Bound for Eden by Tess LeSue
Series: Frontiers of the Heart #1
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Date Read: June 9, 2018
Length: 304 pages
Source: First to Read
★★★★☆
The first novel in a new western historical romance series that will take readers for the ride of their lives on the Oregon Trail.
Alexandra Barratt has found the perfect man—it’s a shame he thinks she’s a boy…
Fleeing from the murderous Grady brothers, Alexandra disguises herself as a boy and joins a frontier party heading West, with her brother and sister in tow. The wagon train is captained by the irresistible Luke Slater, who’s never met a woman he couldn’t charm.
At first, Alex can’t believe the way every woman in town falls at Luke’s feet, including her suddenly flirtatious sister. But when she sees him naked in the bathtub, she finds herself swooning over him too. If only she could wash the muck of her face and show him who she really is. Unfortunately she has more pressing concerns…
The Gradys aren’t about to let Alex, nor the small fortune she stole from them, slip through their fingers. Only by maintaining her ruse does she have a chance of protecting her family. But fate, it seems, is conspiring against her.
I ended up liking this book quite a lot. I decided to read this book simply because I thought that the premise sounded rather interesting and I usually enjoyed historical western romances. This was one of those books that was really hard to put down once I started reading. I am so glad that I decided to take a chance with this book.
Alex and her siblings find themselves in a lot of danger at the start of the story. Everything that happened at the beginning of the book really got my attention and I found myself wanting to read just a bit more. They flee their home to head to their older brother’s home but have a long way to go. Some bad men are after them so Alex decides that the best way to escape attention is to pose as a boy. Since the Grady brothers are looking for two women and a man, they will be much harder to find as a boy, woman, and man.
I liked this book despite the fact that it had a few things happen that I don’t usually enjoy. I don’t usually like to see a book’s Hero with other women and that does happen in this book. I don’t mind so much when it happens before the story starts and is talked about but I don’t need to see it on the page. I am also not a huge fan of any Hero that is almost having to beat women off with a stick. I love Luke but I don’t think any man is that universally appealing. I also found that I doubted Luke’s intelligence. I don’t really think that it is believable that he could have spent so much time with Alex without being able to see past her fake identity. All of these things actually worked for this book. I think that some of the charm and the humor worked into the story only worked because Luke was a clueless but irresistible man. Bravo to the author for making me like all of the things I wouldn’t usually care for!
I liked Alex and Luke. They both had a few flaws that I felt added to their appeal. Alex was tough and determined. I did find some of her early reactions to Luke to be a bit unbelievable but it worked with this story. Luke really was a good guy. I liked the way that he took Alex’s family under his wing and felt responsible for them. There were some wonderful secondary characters in the book as well, such as Alex’s brother and sister, the local madam that sees everything, and a few members of the wagon train. I thought that the Grady brothers were great villains that I wanted to see defeated.
I would recommend this book to others. I had a lot of fun with it and found it to be a quick read. There were a few laughs and a couple of surprises along the way that kept everything very interesting. I was happy to see this couple make it to there happily ever after. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via First to Read.
About the AuthorTess LeSue writes sexy and adventurous romances, set against sweeping historical backdrops. Her current love affair is with the wild landscapes and even wilder men of the Wild West. Bound for Eden is her first Western. Tess also writes literary fiction under the name Amy T. Matthews and teaches Creative Writing and Literature at Flinders University in Australia.
I have read very few historical romances, and no cowboy romance (I know! How did that happen?), but I did read The Gold Seer books, and enjoyed being on the wagon train. Sounds like a very charming romance.
You need to read a cowboy book asap, Sam!
I was actually looking for a western historical romance, so thanks for reviewing this! And I'm really glad that you enjoyed it despite the things that you usually don't seem to particularly like 🙂
I love it when a book is good enough that you end up liking all of the things that you normally don't care for.
Did you say happily ever after?! Ok, I'm in 😉
xx
Vanessa
Blushing Geek
I am always look for a HEA too!
I really enjoyed this book, too. Like you, I thought parts of it were far-fetched, but if it's exaggerated JUST right, I'll buy it. And it was here. Though I did think the villains were way over the top, it, too, somehow worked for me with this book!
Great review!
Everything in this book was a bit over the top and it still worked. It was just a lot of fun. I am glad you liked it as well, Angie Elle!
bwahaha i wonder how that would work? i hope the Gradys aren't much trouble
Those Gradys are the perfect bad guys 🙂
This was one I hesitated over when I had to pass it up- too many review commitments at the time- but it was a struggle to do it. 🙂 I am glad to get your thoughts and see that it will be worth it to grab it up when I get the chance. 🙂
Isn't it a shame that there just isn't enough time to read all the books 🙂
I like historical western romances or plains books too. Glad this one worked out for you.
This kind of book can be fun every once in a while, Kimberly!
it's great that even if some points usually bother you you had a great time with this one
I thought so, Melliane!
I don't like seeing a hero with other women either. That's just icky to me. It reminds me of the old school romances. I didn't like it back then either. I'm glad you were able to have fun with it though.
They can have a past…I just don't need to see it!
Oh you know I can not say know to a book like this, westerns that is, other things worry me
This was a fun one!
oh a good western can be so much fun 😀 glad to see your review of this, I must have missed this one will have to find it
I hope enjoy this one if you get the chance to read it, Lily!
Thanks for the great review. That does sound like it would be a good read.
I really enjoyed it, Mary!
I don't know what it is about women disguising themselves as men, but I love these types of books! I will definitely have to check this one out. I am glad to hear you enjoyed it, Carole.
I have to agree that any book with a woman passing for a man is just a lot of fun in most cases.
Ah this is on my list of review books I've erm missed. I need to get my historical groove back. Glad to see it worked overall even with things you normally are meh over.
I love it when a book can win me over and even enjoy the same things that I usually don't care for.