What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bravados
Arch foes and forces of nature align to challenge the indomitable Paladíns.
When seventeen-year-old Drake “The Rake” Paladín shows up at the Barony with seven-year-old Angel, a marker for her mother's bet, the Paladín family is outraged. The young girl believes that she now belongs to Drake, and he will marry her when she comes of age. Refusing to give details of who her relatives may be, the Paladíns are forced to ask a Texas Ranger for help in hopes of finding the girl's true home. When her family is finally located years later, she turns out to be the daughter of Alex Paladín's lifelong nemesis, Rod Obregon. The stakes only grow higher when Angel herself refuses to return home.
Meanwhile, Obregon's own detective has been searching for the missing child as well, It is only a matter of time before he figures out who “The Rake” really is and brings Obregon to their gates for vengeance, having already lost his sister to the Paladíns years before.
Just when the tempestuous Angel grows into the only woman who can lasso the rambling man Drake has become, Mother Nature claims an even greater vengeance... one that could destroy them all.
With the third volume in her critically-acclaimed Texicans saga, New York Times bestseller Parris Afton Bonds weaves a spellbinding tale of love, hate, revenge, and reconciliation set against the milieu of the turn of the twentieth century. From the streets of Dallas to the oil fields of Louisiana and the blood-soaked jungles of Cuba, the Paladíns find themselves caught in the great struggle between the traditions of the past and the technologies that will shape the future. Can bonds of blood withstand such tides of change? What about the feuds of ages long past? With true-to-life characters, high drama, and painstaking authenticity, The Bravados is a masterpiece of epic romance.
When seventeen-year-old Drake “The Rake” Paladín shows up at the Barony with seven-year-old Angel, a marker for her mother's bet, the Paladín family is outraged. The young girl believes that she now belongs to Drake, and he will marry her when she comes of age. Refusing to give details of who her relatives may be, the Paladíns are forced to ask a Texas Ranger for help in hopes of finding the girl's true home. When her family is finally located years later, she turns out to be the daughter of Alex Paladín's lifelong nemesis, Rod Obregon. The stakes only grow higher when Angel herself refuses to return home.
Meanwhile, Obregon's own detective has been searching for the missing child as well, It is only a matter of time before he figures out who “The Rake” really is and brings Obregon to their gates for vengeance, having already lost his sister to the Paladíns years before.
Just when the tempestuous Angel grows into the only woman who can lasso the rambling man Drake has become, Mother Nature claims an even greater vengeance... one that could destroy them all.
With the third volume in her critically-acclaimed Texicans saga, New York Times bestseller Parris Afton Bonds weaves a spellbinding tale of love, hate, revenge, and reconciliation set against the milieu of the turn of the twentieth century. From the streets of Dallas to the oil fields of Louisiana and the blood-soaked jungles of Cuba, the Paladíns find themselves caught in the great struggle between the traditions of the past and the technologies that will shape the future. Can bonds of blood withstand such tides of change? What about the feuds of ages long past? With true-to-life characters, high drama, and painstaking authenticity, The Bravados is a masterpiece of epic romance.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 16, 2020
10 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Parris Afton Bonds
82 books52 followersI am dancing on sunshine that you are visiting my little part of Parris's paradise here on Goodreads.
I write for the reckless at heart Not surprisingly, I identify with my novels' characters, both the protagonists AND antagonists. I suffer with their angsts and bewilderments and rejoice in their joys and triumphs.
And I believe that if we heroically hold fast to our own vision for ourselves in our journey’s confrontations and challenges, Life WILL surely manifest our dreams and goals and visions, as it does for my characters in my novels.
***
Parris Afton Bonds is mother of five sons and author of nearly fifty published novels. She is co-founder and first vice president of Romance Writers of America, as well as, co-founder of Southwest Writers Workshop,
The Parris Award was established in her name by the Southwest Writers Workshop to honor a published writer who has given outstandingly of time and talent to other writers. Prestigious recipients of the Parris Award include Tony Hillerman and the Pulitzer nominee Norman Zollinger.
Declared by ABC's Nightline as one of the three-best-selling authors of romantic fiction, the award winning Parris Afton Bonds has been featured in major newspapers and magazines as well as published in more than a dozen languages. A New York Times best seller, she donates her time to teaching creative writing to both grade school children and female inmates ~ both of which are captive audiences.
I write for the reckless at heart Not surprisingly, I identify with my novels' characters, both the protagonists AND antagonists. I suffer with their angsts and bewilderments and rejoice in their joys and triumphs.
And I believe that if we heroically hold fast to our own vision for ourselves in our journey’s confrontations and challenges, Life WILL surely manifest our dreams and goals and visions, as it does for my characters in my novels.
