Desperate, Dangerous and Deadly: a Western Collection contains A Desperate Journey, Dangerous Ties and Deadly Adversaries. A Desperate Journey:Dangerous Ties:Deadly Adversaries: When Carolyn Truman’s father is killed in the dead of night, and their scheming neighbor Mr. Holland claims her father gambled away their ranch in a card game, Carolyn realizes Holland is planning to force her hand and … the dead of night, and their scheming neighbor Mr. Holland claims her father gambled away their ranch in a card game, Carolyn realizes Holland is planning to force her hand and will make her marry him in order to keep her home.
Texas Ranger Jake Brace is with Carolyn’s brother Matt when a letter from home arrives. Carolyn is begging Matt to come home and save her from becoming the real prize in a deadly game being played out back in east Texas. Jake offers to come along to help and is smitten when he sees Carolyn.
Before the two can explore their budding feelings for each other, Carolyn is kidnapped. Jake and Matt must find her, bring her home and bring an end to the evil doing being committed in their town. Little does Holland know that two determined and deadly Texas Rangers full of wrath are coming for him.
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Desperate Journey
I don’t read very many historical romances, but this one is old west and I couldn’t resist.
Sally’s husband Jake has taken their son and left for Texas. She is determined to get her son back and to accomplish that goal she seeks the aid of Ozzie Moss, the man who led her family to Kansas to begin with. She really doesn’t give him a choice and packs up her daughter Caroline and herself for the journey.
Rob Truman is searching for Jake to get revenge for having spent five years of his life in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s following Sally and Ozzie to reach his goal. At least that was the plan until Sally breaks the axel on the wagon.
With Ozzie scouting ahead, Rob comes to Sally’s aid, although he couldn’t do anything about the axel he was able to get her started with repacking things to take along.
The weather takes a turn for the worse and Caroline falls ill.
Illness, Indians, high flowing rivers, all contribute to this harrowing journey, but the presence of Rob also lends comfort as she fights her growing attraction. This attraction is mutual since Rob knows she really isn’t married to Luke.
Plenty of tense situations, some action and some heat in this fast paced book you won’t be able to put down.
Dangerous Ties
This book opens with Lillian in a precarious position. Her former fiancé had taken off with the Bank’s gold. He had persuaded the town’s folk that the gold was safer in the bank and notes were easier to keep track of.
Now the notes were worthless and the town thought she knew where the gold was. No thanks to her cousin who perpetuated the rumor.
Nick has to deliver some horses and with a little luck maybe he can convince Lillian to come home with him.
Plenty of action once he realizes the buyer for his horses was the man who ordered the pain that was inflicted on Lillian.
A perfect romance, with an emotional and heartrending start.
Deadly Adversaries
This book is kind of a sequel to both A Desperate Journey and Dangerous ties.
Matt and Caroline are Sally’s children and this book occurs as her husband Robert is murdered. A neighbor and the area’s wealthiest man Henning Holland has a promissory note giving him the ranch in payment of a gambling debt. He will let Sally keep the ranch only if Caroline marries him. Something she wants nothing to do with. She finds him really creepy.
Matt is a Texas Ranger, and his best friend and partner Jake is Lillian and Nick’s son. He is away when his step-father is killed and Caroline writes him at the Ranger station explaining all that has occurred.
They immediately take off to Matt’s home with him practically seething with anger. It takes them a while to get there and even Caroline doesn’t recognize her brother with the mustache and beard.
There was indeed some attraction between Jake and Caroline.
Then Caroline is kidnapped and the race is on to find her. This time Jake is almost as mad as Matt.
A powerful, emotional read with the start of a beautiful romance.
Desperate, Dangerous and Deadly: A Western Collection by Debra Parmley
Three books about the west and what really happens there…
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A Desperate Journey by Debra Parmley
Sally was married to Luke and they had a son and a daughter. His gambling debts caught up to them and he left with his son and she had to auction off the house. She spent a few days at the parson’s house and then started out on a journey to find her son. Ozzie Moss was driving his mules and supplies from Kansas to Texas and she and Carolyn were along for the ride, til the Fort Riley came into sight. They told her to stay due to the Indian raids but she left after one sergeant had molested her one night.
Others were also looking for her: Robert Truman. He looks so vicious but he wants revenge on something Luke had done that landed him in jail for 5 years.
Rob had come to her rescue at the fort and again another night out on the journey when the wagon broke an axle.
They travel as a group and go through many towns in search of Luke and Matthew. Indian raids and river crossings and one gets hit by an arrow. The forts are a safe haven for a bit of time as they travel further south to Texas.
They meet up with some characters that only enhance the tale.
Rob knows more as they travel further and hasn’t told Sally. She’s kinda taken a liking to him though.
Love how they spend the Christmas day and what they do to make it very special. As the journey comes to an end as things go full circle.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
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Dangerous Ties by Debra Parmley
Starts with dedication page and then the story takes place in Nevada 1860 and Lilian is tied up and they hope she will die.
She didn’t know where the money was, her fiancée abandoned her and had robbed others in town.
Love that she followed her relative and she was able to support herself with her hands, sewing but many didn’t need many gowns, not like the big city.
Story also follows Nick, a man who has come upon her tied up as she passes out.
They missed the mine shaft as the ties broke, just in time he had saved her.
Love hearing his side of how he’s taking care of her while she sleeps…
Like how they are able to find what’s missing, love the hiding places.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
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Deadly Adversaries by Debra Parmleyy
This one starts out in Texas 1881 with texas ranger Jacob Brace as he watches his friend Matthew Truman read a letter from his sister…
She is being forced to marry so the guys head out to help her…
When she is kidnapped things really happen fast. Like the details and especailly the outcome.
Love hearing the plans of the future. Other works by the author and a note about the author are included at the end along with other works.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Desperate Journey:
A Desperate Journey is a well written western historical romance set in the mid 1800’s. There are several layers to the plot, interesting and developed characters, and a well described setting. The journey from Kansas to Texas is a tough one for the characters, just as I imagine it would have been back in that time. It was a dangerous ride through Indian territory, suffering through hunger, dangerous water crossings, illness and injuries, bad weather, and at times hopelessness among other things. There are a lot of likeable characters and the story kept my attention to the end. A recommended read!
(September 19, 2016)
Dangerous Ties:
Engaging story with small western town “justice”. Lillian’s fiancé has abandoned her to face the anger of everyone in town. Nick comes across her beaten and hanging from over a mineshaft. She becomes his “Broken Angel” and he immediately takes care of her. She only knew bad behavior from men, not the kind, helpful behavior from Nick who wanted nothing from her in return. She is slow to trust him but he soon as her believing that she is not a victim but a survivor. A sweet romance mixed into the action.
(February 13, 2018)
Deadly Adversaries
Deadly Adversaries is a good quick read of a Historical Western. It’s light on the romance. What I really enjoyed about this is that the three main characters are the children of the main characters in Debra’s first two westerns. We first met the parents of Carolyn and Matt in Debra’s very first published story, A Desperate Journey set in 1859. Matt’s partner, Jake, is the son of the couple of Deadly Ties (book 2). This story has the adult children center stage and it is now Texas 1881. I liked the storyline, the suspense, and the sweet budding romance. You do not have to read the other book to enjoy this one.
(July 5, 2019)