Book Description:
A holdup gone wrong, a reluctant outlaw, and the captive she’s sworn to guard.
Life in the American West hasn’t been easy for French refugee Lorraine Durand. She has precious few connections and longs to return to her native land. So when the man who rescued her from a Parisian uprising following the Franco-Prussian War persuades her to help him with a deadly holdup, she reluctantly agrees. Despite his promises otherwise, the gang kidnaps a man, forcing Lorraine to grapple with the fallout of her choices even as she is drawn to the captive she’s meant to guard.
Jesse Alexander must survive. If not for himself, then for the troubled sister he left behind in Los Angeles. At the mercy of his captors, he carefully works to earn Lorraine’s trust, hoping he can easily subdue her when the time comes. But as they navigate the treacherous wilderness and he searches for his opportunity to escape, he realizes there may be more to her than he first believed.
With danger lurking at every turn, they must decide whether to trust each other enough to plan a combined escape or risk falling prey to the gang’s devious schemes.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading The Bandit’s Redemption, KyLee Woodley’s debut novel and the first book in her Outlaw Hearts historical western romance series. Jesse is from Los Angeles and his father wants him to become more involved in the family mines business. Jesse travels for work to their Cariboo Mountain gold mine in Idaho where he is kidnapped by bandits who steal gold from his stagecoach.
Lorraine escapes to USA from France after her nomadic mother is killed during the 1871 Parisian uprising following the end of the Franco Prussian War. Lorraine is a circus performer with her French family friends on the US east coast and she wants to earn extra money to financially assist the displaced French people who were sent to New Caledonia. Lorraine makes a poor decision when she joins a gang of bandits with her family friends and they rob a stagecoach in Idaho.
Lorraine is shocked and dismayed when the robbery includes a kidnapping and she’s put in charge of Jesse. They start out as true enemies due to their dire situation. They’re both in danger for different reasons and are forced to work together to stay alive. Lorraine and Jesse have a lot of emotional baggage to unpack and I loved journeying with them in the story. I appreciated Lorraine’s redemption story arc and how Jesse helped her to find a different life path.
I recommend The Bandit’s Redemption to historical romance readers who like enemies to love westerns with forced proximity, danger, an intriguing mystery and relevant faith elements including trust, redemption and forgiveness themes.