***
Parris Afton Bonds is mother of five sons and author of nearly fifty published novels. She is co-founder and first vice president of Romance Writers of America, as well as, co-founder of Southwest Writers Workshop,
The Parris Award was established in her name by the Southwest Writers Workshop to honor a published writer who has given outstandingly of time and talent to other writers. Prestigious recipients of the Parris Award include Tony Hillerman and the Pulitzer nominee Norman Zollinger.
Declared by ABC's Nightline as one of the three-best-selling authors of romantic fiction, the award winning Parris Afton Bonds has been featured in major newspapers and magazines as well as published in more than a dozen languages. A New York Times best seller, she donates her time to teaching creative writing to both grade school children and female inmates ~ both of which are captive audiences.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 14, 2022
A Journey like No other
I have just finished reading ‘The Bravados,’ by acclaimed author, Parris Afton Bonds! If you love well written historical fiction peppered with intrigue, romance, broken and, sometimes, mended familial relationships, protagonists you love to hate, and a well-developed plot, and bigger than life characters, then THIS IS A MUST read!! Bonds creates magic in The Bravados! Come to Texas and meet the Paladins. It’s a journey you’re not likely to forget. We’re there a greater than five ⭐️ rating, this would surely be deserving of all of those stars! I look forward to reading her latest (releasing soon) ‘Reluctant Rebel!’ Just ordered my copy!
I have just finished reading ‘The Bravados,’ by acclaimed author, Parris Afton Bonds! If you love well written historical fiction peppered with intrigue, romance, broken and, sometimes, mended familial relationships, protagonists you love to hate, and a well-developed plot, and bigger than life characters, then THIS IS A MUST read!! Bonds creates magic in The Bravados! Come to Texas and meet the Paladins. It’s a journey you’re not likely to forget. We’re there a greater than five ⭐️ rating, this would surely be deserving of all of those stars! I look forward to reading her latest (releasing soon) ‘Reluctant Rebel!’ Just ordered my copy!
November 26, 2020
Everything is bigger in Texas! The Bravados, third book in the series, The Texicans, lives up to the statement. But this is not the Texas of myth—it is the reality, the struggle, captured by Ms Bonds that provides the backdrop for the saga of Alex, Lord Paladin.
In this chapter of his life, Alex is a grandfather but still very much the head of the family. The fist two books, The Brigands and The Barons built on his legacy and developed the family.
The Bravados sees the family through the turn of the century. The loves, triumphs, tragedies and daily lives of the family members are set against a panorama of ranching, shipping, railroad, oil, lumber and other developing industries.
The author describes the characters so fully—appearance, emotions, personality, that they are real people and we are deeply involved in their lives. The cast of characters is large and varied. A couple that particularly spoke to me were Claire and David. There are lovely descriptions of David’s Jewish heritage. They faced prejudice beginning with her father, Buck McHenry, the danger of the Ku Klux Clan, the boycott by businessmen, the bigotry of citizens, the opposition of a Paladin enemy, but then….
Drake, the grandson of Alex, is the focal character. We are with him through his exploits—and women. But it is one woman that draws him—Angel, the girl he won in a poker game. As she grows from girl to woman, Drake learns what Angel has known from the beginning—she belongs with him.
We meet historical figures, Teddy Roosevelt, Clara Barton and others. We are there with Teddy organizing the Rough Riders and again when they charged up San Juan Hill. There are riveting descriptions of the war in Cuba.
History is again the backdrop when the family has gathered in Galveston for a wedding. The hurricane, the aftermath, which family members will survive?
The author had taken a breathtaking trip and we are the richer for having been invited along for the ride. And there are two more volumes to come!
In this chapter of his life, Alex is a grandfather but still very much the head of the family. The fist two books, The Brigands and The Barons built on his legacy and developed the family.
The Bravados sees the family through the turn of the century. The loves, triumphs, tragedies and daily lives of the family members are set against a panorama of ranching, shipping, railroad, oil, lumber and other developing industries.
The author describes the characters so fully—appearance, emotions, personality, that they are real people and we are deeply involved in their lives. The cast of characters is large and varied. A couple that particularly spoke to me were Claire and David. There are lovely descriptions of David’s Jewish heritage. They faced prejudice beginning with her father, Buck McHenry, the danger of the Ku Klux Clan, the boycott by businessmen, the bigotry of citizens, the opposition of a Paladin enemy, but then….
Drake, the grandson of Alex, is the focal character. We are with him through his exploits—and women. But it is one woman that draws him—Angel, the girl he won in a poker game. As she grows from girl to woman, Drake learns what Angel has known from the beginning—she belongs with him.
We meet historical figures, Teddy Roosevelt, Clara Barton and others. We are there with Teddy organizing the Rough Riders and again when they charged up San Juan Hill. There are riveting descriptions of the war in Cuba.
