I adore Linda Lael Miller (LLM). She could write a how-to article about "How to Sew on Buttons" and I would buy it just because her name would be the byline.
I've read LLM for years, first stumbling upon her McKettrick series while browsing the stacks at the public library. I've been hooked ever since; she is that good. No. Better yet. Great.
As much as I enjoy reading LLM's novels, however, I haven't read every single title that she has published, which is more than a 100 books. I don't do pirates. Or paranormal. Or time-travel. She has strayed into those sub-genres, although she is most regarded for her romances set in the American West, both historical and contemporary. In fact, LLM is often referred to as the "First Lady of the West." Her McKetterick series, spanning both historical and contemporary times, is part of that legacy.
Over the years, I've enjoyed watching LLM's style evolve. Some of the first books of the McKetterick series, for example, were a bit convoluted. The antagonists were often two dimensional, erring on the side of a cartoonish evil villain stereotype. Where LLM excelled, however, was the characterization between the hero and heroine--the essence of any strong, good romance novel in my opinion.
That tension between the initial attraction and overcoming lack of trust to forge a solid relationship--that's what fascinated me about LLM. With her novels, I read late into the night, never mind if I have to get up early to put Elias on the bus or go to work. Doesn't matter. Again, she's that good with the characterization and the pacing that her books are unput downable.
As I've mentioned earlier, LLM's style has definitely evolved over the years. Now her plots are straightforward in such a way that she focuses more on characterization. By doing that, the focus shifts from the action of the plot line to the inner turmoil between the hero and the heroine. You, dear gentle reader, see the emotions for each main character--emotions that are tangled and conflicted--slowly loosen and unravel. The story is the very untangling of that knot as the hero and heroine learn to trust one another and build a solid relationship. As a writer, I appreciate this.
LLM's latest release, An Outlaw's Christmas, is a fine example of this. Set in 1915 Texas, the hero, Sawyer McKetterick is ambushed and suffers a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He makes his way, nearly unconscious, to the schoolhouse door where he collapses. The heroine, Piper St. James, lives alone at the schoolhouse. Of course, she can't leave Sawyer to bleed to death on her doorstep, but 1915 propriety standards also dictate that no unmarried woman will share a house with a man who isn't her father, brother, or uncle.
Piper nurses Sawyer back to health and her reputation is ruined in the process. Ultimately, Sawyer and Piper marry to save her reputation. Here's where the excellent writing comes into play. A good portion of the book centers on why Piper agreed to marry Sawyer in the first place. Why she bowed to society's pressure when she didn't get involved with him sexually since he was unconscious some of the time anyway, nearly bleeding to death from a gunshot wound and all. Piper notes the hilarity of the very notion but feels trapped just the same. LLM gives equal measure to Sawyer's way of thinking lest you think his thoughts don't count.
If I want to be snarky, I could complain that the length of An Outlaw's Christmas doesn't really qualify it as a novel. It's really a novella; it wasn't 200 pages long. And even though I purchased this as an ebook on my NOOK Color I paid the same price as a paperback mass market. I did it because it was LLM!
And yeah, I had to suspend my disbelief that 1915 Texas was still an unruly place that a man carried a gun on his hip, lawman or no, and shoot outs occurred on the main street of town. Really? It's 1915, not 1881 when the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral occurred in Arizona. And I'm a bit disappointed that Piper never explains how she came to be named in the first place even though Sawyer asks, persists for an answer even.
I'm even willing to concede that the book has a neat and tidy ending that leaves me wanting more. Beyond Piper and Sawyer sorting out how to get along as a married couple despite not loving one another at first, a series of misfortunes occur that are ultimately righted in the end. (After all this is a romance novel and a happy ending is required.) But still, the ending is a little too tidy, if you know what I mean.
Having said all of that, An Outlaw's Christmas, is a quick, fun read. For two nights, I was transported to the fictional town of Blue River, Texas where Piper St. James learns to love Sawyer McKetterick, a mysterious man of dubious reputation and after much ado about nothing, all's well that ends well, to borrow shamelessly from Shakespeare.
But really. Isn't that why we adore a good romance novel to begin with. To escape the realities of our own lives, even if for a few hours. Forget about the dirty dishes and the unvaccumed floors. The kids and hubby are asleep. Turn off that stupid TV. Relax with a good book. An Outlaw's Christmas by Linda Lael Miller will do just fine.
