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Montana Mavericks: Thunder Canyon #3
The Bounty Hunter
Nick Harding had seen enough of life's darker side...and bore the scars--inside and out--to prove it. Plus, years of tracking reprobates had hardly improved his opinion of his fellow man.
Yet some spark of hope remained in him, he suspected. Why else would he have agreed to settle down in Thunder Canyon as a sheriff whose man job was seeing that the saloons remained respectable?
But the quiet life proved elusive whenever he and Lily Divine crossed paths, for the feisty owner of The Shady Lady seemed hell-bent on stepping out a woman's "proper" place...and into his wounded heart!
Yet some spark of hope remained in him, he suspected. Why else would he have agreed to settle down in Thunder Canyon as a sheriff whose man job was seeing that the saloons remained respectable?
But the quiet life proved elusive whenever he and Lily Divine crossed paths, for the feisty owner of The Shady Lady seemed hell-bent on stepping out a woman's "proper" place...and into his wounded heart!
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2005
20 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
Cheryl St. John
72 books555 followersCheryl is the author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous RITA nominations, Romantic Times awards and are published in over a dozen languages.
In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”
With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, her bestselling non-fiction book, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Writers Digest Books is available in print and digital.
In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”
With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, her bestselling non-fiction book, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Writers Digest Books is available in print and digital.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 25, 2020
I love Cheryl St. John! She is one of my favourite authors and she definitely saves the day, errr, the Montana Maverick series, with her installment.
This was a romance between Thunder Canyon's new sheriff, Nate, and saloon owner, Miss Lily Divine. Both have a fair bit of emotional history and difficulties. But as the saying goes, love can (sometimes) overcome most of life's difficulties and trials.
Alright, up next will be the final book in the Montana Mavericks series - Mary Burton's "The Tracker".
This was a romance between Thunder Canyon's new sheriff, Nate, and saloon owner, Miss Lily Divine. Both have a fair bit of emotional history and difficulties. But as the saying goes, love can (sometimes) overcome most of life's difficulties and trials.
Alright, up next will be the final book in the Montana Mavericks series - Mary Burton's "The Tracker".
April 22, 2017
This book reminded so much of the old TV show Gunsmoke. Nick Harding has the same toughness as Matt Dillion but underneath the scars of his violent past lies tenderness. After years of chasing the baddest of the bad, he's taken the sheriff's job in Thunder Canyon. It should be easy, right? Keeping the saloons respectable certainly seems easy. But then he meets Lily Devine, the owner of the Shady Lady saloon. Why exactly are all those women living there doing if not indulging in prostitution? Then there's the matter of the picture hanging in the saloon of the beautiful Lily Devine--naked.
I loved Lily's tenacity and grit. Her business is her business and no one else's and she's not explaining anything to anyone. She's had a very hard life and learned some tough lessons. She's tired of fighting. Yet, in spite of herself, she's drawn to Nick Harding. She sees the pain and torment the hunky sheriff carries and wants to help only he keeps pushing her away. He can't see anything past the low cut silk dresses she wears.
When the do-gooders are hell-bent on running her out of town, which side will Nick be on?
St. John is a masterful storyteller who peels back the layers of each character and shows what they're made of. I hope you give it a try. You'll love it.
I loved Lily's tenacity and grit. Her business is her business and no one else's and she's not explaining anything to anyone. She's had a very hard life and learned some tough lessons. She's tired of fighting. Yet, in spite of herself, she's drawn to Nick Harding. She sees the pain and torment the hunky sheriff carries and wants to help only he keeps pushing her away. He can't see anything past the low cut silk dresses she wears.
When the do-gooders are hell-bent on running her out of town, which side will Nick be on?
St. John is a masterful storyteller who peels back the layers of each character and shows what they're made of. I hope you give it a try. You'll love it.
November 11, 2020
I enjoyed 2/3 of this book. The plot was refreshingly original. The hero spends much of the time trying to convince himself to ignore his attraction to the heroine and pursue someone else. That someone else isn't a witch but a nice girl who has her own story. The heroine is admirable and realistic, and the h/h's interactions were enjoyable. The last 1/3 felt rushed, though ... I was enjoying the story so much, and then it felt like everything was wrapped up in a hurry. Still recommend.
January 20, 2019
Nate wanted to change his life so he took the job of sheriff of Thunder Canyon. Lily Devine owns the Shady Lady a Dance Hall/Saloon in Thunder Canyon. Everyone including Nate thinks the ladies that live there are soiled doves. This story really brought to light how women were treated in that time.
