THE WAYWARD HEART

Bryony Hill #1

by Jill Gregory

Learning that her rancher father has been shot and killed in the small town of Winchester, Arizona, delicately raised Bryony Hill leaves her sheltered life in St. Louis and travels west to take charge of his ranch. But when outlaws attack her stagecoach, the peaceful journey becomes a nightmare -- until rugged gunfighter Texas Jim Logan shows up, rescues her, and takes Bryony to safety. But sharing one stolen, reckless kiss with the handsome gunfighter who protected her sparks a wildfire passion neither of them ever expected -- until Bryony learns that the man who saved her and kissed her in a way she'd never been kissed before is the very man who killed her father in a gunfight. She tries to hate Texas Jim Logan, and to push him away, but as danger edges closer in the small western town, he is always there for her. Can she find the courage to accept the truth about her father and to trust the one man who has risked his life for her -- the gunfighter who has lassoed her heart?

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Western Romance

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1982

About the author

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Jill Gregory is the award-winning author of more than thirty novels. Jill has been awarded the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence and her novels NEVER LOVE A COWBOY and COLD NIGHT, WARM STRANGER were honored with back-to-back Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice awards for Best Western Historical Romance.

Jill Gregory's novels have been translated and published in Japan, Russia, Norway, France, Taiwan, Sweden, Italy, and Germany. Jill grew up in Chicago and received her bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Illinois. She currently resides in Michigan with her husband.

Reviews

[Cindy Bolen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book.

Jill Gregory has made another masterpiece. A girl trying not to fall for the guy who killed her dad? Awesome.

[Tapa in lovezone · Rating 2 out of 5]

**2.5 Stars**

This book could have been much better if not for the hero's involvement with another woman. I don’t like books where the hero sleeps with ow after meeting the heroine. Even though there’s no commitment started between the hero and heroine.

The story starts off strong. After her father's death, the heroine travels to Arizona to take over his ranch and inherit his fortune. Unaware that several dangerous people are after her, she becomes a target almost immediately. As soon as she arrives, she is kidnapped by a group of criminals. The hero makes a dramatic entrance and rescues her, which had me excited for what seemed like a promising romance.

Unfortunately, things quickly went downhill.

While escaping through the wilderness, the hero is rude and dismissive toward the heroine. He even tells her that he needs to get back to a woman who is waiting for him. At first, I assumed he was saying this to provoke the heroine, but that wasn't the case. After dropping her off at a hotel, he actually goes to meet the other woman—a prostitute he regularly visits. Not only does he spend time with her, but the book also devotes considerable attention to describing her and how much the hero enjoys her company.

This was a major mood killer for me. The other woman barely matters to the overall story and receives very little attention afterward, so I don't understand why the author spent so much time emphasizing her role.

Although the hero eventually falls in love with the heroine, the transition is gradual. He doesn't immediately cut ties with the other woman, which made it difficult for me to connect with him as a romantic lead. He slowly loses interest in the ow and realises he is in love with the heroine. On top of that, he's generally harsh, rough, and not particularly likable.

It's disappointing because the premise showed a lot of promise. The opening was engaging, but the hero's behavior ultimately ruined the book for me.

[Yvonne Meier · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars because of the storyline and I loved the hero and heroine, but the writing style didn’t play on my heartstrings, it wasn’t overly captivating, a bit slow.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very predictable.