Promise Me Texas

Linda Stephens, a prolific and talented narrator, tries to breathe life into this Western romance, set in the late 1800s. After beautiful, headstrong Beth McMurray is saved by a handsome stranger during a train wreck, she agrees to pretend they're married so that he can escape the law. Stephens gives distinct accents to the collection of Texas Rangers, Western legends, and orphaned children who populate this story. But Stephens's voice misses the mark for the character of Beth. The quavering timbre he uses, which sounds more elderly than young, is a poor match for the heroine, as well as the spirit of the book as a whole. It also makes the love scenes just a little creepy. A.C.P. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Starred review from September 2, 2013
Bestseller Thomas strikes gold again with her seventh Whispering Mountain historical (after Wild Texas Rose), set in 1879 Texas. When 24-year-old Beth McMurray sneaks onto a train to surprise her fiancé, former Senator Lamont LaCroix, she’s shocked to overhear him bragging about his plans for her and her money. Then robbers board the train and it goes off the rails. Just before the crash, one of the robbers grabs Beth and jumps off the train, taking the fall to protect her. He’s hurt, but she stays with him, claiming that he’s her husband. The sheriff and the doctor believe that Beth is now Mrs. Andrew McLaughlin, but LaCroix does not. Meanwhile, widower Andrew reveals his hidden depths: when he’s not robbing trains, he longs to be an author. By the time Beth drives a wagon out of town, she has collected a pretend husband, two little boys, an ill teen cowboy, and a pregnant young woman, and the adventure has just begun. Complex plotting, superb character development, and touching romantic scenes make this a winner. Agent: Gail Fortune, Talbot Fortune Agency.