Loved this book!
Loved this book!
July 16, 2018
Meh
Too much going on at a time and romance is scarce. I had to finish it though because I’d be loathe to go backtrack i it two years from now. Ugh
Too much going on at a time and romance is scarce. I had to finish it though because I’d be loathe to go backtrack i it two years from now. Ugh
November 2, 2019
Enjoy reading the Montana Maverick series. This is the old historical story - especially enjoy it.
May 26, 2024
Four stars only because the male love interest was a little TOO oblivious and idiotic, otherwise it was cute
February 10, 2023
Nick Harding had seen enough of life's darker side...and bore the scars—inside and out—to prove it. Plus, years of tracking reprobates had hardly improved his opinion of his fellow man.
Yet some spark of hope remained in him, he suspected. Why else would he have agreed to settle down in Thunder Canyon as a sheriff whose man job was seeing that the saloons remained respectable?
But the quiet life proved elusive whenever he and Lily Divine crossed paths, for the feisty owner of The Shady Lady seemed hell-bent on stepping out a woman's "proper" place...and into his wounded heart!
Yet some spark of hope remained in him, he suspected. Why else would he have agreed to settle down in Thunder Canyon as a sheriff whose man job was seeing that the saloons remained respectable?
But the quiet life proved elusive whenever he and Lily Divine crossed paths, for the feisty owner of The Shady Lady seemed hell-bent on stepping out a woman's "proper" place...and into his wounded heart!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2019
Nate Harding is 35 and bone tired of chasing outlaws over the Western states. When he gets a chance to be sheriff in a small mining town, he's ready. When he arrives, Nate is told about the major conflict in the town. The mayor just wants to give the impression of cleaning up the town (his wife and many others are demanding that the saloons be closed). In other words, Nate has just jumped into the middle of the Temperance League and the saloon keepers. The men want things to stay as they are; they just want their wives to think they are making progress.
There are 3 saloons in town; Lily Devine owns the cleanest one. The Temperance League is not aware that the saloons provide most of the town's income (through license fees and monthly taxes). Nate assumes all three saloons have brothels -- Lily's does not. In fact, Lily helps many of the town's women on the quiet.
Nate is attracted to Lily but he sets his sights on a lovely young woman, who is chaste and demure. He does not believe that Lily's girls only serve drinks and play cards. This makes for lots of tension between what Nate wants and what he knows he should choose. This is a very satisfying book.
There are 3 saloons in town; Lily Devine owns the cleanest one. The Temperance League is not aware that the saloons provide most of the town's income (through license fees and monthly taxes). Nate assumes all three saloons have brothels -- Lily's does not. In fact, Lily helps many of the town's women on the quiet.
Nate is attracted to Lily but he sets his sights on a lovely young woman, who is chaste and demure. He does not believe that Lily's girls only serve drinks and play cards. This makes for lots of tension between what Nate wants and what he knows he should choose. This is a very satisfying book.
March 11, 2014
Anyone who has followed Harlequin's Thunder Canyon series will want to read this book. If you're not familiar with the series, in the modern-day Thunder canyon, there is a scandalous painting of the heroine from this book. The series mentions Lily DeVine constantly. And if I'm remembering correctly, this book gives the background behind the Queen of Hearts mine. The mine plays a prominent role in the contemporary novels.
If that's confusing, then you'll probably need to read the Thunder Canyon series from the start. However, for this novel you don't need to know anything of the contemporary series. With that being said, I enjoyed this novel immensely. I can't remember if I wanted to read t because it was connected to the Thunder Canyon series. In any event, by the time I picked it up, I'd forgotten until I saw the name Lily Devine and the town's name.
This novel intrigued me on many levels. Lily is certainly a different character. A saloon owner who runs a clean and prostitute-free establishment in the 1800s. She and other saloon owners are being plagued by a women's temprence group determined to shut them down and "clean" up Thunder Canyon.
The storyline was different. I liked that Ily was a scandalous character with a painful past that is living an comfortable and independent life. I appreciate that conflict comes in the form of her relationship with the town's new sheriff, the tempreence group and another character I won't name because they play a key role in the contemporary Thunder Canyon novels. The resolutions to the conflicts are satisfying to me.
