Passion's Prize

Steam! Romance and Rails # 2 included

by E.E. Burke, Jennifer Jakes, Jacqui Nelson

Outlaws, soldiers, and spies bedevil the Katy Railroad as construction crews race to reach Indian Territory before their rival. The prize—a fortune in land rights for the winning line. Stakes are just as high for three women whose lives hinge on the outcome.

Adella’s Enemy by Jacqui Nelson
The race heats up as former Rebel spy Adella Willows receives her mission from a Washington senator—play havoc with the Katy and derail its bid to win the race. The senator craves wealth. Adella craves revenge against the man responsible for her brother’s death. But her plans crumble into chaos when she matches wits with the railroad’s foreman, a handsome Irishman torn between two desires: winning the race or winning Adella’s heart.

Eden’s Sin by Jennifer Jakes
Passions rise when a beautiful madam must rely on an Army major for help. Eden Gabrielli lives by three rules: Never trust the wealthy, do whatever it takes to survive, and never again believe a decent man could love a whore. But when a blackmailer threatens, she will do anything to protect her sister—even if that means deceiving the handsome and determined Major Bradford, the one man who tempts her to break her rules.

Kate’s Outlaw by E.E. Burke.
Fortunes fall as the Katy struggles with the Cherokee Nation over land rights. The situation goes from bad to worse when railroad heiress Kate Parsons is abducted by outlaws and finds herself attracted to one of her Cherokee captors. Time is running out for the railroad and for Kate, who must escape before her captor becomes her lover and steals something much more valuable than her fortune—her heart.

405 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 6, 2013

About the author

E.E. Burke describes herself as "a history geek and a sucker for a good love story."

She recently released the 10th Anniversary Edition of her bestselling series, Steam! Romance and Rails, a fast-paced blend of Western adventure, sizzling romance and suspense.

"I love to write stories infused with history, legend, and romance. "

Her novel Tom Sawyer Returns won the Grand Prize for the 2021 LARAMIE Award, and 2022 Mystery First Place Award sponsored by the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Tom Sawyer Returns and Taming Huck Finn were featured by the Mark Twain House & Museum in the author spotlight, Romancing Mark Twain.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Passion's Prize is a brilliant blend of three enticing stories by three fantastic writers! Take a journey into American history and fall in love with a sexy Irish railroad worker, an honorable handsome soldier, and a dashing Cherokee outlaw trying to protect his family's land. They are equally matched by some strong-willed, brilliant heroines who light up the pages of the book with their stories and their determination. It takes a lot of character to settle into the open wilderness of the United States back in the 1800s, and Passion's Prize delivers an exquisite view into that little known time in American history. With fortunes on the line, corruption and danger lurk around every corner as competing railroad companies race to the boarder. With so much at stake, knowing who to trust can be the difference between life and death.

In Adella's Enemy, a young photographer turned spy seeks out to avenge the death of her twin brother. To assuage her guilt at not being able to save him, she plots to bring down the railroad and bankrupt the corrupt business man who was responsible for his death. However, when Adella arrives in the west she quickly realizes she failed to take into account the livelihood of the hard working people who are building the very railroad she needs to bring down. She'll need to use all her wit to match the devilishly handsome Irish foreman who's equally determined to see the railroad succeed. As sparks fly and lines are drawn, they are in danger of losing much more than the railroad battle … they may loose their hearts.

In Eden's Sin, a young woman with a rough background makes her home in the West trying to escape a past which nearly killed her. After a young girl is attacked, she seeks out an Army Major Bradford to help her get justice. Will she be able to convince him to help her without revealing too much of her past or her current spying for the railroad? Will the strong, protective Major who has been burned by lying women before be able to see past Eden's secrets? As passions rise and deceptions build, two people who have been hurt before will need to learn to trust again. Their lives, and those of the people they love, may depend on it.

In Kate's Outlaw, the young, fiery railroad heiress is kidnapped by Cherokee outlaws over land disputes. With her life on the line, she must cooperate with her dangerously attractive captor. As she spends time with the Cherokee people her resolve to find a peaceful agreement between the natives and the railroad grows stronger. How will the daughter of the railroad owner they despise ever be able to win their trust? How will Kate get her father to agree to negotiations with people he considers savages? How will a poor Cherokee outlaw and a rich heiress ever get past the chasm that divides them? Hoping to find common ground, they instead find an attraction so powerful it cannot be ignored. Will their love be strong enough to cross all lines? Will either of them be able to live in the other's world?

I would be hard pressed to figure out which of the three stories I enjoyed most - I loved them all and the interplay between them was masterfully written! All three story lines blend together in a powerful novel full of adventure, passion, suspense, and love.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stories by three different authors!! All great reads!!