A review by llamallamacallurmama
Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath

emotional hopeful tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

**Most of my reviews contain detailed CW/TW sections, which may include spoilers.  I have tried to mark them appropriately, but please use caution.**

4.75/5

Audio (Eva Kaminsky)

Summary: When his brother breaks his leg, Houston must travel to retrieve his brother's mail order bride and bring her back to their home on a journey of several weeks through west Texas.  On the journey, they encounter all manner of crisis, disaster and danger, and become increasingly close as their mutual tragic pasts, his family estrangement, and her engagement interfere with their love.

Stats: HR Western, M/F, very, very limited open door, part of a series (stands alone)

Notes: This is a lovely story, with all the good stuff of a traditional HR/western, a heap of family drama, and plenty of angst.  I did feel like the backstories for both characters were a little overcomplicated, but at least in the MMC's case, it's clearly setting up future books in the series.  The final crisis was a little random and out of left field, but was handled in an interesting way. The narrator is very good, but a little airy and ends every sentence on a pretty heavy stop. 


OTT and Spoilery Content Warnings (CW) and Trigger Warnings (TW):
War, mutilation, mention of suicide/SI, firearms, veteran mmc, scarred/partially blind/partially deaf mmc, injury (side character), reference to “breaking” horses, child soldiers, family tension, death of parents/siblings, FMC slaps MMC, light but ultimately unwanted voyeurism snake bite, blood, a little medical care, illness, reference to religion/prayer, only one bed, mention of slavery, shaving/bathing, flashbacks to war (FMC, hiding as a child), inclement weather (lightening storm), claustrophobia, vague assumption/reference to rape of FMC’s mother/sisters, murder of sisters?, MCs kiss while she is engaged to OM ( who she has not met), animal death (hunting, MMC shoots a mule off page out of necessity), child abuse (switching/caning/beating of the MMC), stampede, forced proximity, mmc with body image/self esteem issues, general manhandling between the brothers, branding of cattle, fistfight, accusation of infidelity, firearms, gun violence, violence against a teen (side character, not by an MC), golden child sibling, some negative statements about sex workers, MMC arranged to take a teenager to a brothel, kidnapping, restraint with ropes (not kink), vague threat of SA, shooting, flashbacks to war/combat, age gap (19x27),  FMC comes from a plantation family, post war (1875)