If there is a dark mark on this book, it's the scenes that the hero, Nate, has with another female character in the book. He begins actively courting this character, so there are a few pages devoted to their scenes together. I realize from a technical and reader standpoint that the scenes are probably important. However, when those scenes came about, I was eager to fly by those pages. I simply couldn't involve myself in what Nate and the girl did and/or spoke about when together. I was merely antsy to get back to Lily's point of view and what was going on in Thunder Canyon.
Overall, Ms. St. John has penned another enjoyable novel. I've read a few of her books and would recommend her stories to those who enjoy historical, light-hearted and sweet romances.
If that's confusing, then you'll probably need to read the Thunder Canyon series from the start. However, for this novel you don't need to know anything of the contemporary series. With that being said, I enjoyed this novel immensely. I can't remember if I wanted to read t because it was connected to the Thunder Canyon series. In any event, by the time I picked it up, I'd forgotten until I saw the name Lily Devine and the town's name.
This novel intrigued me on many levels. Lily is certainly a different character. A saloon owner who runs a clean and prostitute-free establishment in the 1800s. She and other saloon owners are being plagued by a women's temprence group determined to shut them down and "clean" up Thunder Canyon.
The storyline was different. I liked that Ily was a scandalous character with a painful past that is living an comfortable and independent life. I appreciate that conflict comes in the form of her relationship with the town's new sheriff, the tempreence group and another character I won't name because they play a key role in the contemporary Thunder Canyon novels. The resolutions to the conflicts are satisfying to me.
If there is a dark mark on this book, it's the scenes that the hero, Nate, has with another female character in the book. He begins actively courting this character, so there are a few pages devoted to their scenes together. I realize from a technical and reader standpoint that the scenes are probably important. However, when those scenes came about, I was eager to fly by those pages. I simply couldn't involve myself in what Nate and the girl did and/or spoke about when together. I was merely antsy to get back to Lily's point of view and what was going on in Thunder Canyon.
Overall, Ms. St. John has penned another enjoyable novel. I've read a few of her books and would recommend her stories to those who enjoy historical, light-hearted and sweet romances.
June 12, 2015
The Bounty Hunter was published a while back and it appears to me that Cheryl St. John has grown into her writing style. There was a small, and I do mean very small, scene of an adult nature. Not hardly worth mentioning but her later stories don't require going into these details. She has grown in storytelling ability. The Bounty Hunter is a Christian based, value packed story of good vs evil and right against might. It teaches us not to judge a book by its cover and reminds us that as humans we tend to form an opinion about someone by their appearance before getting to know them. Lily Divine, owner of The Shady Lady and Nick Harding are great characters from a historical time. Lily is a feisty, self-reliant, compassionate, headstrong female role model. She lived through hardships but does not wallow in self-pity or blame. She learned valuable lessons from the situations and became a strong passionate human because of the hard times. Wonderful warm fuzzy story.
March 28, 2009
Okay but it was slow. I do not know what the rest of the series is like but this one was pretty good even though it had a slow start. Nate had been a Bounty Hunter for many a year and he was tired of it. All he wanted was to find a quiet little town to become sheriff and just relax for awhile, and Thunder Canyon seemed to be the place. Lily Devine was the owner of The Shady Lady saloon. Lily will help anyone that needs the help and will do anything in her power to help them out. But there is a group of Town ladies hellbent to rid themselves of the 3 saloons in town. The Woman's Temperance Prayer League, the Intollerants as Lily Called them, picket the saloons every night and treat Lily and her girls like aliens during the day. Who will win and who will lose?? Will Nate lose his heart to Lily?? Read the book to find out.
April 19, 2010
A fairly decent western romance. Gunman who becomes sheriff falls for the owner of the local saloon. Not real memorable but not bad.
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January 12, 2016Miniseries: Montana Mavericks
April 28, 2017
Cheryl St. John's The Bounty Hunter was terrific. It felt like I was reading a story which I've watched on TV my entire life, Miss Kitty and Matt Dillion. I loved the spunky saloon owner and her undying devotion to others who are in need of a little helping hand. Sheriff ex-Bounty Hunter, Nate Harding was one sexy-smooth talking lawman who had eyes for only Miss Lily, even though they both thought they didn't deserve one another, boy were they in for a shock. This was a cute spunky uplifting book that truly teaches us all, that things are not as they seem. I loved the way Ms. John's characters are developed and the loving bond that this town of misfits have for one another. Miss Lily and Sheriff Nate satisfied my dreams of how Miss Kitty and Matt would have rode away into the sunset.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews