This Gun for Hire

Starred review from February 23, 2015
Goodman (Forever in My Heart) treks to 1888 Colorado for a perfectly crafted tale of a working partnership between two competent, self-reliant sharpshooters. Quill McKenna functions as both lawyer and bodyguard to powerful mine owner Ramsey Stonechurch. When Ramsey worries that his enemies might threaten his daughter, Ann, who has decided to stay at home rather than traveling for her advanced studies, he takes Quill’s suggestion to hire Katherine “Calico” Nash, whom Quill met while she was taking down an abusive outlaw in a brothel. Calico guards Ann under the guise of being her academic tutor, and soon she captures Quill’s heart as well. The two mercenaries are brought together by similar goals on the right side of the law, high mutual regard, and a little bit of fate. Their romance is much more than incidental but doesn’t overshadow the excitement of the bigger story. Goodman balances the pair’s toughness and tenderness, independence and teamwork, and practicality and passion in a way that never lessens one in the service of the other; they become something greater together without ever compromising their individuality.

February 15, 2015
When a Colorado mine owner's family is under attack, his right-hand man/bodyguard, Quill McKenna, brings in famous bounty hunter Calico Nash to go undercover as a tutor to help protect them, but he finds his heart at risk to the independent woman.On a business trip, Quill runs into Calico Nash, a renowned bounty hunter he's surprised to learn is female. His current client, Ramsey Stonechurch, a rich Colorado mine owner, is in declining health and has survived a couple of attempts on his life. Suddenly Stonechurch's daughter, Ann, seems to be under attack as well, though she doesn't realize it, since the attempts have been masked as accidents. Quill convinces Calico to come to the Stonechurch estate to protect Ann, under the guise of being a tutor. Once she's on the property, he finds himself fascinated by her, and when he realizes she reciprocates his attraction, the two fall into a secret affair. But someone is definitely after Stonechurch, and unrest in the mines could be related. As Quill and Calico investigate labor issues and community disgruntlement while trying to keep the Stonechurches safe, the situation is complicated by Ramsey's attraction to Calico and Ann's attraction to Quill, plus a close, quiet enemy no one suspects. Western romance favorite Goodman's new release includes an intriguing and entrancing main couple whose witty banter and smart interactions keep the reader engaged and invested. The complex story and well-drawn secondary characters polish the package, only slightly tarnished by a big plot element that seems a little too obvious for the sharp Quill and Calico to miss. Nonetheless, watching Quill and Calico come together, risk admitting their feelings and reaching for their hard-fought happy-ever-after is entertaining and satisfying. Unique and charismatic main characters make this romance a success.

April 15, 2015

With her rough-and-tumble upbringing, it's difficult to picture bounty hunter Calico Nash going undercover as a tutor. It's also the last thing bodyguard Quill McKenna can imagine when he witnesses the quick-witted, cool-headed Calico deal soundly with a bunch of brutal thugs. But when mining mogul Ramsey Stonechurch needs protection (and a tutor) for his 17-year-old daughter, Quill knows Calico would be perfect for the job. It would also be the perfect chance to get to know the unexpectedly tempting sharpshooter better. Danger, treachery, and clever subterfuge infuse this complex and multilayered story that boasts more than one despicable villain. VERDICT Nonstop, sometimes violent action; wicked and witty banter; tender, laughter-laced ardor; and a passel of vividly rendered characters will sweep readers deep into Goodman's adventurous Wild West. Another addition to her growing canon of must-read historicals. Goodman (In Want of a Wife) lives in West Virginia.

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