Her Outlaw

Bad Luck Brides Trilogy #3

by Geralyn Dawson

The tables turn on thief Dair MacRae, a.k.a. the notorious Highland Reiver, when he attempts to rob beautiful widow Emma McBride Tate, who, in turn, steals his heart and leads him on a merry adventure from England to Scotland, and finally home to Texas.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Westerns, Western Historical Romance, Historical Fiction

527 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Geralyn Dawson is the USA Today bestselling author of over twenty novels. She is a three-time finalist for the prestigious Romance Writers' of America's RITA award and a recipient of their Top Ten Favorite Books of the Year award. She received Romantic Times magazine's Career Achievement award and its Reviewer's Choice award. In 2009, the American Library Association named her romantic suspense novel, ALWAYS LOOK TWICE, as one of the top ten romances of the year.

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Emma McBride Tate escorts her sister to London, she meets Alasdair MacRae. This man immediately brings Emma out of the careful, controlled world that she has been living in since losing her husband ten years ago. Emma decides to throw caution to the wind and starts an affair with Dair. She doesn't know that he is actually the Highland Reiver, a well-known thief. Dair knows he wants Emma the moment he sees her. He also wants the ruby necklace she wears because it holds a key to his past.

This is the last book in the "Bad Luck Brides" series. It is a satisfactory ending to the series and probably the best book of the bunch. My rating: 4 Stars.

[L8blmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book finished the Bad Luck Brides trilogy (and seemed to set up a series about the Good Luck Grooms). Emma's story contains perhaps more mystery than the other sisters' tales, along with the poignant twist of a hero (Alasdair; "Dair") who seems destined for an early death by brain tumor. Since Emma has already been widowed tragically once before, this factor plays an important part in the story, as does the legend of the McBride curse we first learned about in Book 1 ("Her Bodyguard"). We also have a mysterious villain, whose role in everything is not discovered until late in the story. When things finally began coming together near the conclusion, I was afraid that the plotline about Dair's debilitating headaches would be supernaturally (unbelievably) solved, but that wasn't the case. This created some last-minute tension (remember - at the end of the 19th century there were no EEG's, PET scans, MRI's or CAT scans!); once that was resolved, the matter of the curse was rapidly dealt with, and I'll bet you could guess whether or not the requisite HEA fell into place!

[Gwen Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In HER OUTLAW, Emily March wraps up the Bad Luck Brides trilogy that is part of the larger Bad Luck Wedding Series. Finally we have the story of Emma McBride Tate, the oldest of the three sisters, the McBride Menaces.

Emma already suffered tragedy in love when her husband died just months after their marriage. Buried in grief, she has watched her two younger sisters find their true loves.

HER OUTLAW actually begins during the second book, HER SCOUNDREL, when Emma and Kat, the youngest McBride, meet Jake Kimball and his friend, Dair MacRae. It’s fun to read the first part of HER OUTLAW racing through scenes we already know from HER SCOUNDREL but from Emma’s point of view.

Quickly, however, Emma is on her own adventure, unsure if she can trust Dair but wanting to feel like a Menace again. Meanwhile, Dair has an unknown enemy that is shadowing the couple as they travel from England to Scotland then back to Texas to try to foil the Curse of Clan McBride.

Author March has great fun with Emma and Dair and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. As Emma slowly shed her widow’s weeds, she was a delight to get to know. And the tragedy in Dair’s early life only served to make him more likeable.

You owe it to yourself to read these three books in order: HER BODYGUARD, HER SCOUNDREL and HER OUTLAW. They can separate from the other books in the Bad Luck Wedding series, although you’ll find yourself wanting to go back and catch up with the McBride elders as they fell in love themselves.

[Cathy Egan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is book number 3 in the Bad Luck Brides series, that is also part of another series... I enjoyed it, but it took me a while to get into the book. It runs concurrently with the second book, so a lot of the story is told a second time, from a different view point. I ended up liking all the characters, but it did take me a while. It's the story of 3 sisters who are cursed in the area of love and they are trying to break the curse. This story is about the oldest sister, Emma. She is definitely an interesting character because she's suffered a lot in her lifetime. She's working on getting her life back when she meets Dair, an "Outlaw" who she decides to have a one night stand with. Their adventure is fun to follow, because she is definitely not someone who lets anyone walk all over her. It's a fun read and worth the time. I need to go back and read the first part of the series now.

