Sometimes the simple goodness of a dream reminds us how to fall in love.
1896 Oklahoma Indian Territory
Mary Goode has spent nearly a decade hiding her sweetly off-kilter brother, Robin, and two fellow misfits after she rescued them from a brutal institution. But unknown to Mary, the trio’s fascination with Robin Hood and their hero’s crusade to “steal from the rich and give to the poor” may have led to a few actual robberies.
U.S. Marshal Shane Latimer is on the trail of the inept Robin Hood and his shabby band of not-so-tough Merry Men when his rattlesnake-spooked-horse lands him in the care of Robin’s fiercely protective sister, Mary, aka Maid Marian.
He’s instantly charmed by Mary’s devotion to her whimsical brood but worries that she may be hiding the truth. Still, for a cynical loner like Shane, the appeal of their family affection, love, and loyalty, combined with Mary’s growing hold on his heart, is hard to resist.
Mary is equally torn. This wounded stranger could be the man of her dreams, and for the first time in her life she has someone to share the challenges of keeping her brigands out of trouble.
But will her quest for happiness forever shatter the idyllic life she’s forged for her special family?
And how will Shane reconcile his duties as a lawman with his love for Maid Marian and her outlaws?
What I love about this book is the title. It grabbed me instantly. I mean, seriously, a Western romance with characters who have similar traits to Robin Hood and his Merry Men, how is that not a win? So, with that alone, I started reading this book.
Deb Stover weaves a beautiful and wild backdrop in the midst of beautiful and wild characters. With any good story set in the Wild West, there is the Lawman Shane Latimer. He’s a pretty handsome and smart guy. I liked his resourcefulness and the fact that Stover had him needing to be saved real quick.
The funny thing is, he and the heroine weren’t my favorite characters. I liked them and they were interesting, but my favorite was Mary Goode’s brother, Robin Hood… er… Goode.
From what I could gather, but I’m not entirely sure, Robin is a man with down syndrome. His hero is Robin Hood and any man who is a protector of the people. He has a sense of innocence and that seems to be the biggest bit, but Stover puts in the story how he is a grown man with adult feelings and aspirations. I loved that here was a character who, during the times would have be ostracized and living in an asylum, is a hero in his own right.
There aren’t many mainstream romance books that have those type of characters. It is always a good thing to see a book reflect the world and times.
Stover wrote an uplifting romance that had action, love, family, and a lot of humor. (There is a bit with a kitten and Shane that deserves its chance to be read)
Casia's Corner 