History is again the backdrop when the family has gathered in Galveston for a wedding. The hurricane, the aftermath, which family members will survive?
The author had taken a breathtaking trip and we are the richer for having been invited along for the ride. And there are two more volumes to come!
February 27, 2021
I bought all of the Texicans series and couldn’t wait for the third sequel, The Bravados that I devoured in a few short sittings. The author, Parris Afton Bonds spins her magic once again with this page-turning, heart-pounding, and unforgettable family saga of the Paladin family. The Bravados details the life of Drake Palidan who won Angel in a card game. Despite Angel’s youth, the minx holds a torch for Drake and tenaciously claims she will one day marry him. We are also introduced to Pearl, Giselle and many more characters. Elements of Texan history such as the rise of the oil fields, the shipping industry, politics, influence in the Spanish American War, and Galveston’s devastating hurricane that hit in the early part of the 20th Century are beautifully written and richly evocative. Adding a stirring, inspiring celebration of heroism in its many revelations, The Bravados took me on a deeper level of hatred, jealousies, ambition, love and redemption that gives me the highest respect for the people who forged Texas. I anxiously await Book IV of the series!
December 1, 2020
A sweeping epic with colorful characters. I love historical fiction and this did not disappoint!
December 19, 2020
This is the third book that I’ve read in the TEXICANS series. It’s been an exciting experience to watch the characters change as time goes by. In the first book, the original twosome, Fiona Flanigan and Alex Paladín, fell deeply in love and married. By the third book, their children are grown and have adult children of their own. As these young men and women try to find their place in the world, some marry and others leave home and begin careers. However, the good and not so good traits that started with Fiona and Alex are passed down. Their children and grandchildren must deal with all they’ve been modeled. In the case of a long standing feud between the Paladín and the Obregon families, its impact negatively affects many who are striving to succeed. However, a Paladin family member also has an indomitable spirit to persevere if they believe in themselves.
The characters and their many stories are beautifully woven together to form a grand tapestry that expresses all of our human frailties and our triumphs. Elements of love, hate, ambition, strength and grit in the face of seemingly unsurmountable odds are all there to bring the reader into a period of history that was tumultuous, fast-changing and exciting. How could it be otherwise when you’re reading a book by Parris Afton Bonds? The author is extremely adept at not only romance, but she’s very skillful in portraying the bloody battles in Cuba and the 1900 Galveston hurricane. Powerful events come alive so completely, you’ll feel like you were there experiencing them just like her characters. This third book in the series could be read as a standalone and is highly recommended!
The characters and their many stories are beautifully woven together to form a grand tapestry that expresses all of our human frailties and our triumphs. Elements of love, hate, ambition, strength and grit in the face of seemingly unsurmountable odds are all there to bring the reader into a period of history that was tumultuous, fast-changing and exciting. How could it be otherwise when you’re reading a book by Parris Afton Bonds? The author is extremely adept at not only romance, but she’s very skillful in portraying the bloody battles in Cuba and the 1900 Galveston hurricane. Powerful events come alive so completely, you’ll feel like you were there experiencing them just like her characters. This third book in the series could be read as a standalone and is highly recommended!
December 7, 2020
I confess—I love Texas, its wildness, its can-do attitude, its bravado. Parris Afton Bonds’ displays all of those qualities (and more) in her riveting Texicans series. The Bravados is no exception. I loved the first two in the series, and paging through The Bravados at breakneck speed made me love the series even more.
Set in the late 1800s, the novel heightens the passions between the Paladin and the Obregon families, both conflicted and conflicting, and takes us through the Spanish-American war and the horrific Galveston hurricane, as well as notable moments of bigotry and the Klan. Surprises abound in this serpentine tale as we follow the swaggering teenaged Drake and the fascinating child Angel as they transform into adults and experience both tragedies and triumphs. I love how Bonds weaves in history, along with real-life figures—Clara Barton, the Rough Riders, and more—into her fiction. An added bonus to her compelling prose.
The Bravados is an altogether splendid read not to be missed!
https://amzn.to/3owJPtB
Set in the late 1800s, the novel heightens the passions between the Paladin and the Obregon families, both conflicted and conflicting, and takes us through the Spanish-American war and the horrific Galveston hurricane, as well as notable moments of bigotry and the Klan. Surprises abound in this serpentine tale as we follow the swaggering teenaged Drake and the fascinating child Angel as they transform into adults and experience both tragedies and triumphs. I love how Bonds weaves in history, along with real-life figures—Clara Barton, the Rough Riders, and more—into her fiction. An added bonus to her compelling prose.
The Bravados is an altogether splendid read not to be missed!
https://amzn.to/3owJPtB
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews