REVIEW: Ride the High Lonesome by Rosanne Bittner

Ride the High Lonesome is the first book in the series the Outlaw Trail by Rosanne Bittner. I don’t usually read western romance books, so it was a little hard for me to stay focused on the book at first. Once I got past the second chapter the book picked up pace and I became more interested. The book was well written and the author does a great job developing the characters and keeping them true to the historical time. The description of the people’s livestyle, the laws they lived by, and the dynamic of the townspeople portray true to the timing of frontier settlements.

Kate Winters was on her way to Oregon when the wagon train she was on got attacked. She was the only one to survive the attack. The attackers killed everyone else, burned the wagons, and took all the horses and supplies. She had been walking for three days and was lost when she came upon five men stealing a man’s cattle and hanging him from a tree. After the men left, she saw the hanging man’s feet moving and she ran to help him. She was glad she saved him because he had supplies and knew the way to the nearest town, Landers.

Luke Bowden had moved to the west frontiers after the Civil War to escape the memories and the woman he meant to marry that instead married his brother. He was determined to go after the men who hung him and stole his cattle, so he left Kate in a cave while he tracked the men and retrieved the cattle and supplies. He felt obligated to get Kate to Landers for the winter and help her get to Oregon.

Their journey to town was full of action and adventure. They tried to fight the attraction to each other but it became harder as they traveled and confronted the dangerous outlaws they encountered. Luke’s anger from his past made it hard for him to commit himself to anything or anyone. Can Luke let go of the anger and is their affection towards each other true love or just due to them traveling together and facing all the danger they found themselves in?

Overall it was a good book and perfect if you like western romances with adventure. I’m glad I kept reading because I was truly surprised at how well I enjoyed book after all.

Book Info:

Publication: November 26th 2019 | Sourcebooks Casablanca | Outlaw Trail

A man bent on revenge
A woman determined to survive
A land that knows no mercy
Meet the Men of the Outlaw Trail

When Kate Winters is left stranded and defenseless in outlaw country, she knows there’s little chance she’ll make it out alive…until she stumbles across a ruthless gang hanging a cowboy for his cattle. She waits until the outlaws are gone, desperate enough to claim the dead man’s horse to make her escape—only to realize he’s not dead after all.

Those outlaws should have made damn sure Luke Bowden was good and gone. Now he vows he’ll have his revenge no matter the cost. But they’re miles away from the nearest town, and the woman who saved his hide won’t survive the ride back. He owes her his life—he owes her everything—and it doesn’t take long before he’s faced with a terrible choice: stand by Kate…or claim his revenge?