—both in private and in public. She did what she was told, and she didn’t whine about it. Annabeth knew better. She also knew better than to turn up pregnant.
She’s disillusioned, she’s filling the void her miscarried child and her aborted love created with work, doing the only thing she’s able to do: spy and lie.
“You need to get to Freedom as fast as you can. Ethan is . . .” A shadow flickered over his exquisite face. “He will die if you do not do something.”
A friend tells her that he’s in serious danger and she cannot do anything else but run to save him. But saving him is not what she thought it would be. Seeing him wasted, a shadow of what he was reawakens her feelings. Those painful feelings that never left, but were buried under self-denial.
“Alcohol wasn’t enough.” When her frown deepened, he elaborated. “To make me forget.”
She lifted her hand, examining the bottle with sudden interest. “This made you forget?”
“Yes.” At least until it wore off. He tried not to let it.
Annabeth tilted the bottle to her lips, sucked on the opening, ran her tongue around the edge. If Ethan hadn’t been half dead, those actions might have brought him to life. As it was, they worried him.
She threw the second bottle at the wall. This one, too, fell harmlessly to the ground. “You drank every drop and left none for me?”
Memory flickered. Dr. Brookstone had adored Shakespeare. He’d quoted the bard often.
“Drunk all,” Ethan murmured, “and left no friendly drop to help me after.”
A chill trailed over him despite the excessive heat from the fire in so small a space. Romeo and Juliet. Doomed if anyone ever had been.
And they start healing each other. They start talking. They star loving each other again, even if they never stopped.
“I guess neither one of us can throw stones,” he said.
If he knew what she’d done, he might.
“Do you regret this?” he asked.
“I could never regret helping you heal.”
“Is that what you were doing?”
She’d thought so. Now she wondered. Had she been trying to heal him? Or herself?
-----------------------------------------------------
“See me,” he managed.
Those eyes, which had gone dewy with the promise of release, sharpened. “Ethan,” she said. “All I’ve ever seen is you.”
Wonderful… just wonderful!!!
Annabeth Phelan and Ethan Walsh.
He was a spy; she was a liar.
Their love was born during the last of the North-South war, in a hospital full of dying men, bloody linens and pain. It was born in a prison where they ended together. It was born in desperation and lies.
One night was all it took to create life together.
He tasted of heat and despair; she wanted to heal him as he had healed so many others, and this was the only way that she knew.
“Need . . . you,” he whispered against her lips. “Need you, Beth. Hold me.”
When the war ended, he searched for her, found her and married her not because of that life, but because his love for her.
He dropped to one knee. “Annabeth Phelan, will you marry me?” He pulled his mother’s ring from his pocket.
Her eyes widened, then filled. “You—you—”
“Is that a yes?”
“You had that all along. . . . You were going to ask me even before . . .” She touched their child once more.
“You stood at my side, though I betrayed the cause you believed in. You gave yourself to me, your enemy.”
“Ethan,” she began, and choked.
“I lied. About everything. Who I was, what I believed, hell, how I spoke—and you forgave me. If I hadn’t already loved you, I would have loved you for that alone. I’ll always love you, Annabeth. Always.”
She blinked, and tears flew off her eyelashes, rained onto his cheeks. “I . . . ” She looked away, frowned, seemed to struggle with something; then her shoulders drooped. “I love you, too.”
But a love born in lies is doomed.
She’d sacrificed the man she loved—she hadn’t meant to, but the fact remained that she had—to get her brother back. That she hadn’t was either poetic justice or perhaps the laughter of God at someone who believed she could orchestrate fate.
-----------------------------------------------
Ethan stepped into the room, gun still drawn. Her gaze went to the weapon. “I wouldn’t blame you.”
She flicked her eyes to the windows and then back to his. “But others might.”
“You betrayed me.”
“You betrayed yourself.”
His hand tightened, and he put the pistol back in the holster, for an instant afraid of what he might do. “I think I’d remember that.”
“It was a trap, Ethan.”
“One that you set.”
“I didn’t think you’d jump into it. I was trying to prove you weren’t a traitor.”
And when the child created in love dies, the love fractures.
“I wish you were dead,” she whispered, uncertain if she were talking to Ethan or herself.
Five years after…
Broken.. he’s a shell of his former self; she’s a callous Pinkerton’s undercover agent attached to a vicious killer/robber as his woman.
Suddenly Ethan was so tired and sad, he wanted to sink back onto the floor and find another blue bottle. But first he had to get rid of her.
“You don’t have to listen to me. You don’t have to look at me or live with me.”
Or touch me, or kiss me, or love me. He tightened his mouth lest those words slip out. He might be pathetic, but he didn’t want to be that pathetic.
He’s abusing laudanum, he’s still madly in love with Beth, he’s killing himself…
She was his woman, and Lass protected his property with a swift and certain violence.
He allowed her to ride with them because she was useful—both in private and in public. She did what she was told, and she didn’t whine about it. Annabeth knew better. She also knew better than to turn up pregnant.
She’s disillusioned, she’s filling the void her miscarried child and her aborted love created with work, doing the only thing she’s able to do: spy and lie.
“You need to get to Freedom as fast as you can. Ethan is . . .” A shadow flickered over his exquisite face. “He will die if you do not do something.”
A friend tells her that he’s in serious danger and she cannot do anything else but run to save him. But saving him is not what she thought it would be. Seeing him wasted, a shadow of what he was reawakens her feelings. Those painful feelings that never left, but were buried under self-denial.
“Alcohol wasn’t enough.” When her frown deepened, he elaborated. “To make me forget.”
She lifted her hand, examining the bottle with sudden interest. “This made you forget?”
“Yes.” At least until it wore off. He tried not to let it.
Annabeth tilted the bottle to her lips, sucked on the opening, ran her tongue around the edge. If Ethan hadn’t been half dead, those actions might have brought him to life. As it was, they worried him.
She threw the second bottle at the wall. This one, too, fell harmlessly to the ground. “You drank every drop and left none for me?”
Memory flickered. Dr. Brookstone had adored Shakespeare. He’d quoted the bard often.
“Drunk all,” Ethan murmured, “and left no friendly drop to help me after.”
A chill trailed over him despite the excessive heat from the fire in so small a space. Romeo and Juliet. Doomed if anyone ever had been.
And they start healing each other. They start talking. They star loving each other again, even if they never stopped.
“I guess neither one of us can throw stones,” he said.
If he knew what she’d done, he might.
“Do you regret this?” he asked.
“I could never regret helping you heal.”
“Is that what you were doing?”
She’d thought so. Now she wondered. Had she been trying to heal him? Or herself?
-----------------------------------------------------
“See me,” he managed.
Those eyes, which had gone dewy with the promise of release, sharpened. “Ethan,” she said. “All I’ve ever seen is you.”
Wonderful… just wonderful!!!
July 1, 2013
You might remember all the praise and gushing that went on after I read Beauty and the Bounty Hunter, the first book in Lori Austin's wonderfully unique Once Upon a Time in the West historical romance series. I'm just mentioning that because An Outlaw in Wonderland had a very hard job not to disapppoint after the success of its predecessor (which became one of my favourite reads of 2013), and although Beauty and the Bounty Hunter still remains my favourite, I am happy to say that An Outlaw in Wonderland came close.
An Outlaw in Wonderland is Dr. Ethan Walsh's story, the doctor who saved Cat's life and was hostile towards Alexi in Beauty and the Bounty Hunter, but don't worry the two books can be read as complete standalones. Ethan worked as a physician during the war and being subjected to so much death and suffering he gave in when someone recruited his help to end the war early and became a spy. He met Annabeth, a Southern young woman in whom he saw the talent and possibility and requested her as his personal aid and taught her how to become a nurse. Of course the attraction between these two was present right from the start, and I loved that Ethan was a gentler, more sensitive hero who tried to be gentlemanly and respectful towards Annabeth, and who was slowly but strongly falling in love with a girl he knew so little about.
“You were everything. The only bright light in so much darkness.”
"Her tongue touched his. How could she help it? His had somehow made its way into her mouth, and she tasted of dawn. Of new days and hope. Of sunshine pushing through darkness. Of life. And Ethan thought . . . If he found himself married to her tomorrow, perhaps that wouldn’t be so bad.
***
He kissed her. Hard. She thought she might fall. She pressed both hands to his chest, wound her fingers into the softness, scratched her nails across his skin, and held on. Her mouth opened; her tongue brushed his lips and slid, seeking, within. He tasted of heat and despair; she wanted to heal him as he had healed so many others, and this was the only way that she knew."
