Published: Oct. 12, 2011
Words: 105,944 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781465899316

Short description

A convent reared innocent and a gunslinger with no memory struggle to survive and find love while crossing the dangerous west Texas frontier.

Extended description

Abandoned by his father and betrayed by his half-brother and fiancée on the eve of his wedding, JAKE GALLAGHER no longer believes in love. Though he longs to go home, his undercover work for the Texas Rangers keeps him in a lawless Texas border town. Even though it jeopardizes his mission he refuses to stand by and watch outlaws rape and murder a young woman. Getting shot and losing his memory wasn’t part of his plan.

While fleeing from her stepfather’s plans to steal their ranch, CHRISTINA GOODWIN witnesses her brother’s murder and is left in the hands of a merciless band of outlaws. Raised in a strict convent, Christina has little knowledge of men or the world, its dangers and temptations. Frightened and alone, she is forced to accept the help of the dark gunslinger who rescues her. Though drawn to Jake’s potent masculinity, she hesitates to trust him, fearing her stepfather has sent him to bring her back. Unsure of Jake’s motives for helping her, she struggles a.. (Read more) Abandoned by his father and betrayed by his half-brother and fiancée on the eve of his wedding, JAKE GALLAGHER no longer believes in love. Though he longs to go home, his undercover work for the Texas Rangers keeps him in a lawless Texas border town. Even though it jeopardizes his mission he refuses to stand by and watch outlaws rape and murder a young woman. Getting shot and losing his memory wasn’t part of his plan.

While fleeing from her stepfather’s plans to steal their ranch, CHRISTINA GOODWIN witnesses her brother’s murder and is left in the hands of a merciless band of outlaws. Raised in a strict convent, Christina has little knowledge of men or the world, its dangers and temptations. Frightened and alone, she is forced to accept the help of the dark gunslinger who rescues her. Though drawn to Jake’s potent masculinity, she hesitates to trust him, fearing her stepfather has sent him to bring her back. Unsure of Jake’s motives for helping her, she struggles against him, determined to find a way to avenge her brother’s death and regain control of her ranch from her stepfather.
(Less)

Tags

texas, horses, amnesia, halfbreed, bandits, gunslinger, american indians, commanche, romance historical, convent boarding school, western adventure, kindle romance, 1870s romance

Available ebook reading formats

Single purchase gains access to all formats. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.

Format	Full Book	Sample First 20%
Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser)	Buy	View sample
Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps)	Buy	Download sample
Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others)	Buy	Download sample
PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing)	Buy	No sample available
RTF (readable on most word processors)	Buy	No sample available
LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub)	Buy	Download sample
Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices)	Buy	Download sample
Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting)	Buy	No sample available
Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page)	Buy	No sample available

Reviews

Log-in to write a Review   Log-in to add a Video Review

Review by: Shannon Sonneveldt on May 02, 2013 :
The author of the book provided me with a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review after reading. I love the differences between the characters in this book – the hardened and cynical male and the sweet innocence of the female character. The way the characters pasts are connected but not recalled due to the lack of memories both physical and traumatic, adds a wonderful element to the story as you gradually learn more about the threads that bind the characters. The battle fought between feelings/emotions and what is ‘right’ is an interesting element to the story as well that is weaved throughout. The story made me laugh and totally made me cry at one point. A wonderful book is one that pulls emotions, and this one did that. There is some adult content but it is not excessive and doesn’t take over the story line.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Parents' Little Black Book Reviews on May 10, 2012 :
Betrayed by his fiance' and half brother, Jake leaves the ranch he and his brother have invested their life savings and the hearts into. Alone, with no other family, he lives a life of secrecy. While he tries to infiltrate a murderous gang of thieves and gunslingers he finds himself the unwilling savior of an innocent young woman.

Christina has left the convent she was reared in after the death of her mother to travel back to the Texas ranch she will inherit when she reaches her majority. As she and her brother are caught up in the manipulations of her stepfather, she realizes they must flee or forfeit their lives. Her step-fathers greed for the ranch and all it contains, including Christina, forces them on a clandestine journey to St. Louis.

Two weeks into their journey Christina and her brother take rooms above a saloon for a night of rest after nights spent by the campfire. To her horror things take a turn for the worse and she is once again in mortal peril. Jake comes to her rescue and together they must cross the desert in an attempt to escape pursuit. On their journey, Jake loses his memory and they both lose their hearts.

The set is Texas in 1870 this is a western period romance that feels current. The characters and situations are presented in a way that draw you into the story without the era or old west locale being in the way of a good story. Setting the story with such a well drawn backdrop enhances the tension and makes room for a broader brush.

The secondary characters are well developed. They allow room and movement of the plot while keeping the focus on the story line. I was particularly entranced by James, who brings a unique and occasional welcome comic relief with quirky and fun dialogue and interference.

This is a very good romance with an old west setting that will keep you turning the pages. It did for me. Very enjoyable book.

Karen Bryant Doering,
Parents' Little Black Book
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Mary Roya on April 01, 2012 :
A wonderful adventure. I found the book hard to put once I started reading. I enjoyed the characters the interaction. I highly recommend this book. Well written, full of twists and turns.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Anna Markland on Jan. 12, 2012 :
If you like historical western romances, you’ll love This Heart for Hire, by Elysa Hendricks. At $3.99 this more than 100,000 word story is great value for money. Elysa takes us, and her hero and heroine, on a harrowing odyssey across Texas and New Mexico. Her descriptions of the landscape are rich, and you can imagine yourself travelling with them. The journey is fraught with dangers, both physical and emotional as Jake tries to come to terms with his past—the memory of which has been stolen from him by the after effects of a head wound. After her strict religious upbringing in a convent, Christina too struggles to cope with the hardships and new fears and emotions she experiences. Her journey is one to self discovery and acceptance.
The author doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities that people faced in the time she is writing about. Murder, violation, family betrayal, hunger, thirst, brutality, torture, and greed all conspire to separate our hero and heroine. It’s a plot with many twists and turns. I’m not usually a fan of westerns, but I recommend this one. Jake is my kind of hero!
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Reason for report:
— Select a reason — Book is or contains spam Book infringes copyright Same content is published elsewhere with different author (for ex., by private-label rights) Duplicate Incomplete work (such as sample or serial) Should be marked adults-only Category is inappropriate Poorly formatted Nudity or other inappropriate content on cover Nudity or other inappropriate visual content in book Inappropriate erotica content Cover image is improper Content is inappropriate Other violation of Terms of Service Other reason not shown above.

Additional details: