The Fugitive Bride

Cameron Cowboys #4

by Margaret Watson

Acting on a tip, FBI agent Jesse Coulton arrives in Cameron to investigate a woman accused of smuggling criminals into the country. After he talks his way into a job on his suspect's ranch, he spends as much time as possible with Shea McAllister, determined to catch her in the act. But once he gets to know sexy, charismatic Shea, all his training, all his rules, vanish like dust in the Utah wind.Shea knows better than to mix business with pleasure – she's been burned before. And the secret she's hiding means she needs to keep her distance from Jesse. But that doesn't stop her from falling hard for the enigmatic man whose tough, gruff exterior hides a loving heart.When Shea's secret and Jesse's deception blow up in their faces, all bets are off. Will two wounded people find a bridge across the deep abyss standing between them?

234 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Margaret Watson is a two-time RITA Finalist with thirty books in print for Harlequin and Silhouette and many other award-winning romantic suspense novels.

When not writing, Margaret practices veterinary medicine in the Chicago area.

Reviews

[Saly]

Rating 3.5
I think I enjoyed this more than the other books in the series and I can't pin down why.
Shea is the sister of the Sherrif, she competes in barrel racing sometimes and runs the family ranch, it is her dream. The hero comes looking for a job and Shea is sure she doesn't want to hire him despite the fact that she needs help, Jesse just seems too "something" to her but circumstances force her to hire him.

Jesse is actually an undercover FBI agent who is investigating Shea after the bureau receives a tip that she's smuggling hardened criminals and Shea's behaviour also makes him suspicious like never letting him do the chores alone etc

Then there is the matter of the chemistry between them and for the first time Jesse finds something coming in the way of a job he does, he's always been a loner dedicated to his job, so he tries hard to not let it go further but it does and he finds himself liking Shea, the way she cares for her employees, her inexperience, everything and he's almost convinced there is nothing to the claims when he discovers otherwise though he is wrong in some respects.

Shea has been reuniting orphans with their families and even knowing it is illegal she knows it is right, getting kids away from a war-torn country, of course she feels betrayed and Jesse berates himself for deceiving her but he makes it up to her, in a way when he starts events that help prevent her from being arrested.

[Cathy Geha]

Shea McAlister has a secret – a secret Jessie Coulton (FBI) has been sent to uncover. From the moment the two meet sparks fly with her fearing for her safety and those of others and him feeling something he has never felt before. Both are keeping secrets that could be damaging to themselves, to others and to their potential relationship. Both believe in justice even when sometimes justice may seem unjust. Whether or not the two can find a way to a happy ending while working on Shea’s ranch is a story that was well worth reading.

Each story in this series draws me in a bit more. I see there is one more book yet to read and I am looking forward to finding out what will happen to Ben and Janie and also Rafael when I read it. In this story there was an update on the three couples who have had their stories told already and it was nice to catch up with them. Cameron is a place that would be fun to live and all of the main characters in the stories are ones I would love to have as friends.

Thank you to the author for the copy of this book. This is my honest review.

[Catlou]

THE FUGITIVE BRIDE is an extremely enjoyable romance with its touches of intrigue, suspense, and just the right amount of steamy passion. Shea and Jesse are polar opposites when it comes to their belief in lawful activity. Jesse believing there’s only right or wrong when it comes to the law, and Shea believing there should always be heart in justice and doing what’s right may not always be what’s legal. But there’s no denying their chemistry together is impossible to resist. Which begs the bigger question, what’s more important, their hearts or being right?

This is an entertaining tale that’s sure to keep you reading from start to finish. The characters are well drawn and appealing, and the addition of others from Cameron that we’ve already come to know and love only adds to the overall entertainment. Shea and Jesse’s story is an emotional tug-of-war that’s thoroughly engaging and will easily hold your interest, keeping you involved as it slowly unfolds toward the climax. Even though there’s a bit of predictability in the outcome, this is still sure to have you turning pages from beginning to end.

[Teri]

Secrets are never good especially when starting a relationship. It goes down hill fast when they both have them. There's something going on and while it may be his job to find out, the sexy stubborn owner of the ranch is not about to spill her secret just yet. Before they can get their hea they are gonna have to do some creative recovery.

Great story love the characters. Nothing is ever easy for this writers characters but these two make it happen with a little help from their friends.

[Susan R Clement]

Love this family

Everything about this family is wonderful.

Hate the cover on it though. His face, jacket and that look strange.
Sorry but I get a lot from the cover of a book and it sometimes is a deciding factor whether or not to buy.

[Mrs. Garen L. Herd]

Good read

This one has everything, also......humor, romance, worry, sex, and lots of foreplay. She runs her family ranch and has a major secret. He's undercover FBI trying to discover proof of her crimes. She hires him as a ranch hand and the sparks fly. Highly recommend.

[Stacey]

FBI Agent Jesse Coulton has been tipped off that there has been illegal activity taking place at Red Rock Ranch. Determined to get to the bottom of it, he comes to the ranch posing as a ranch hand. Red Rock co-owner Shea McAllister is suspicious of Jesse, but when an accident puts two of her three ranch hands out of commission, she has no choice but to hire him on. Jesse doesn't want to like Shea, but the more time he spends with her, the more he admires her and finds it hard to believe that she would be involved in anything illegal.

I was surprised to discover Shea's secret, but I admired her determination to help out children. I also liked that even when it was clear she could get in trouble for her actions, she wouldn't back down from doing what she felt was right.

We get to catch up with characters from the previous books, and it was nice to once again see how close-knit the town is. This book has made me curious about Ben Jackson's past, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he handles being responsible for Rafael.

The story is well written and the characters are enjoyable. I recommend giving it a read.

**A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**