What Ethan doesn't know is that in hopes of finding her lost brother Annabeth was also recruited to spy for the other side. And so ensues Ethan and Annabeth's story which is full of love, heartache, heartbreak, loss, anger and grief. Not only do they have to survive the horrors of war, they also have to accept and forgive all the secrets and lies that piled up between them, and then there are the personal drama and demons that try to break them.
“What on earth possessed you, Ethan?”
“Despair,” he said simply, and she released a sigh so full of the same, his chest ached. She turned the bottle in her hand, and the firelight played across the glass.
“You feel like you’re drowning,” she said. “You can’t breathe. It hurts.”
“What?” he whispered.
“Everything.”
“Yes.” Sometimes he swore his blood hurt, his skin, his hair. Not to mention what was left of his soul.
“You want to die.” She paused, swallowed, closed her eyes, and her fingers clenched on the bottle. “Like he did.” She had put his feelings into words. His pain was her pain. She understood. She was the only one who ever could.
Her eyes shone in the soft dusky light, and she reached for him. Ethan took her hand, and his chest, which had contained a tight, hard ball of pain for years, suddenly loosened. He could breathe deeply for the first time since his son died. They should have talked back then, shared their fears, their feelings. But they were both too young, too angry, too damn stupid to try."
Although Beauty and the Bounty Hunter also had plenty of heartache I think it was a bit lighter than An Outlaw in Wonderland, since due to Alexi it had some humour to lighten up all the angst, whereas here the war and its horrors, but maybe what were even more pronounced were Annabeth and Ethan's own personal drama and losses that marked the story. My heart ached for all the suffering they both went through and how events and they each damaged the other. These characters went through so much that they are irrevocably changed and scarred.
"The woman who trailed behind him along with the horse might look and sound like Annabeth; however, he knew a hallucination when he saw one. He’d been seeing them for a long time. He should climb on that horse and leave her behind. Although perhaps the animal was as much a delusion as the wife. There’d be no getting rid of her. Not when he slept, not when he woke, not when he drank another bottle dry. She was there—always—unto the end of his life. And that was all right. That was what he had craved all along. If he hadn’t wanted to see his missing, possibly dead wife, he wouldn’t have bothered with the cursed blue bottles. Not only did they take away the pain, but they brought back her."
Verdict: I just love Lori Austin's Once Upon a Time in the West series even though they are not the fluff, feel-good kind of romance: the characters suffer and scar, but the world and characters Lori Austin creates are engrossing! You will sigh and cry with these characters and you'll feel your heart ache and break for them/with them Lori Austin's writing will involve you that intensely in the story. A must read series!
I give An Outlaw in Wonderland 4 stars!
Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
Ending: 6/10 - It was rushed and happened too quickly and conveniently with Moze's confession, so after all the build-up I found it diappointing.
Cover: 7/10 It is a beautiful cover, but even though I know that Annabeth wore jeans to me it just looks too modern for a historical Western.
An Outlaw in Wonderland is Dr. Ethan Walsh's story, the doctor who saved Cat's life and was hostile towards Alexi in Beauty and the Bounty Hunter, but don't worry the two books can be read as complete standalones. Ethan worked as a physician during the war and being subjected to so much death and suffering he gave in when someone recruited his help to end the war early and became a spy. He met Annabeth, a Southern young woman in whom he saw the talent and possibility and requested her as his personal aid and taught her how to become a nurse. Of course the attraction between these two was present right from the start, and I loved that Ethan was a gentler, more sensitive hero who tried to be gentlemanly and respectful towards Annabeth, and who was slowly but strongly falling in love with a girl he knew so little about.
“You were everything. The only bright light in so much darkness.”
"Her tongue touched his. How could she help it? His had somehow made its way into her mouth, and she tasted of dawn. Of new days and hope. Of sunshine pushing through darkness. Of life. And Ethan thought . . . If he found himself married to her tomorrow, perhaps that wouldn’t be so bad.
***
He kissed her. Hard. She thought she might fall. She pressed both hands to his chest, wound her fingers into the softness, scratched her nails across his skin, and held on. Her mouth opened; her tongue brushed his lips and slid, seeking, within. He tasted of heat and despair; she wanted to heal him as he had healed so many others, and this was the only way that she knew."
What Ethan doesn't know is that in hopes of finding her lost brother Annabeth was also recruited to spy for the other side. And so ensues Ethan and Annabeth's story which is full of love, heartache, heartbreak, loss, anger and grief. Not only do they have to survive the horrors of war, they also have to accept and forgive all the secrets and lies that piled up between them, and then there are the personal drama and demons that try to break them.
“What on earth possessed you, Ethan?”
“Despair,” he said simply, and she released a sigh so full of the same, his chest ached. She turned the bottle in her hand, and the firelight played across the glass.
“You feel like you’re drowning,” she said. “You can’t breathe. It hurts.”
“What?” he whispered.
“Everything.”
“Yes.” Sometimes he swore his blood hurt, his skin, his hair. Not to mention what was left of his soul.
“You want to die.” She paused, swallowed, closed her eyes, and her fingers clenched on the bottle. “Like he did.” She had put his feelings into words. His pain was her pain. She understood. She was the only one who ever could.
Her eyes shone in the soft dusky light, and she reached for him. Ethan took her hand, and his chest, which had contained a tight, hard ball of pain for years, suddenly loosened. He could breathe deeply for the first time since his son died. They should have talked back then, shared their fears, their feelings. But they were both too young, too angry, too damn stupid to try."
Although Beauty and the Bounty Hunter also had plenty of heartache I think it was a bit lighter than An Outlaw in Wonderland, since due to Alexi it had some humour to lighten up all the angst, whereas here the war and its horrors, but maybe what were even more pronounced were Annabeth and Ethan's own personal drama and losses that marked the story. My heart ached for all the suffering they both went through and how events and they each damaged the other. These characters went through so much that they are irrevocably changed and scarred.
"The woman who trailed behind him along with the horse might look and sound like Annabeth; however, he knew a hallucination when he saw one. He’d been seeing them for a long time. He should climb on that horse and leave her behind. Although perhaps the animal was as much a delusion as the wife. There’d be no getting rid of her. Not when he slept, not when he woke, not when he drank another bottle dry. She was there—always—unto the end of his life. And that was all right. That was what he had craved all along. If he hadn’t wanted to see his missing, possibly dead wife, he wouldn’t have bothered with the cursed blue bottles. Not only did they take away the pain, but they brought back her."
Verdict: I just love Lori Austin's Once Upon a Time in the West series even though they are not the fluff, feel-good kind of romance: the characters suffer and scar, but the world and characters Lori Austin creates are engrossing! You will sigh and cry with these characters and you'll feel your heart ache and break for them/with them Lori Austin's writing will involve you that intensely in the story. A must read series!
I give An Outlaw in Wonderland 4 stars!
Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
Ending: 6/10 - It was rushed and happened too quickly and conveniently with Moze's confession, so after all the build-up I found it diappointing.
Cover: 7/10 It is a beautiful cover, but even though I know that Annabeth wore jeans to me it just looks too modern for a historical Western.
June 16, 2013
You won't want to miss this action-packed Civil War era romance! Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:
Dr. Ethan Walsh, a Yankee, reluctantly agrees to relocate to Chimborazo Hospital, where he will also act as a spy in order to bring an end to the war. He is tired of losing patients to the violence between the States and if it takes spying for the north to stop the deaths; that is what he will do. He and his brother, Mikey, are very close, so Ethan includes him in the assignment, using Mikey as his go between. To fit in and not give himself away as a Yankee, Ethan adopts an Irish brogue. In Chimborazo, he is faced with the same situation that he faced on the battlefield, but his habit of cleanliness gives him a better record of saving patients than that held by many of the other doctors. When he discovers that one of the matrons has an outstanding nursing potential, he demands that she be promoted to be his nurse. The only problem is his attraction to her.
Annabeth ‘Beth’ Phelan, a confederate, has lost her parents and all of her brothers but one, Luke, who is still fighting in the war. She finds fulfillment in working long hours at Chimborazo Hospital as a matron. But before coming to the hospital, she had nursed her mother so she knows more about nursing than many of the other women at the hospital. She is thrilled to be working ‘hands on’ after her promotion. However, a promotion from matron to nurse is just not done and many believe it means she is Ethan’s mistress. Working side-by-side with Ethan, she finds herself falling in love with him, especially after they share a heated kiss one evening when he escorts her home.
But when Moze, a man that Beth grew up with, contacts her, inquiring about a Yankee spy at the hospital, she soon becomes involved in a plot to flush out the spy. Moze is certain that the spy is Ethan, but Beth cannot believe it. So when she sets the trap, not only is Ethan caught, but also his brother and even Beth herself. She fears telling Ethan her part in their capture, afraid of losing his love. Ethan is remorseful about getting her caught up in his scheme, but will he forgive her when he discovers that she is the one who sprung the trap on them?
An adventure-filled tale, AN OUTLAW IN WONDERLAND, the second book in gifted author Lori Austin’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, is a clever, action-packed historical romance that will quickly sweep you up into the story. Like me, readers will find themselves avidly turning the pages and rooting on Ethan and Beth as they are led through one adventure after another, together and separately, leaving the reader to wonder if they will ever find their happy ever after in each other’s arms. Brimming with a range of emotions, suspense, spies, the Civil War, outlaws, tragedy, healing, forgiveness, sensuality, romance and true love, this story is sure to become a favorite. Although this is the first story I have read by Ms. Austin, it definitely will not be my last. AN OUTLAW IN WONDERLAND can be read as a standalone, but I am sure once you read this wonderful story you will seek out the first book in this series, BEAUTY AND THE BOUNTY HUNTER, just like I did. But whatever you do, be sure to pick up a copy of AN OUTLAW IN WONDERFUL!
Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com
Dr. Ethan Walsh, a Yankee, reluctantly agrees to relocate to Chimborazo Hospital, where he will also act as a spy in order to bring an end to the war. He is tired of losing patients to the violence between the States and if it takes spying for the north to stop the deaths; that is what he will do. He and his brother, Mikey, are very close, so Ethan includes him in the assignment, using Mikey as his go between. To fit in and not give himself away as a Yankee, Ethan adopts an Irish brogue. In Chimborazo, he is faced with the same situation that he faced on the battlefield, but his habit of cleanliness gives him a better record of saving patients than that held by many of the other doctors. When he discovers that one of the matrons has an outstanding nursing potential, he demands that she be promoted to be his nurse. The only problem is his attraction to her.
Annabeth ‘Beth’ Phelan, a confederate, has lost her parents and all of her brothers but one, Luke, who is still fighting in the war. She finds fulfillment in working long hours at Chimborazo Hospital as a matron. But before coming to the hospital, she had nursed her mother so she knows more about nursing than many of the other women at the hospital. She is thrilled to be working ‘hands on’ after her promotion. However, a promotion from matron to nurse is just not done and many believe it means she is Ethan’s mistress. Working side-by-side with Ethan, she finds herself falling in love with him, especially after they share a heated kiss one evening when he escorts her home.
But when Moze, a man that Beth grew up with, contacts her, inquiring about a Yankee spy at the hospital, she soon becomes involved in a plot to flush out the spy. Moze is certain that the spy is Ethan, but Beth cannot believe it. So when she sets the trap, not only is Ethan caught, but also his brother and even Beth herself. She fears telling Ethan her part in their capture, afraid of losing his love. Ethan is remorseful about getting her caught up in his scheme, but will he forgive her when he discovers that she is the one who sprung the trap on them?
An adventure-filled tale, AN OUTLAW IN WONDERLAND, the second book in gifted author Lori Austin’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, is a clever, action-packed historical romance that will quickly sweep you up into the story. Like me, readers will find themselves avidly turning the pages and rooting on Ethan and Beth as they are led through one adventure after another, together and separately, leaving the reader to wonder if they will ever find their happy ever after in each other’s arms. Brimming with a range of emotions, suspense, spies, the Civil War, outlaws, tragedy, healing, forgiveness, sensuality, romance and true love, this story is sure to become a favorite. Although this is the first story I have read by Ms. Austin, it definitely will not be my last. AN OUTLAW IN WONDERLAND can be read as a standalone, but I am sure once you read this wonderful story you will seek out the first book in this series, BEAUTY AND THE BOUNTY HUNTER, just like I did. But whatever you do, be sure to pick up a copy of AN OUTLAW IN WONDERFUL!
Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com
July 16, 2014
4 and ½ Stars, a Sizzling Civil War Love Story with Some Unusual Aspects
Austin writes very well and her books are a pleasure to read. The characters are always well developed and their emotions clear. This story is more unusual than the first in the series. It takes place during and after the Civil War and for part of the time we are in a Confederate prison. And, the hero and heroine are separated for years, which may not appeal to all readers. Still, it’s a captivating story.
The story begins in Gettysburg in 1863 when Ethan Marsh, a Union doctor, is asked to be a spy in a confederate hospital for the Intelligence Service. Hoping to end the war sooner, Ethan accepts the his job in Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond, caring not what uniform the boys wear whose lives he saves. He dons the disguise of an Irishman, adopting his father’s accent, and takes along his 17-year-old brother, Mikey, a tracker.
In Chimborazo, Ethan meets Annabeth (“Beth”) Phelan, who volunteers to bring comfort and food to the Confederate soldiers. Ethan soon recognizes Beth has talent as a nurse and requests she be assigned to him. Though it will brand her as his whore, Beth accepts the job because she loves the challenge of the work. As they work together to save lives, Ethan and Beth fall in love. When Beth learns Ethan is a spy for the enemy, she becomes a Confederate spy to expose him.
The plot has many twists and turns and Ethan and Annabeth each have secrets they keep to themselves and lies they must tell. I loved Ethan—a man every woman would.
You may wonder about the cover. I did. After all, Annabeth always wears skirts and does not carry a gun. Nor is she an “outlaw.” I kept thinking they got the wrong cover on this book. However midway through the story, when the war ends, much changes and Beth becomes a very different heroine. And Wonderland, should you ask, is an outlaw’s hideaway.
This is book 2 in Austin’s Once Upon a Time in the West series. The first actually begins after the second and the two are entwined in a very clever way, but each can be read as a stand alone. The third is the story of Annabeth’s brother, Luke.
BEAUTY AND THE BOUNTY HUNTER
AN OUTLAW IN WONDERLAND
THE LONE WARRIOR
Austin writes very well and her books are a pleasure to read. The characters are always well developed and their emotions clear. This story is more unusual than the first in the series. It takes place during and after the Civil War and for part of the time we are in a Confederate prison. And, the hero and heroine are separated for years, which may not appeal to all readers. Still, it’s a captivating story.
The story begins in Gettysburg in 1863 when Ethan Marsh, a Union doctor, is asked to be a spy in a confederate hospital for the Intelligence Service. Hoping to end the war sooner, Ethan accepts the his job in Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond, caring not what uniform the boys wear whose lives he saves. He dons the disguise of an Irishman, adopting his father’s accent, and takes along his 17-year-old brother, Mikey, a tracker.
In Chimborazo, Ethan meets Annabeth (“Beth”) Phelan, who volunteers to bring comfort and food to the Confederate soldiers. Ethan soon recognizes Beth has talent as a nurse and requests she be assigned to him. Though it will brand her as his whore, Beth accepts the job because she loves the challenge of the work. As they work together to save lives, Ethan and Beth fall in love. When Beth learns Ethan is a spy for the enemy, she becomes a Confederate spy to expose him.
The plot has many twists and turns and Ethan and Annabeth each have secrets they keep to themselves and lies they must tell. I loved Ethan—a man every woman would.
You may wonder about the cover. I did. After all, Annabeth always wears skirts and does not carry a gun. Nor is she an “outlaw.” I kept thinking they got the wrong cover on this book. However midway through the story, when the war ends, much changes and Beth becomes a very different heroine. And Wonderland, should you ask, is an outlaw’s hideaway.
This is book 2 in Austin’s Once Upon a Time in the West series. The first actually begins after the second and the two are entwined in a very clever way, but each can be read as a stand alone. The third is the story of Annabeth’s brother, Luke.
BEAUTY AND THE BOUNTY HUNTER
AN OUTLAW IN WONDERLAND
THE LONE WARRIOR
June 19, 2013
Annabeth Phelan had grown up tough. With four brothers, she had too. Working at an army hospital was hard, but she handled it, especially when she got to work with Ethan Walsh, a brilliant doctor who’s known for saving lives. As with everything in war, soon things get complicated. When she’s asked to prove that Ethan isn’t a spy, she readily agrees thinking she’ll prove him innocent. When lies start to come to the surface, Ethan and Annabeth find themselves in a difficult situation. Can their love and desire for one another be enough to hold them together?
