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An Outlaw For Christmas
The heart never forgets...
On an orphan train bound for Kansas, ten-year-old Ruth Kelly has only one thing to hold onto—a sad-eyed boy named Noah who takes pity on her grief. Arriving at the depot on Christmas Eve, Ruth is lucky to be adopted by a wealthy childless couple, and horrified that a rough-mannered farmer has chosen her only friend. Before they part, Ruth begs Noah to promise that they will meet each Christmas Eve, at the same depot. But every year, Ruth searches the festive crowds for his face in vain.
...a long ago love.
One Christmas Eve, ten years later, a wounded man stumbles from the darkness and falls at her feet. It's Noah—and he's the outlaw Ruth's suitor, the town sheriff, has vowed to find. As her past and her future collide, Ruth remembers the gentle boy she once knew, but responds to the haunted man who needs her help. With all the odds against them, Ruth wants to believe in Noah's innocence, but one year later, she must put her trust in the magic of Christmas Eve before they can celebrate the gift of their love...together.
On an orphan train bound for Kansas, ten-year-old Ruth Kelly has only one thing to hold onto—a sad-eyed boy named Noah who takes pity on her grief. Arriving at the depot on Christmas Eve, Ruth is lucky to be adopted by a wealthy childless couple, and horrified that a rough-mannered farmer has chosen her only friend. Before they part, Ruth begs Noah to promise that they will meet each Christmas Eve, at the same depot. But every year, Ruth searches the festive crowds for his face in vain.
...a long ago love.
One Christmas Eve, ten years later, a wounded man stumbles from the darkness and falls at her feet. It's Noah—and he's the outlaw Ruth's suitor, the town sheriff, has vowed to find. As her past and her future collide, Ruth remembers the gentle boy she once knew, but responds to the haunted man who needs her help. With all the odds against them, Ruth wants to believe in Noah's innocence, but one year later, she must put her trust in the magic of Christmas Eve before they can celebrate the gift of their love...together.
317 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
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 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 9, 2019
Started strong with an orphan train but limped a bit in the middle. Strong finish.
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January 3, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/3/2023)! 🎁
February 22, 2014
If there's one thing I dislike about holiday romances, it is the overpoweringly sentimental plots about "Christmas miracles". In An Outlaw For Christmas, there is hardly any mention it is the holiday season, except for the mention of New Years parties and xmas colours.
Ruth longs to meet her childhood protector Noah again, even though he fails to keep up their promise to meet every Christmas for the past decade. They were once two orphans that came to Kansas by the orphan train and were adopted by families.
Lori Austin of the Once Upon A Time In the West fame proves that she was an equally wonderful author a decade ago, in this surviving-against-all-odds story.
Ruth longs to meet her childhood protector Noah again, even though he fails to keep up their promise to meet every Christmas for the past decade. They were once two orphans that came to Kansas by the orphan train and were adopted by families.
Lori Austin of the Once Upon A Time In the West fame proves that she was an equally wonderful author a decade ago, in this surviving-against-all-odds story.
August 26, 2021
Shipped west to Kansas, 10 year old Ruth and 15 year old Noah are separated at the end of the trip but never forget one another. He becomes a robber and she the adopted daughter of a banker in Kelly, Kansas. They meet 10 years later when she nurses him back to health from a gunshot wound. The story of them reuniting and later fleeing makes for an interesting story. The story wasn’t made better by sex scenes but apparently the author wanted to spike it up some to seemingly broaden the story’s appeal.
November 9, 2019
It was fun but not really believable. The writing was decent.
November 13, 2019
Enjoyed this story.
Read
December 8, 2019I couldn’t get into this.
January 30, 2013
This book is by far better than its title might indicate.
I'm not a fan of holiday or special occasion books because they tend to get schmaltzy. An Outlaw for Christmas is SO not a schmaltzy book.
I picked it up because Lori Handeland is an author whose work I've enjoyed before. I can count on her to deliver a fast-paced novel with unexpected plot twists and vivid, believable characters. An Outlaw for Christmas delivers on all those expectations. In fact, it sets up an against-all-odds love story that I was hard-pressed to imagine how it could end happily, but it does. The characters are realistic, especially Noah, who has two believable sides to him, the outlaw and the man yearning to change. Handeland doesn't make it easy, but she does make it satisfying.
I'm not a fan of holiday or special occasion books because they tend to get schmaltzy. An Outlaw for Christmas is SO not a schmaltzy book.
I picked it up because Lori Handeland is an author whose work I've enjoyed before. I can count on her to deliver a fast-paced novel with unexpected plot twists and vivid, believable characters. An Outlaw for Christmas delivers on all those expectations. In fact, it sets up an against-all-odds love story that I was hard-pressed to imagine how it could end happily, but it does. The characters are realistic, especially Noah, who has two believable sides to him, the outlaw and the man yearning to change. Handeland doesn't make it easy, but she does make it satisfying.
June 16, 2013
I really loved this book. Noah & Ruth who met on the orphan train, faced so much at their young ages, but with the love they shared, a little luck, & help from their "friends" HEA is possible. Lori Austin is an auto-buy for me.
March 4, 2016
Great quick read. Love lasts forever.
December 11, 2015
This book was really good, but very sad. Not the ending, that tutned out well, but the entire story was sad.
March 3, 2015
I read this every year around Christmas time. One of the most romantic love stories I've ever read.
December 24, 2015
This was a good read. I could not shake the idea that I had read it before, but I am not sure. Anyway, I enjoyed it.
January 5, 2017
a sweet holiday story that has an amazing setting and fun chracters
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews