Jun 26, 20194 min read

Excerpt from Saving the Mail Order Bride by Linda Broday

When the West was wild and man's law favored the few, these extraordinary women could be found in the heart of an outlaw.

Book Description

He may be a wanted man, but all outlaw Jack Bowdre ever desired was a second chance. Now he's on his way to jail, completely unaware that his unexpected—and unexpectedly beautiful—traveling companion is none other than Nora Kane...his mail order bride.

All Nora sees is a scoundrel sitting across from her. She prays the man she's coming to marry is nothing like him. But when their stagecoach crashes and the truth comes spilling out, they're suddenly left to fend for themselves—and each other. The longer they're together, the stronger their feelings grow. Hounded by desperate men bent on doing them harm, Nora and Jack will do whatever it takes to find their happily ever after...but first, they'll have to shake the devil from their trail.

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In the author's words . . .

I loved Jack and Nora from the first and the instant chemistry that flooded the pages. This is probably the most humorous book I've ever written and I found it very fun to write. At times, I had to take my hands off the keys and just giggle. Jack was forever counting when he was trying to curb his temper and Nora got into some funny situations.

Enjoy an Excerpt from

Saving the Mail Order Bride

The barrel-chested marshal smiled at Lenora. “Sorry that you have to endure this a bit longer, ma’am. He’s little more than a savage animal.” He said that like the handsome outlaw had a case of rabies or something. Dollard continued in a tone full of righteous contempt. “Why, he’s so mean the rattlesnakes won’t even come near him. I heard his own kin disowned him.”

Lenora’s gaze followed the outlaw’s long legs and lean form from which enormous power radiated, felt his deep irritation and anger to be cuffed to the marshal. She’d read about men like this one who lived outside the law in dime novels that were all the rage back East. But reading about one and coming face to face with one in the flesh were two totally different things.

Awareness sizzled between them and when he turned his gaze to her, a rush of heat flooded her cheeks.

His chiseled features appeared hewn from the hardest stone that the good Lord probably reserved for those like him who lived outside the law. The marshal appeared barely able to contain him. In fact, she got the impression the prisoner merely bided his time until an opportunity for escape came.

He glanced toward the window, allowing her to study him better. The outlaw had uncommon good looks with a hard, angled jaw that sported brown stubble. The rise high on his nose indicated it had been broken few times. Ha! She wasn’t surprised at that.

But most striking were his gray eyes—gunmetal gray. At times they stormed, and other times, like when the marshal shot warnings and threats, they became icy and hard. But amusement colored his gaze when he turned his attention to her.

Lenora thought about leaning across the space and slapping his brazen face. Except she’d never struck anyone even though she’d been sorely tempted a few times.

The way he glanced at the door then back to the marshal told her he was planning an escape.

Lenora stilled and held her breath, her pulse racing. Would he use her somehow in his escape plan? Maybe take her hostage? Oh dear. She glanced at the marshal, wondering if he’d pull his gun and shoot him if he tried anything.

The handsome outlaw lifted a finely arched brow. “Here in Texas they make you pay to gawk, ma’am. But I reckon this is the first time a gentle woman like yourself has laid eyes on a born and bred killer. Who knows? Maybe you can come to my hanging. Now that’ll be a real treat.”

Beneath his mocking tone, she saw the layer of sorrow, felt his heavy heart, tasted his bitterness. She couldn’t bear the thought of him swinging from a rope.

End of Excerpt © Linda Broday

Learn more by visiting the author's website. Saving the Mail Order Bride released from Sourcebooks Publishing April 30, 2019.

Praise for Saving the Mail Order Bride

"I simply adored how Jack and Nora met, how their spark lit up their connection, how quickly and naturally they grew to care and depend on the other -- and then ultimately need and fully desire the other. How they communicated, and how they refused to let anything come between them from moment one. And truly, how it was them taking on the world together from the beginning." —Sunshine Lake Reviews

"Jack and Nora's closeness grows as a result of the hardships they face and survive together. The love between these two characters reads as authentic and swoony. Saving the Mail Order Bride is full of sassy flirting and Texas-sized hearts. Enthusiastically recommended."

—Chapter Break Book Reviews

Meet the Author

I'm a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 24 full length western romance novels and short stories. Watching TV westerns during my youth fed my love of cowboys and the old West and they still do. I reside in the Texas Panhandle on land the American Indian, Comancheros, and early cowboys once roamed, and on a still day I can often hear their voices whispering in the breeze. I love research and looking for little known tidbits to add realism to my stories and quite often make a nuisance of myself at museums and libraries.

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