He's Faced Countless Perils on the Battlefield, but Nothing so Dangerous as Falling in Love.
Luke Davenport has been fighting all his life--for respect, for country, and for those unable to fight for themselves. But now that his Horsemen brothers are domesticated, he's left alone to battle the wildness within. When an opportunity arises to take a job on his own, tracking down a group of rustlers, he jumps at the chance.
Damaris Baxter has mastered the art of invisibility. Plain and quiet, she hides in books and needlework, content to be overlooked. Until her brother dies suddenly, leaving her custody of her nephew. She moves to Texas to care for Nathaniel, determined to create the family for herself that she never thought she'd have and to give him the family he desperately needs.
When Nate finds himself knee-deep in trouble, Luke's attempt to protect him leaves Damaris feeling indebted to the Horseman. But suspicions grow regarding the mysterious death of Damaris's brother. And the more questions they ask, the more danger appears, threatening the family Luke may be unable to live without.
My review:
I ran onto this author's books last June when she popped up as a similar author to one I had been reading. I read The Short Straw Bride, bought all of her books in print, and have read everything she has written since.
This series is her best writing yet, in my not so humble opinion. I loved the first two books, and was eagerly awaiting this third one, and it completely bypassed my expectations. In Honor's Defense is definitely the best of this great series, and it will be a challenge for the author to top it with her next book/series......but I believe she is up to the task.
I loved the characters in this book:
Damaris: quiet and unassuming, faithfully taking care of an aunt who didn't appreciate her at all....then suddenly moving and taking custody of her 14 year old nephew who was not at all the loving little boy she had met years ago. I like books with kids in. They make a book all the more interesting, and rebellious Nate definitely made the story more interesting.
Luke: the only one of the horsemen single and unattached, determined to always do the right thing....even if it is helping a young woman with her bratty nephew, and risking his life to save the life of that nephew.
Nate: the bratty nephew, yet a grief stricken teenager who lost both of his parents, and now is stuck with an aunt he hardly knows. An aunt he pulls all sorts of pranks on involving snakes, locking her in the cellar, and more. Yet, he is just as likable as the other two main characters.
My first love in reading has always been suspense/mystery starting with Hardy Boys books. This is classified as Christian Historical Fiction, yet has a lot of suspenseful aspects to make me enjoy the story all the more: bad guys, rustlers, things happening to try to scare Damaris into selling her nephew's birthright....and more. In Honor's Defense was truly a hard book to set down, so it is good that I read it when I could read it through to the end and not set it down.
The book did not just entertain, but had some great truths in it about trusting God and more. One of the parts of the book that stood out to me was a conversation between Luke and Damaris. She told him that he is a good man, and he replied that if she knew who he really was, she wouldn't say that. So she asked him "Then tell me who you are? Really?"
Luke starts telling her about his past, and she interrupted him at one point with "I didn't ask you to tell me who you were, Luke. I asked you to tell me who you are." I won't expound on that, but it is a great quote and has a lot of truth in it.
The book had a great ending.....does the guy get the girl? I won't give spoilers away, but will say that Nate was a totally different person by the end of the book, but maybe they all were.
I am not exaggerating when I say this was a totally awesome book, and it was worth the wait. I am looking forward to what this author comes up with next.
I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.
About the author:
Voted #1 Reader's Favorite Christian Romance Author of 2019 by Family Fiction Magazine, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer (www.karenwitemeyer.com) offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. She makes her home in Abilene, Texas, with her husband and three children.
The Hanger's Horsemen Series is available from Bethany House Publishers, part of the Baker Publishing Group. In Honor's Defense will be available June 7 2022.
Book #1
