A broken promise brought her West.A willful heart will fight to keep her there.Newly pregnant, alone, and a fugitive from the law, Emma Wheat has run out of time.Though her brother had promised to send for her from one of the mining boomtowns out west, he never did. And now, after doing whatever it took to survive on her own—no matter how shameful—Emma has no choice but to flee on a westward … but to flee on a westward train, bound for her brother’s last known location.
What she finds in Williams, Arizona only stokes more questions. Surly saloon owner Dean Morelli claims Emma’s brother robbed him and ran—and he’s not so certain Emma is any more trustworthy. But Dean isn’t all bluster and gloom. The longer Emma stays on to find her brother and prove his innocence, the more willing Dean is to show her his softer side—though her secrets continue to stand between them.
Emma knew escaping her past wouldn’t be easy. When the man she fears most steps off a train and threatens the new life she’s building, she’ll have to trust in herself, and in the kind of love she never dreamed possible, in order to face her future.
The Trouble We Keep is a pioneer western romance filled with heart, adventure, redemption, and slow burning true love.
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The Trouble We Keep is a slow burn, gritty historical romance that grabbed me from the first page. I’m already a huge fan of Cara Devlin’s Gladiator series so I really looked forward to reading this book. Here, we find something quite different but still entirely engaging. Emma Leigh is a hardened character and you feel her determination from the very first scene. I won’t rehash the plot but will say that her chemistry with Dean was palpable and heartfelt. They’re two very different souls who find each other after hardship and tough life lessons. This is not an easy, sweet romance–and that was just fine with me. I liked the grit and determination of these two characters as they struggled to find their place in the world and learn to possibly love each other. Since the story is told from Emma’s POV, I found it particularly interesting to witness Dean’s slow slide into love from her perspective. It’s an emotional read that will keep you invested until the very end. Highly recommended!
Redemption story with romance. Set both in DC and Arizona in the early 1900s this story was not what I expected from the cover. Emma escapes a life she lived as a prostitute but at another moral cost. Dean is also in need of redemption and I struggled to like him. The Trouble We Keep was a quick read, Cara Devlin handled the prostitution and violence while not giving any graphic descriptions.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review.
This is a well-written realistic western (as opposed to a Hollywood western) told from a woman’s perspective (Emma Wheat) in a genre historically dominated by men. The first line grabbed me by the throat and didn’t release its grip until the end. “He smelled like wet soil and axle grease.” The characters are defined and complicated and the plot moved at a good pace. Well done Ms. Devlin.
I was intrigued when I first saw this book on twitter. So I gave it a shot. It’s really way out of my norm. Glad I bought it! Such an amazing story! Beautifully pained world, depicting early life in
America. Well written. My emotions were involved, I was excited, I cried, and I laughed. The interaction between characters was believable. There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t love about this book. Well…except one thing. I wanted more. Not because the story was lacking, but because I wanted to stay in that world. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it, and now it’s gone. Sigh…thank you Cara Devlin for gifting us with this amazing book!
This western historical romance sucks you in from page one. Emma Leigh was abandoned by her father and brother and is now on her own on the streets of Washington DC. Starving and with no other options, she turns to work in a brothel to survive. When she discovers she’s pregnant and the life of her child is placed in jeopardy, Emma makes the decision to flee out West in search of her brother who she hasn’t seen in over a year. This is a story of resilience, of the desperate position many women have found themselves in throughout history, and is beautifully told with lovely descriptions and smart dialogue. I could smell every rainstorm, imagine the train ride, feel Emma Leigh’s fear as she hid in the train station, and loved the description of all the time period clothing. When she gets to Arizona and finds herself again with no options, other than a bartender, Dean, who takes pity on her, another chapter of her life starts. I loved this story.
Now this is one of the best western romance books I’ve read all year. The characters were grand and I had to keep reading. Fantastic book which I intend to tell others about.
A DELIGHTFUL BLEND OF WESTERN ADVENTURE AND SLOW-BURNING ROMANCE! FIVE PERFECT STARS!
WOW! Just when I was sick and tired of cookie-cutter romances and their predictable plots, this remarkable book found its way to my Kindle and saved me from the book doldrums! I loved every single minute of this compelling story and truly could not put it down, even though I didn’t want it to end.
I read and review dozens of books every year, but only rarely do I discover an author who qualifies as a word-painter: “a writer of vivid or graphic descriptive power” (Merriam-Webster). Ms. Devlin’s powerful words–liberally sprinkled with similes and metaphors–pulled me right into Emma’s world in 1901 and never let go. I didn’t simply read her story; I lived it with her every step of the way, from the brothel in Washington, D.C. to the saloon in Williams, Arizona.
I won’t spoil your enjoyment with many plot details; the blurb and other reviews cover much of it. But I ached for Emma as she flees from that dreadful brothel and heads west to Arizona, hoping to find her wayward brother. Pregnant and alone, she finds work in a saloon owned by Dean Morelli, a dark and brooding man who’s been wounded by a devastating betrayal. “He looked at the world like he wanted to challenge it until his last breath.”
Emma can’t figure him out at all. “One minute he was soft and concerned, and the next he was breathing fire and brimstone.” His hardened heart begins to thaw as he develops feelings for Emma, but it’s a very slow process indeed. You’ll find no insta-love between these two wary souls as they skirt around each other.
The developing love story between Emma and Dean is the highlight of the book, but there’s so much more. Williams–“Gateway to the Grand Canyon”–was a rough and rowdy town in 1901, and the author’s meticulous historical research brings it back to life with her vivid descriptions of places that once existed and those that still do, like the Grand Canyon and Sycamore Canyon. The story is populated with memorable characters: Josephine, a midwife and shop owner who befriends Emma; Brianna, a pretty young waitress/prostitute who loves Emma’s brother; Adam, a handsome banker who falls for Emma; and evil Joe McGalvern, who will do anything to recover his stolen money–including murder.
As a very picky reader, I rarely find a book as perfect as this one. Honestly, I couldn’t find a single thing to complain about. Kudos for flawless editing and proofreading, limited profanity, and only one sexually explicit scene. This delightful story deserves five stars and my highest recommendation!
Such an achingly beautiful story!
This book will transport you back to the Old West and make you forget the modern world for a while. It’s beautifully written, with engaging characters, plenty of action, and a deeply emotional romance.
I instantly fell in love with Emma Leigh. She finds her inner strength and makes the most of the hand she’s been dealt. Dean is perfectly gruff and grumpy, until love melts his heart. I was totally lost in this world and loved every bit of it! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.