Rails and Aces

by Loretta Jackson, Vickie Britton

On a train to Rawlins, Wyoming, Jace Keeler plays poker with four strangers and a mysterious woman, Deliah Cade. Mid-game, train robbers strike. When Jace chases after bandit, Willie Starks, who is fleeing with the payroll money, lawmen mistake him for one of the outlaws. He rides off wounded, is rescued by Deliah, and is taken to a robber’s roost tucked away in the cliffs. Meanwhile, Starks, pursued by lawmen, stashes the loot in the canyon. When the money turns up missing, the robbers suspect Jace and Deliah of a double-cross instigated by Deliah’s “intended”, the wildest outlaw of all, Jonas Grisby. Jace must win Deliah, even if it means a showdown with Grisby. He must find the missing money or face vengeance from both the law and gangs of rival outlaws.

Genres: Romance

161 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2014

About the author

Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton are a sister co-authoring team who have written 36 published novels and 77 short stories. Among their novels are the archaeologist Ardis Cole series and a new series featuring contemporary Wyoming sheriff Jeff McQuede. The two sisters often travel to exotic locations such as Russia, India, China and Peru to research settings for their novels. They are also drawn to the western United States and their love for the unique flavor of the Old West provides a background for many of their novels. Both writers now live in Kansas: Loretta in Junction City, Vickie in Hutchinson.

Reviews

[LaShanta Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating – 3.8 stars

Ruggedly sexy cowboys, forbidden love interests, and an abundance of 'who done it?' gave me plenty of reasons to enjoy Rails and Aces.

While my previous interest in all things “wild west” revolved around the movies The Quick and The Dead and Cowboys & Aliens, I found this novel to be much more interesting than I expected. I also found the plot quite frustrating since I had absolutely no idea who to trust or who was actually behind the robbery.

I loved the fact that Delilah was fearless and remained loyal to her beliefs in spite of what she felt for Jace. The “love triangle” was a great addition to the plot. It gave the novel more gravity and was one of the things that pulled me to it more.

I liked that Jace was literally a jack-of-all-trades. He kept his loyalty to whatever he thought was right and, of course, what would keep him alive. Even in the midst of a posse out for blood, he remained true to his values.

If I could change one thing about this book, it would be that Delilah and Jace would have more of a relationship, instead of falling head over heels in the midst of two paragraphs.

While this book didn’t have me on the edge of my seat, I would definitely still recommend it.

[Lillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery, romance, and Wild West outlaws combine to make this an enjoyable read,