Sophia Rose is on the blog today with a review of The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon. Grab an iced coffee and find out why she gave this historical western romance five cups!
Sophia Rose's Review
When a wild western outlaw repents of his ways, he encounters a beautiful songstress whose desperate need for a new chance at life rivals his own. Can they leave their pasts behind? Talented historical fiction and romance author, Amy Harmon, gives infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy a romance, and I was excited to get this tale.
The Outlaw Noble Salt begins at the time when Butch Cassidy is middle-aged and done with outlawing. He sees the writing on the wall for that type of life even if several of his old gang including his younger brother, Van, and partner, Harry "Sundance Kid" Longbaugh, do not. The only way he can survive the law's rightful requirement is to walk away from his life and start a new one far away. This is when he meets the people who will truly change his life, Jane Toussaint and her son, Augustus.
The Outlaw Noble Salt is told from three perspectives- Butch, himself and Jane and her young son, Augustus, getting their turns. I enjoyed all three perspectives. Butch is the primary figure, but getting Jane and Augustus' thoughts and feelings give the story a rich, layered feel.
I appreciated that Amy Harmon didn't try to whitewash Butch's past or have him act like it didn't matter. He was remorseful and, what Jane appreciated most, he was always honest with himself and with others. He was a strange mixture of bad and good even when he was an outlaw with rules of conduct, but he was also a natural leader, which made him successful. Harmon gives him the need to save people. This is a strong part of the story because of the struggle he has loving his younger brother and caring about Sundance who play significant secondary roles, but Butch understands that associating with them will only draw him back into the old life because they won't change.
He was just the man to partner the beautiful caged singer, Jane Toussaint, who hid behind a cold wall of disdain and hauteur to protect herself because people, and particularly men, have hurt her and exploited her since childhood. It was hard for her to open up to Butch, and her only show of love was toward Augustus.
Gus was a scene-stealing little guy. He's disfigured and it hurts him the way people stare, avoid, or talk about him, but he's got a quirky humor and pluck and an old soul that is wise beyond his years at times and, at others, he's a kid. And, oh boy, did he take to Butch. He recognized a safe man and a man who cared about him and his mama. Boy and man needed each other as much as Butch and Jane needed each other.
There is a good rising action and emotional payout all through this story. The West, Paris, and New York City of that time after the turn of the century and before the world wars is brought to life in vivid color. Real life figures were sprinkled throughout. I got a chill recognizing the captain and first officer of the passenger liner Butch, Jane, and Gus took across the Atlantic would be the same ones a few years later on Titanic.
And, so, this rewrite of a famous outlaw's life with a poignant romance was a hit with me and I can recommend it whole-heartedly to Western Romance and historical fiction fans alike.
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*kindleulimited🎧
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