[Julia David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma has been a widow for 10 years. She had really loved her husband, who had died just after they were married, and now she is ready to live again. On a trip to England with her sister and grandmother, she meets her adventure. Dair is her big adventure. The problem is Dair is dying. Emma is on the verge of breaking the family curse and knows that Dair part of the answer. She is tired of living a half life, but she can't get close to Dair because he won't be around to have a life with her. He won't even go see a new doctor who might be able to help him. Both of them are very stubborn. How are they going to break the curse and have a life together?

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, well-written historical romance. Emma misses the excitement and adventure she experienced when she was younger, and decided to flirt with a handsome stranger she passed on a street in London. Dare is fascinated by Emma when he meets her, as well as by the ruby necklace she was wearing. He tempts her with a scandalous adventure and she agrees to join him. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it was the third book in the Bad Luck Brides trilogy, each featuring a different sister. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books in this series as well as others by this author.

[Phyllis Kooken · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bad Luck Brides Trilogy

Emily March stories are wonderful. I recommend them highly. I had a little trouble with the third book in this series because the “Outlaw” has a brain tumor. I lost my son to a brain tumor 3 years ago, so I almost put it down when I realized that but then I decided I had to finish the story to see how the three tied together. Glad I did.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

There were a lot of twists and turns to this story. Initially, it didn't catch my attention like the other books in the series but it gradually pulled me in. The ending was very satisfying!

[Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although a little far fetched at times this was a fun conclusion to the Bad Luck Brides trilogy. Emma and Dair are definitely a couple you root for, especially when times are tough.

[Sharon Rudolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but it was slower than the others. I was about half way through before it finally picked up. I enjoyed having a conclusion to the McBride Menaces.

[Olivia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was bad…I loved it so much when I was 14 but as an adult…wow. Complicated and cringey and everything comes together too conveniently. I’m sad.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this best of the three sisters trilogy. Emma, who had been grieving for years over the death of her first husband, travels to England with her grandmother and sister. Getting involved in one of Kat's schemes she falls for a rogue who brings out the old McBride menace within her. Her new found quest for adventures forces her to follow him to Scotland where she becomes involved in a search for treasure and is accused of murder. Then off to Texas, running from the law, all of her family becomes involved in the hunt for treasure. Will the McBride curse finally be lifted or will she bury another man she loves? Lots of twists and turns, some hot sex scenes, humour and skulduggery. A good read.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was a fun series that was amusing and entertaining. This book resolves the issue of the necklaces the Menaces always wear and I thought it was a bit too contrived. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.

Emma McBride Tate is a widow; when her husband died of pneumonia, Emma felt her career as a fun-loving Menace was ended. Eventually, she meets Alistair "Dair" MacRae in London and a bit of the Menace starts to bubble up in Emma again. However, when Dair steals her prized possession, the necklace, Emma goes on the attack. The story is pure Geralyn Dawson. I guess the author lost me when she introduced the paranormal. I ignored most of it, however, and laughed along to the rousing conclusion.

[♥ℳelody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really surprised me. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. For a romance-historical book this was different for me given it's setting and style of writing but it was nicely done. The beginning was eh but it quickly started getting interesting. Dair really intrigued me and stole my heart with how hard he fell for Emma and the heartbreaking struggle they face and try to overcome near the end was really great and nice surprise. I always like to be pleasantly surprised and this book did it for me.

[Tatrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma McBride Tate & Alasdair "Dair" McRae
He's dying of a brain tumor and is trying to find someone to take over his orphanage in TX. He's also robbing people to have enough money to keep it running and looking for a treasure. All in the 8-9 months doctors gave him to live. She's 30 and has been widowed for 10 years and is looking for adventure. Her necklace (which matches her sister's) is the key to find the treasure and break the curse.

[Polly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this has it all! Comedy, mystery, its suspenseful, sad, and, finally happy. The last of the menaces gets her man. And what a man Dair is. He is every bit a match for Emma. A great ending to a great series.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Predictable after reading the other two but still fun. Not as much romance as adventure, but I kind of refer it that way.

[JJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

A romance with a story line that includes fairies and curses set in Texas and Scotland. Too much unrelated stuff for me.

[Delia · Rating 2 out of 5]

For some reason it took me a very very long time to read this book.....
it isn't a complicated story, but I just couln't make myself read it for an extended period of time.....wierd huh?

[Booklover, Indianapolis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just was not my favorite in the series. Part of the beginning was a repeat of Kat's story so it was a bit redundant. After that I just couldn't really get into the story.

[J. Leigh Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great--will leave better review later.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright, but not as good as other entries in the series