The second book in the series Once Upon A Time in the West does not disappoint! Lori Austin delivers a captivating story of love, betrayal and redemption. From well-developed characters to a phenomenal plot, this story has all it all. I loved reading Ethan and Annabeth’s story and can’t wait until the third book in the series comes out! I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great historical romance with a western theme! This book was received from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.
Rating: 4.5
Heat Rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilP
Review Courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
The second book in the series Once Upon A Time in the West does not disappoint! Lori Austin delivers a captivating story of love, betrayal and redemption. From well-developed characters to a phenomenal plot, this story has all it all. I loved reading Ethan and Annabeth’s story and can’t wait until the third book in the series comes out! I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great historical romance with a western theme! This book was received from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.
Rating: 4.5
Heat Rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilP
Review Courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
August 8, 2014
I adored the first book in this series and was anxiously awaiting the second . An Outlaw in wonderland did not disappoint . I loved the characters, Annabeth the hard as nails nurse and Ethan The charming Dr full of secrets, And i loved the fact that Alexi from book one makes a appearance. The story was full of surprises that keep me turning the pages, kept me up most of the night cause i couldn't put it down . I cant wait til the next one and Im crossing my fingers that Mikhail will get a book with his own happy ending.
November 20, 2015
Another BAMF heroine. Can't resist this author. If she's not in my faves, she will be.
May 21, 2013
In my opinion there are three things that make a book good. Great characters, a fast paced story with lots of twists and turns and an unpredictable ending. An Outlaw In Wonderland by Lori Austin has all three of those ingredients. I don’t consider myself a fan of romance novels, in fact in the past I would have seen the cover for this one and avoided it. That being said, this is the second book I've read by Lori Austin and I’m happy to say that my perception of romances was wrong. the characters in Lori’s books are deep and the plot of her story is complex and fascinating.
An Outlaw In Wonderland is the second book in The Once Upon A time in The West series but it is a self-contained story and you won’t get confused if you haven’t read the first one. The story begins with Dr. Ethan Walsh working as a doctor in a confederate hospital. His passion is to save lives and see the Civil War come to an end. He notices the skills of his matron, Annabeth Phelan and makes her his head nurse. Annabeth has another task also, she has to find the Union spy in the hospital.
I don’t want to give away too much of the storyline because I thought the best part of the book was trying to figure out what was going to happen next. From the description you get the idea that the story is mostly going to take place in a confederate hospital but it doesn't take long for it to move on to other locations. My one complaint of this book was that at times it felt like it was moving too fast and a little more time should have been spent on scenes such as when some secrets were found out in Freedom Kansas.
My favorite character in the book was Annabeth, she is a strong female character and nothing like I would expect a woman in a romance novel or a woman in the old west to be like. You see her grow and change throughout the book and even though she is a woman in a time where women were not looked at as equals to men, everyone takes her seriously because she comes across as tough and smart. In one scene after she helps deliver a baby, she says to the woman’s husband: “kiss your wife.” Then Ethan points out when Annabeth uses a certain tone everyone does what she says. I felt this scene really showed the kind of person she was.
I also liked in the story how Lori Austin makes the west come alive with her descriptions of Kansas, the confederate hospital and prison. I really got a feeling of what the time period was like and felt the author did her homework. The love story between Annabeth and Ethan was excellent. There were some great plot twists that made me wonder how this couple was going to end up together. It was obvious how they felt but there were a lot of things keeping them apart and it was interesting to see how they would overcome the obstacles.
I think An Outlaw In Wonderland works on a lot of different levels and even if you are not a fan of historical romances you will enjoy it. Lori Austin is the pen name for Lori Handeland and now that I’ve read a couple of her works I’m looking forward to more in the Once Upon A Time In The West series and to reading her other works as well. Another thing Lori has done for me is make me sorry that I avoided the romance genre for so long, does anyone else know of any good romances out there?
An Outlaw In Wonderland is the second book in The Once Upon A time in The West series but it is a self-contained story and you won’t get confused if you haven’t read the first one. The story begins with Dr. Ethan Walsh working as a doctor in a confederate hospital. His passion is to save lives and see the Civil War come to an end. He notices the skills of his matron, Annabeth Phelan and makes her his head nurse. Annabeth has another task also, she has to find the Union spy in the hospital.
I don’t want to give away too much of the storyline because I thought the best part of the book was trying to figure out what was going to happen next. From the description you get the idea that the story is mostly going to take place in a confederate hospital but it doesn't take long for it to move on to other locations. My one complaint of this book was that at times it felt like it was moving too fast and a little more time should have been spent on scenes such as when some secrets were found out in Freedom Kansas.
My favorite character in the book was Annabeth, she is a strong female character and nothing like I would expect a woman in a romance novel or a woman in the old west to be like. You see her grow and change throughout the book and even though she is a woman in a time where women were not looked at as equals to men, everyone takes her seriously because she comes across as tough and smart. In one scene after she helps deliver a baby, she says to the woman’s husband: “kiss your wife.” Then Ethan points out when Annabeth uses a certain tone everyone does what she says. I felt this scene really showed the kind of person she was.
I also liked in the story how Lori Austin makes the west come alive with her descriptions of Kansas, the confederate hospital and prison. I really got a feeling of what the time period was like and felt the author did her homework. The love story between Annabeth and Ethan was excellent. There were some great plot twists that made me wonder how this couple was going to end up together. It was obvious how they felt but there were a lot of things keeping them apart and it was interesting to see how they would overcome the obstacles.
I think An Outlaw In Wonderland works on a lot of different levels and even if you are not a fan of historical romances you will enjoy it. Lori Austin is the pen name for Lori Handeland and now that I’ve read a couple of her works I’m looking forward to more in the Once Upon A Time In The West series and to reading her other works as well. Another thing Lori has done for me is make me sorry that I avoided the romance genre for so long, does anyone else know of any good romances out there?
February 9, 2014
Flew through this in an afternoon. I really liked it, though I was worried at first that it wouldn't hold up to the action and such in the first book. I was worried for nothing though, this one was just as much of a ride as that one was. I liked how it started in the past, before the events of Beauty and the Bounty Hunter. I really enjoyed seeing how Ethan ended up in the prison, meeting Alexi (Fedya) with a new perspective, and most of all, seeing Mikhail (Mikey) as he was before, when he was still his self, before the bullet messed with his head. I got a little misty-eyed after his injury, when Ethan and Annabeth nursed him, and he awoke only to not be the same man. And I really have to say that I am holding out hope that he will maybe get his memory back someday. I was kinda thinking the headaches and stuff he kept getting when faced with Ethan was a good sign perhaps. Maybe it is just wishful thinking, but I'm quite fond of Mikhail.
When Annabeth and Ethan's relationship developed so nicely in part one, I was almost starting to wonder where the conflict would come from. Where the struggle was. Again though, I was worrying for nothing. Part one ended on a tragedy, and I felt so sad for them. What would happen now?
Part two started five years after part one, and I liked that jump in time actually. I especially liked how Annabeth spent her years. I'm really digging how this author is not afraid for her heroines to be tough, and not afraid to have them be non-virgins. I liked how Cat was in book 1, and Annabeth did not disappoint either. I found it realistic that these girls would've used everything available to them in order to survive, including their bodies. It's a refreshing change of attitude in my eyes. And of course I liked that Annabeth was an 'outlaw', knew how to ride and shoot. No wilting flower here. I hope the author keeps up the strong heroines in future books.
I liked the action in this one as well. Especially as it got closer to the end, when Annabeth is taken, and Ethan goes after her, and Alexi and Mikhail return to help. I was like, yay! Alexi and Mikhail! Lol. Moze was alright, I was unsure whether he was good or bad for most of the book, and I'm still curious as to what his next mission he was going on was. Maybe we will see him again?
I really liked this book, am pleased as punch that it was just as entertaining as the first book. I can't wait to dive into The Lone Warrior, am definitely interested in getting to know Annabeth's brother Luke, and curious to see how the Indian element to the plot will be. And of course, hoping to see the characters I already know again.
When Annabeth and Ethan's relationship developed so nicely in part one, I was almost starting to wonder where the conflict would come from. Where the struggle was. Again though, I was worrying for nothing. Part one ended on a tragedy, and I felt so sad for them. What would happen now?
