About the book, Out Rider
- Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: HQN Books (April 26, 2016)
With her return to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, New York Times bestselling author Lindsay McKenna shows how love can find a way out of the darkness…
A fresh start—that’s all Devorah McGuire wants. As a former Marine and current Ranger with the US Forest Service, she’s grown accustomed to keeping others safe. But when the unthinkable happens, she can only hope that a transfer to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, will allow her to put the past behind her for good.
Dev’s mentor at Grand Tetons National Park is fellow canine handler and horseman Sloan Rankin. He shows Dev the spectacular trails, never knowing the terror that stalks her every move. Despite her lingering fear, Dev feels an attraction for Sloan as wild as their surroundings.
With Sloan, Dev can envision a new life—a real home. Unless a vengeful man fresh out of prison succeeds in finishing what he started…
Buy, read, and discuss this book.
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About the author, Lindsay McKenna
A U.S. Navy veteran, she was a meteorologist while serving her country. She pioneered the military romance in 1993 with Captive of Fate, Silhouette Special edition. Her heart and focus is on honoring and showing our military men and women. Creator of the Wyoming Series and Shadow Warriors series for HQN, she writes emotionally and romantically intense suspense stories.
Connect with Lindsay.
My Thoughts
I’ve reviewed and/or spotlighted a few of Lindsay McKenna‘s books now, and I find that even though I’m not a heavy reader of romance novels, I always enjoy visiting with her characters, because the women are always strong and independent, and the men are usually sensitive and incredibly respectful of women, and both of those things need to be modeled more in our media.
While I’m NOT a fan of anything that smacks of Western, I have five dogs, and I grew up with a love of horses, and was fortunate enough to spend a couple of summers at riding camp in New Jersey, or visiting friends in Nebraska and Colorado who had horses. It was the horse-and-dog connection, as much as McKenna’s name, that really drew me to this novel. I mean, the story was so engaging she made me want to visit Wyoming.
What I love about McKenna’s characters is that they’re usually seasoned adults. In the case of Out Rider, Dev and Sloane have each had their requisite tragic (for whatever reason) love affair/marriage. They’ve lived in the world, and experienced life’s fears and joys. That tempering, the fact that they’re not twenty-two-year-olds, is what I really love about this novel, in particular, and this author’s work in general. Yes, this couple is slightly idealized – it’s a romance novel, after all – but they’re still believable, dimensional characters.
I also appreciate the way McKenna, who is ex-Navy, works military backstories into her work. Many of her characters, both men and women, are either active-duty or ex-military, and not just as a line-item in a description. They rely on skills taught while they were in the service, and demonstrate a love of country that feels sincere without being preachy. It takes a really smart writer to pull that off.
As I mentioned before, part of what drew me to this novel was the animals. Dogs and horses are a classic combination, in life, and in fiction, and stories built around them always appeal. McKenna ties the love of these animals into the story making them almost-characters, but never, ever, allowing them to stray into cuteseyness.
If you want to read a formula romance, this is NOT the novel for you.
If, however, you want to read a really good love story about people who could be real (and maybe fall a little bit in love with Wyoming), I highly recommend Out Rider.
Goes well with chili rellenos, black beans and rice, and a cold beer.
Giveaway
Want to read Out Rider for yourself. One lucky winner will get a DIGITAL COPY (e-book) of this novel. How do you enter? Find my post about this review on Twitter (@Melysse) and retweet it, or find my post on Facebook and like/share it. One of my dogs and I will pick the winner from all entries received by 11:59 PM US CDT, on Sunday, May 29th.
Please note: aside from selecting the winner, I have NO CONTROL over this giveaway. I will supply the winner’s email address to the publicist, and they will be responsible for sending the book (in this case, an ebook).
Lindsay McKenna’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Monday, April 25th: Bewitched Bookworms
Wednesday, April 27th: The Sassy Bookster
Wednesday, April 27th: Written Love Reviews – guest post
Friday, April 29th: Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous
Monday, May 2nd: Read Love Blog
Tuesday, May 3rd: From the TBR Pile
Wednesday, May 4th: Booked on a Feeling
Thursday, May 5th: Reading Reality
Friday, May 6th: Book Reviews & More by Kathy – guest post
Monday, May 9th: Books a la Mode – guest post
Wednesday, May 11th: Palmer’s Page Turners – guest post
Monday, May 16th: Bibliotica
Wednesday, May 18th: Stranded in Chaos
Thursday, May 19th: The Reading Cove Book Club
Friday, May 20th: What I’m Reading
Monday, May 23rd: A Chick Who Reads
Wednesday, May 25th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Melissa, thank you for taking the time to review my book, OUT RIDER. It’s refreshing to have a reviewer “get it” and indeed, you did. I appreciate your sincere words. Warmly, Lindsay McKenna
Since I will admit to being a Lindsay McKenna fan, your review is right on, BUT it’s also the little things she puts in her books that make her so special. For instance a comment about empaths referring to other books. Like my husband, her men are strong and sensitive. Her characters are human with plus and minus in their characters. Hope she keeps up writing and I hope to keep on reading.
Pingback: Lindsay McKenna, author of Out Rider, on tour May 2016 | TLC Book Tours
I generally don’t love romance novels because I can’t identify with the characters, but these characters are “well seasoned” (great description!) and that really appeals to me. And I’ve heard great things about this author’s books for quite a while now, so I’ll have to give them a try!
Thanks for being a part of the tour!