Book Review | A Fair Trade by Laylah Abrams and @WildRosePress #westernromance #bookreview #historic
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  • N. N. Light
    • Aug 7, 2019
    • 3 min read

Book Review | A Fair Trade by Laylah Abrams and @WildRosePress #westernromance #bookreview #historic


Title: A Fair Trade

Author: Laylah Abrams

Genre: Historical Romance, Western Romance

Book Blurb:

Raised by his fur trapper father and uncles, Jack Briggs makes do with little more than a knife and flask. Alone now, he searches for a place to call home. And refined and beautiful Penelope Findley may be the person who can help him find it as he leads the Findleys’ wagon to Oregon. Honor-bound by her marriage vows, Penelope snubs the handsome wagon leader whenever he shows an interest in her. When she is widowed following a river crossing accident, Jack tempts her with the means to remain independent: protection in a temporary marriage and payment in exchange for helping him obtain the free acreage allotted to married settlers in Oregon. What Penelope doesn’t realize is that Jack wants more than the land. He wants her. But can he overlook her disreputable past? And will she be able to give up the freedom he promised?

My Review:

One look at Penelope Findley steals Jack Briggs breath. He’s been content to live off the land but yearns for someplace he can call home. As he leads the Findleys across the wild frontier to Oregon, he vows to make Penelope his. But she’ll have nothing to do with him as long as she’s married. When her husband dies along the way, Jack makes his move. He offers her protection and stability in a pretend marriage. He wants the free land allotted to married settlers, or so he tells her. They agree but his heart secretly worships her. When he discovers her disreputable past, will he abandon her or will his love redeem them both?

A Fair Trade is a touching historical western romance with a flawed hero and a tainted heroine. They have several obstacles to overcome but the biggest seems to be Penelope herself. She can’t seem to forget the past and it grew tiresome after awhile. The getting rid of Penelope’s husband appeared to be contrived and I found myself shaking my head in disbelief. What I loved, though, was Jack. He’s a hero after my own heart and he’s my favorite character. His attraction for Penelope which soon turns to love is clear and I kept rooting for him. The descriptive narration of the setting and landscape swept me away to the wild frontier. The ending is satisfactory and made all the hardship worthwhile.

If you’re looking for historical western romance with depth, you’ll love A Fair Trade. Fans of Lindsay McKenna will adore this romance.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I’d review it.

My Rating: 4 stars

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Author Biography:

Laylah Abrams is a science nerd who also writes romance novels. Long after she earned her PhD, she discovered the romance genre through books by Mary Balogh and Judith Ivory. She never imagined her first novel would be a western, but ever since she moved to Oregon (with an “Oregon or Bust!” sign on the back of the car), she has been fascinated by the history of her new home. She works as a science writer and is currently living happily ever after with her husband and children.

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

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