Part two started five years after part one, and I liked that jump in time actually. I especially liked how Annabeth spent her years. I'm really digging how this author is not afraid for her heroines to be tough, and not afraid to have them be non-virgins. I liked how Cat was in book 1, and Annabeth did not disappoint either. I found it realistic that these girls would've used everything available to them in order to survive, including their bodies. It's a refreshing change of attitude in my eyes. And of course I liked that Annabeth was an 'outlaw', knew how to ride and shoot. No wilting flower here. I hope the author keeps up the strong heroines in future books.
I liked the action in this one as well. Especially as it got closer to the end, when Annabeth is taken, and Ethan goes after her, and Alexi and Mikhail return to help. I was like, yay! Alexi and Mikhail! Lol. Moze was alright, I was unsure whether he was good or bad for most of the book, and I'm still curious as to what his next mission he was going on was. Maybe we will see him again?
I really liked this book, am pleased as punch that it was just as entertaining as the first book. I can't wait to dive into The Lone Warrior, am definitely interested in getting to know Annabeth's brother Luke, and curious to see how the Indian element to the plot will be. And of course, hoping to see the characters I already know again.
August 3, 2013
I have to admit, as much as I loved the first book in the series, so much did I dislike this one. I just kept reading hoping it would get better, but sadly, for me, the nice ending did not redeem the whole book.
The story starts with Ethan and Annabeth (Beth) working as doctor and nurse in a hospital during the war between North and South. Ethan is recruited as a spy for the North, telling secrets he learns from the wounded soldiers he treats, so a Union sniper can kill their commanding officers. This sniper is Alexi/Fedya from the first book, helped by Mickey, Ethan’s younger brother, as a spotter/guide.
Annabeth is recruited by a childhood friend to find out who the spy is at the hospital, betraying the wounded soldiers secrets. She sets out a trap, not believe it is Ethan. Ethan and Annabeth are working close together, and falling in love. Until the trap closes, and they are both send to prison.
Annabeth desperately wants to find her only remaining brother, who was a victim of Ethan’s espionage. But when she sets out to exchange Fedya, the famous Union sniper, against her brother, someone else is exchanged in her brothers’ stead. After sleeping with Ethan when Mickey is severely wounded, she is then let out of prison by her contact. She will no longer be safe from the other prisoners or guards.
Ethan does not know why Beth suddenly does not appear to help him heal the prisoners anymore, nor does he know why Fedya has suddenly been released. But when Mickey awakens, he believes himself to be someone else, and Fedya his brother. He doesn’t know Ethan at all, nor does he listen to him. And so Ethan loses everyone when Mickey escapes to find Fedya.
When the war is over, Ethan sets out to find Annabeth, and ask her to marry him. He knew where she grew up, and finds her in her old home, pregnant and maligned for sleeping with the enemy. They marry, and move to Kansas, where Ethan will become to doctor in a small town called Freedom.
Ethan never knew that Beth was the one who set the trap that ended with all of them in prison, and when her secret is revealed, he does not believe in her anymore. She lied to him, she deceived him. It does not matter that she was trying to prove his innocence, when he was the spy they were looking for after all.
But during their argument, Beth looses their baby, and while Ethan is drinking himself unconscious in the saloon, Beth leaves him. At first she just wants to escape the pain and the memories, but then she accepts Mose’s request to join him at Pinkerton, and continue the work she was so good at: as a spy.
Now it is 5 years later, Annabeth is very close at infiltrating one of the most dangerous gangs of outlaws in the west, when she gets a message from Fedya that Ethan needs her, he is in trouble. Without hesitation, she rides off to Freedom, to Ethan. What she finds, is Ethan who thinks she is dead, and involved with another woman. Ethan, addicted to laudanum, because alcohol did not work anymore. Is there enough between them to save their marriage, is it worth trying? But Annabeth has no intention of staying, Lassiter will expect her back at camp in a few days.
Well, the verdict. It is not a bad book, it is very well written and engaging. But for me, it is just depressing. Only bad and sad things happen in this book, and not for one moment could I like Annabeth or Ethan. Ethan is just a drug addict, and he comes very spineless over on me. Annabeth never showed a softer side to herself, why did she ever fall in love with Ethan? Because he was a good and caring doctor for his patients? Because he thinks her beautiful, when other men only see her as too tall and dislike her red hair? Because Ethan is the most gorgeous man she has ever seen?
They had sex with nothing resolved between them, without either telling the other their feelings, what happened during the past 5 years.
The title of the book then. The main villain, the one Annabeth is trying to get arrested, has a secret hide out place called Wonderland. Apparently, he has only read one book, Alice in Wonderland, and is enchanted with it. Unfortunately, the Red Queen is his favourite character, he kills very easily, though Annabeth thinks him more the Mad Hatter.
I know other people who love this book, but sadly, I just could not enjoy it. Only a bit of the ending, and that was not enough for me. I will not give up on this series though, Lori Austin/Lori Handeland is one of my favourite authors, so I will try the next book which is due next year.
5 stars out of 10.
The story starts with Ethan and Annabeth (Beth) working as doctor and nurse in a hospital during the war between North and South. Ethan is recruited as a spy for the North, telling secrets he learns from the wounded soldiers he treats, so a Union sniper can kill their commanding officers. This sniper is Alexi/Fedya from the first book, helped by Mickey, Ethan’s younger brother, as a spotter/guide.
Annabeth is recruited by a childhood friend to find out who the spy is at the hospital, betraying the wounded soldiers secrets. She sets out a trap, not believe it is Ethan. Ethan and Annabeth are working close together, and falling in love. Until the trap closes, and they are both send to prison.
Annabeth desperately wants to find her only remaining brother, who was a victim of Ethan’s espionage. But when she sets out to exchange Fedya, the famous Union sniper, against her brother, someone else is exchanged in her brothers’ stead. After sleeping with Ethan when Mickey is severely wounded, she is then let out of prison by her contact. She will no longer be safe from the other prisoners or guards.
Ethan does not know why Beth suddenly does not appear to help him heal the prisoners anymore, nor does he know why Fedya has suddenly been released. But when Mickey awakens, he believes himself to be someone else, and Fedya his brother. He doesn’t know Ethan at all, nor does he listen to him. And so Ethan loses everyone when Mickey escapes to find Fedya.
When the war is over, Ethan sets out to find Annabeth, and ask her to marry him. He knew where she grew up, and finds her in her old home, pregnant and maligned for sleeping with the enemy. They marry, and move to Kansas, where Ethan will become to doctor in a small town called Freedom.
Ethan never knew that Beth was the one who set the trap that ended with all of them in prison, and when her secret is revealed, he does not believe in her anymore. She lied to him, she deceived him. It does not matter that she was trying to prove his innocence, when he was the spy they were looking for after all.
But during their argument, Beth looses their baby, and while Ethan is drinking himself unconscious in the saloon, Beth leaves him. At first she just wants to escape the pain and the memories, but then she accepts Mose’s request to join him at Pinkerton, and continue the work she was so good at: as a spy.
Now it is 5 years later, Annabeth is very close at infiltrating one of the most dangerous gangs of outlaws in the west, when she gets a message from Fedya that Ethan needs her, he is in trouble. Without hesitation, she rides off to Freedom, to Ethan. What she finds, is Ethan who thinks she is dead, and involved with another woman. Ethan, addicted to laudanum, because alcohol did not work anymore. Is there enough between them to save their marriage, is it worth trying? But Annabeth has no intention of staying, Lassiter will expect her back at camp in a few days.
Well, the verdict. It is not a bad book, it is very well written and engaging. But for me, it is just depressing. Only bad and sad things happen in this book, and not for one moment could I like Annabeth or Ethan. Ethan is just a drug addict, and he comes very spineless over on me. Annabeth never showed a softer side to herself, why did she ever fall in love with Ethan? Because he was a good and caring doctor for his patients? Because he thinks her beautiful, when other men only see her as too tall and dislike her red hair? Because Ethan is the most gorgeous man she has ever seen?
They had sex with nothing resolved between them, without either telling the other their feelings, what happened during the past 5 years.
The title of the book then. The main villain, the one Annabeth is trying to get arrested, has a secret hide out place called Wonderland. Apparently, he has only read one book, Alice in Wonderland, and is enchanted with it. Unfortunately, the Red Queen is his favourite character, he kills very easily, though Annabeth thinks him more the Mad Hatter.
