Review: Catch Me, Lorelie Brown

Maggie Bullock would do just about anything to save her father’s life, so when she has to rob a bank to pay for his medical treatments, she goes and does it. She has no regret; the bank is run by a man she thought was her father’s friend, but who failed to loan him the money for his treatments. Immediately, Maggie flees the small town she grew up in, but hot on her heels is bounty hunter Dean Collier. He’s been offered a chance to make good if he catches her, and he truly longs to be a sheriff again, but he hadn’t counted on Maggie’s bewitching ways. Over the three weeks it takes him to return her for ransom, their resilience will be tested over and over again.

I downloaded this book because of the many rave reviews it was receiving on Twitter. While I don’t think they were entirely undeserved, on first impression this book and I didn’t get along particularly well. In part I think it was because Dean’s attraction was described a little too coarsely – I have no idea what men think but personally, this was a bit more than I had bargained for. It’s hard to describe what exactly put me off him, but his thoughts towards her are far from honorable, probably fairly accurately along the lines of what a man with a captured woman actually thinks. He never takes advantage of her – but the start of the book had me worried.

Regardless, I perservered, and it’s once the couple get to know each other that the book comes into its own and becomes an enjoyable read. Rooting along with Maggie and Dean against the bad guys when the final showdown occurs is as satisfying as you’d expect it to be. Dean is a fairly stereotypical romance novel hero – a guilt complex because he blames himself for deaths he couldn’t have helped – but Maggie is a feisty Western heroine and I couldn’t help but like her. She does her best to see things as they truly are and seize the moment. She had me from the first few virtual pages – that bank robbing scene is very well written and perfectly done to grab the eager reader. She has some hard facts to face over the course of the novel, but she always accepts and follows what she believes in. It’s just a shame Dean isn’t as appealing!

Overall, I’m not sure I’ll be singing Catch Me‘s praises to every romance reader I know. But if you’re looking for a satisfying Western romance and prepared to overlook a hero in favor of a strong heroine, this one could be the book you’re looking for.

All book links to external sites are affiliate links. I received this book for free from Netgalley.