Ride the High Lonesome

In this richly described historical, Bittner (the Outlaw Hearts series) unites a former Union soldier and a widow in the wilds of 19th-century Wyoming Territory. Kate Winters is traveling alone after surviving an attack on the wagon train she was in. She sees a man being hanged from a tree, and after his would-be killers leave him to die, Kate cuts him down. The man, Luke Bolden, tells Kate that his attackers stole his cattle after wrongly accusing him of being a thief. Determined to recover his cattle and protect the woman who saved his life, Luke takes Kate with him as he travels toward the town of Lander, where he believes he will find the thieves. After recovering the cattle, Luke and Kate encounter deadly outlaws and enjoy passionate moments, but Luke emotionally distances himself from Kate, as being jilted by his fiancée has left him wary of women. Touching, passionate romance between two wounded souls amid the beautiful landscapes of the West make this a page-turner sure to please fans of western historicals. Agent: Maura Kye-Casella, Don Congdon Assoc. (Nov.)