I know other people who love this book, but sadly, I just could not enjoy it. Only a bit of the ending, and that was not enough for me. I will not give up on this series though, Lori Austin/Lori Handeland is one of my favourite authors, so I will try the next book which is due next year.
5 stars out of 10.
© 2013 Reviews by Aurian
June 1, 2013
Review originally posted at http://fictionvixen.com/review-an-out...
It’s been years since I enjoyed a western historical romance as much as I did the first book in Lori Austin’s new Once Upon a Time in the West series. On a recommendation from Fiction Vixen reviewer Catherine I picked up Beauty and the Bounty Hunter. And. I. Loved. It.
An Outlaw in Wonderland tells the story of Ethan, whom we met in book one, and how he and his wife Annabeth survived the civil war. Ethan is a doctor who gets recruited by the union army into spying on the confederacy. He does so from a hospital in Virginia, what he doesn’t know is that his nurse and the girl he is slowly falling in love with is also a spy. Just for the other side. This begins a complicated relationship that spans years, full of angst and anger and loss. In the first book, Alexi and Cat’s love story plays out slowly with the reader only finding out their real motivations and Alexi’s back story further on in the book. Ethan and Beth’s story starts out from the beginning, right after they meet. They have an instant chemistry, which is only cemented by the shared work of doctoring the suffering soldiers brought in from the field. Both think that by spying they will ultimately save lives and end the war sooner. What they don’t plan on is a romantic relationship developing between them. When Ethan is caught in a trap Annabeth sets , along with his brother Mikey and the sniper Alexi, he is brought to a confederate prison. Since Annabeth is with him when he is caught, she is also taken and kept prisoner.
I think what I have enjoyed most about this series so far is the characters and their development throughout each story . Ethan and Beth are both very flawed, they do bad things, even to each other, and have addictions and plenty of self doubt. Starting out on opposite sides of the war means their relationship suffers many setbacks, even keeping them apart for years. Once they are released from prison they try to start a life together in a small town. But lies and secrets always eventually find a way to come out. These two are so complicated and their relationship is layered with so many emotions and motivations. The author takes the reader on quite a journey as this couple changes and evolves through the years. From innocent girl to hardened spy trying to make a difference and dedicated surgeon to an addicted, lost man who has been patching his heart and soul as best he can. They want each other, even need each other, but trust is something they have to learn to find. They have a wonderful emotional connection between them that builds from page one. The physical side to their relationship almost took a back seat for me. Yes, I wanted to see them consummate their feelings for each other, but more so I wanted them to finally see past their own blindness to acknowledge how right they were together.
On the way to their HEA, they have to figure out a mystery and try and not let their past come between them as they evade their enemies. I loved that Beth is so competent and focused. She seems to become the alpha in their relationship, protecting Ethan and helping him overcome his challenges. Since Ethan and Beth’s story is interwoven with Alexi and Mikey’s, they make appearances throughout. Now I have a more complete picture of what happened to these three men during their time in the war and stay in prison. I have a feeling I’ll be seeing them again further on in the series. I wonder if the next installment will feature someone from Beth’s past. Her brother perhaps? Or maybe even Moze. All I know is I can’t wait for the next release. This is a wonderful series, one that any historical romance lover should pick up. I am definitely recommending. Final Grade- B+
Favorite Quote:
“I lied. About everything. Who I was, what I believed, hell, how I spoke— and you forgave me. If I hadn’t already loved you, I would have loved you for that alone. I’ll always love you Annabeth. Always.”
It’s been years since I enjoyed a western historical romance as much as I did the first book in Lori Austin’s new Once Upon a Time in the West series. On a recommendation from Fiction Vixen reviewer Catherine I picked up Beauty and the Bounty Hunter. And. I. Loved. It.
An Outlaw in Wonderland tells the story of Ethan, whom we met in book one, and how he and his wife Annabeth survived the civil war. Ethan is a doctor who gets recruited by the union army into spying on the confederacy. He does so from a hospital in Virginia, what he doesn’t know is that his nurse and the girl he is slowly falling in love with is also a spy. Just for the other side. This begins a complicated relationship that spans years, full of angst and anger and loss. In the first book, Alexi and Cat’s love story plays out slowly with the reader only finding out their real motivations and Alexi’s back story further on in the book. Ethan and Beth’s story starts out from the beginning, right after they meet. They have an instant chemistry, which is only cemented by the shared work of doctoring the suffering soldiers brought in from the field. Both think that by spying they will ultimately save lives and end the war sooner. What they don’t plan on is a romantic relationship developing between them. When Ethan is caught in a trap Annabeth sets , along with his brother Mikey and the sniper Alexi, he is brought to a confederate prison. Since Annabeth is with him when he is caught, she is also taken and kept prisoner.
I think what I have enjoyed most about this series so far is the characters and their development throughout each story . Ethan and Beth are both very flawed, they do bad things, even to each other, and have addictions and plenty of self doubt. Starting out on opposite sides of the war means their relationship suffers many setbacks, even keeping them apart for years. Once they are released from prison they try to start a life together in a small town. But lies and secrets always eventually find a way to come out. These two are so complicated and their relationship is layered with so many emotions and motivations. The author takes the reader on quite a journey as this couple changes and evolves through the years. From innocent girl to hardened spy trying to make a difference and dedicated surgeon to an addicted, lost man who has been patching his heart and soul as best he can. They want each other, even need each other, but trust is something they have to learn to find. They have a wonderful emotional connection between them that builds from page one. The physical side to their relationship almost took a back seat for me. Yes, I wanted to see them consummate their feelings for each other, but more so I wanted them to finally see past their own blindness to acknowledge how right they were together.
On the way to their HEA, they have to figure out a mystery and try and not let their past come between them as they evade their enemies. I loved that Beth is so competent and focused. She seems to become the alpha in their relationship, protecting Ethan and helping him overcome his challenges. Since Ethan and Beth’s story is interwoven with Alexi and Mikey’s, they make appearances throughout. Now I have a more complete picture of what happened to these three men during their time in the war and stay in prison. I have a feeling I’ll be seeing them again further on in the series. I wonder if the next installment will feature someone from Beth’s past. Her brother perhaps? Or maybe even Moze. All I know is I can’t wait for the next release. This is a wonderful series, one that any historical romance lover should pick up. I am definitely recommending. Final Grade- B+
Favorite Quote:
“I lied. About everything. Who I was, what I believed, hell, how I spoke— and you forgave me. If I hadn’t already loved you, I would have loved you for that alone. I’ll always love you Annabeth. Always.”
January 26, 2019
4.5 stars
July 11, 2013
This was a Goodreads First Reads win.
The story follows Yankee Dr. Ethan Walsh, who is recruited to spy against the confederates. Confederate Annabeth Phelan works as a nurse in the hospital where Ethan is working. A friend warns Annabeth that Ethan is a spy and she helps set a trap for him. Unfortunately, the trap ensnares Ethan, Annabeth, Ethan's brother Mikey, and another close friend, a sniper for the Yankees. Ethan and Annabeth are then separated until the war ends.
They are able to find each other after, get married, and move to Kansas to become the medical help in a small town. A tragic event then tears them apart and Annabeth runs away. The story continues 5 years later when Annabeth is convinced to come back to help Ethan out of trouble.
This was a great book! I found the descriptions of the characters and places very vivid and the relationships between the characters played out nicely. It was interesting to see the story continue with "5 years later." Most novels I read take place in the course of a few months or a year or two. It was nice to see what happened because of the characters' actions.
The story follows Yankee Dr. Ethan Walsh, who is recruited to spy against the confederates. Confederate Annabeth Phelan works as a nurse in the hospital where Ethan is working. A friend warns Annabeth that Ethan is a spy and she helps set a trap for him. Unfortunately, the trap ensnares Ethan, Annabeth, Ethan's brother Mikey, and another close friend, a sniper for the Yankees. Ethan and Annabeth are then separated until the war ends.
They are able to find each other after, get married, and move to Kansas to become the medical help in a small town. A tragic event then tears them apart and Annabeth runs away. The story continues 5 years later when Annabeth is convinced to come back to help Ethan out of trouble.
This was a great book! I found the descriptions of the characters and places very vivid and the relationships between the characters played out nicely. It was interesting to see the story continue with "5 years later." Most novels I read take place in the course of a few months or a year or two. It was nice to see what happened because of the characters' actions.
August 28, 2013
This book was not at all what I expected from the title. It was a whole lot better!
What I expected was something paranormal and light, something to warrant the Wonderland reference. What I got on page one was the harrowing down-the-rabbit-hole experience of Ethan Walsh, Union doctor in the Civil War. Ethan is a suitable hero, a caring, charismatic doctor trying his best to save lives. Annabeth Phelen is a gutsy Confederate heroine, gifted at nursing in a time when women didn't nurse men. Their desire to save lives brings them together. Their choices on how best to do that drive them apart.
Lori Austin is masterful at creating complex characters, great dialogue, and realistic settings. Her characters make gritty choices and sometimes fall flat on their faces, but their motivation for doing so is always clear.
I missed book one, and now I have to go back and catch up with the continuing characters who appear in this book.
What I expected was something paranormal and light, something to warrant the Wonderland reference. What I got on page one was the harrowing down-the-rabbit-hole experience of Ethan Walsh, Union doctor in the Civil War. Ethan is a suitable hero, a caring, charismatic doctor trying his best to save lives. Annabeth Phelen is a gutsy Confederate heroine, gifted at nursing in a time when women didn't nurse men. Their desire to save lives brings them together. Their choices on how best to do that drive them apart.
Lori Austin is masterful at creating complex characters, great dialogue, and realistic settings. Her characters make gritty choices and sometimes fall flat on their faces, but their motivation for doing so is always clear.
I missed book one, and now I have to go back and catch up with the continuing characters who appear in this book.
June 15, 2013
As per some governmental regulation I am letting you know that I received this book in hopes that I would like it and give a review. I LOVED the book. There was so much to enjoy reading. Western, spies, war, peace, murder, extra marital affairs, cowboys, Indians, soldiers, Hot Doctor and his wife (a spy) more intrigue and just enough angst to where you don't pull your hair out yelling at the book......LOVE book. Now, this is the second in the series but, they aren't a running series. The story starts and ends in one book. I'll admit I like some series but, I am trying so hard to keep up with so many storylines that I found Outlaw in Wonderland refreshing and fun. For those of you who hate editing flubs, I received an uncorrected proof to read and I found no errors. I was extremely impressed. I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
June 5, 2013
I can’t explain in words how much I loved this book! As with all Lori Austin’s books, An Outlaw in Wonderland is well written with strong female characters. [The first book in the series - Beauty and the Bounty Hunter - was good too.] The hero in this story, Ethan, was a supporting character in Beauty and the Bounty Hunter and I was ecstatic to read his story and meet his heroine, Annabeth. What I enjoyed most about this book is that it is not a “happily ever after” story; rather, it is a story of Ethan’s and Annabeth’s ups and downs as they experience real life in the wild west. Simply put, I can’t wait for the next book in the Once Upon a Time in the West series. Well done, Ms. Austin!
August 18, 2020
I enjoyed the book about a doctor and his wife finding their way after the Civil War.
Dr. Ethan Walsh is spying for the North while working in a Richmond hospital. His nurse is Annabeth Phelan who has been recruited to spy on the doctor as the Confederates believe he is the spy in their midst. Both are thrown into prison. After the war, Ethan finds Annabeth. They marry and move to Kansas where Ethan is the town doctor. They try to start over but the past has a way of intruding and destroying their happiness.
Dr. Ethan Walsh is spying for the North while working in a Richmond hospital. His nurse is Annabeth Phelan who has been recruited to spy on the doctor as the Confederates believe he is the spy in their midst. Both are thrown into prison. After the war, Ethan finds Annabeth. They marry and move to Kansas where Ethan is the town doctor. They try to start over but the past has a way of intruding and destroying their happiness.
July 17, 2013
Thanks so much to Goodreads for the free copy of An Outlaw in Wonderland by Lori Austin. This is the first book in the series that I have read and the first book by this author that I have read. It is historical western civil war romance. All of which are my favorites. This was a great book. Easy to read and connect with the characters. Annabeth is a civil war nurse who is asked to find the spy at the hospital where she is employed. It just so happens that the man she has the hots for is the spy. What will happen when she discovers this secret? You'll have to read it to find out!
December 23, 2015
3.8
This one took a little while for me to find the rhythm of the story simply because I was expecting to start where the last one left off.
All in all, this wasn't bad. I wasn't in love with either of the characters but I was really happy to see some of the previous characters make a return. I didn't dig the subplot with Mrs. Lewis but I see why it was there but I just thought it added more complication to a pile of complications.
While I definitely loved the first, this wasn't bad and I'm interested enough in Annabeth to care about her brother.
This one took a little while for me to find the rhythm of the story simply because I was expecting to start where the last one left off.
All in all, this wasn't bad. I wasn't in love with either of the characters but I was really happy to see some of the previous characters make a return. I didn't dig the subplot with Mrs. Lewis but I see why it was there but I just thought it added more complication to a pile of complications.
While I definitely loved the first, this wasn't bad and I'm interested enough in Annabeth to care about her brother.
May 27, 2013
Fantastic book! Lori Austin knows how to write a captivating story. She gives all the details, which allows the reader to put herself into the story and knows exactly what's going on and why. This is the second book in this series. Book 1 was really good! This one, book 2, was amazing!!! Never a dull moment! I can't wait for the next book in this series :) Thank you Lori Austin, you continue to keep us coming back for more.
July 11, 2013
I loved this book!! It's an amazing Civil War era romance chock-full of action and emotion. There are lots of twists and turns in this story of love, betrayal, and redemption. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The characters are well-developed, the dialogue is sharp and superbly written, and the plot is super exciting. Lori Austin knows how to bring the Wild West to life. I can't wait for the next installment in this captivating series.
January 4, 2014
Dr. Ethan Walsh and Annabeth met at a medical facility during the war...they were both spies on different sides and ended up going to prison together. Lots of lies and a 5 year separation, an addiction to laudanum, an outlaw gang, a spurned lover...this book has it all! Highly recommended...2nd in a series (the first is "Beauty and the Bounty Hunter").
July 30, 2014
This book was so off the wall I couldn't help but love it. The hero and heroine meet and fall in love during the Civil War, spying for opposite sides. From that point on, anything crazy bad that can happen does happen. I could not put it down. It was so exciting. Even when I was laughing at it, I was enraptured.
January 15, 2019
All of the civil war scenes would have been better handled as flashbacks, to build up the tension of what happened at the beginning of the relationship. Then, after the time skip to Five Years Later, all of the interesting stuff Annabeth did are glossed over, and we spend too much time on fixing the relationship, so there is hardly any time spent on the outlaw part.
A good premise, but the focus is on all the wrong parts.
January 5, 2018
Started off good and then just got bad.
July 8, 2021
I love this story, didn't have any problems with it.
July 4, 2013
Grade: B+
NOTE: This review was originally published at Dear Author.
Dear Ms. Austin,
When I first read the description of Outlaw in Wonderland, I believe I may have said “gimme gimme gimme” out loud. But I deny actually making the ~grabbyhands~ gesture.
Then I saw the cover, and nearly changed my mind. But we’ll save that discussion for later.
I was expecting the kickass heroine, the noble hero, the wartime intrigue and the ugliness of 19th-century battlefield medicine. I wasn’t expecting all that to be only the first third of the book — but by that point, I was along for the ride. And what an angsty, adventurous, brooding, emotional, angsty, humorous, tense, DID I MENTION ANGSTY?, and romantic ride it was.
From the Confederate war hospital mentioned in the blurb, the plot takes us to the notorious Castle Thunder prison in Richmond to a Kansas cow town. In addition to amputations and espionage, we get amnesia, baby loss, infidelity, abduction, murder, a tornado, prison sex, opium addiction with forced detox in a tepee, and a lot of flying bullets.
Amongst all that fabulous craziness, we’re treated to vivid secondary characters like a one-eyed retired schoolmarm, a reclusive smallpox-scarred lawyer, a fainting ex-mistress, a long-suffering federal marshal, and a former childhood friend/spymonger/Pinkerton agent who mysteriously appears at the absolute worst possible times. And, of course, the batshit-insane thug bandit obsessed with Alice in Wonderland.
But none of that overwhelms the angsty, messy romance. Ethan and Annabeth are drawn to each other out of mutual respect, loneliness and adrenaline in the chaos of the hospital. As their relationship evolves, we learn how ill-prepared they for mundane real life, struggling with the consequences of their wartime decisions and actions.
The main source of angst in Outlaw is
Am I wrong to find that romantic? But whatever — DAMN, that’s good writing.
I did have a few minor annoyances that disrupted my book trance. Ethan is the usual historical-romance-novel-doctor who is way ahead of his time in insisting on antiseptic surgery, a fact we’re reminded of several times. And to mark off a box on the Required Elements in a Western checklist, we have the noble Native American who silently communicates life- and soul-saving advice.
Speaking of annoyances…. The cover. Uff da, that cover. In addition to the huge disconnect between the cover and the blurb, we get a skeletal cover model in glaringly modern clothing — complete with zippered skinny jeans. And the western portion of the story is set in Kansas. I haven’t traveled the entire state of Kansas, but I’m pretty sure none it looks like Utah.
Now that the whining is out of the way, it’s true confession time — by the end of chapter six of Outlaw, I had to buy the previous book in the series (Beauty and the Bounty Hunter) and it’s even better. I’ll be waiting impatiently for the next one.
I read an advance review copy provided by the publisher.
NOTE: This review was originally published at Dear Author.
Dear Ms. Austin,
When I first read the description of Outlaw in Wonderland, I believe I may have said “gimme gimme gimme” out loud. But I deny actually making the ~grabbyhands~ gesture.
Then I saw the cover, and nearly changed my mind. But we’ll save that discussion for later.
I was expecting the kickass heroine, the noble hero, the wartime intrigue and the ugliness of 19th-century battlefield medicine. I wasn’t expecting all that to be only the first third of the book — but by that point, I was along for the ride. And what an angsty, adventurous, brooding, emotional, angsty, humorous, tense, DID I MENTION ANGSTY?, and romantic ride it was.
From the Confederate war hospital mentioned in the blurb, the plot takes us to the notorious Castle Thunder prison in Richmond to a Kansas cow town. In addition to amputations and espionage, we get amnesia, baby loss, infidelity, abduction, murder, a tornado, prison sex, opium addiction with forced detox in a tepee, and a lot of flying bullets.
Life had been a little chaotic since she’d gotten back to Freedom. It wasn’t every day that a sheriff fell out a window, a federal marshal arrived asking questions, Annabeth returned from the dead and the local doctor was shot in the head.
Amongst all that fabulous craziness, we’re treated to vivid secondary characters like a one-eyed retired schoolmarm, a reclusive smallpox-scarred lawyer, a fainting ex-mistress, a long-suffering federal marshal, and a former childhood friend/spymonger/Pinkerton agent who mysteriously appears at the absolute worst possible times. And, of course, the batshit-insane thug bandit obsessed with Alice in Wonderland.
But none of that overwhelms the angsty, messy romance. Ethan and Annabeth are drawn to each other out of mutual respect, loneliness and adrenaline in the chaos of the hospital. As their relationship evolves, we learn how ill-prepared they for mundane real life, struggling with the consequences of their wartime decisions and actions.
The main source of angst in Outlaw is
Am I wrong to find that romantic? But whatever — DAMN, that’s good writing.
I did have a few minor annoyances that disrupted my book trance. Ethan is the usual historical-romance-novel-doctor who is way ahead of his time in insisting on antiseptic surgery, a fact we’re reminded of several times. And to mark off a box on the Required Elements in a Western checklist, we have the noble Native American who silently communicates life- and soul-saving advice.
Speaking of annoyances…. The cover. Uff da, that cover. In addition to the huge disconnect between the cover and the blurb, we get a skeletal cover model in glaringly modern clothing — complete with zippered skinny jeans. And the western portion of the story is set in Kansas. I haven’t traveled the entire state of Kansas, but I’m pretty sure none it looks like Utah.
Now that the whining is out of the way, it’s true confession time — by the end of chapter six of Outlaw, I had to buy the previous book in the series (Beauty and the Bounty Hunter) and it’s even better. I’ll be waiting impatiently for the next one.
I read an advance review copy provided by the publisher.
June 25, 2019
Riveting!
I could not put this book down! I recommend reading Beauty and the first because so much of that book is referenced in this one. For that reason I deducted a star because book one us practically required reading.
I could not put this book down! I recommend reading Beauty and the first because so much of that book is referenced in this one. For that reason I deducted a star because book one us practically required reading.
February 28, 2022
Discouraged Union Dr Ethan goes South, trusts brother Mikey 17 to meet spy, Beth to nurse. Mike says `Don't worry. What could happen?` My heart stutters.
Typo 1.34 else^ else.
31.16 decent ^ descent
Typo 1.34 else^ else.
31.16 decent ^ descent
May 10, 2013
I won this one through a First Reads giveaway.
The good:
I liked the heroine. She didn't put up with crap from anyone, didn't care about social expectations, and didn't have a problem with shooting people who got in her way. I didn't exactly like her methods, but she was practical and interesting, and she'd have been a lot of fun in real life.
The author also did a great job in making her seem like two completely different people after everything that went down, and props for making her stay that way. If the doctor had just needed to smile at her to make everything better, I'd have been really annoyed. This was at least realistic.
The setting was also interesting. I'm one reenactment costume away from being a Civil War history nerd, so of course I enjoyed that. And I liked the fact that it covered the years immediately after the war, which isn't something a lot of "historical" novels bother to do. I didn't check on accuracy, of course, because that really wasn't the point of the book, but it was still interesting.
The bad:
The pacing wasn't always consistent. There were times when events and settings were really detailed and then times when things just seemed rather rushed. It made the plot a little jarring and sometimes harder to follow than it should have been.
There were also just too many clichés. I get that this is a romance novel, but it was still a bit much. I mean, really...the pretty-nurse-meets-handsome-doctor-and-they-fall-in-love-in-the-middle-of-a-war would have been enough even without the spies-from-opposite-sides-who-just-can't-help-falling-in-love or the too-pretty-Scottish-bachelor-meets-spunky-girl thing. Too much, even if he was crap at spying and she managed to outthink him every time.
I also absolutely hated the male protagonist. Not to give away too many spoilers, but their big fight occurred after he realized she was a spy and he felt all betrayed and whatnot. That might have been understandable if he hadn't ALSO been a spy, or if he hadn't also done all of the things he felt wronged over. And even without that, he wasn't exactly the best hero. I mean, really, at one point, he actually thought his problems all stemmed from the fact that he'd impregnated too many women! Yep. That was TOTALLY it, and I'm sure his patients loved how often he was drunk. Good thing this was before malpractice suits!
Don't get me started on the head injuries and memory loss.
All in all, there was some good and a lot of really annoying bad that even the female lead couldn't counter.
The good:
I liked the heroine. She didn't put up with crap from anyone, didn't care about social expectations, and didn't have a problem with shooting people who got in her way. I didn't exactly like her methods, but she was practical and interesting, and she'd have been a lot of fun in real life.
The author also did a great job in making her seem like two completely different people after everything that went down, and props for making her stay that way. If the doctor had just needed to smile at her to make everything better, I'd have been really annoyed. This was at least realistic.
The setting was also interesting. I'm one reenactment costume away from being a Civil War history nerd, so of course I enjoyed that. And I liked the fact that it covered the years immediately after the war, which isn't something a lot of "historical" novels bother to do. I didn't check on accuracy, of course, because that really wasn't the point of the book, but it was still interesting.
The bad:
The pacing wasn't always consistent. There were times when events and settings were really detailed and then times when things just seemed rather rushed. It made the plot a little jarring and sometimes harder to follow than it should have been.
There were also just too many clichés. I get that this is a romance novel, but it was still a bit much. I mean, really...the pretty-nurse-meets-handsome-doctor-and-they-fall-in-love-in-the-middle-of-a-war would have been enough even without the spies-from-opposite-sides-who-just-can't-help-falling-in-love or the too-pretty-Scottish-bachelor-meets-spunky-girl thing. Too much, even if he was crap at spying and she managed to outthink him every time.
I also absolutely hated the male protagonist. Not to give away too many spoilers, but their big fight occurred after he realized she was a spy and he felt all betrayed and whatnot. That might have been understandable if he hadn't ALSO been a spy, or if he hadn't also done all of the things he felt wronged over. And even without that, he wasn't exactly the best hero. I mean, really, at one point, he actually thought his problems all stemmed from the fact that he'd impregnated too many women! Yep. That was TOTALLY it, and I'm sure his patients loved how often he was drunk. Good thing this was before malpractice suits!
Don't get me started on the head injuries and memory loss.
All in all, there was some good and a lot of really annoying bad that even the female lead couldn't counter.
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