Dangerous Ties

by Debra Parmley

Lillian Hayes' fiance', Thomas Shelton, convinced the townsfolk to exchange their gold for his worthless bank notes. After he disappears with the gold, every eye turns to Lillian for answers. Even her cousin Carl insists she knows where the gold is. He is desperate to find it because he is deeply indebted to Kingston, small town criminal and owner of the local saloon. Carl will do anything to clear his debt; even torture Lillian for answers. Nick Brace is driving a herd of horses to town when he stumbles across Lillian, branded, strung up over a mineshaft, and left to die. He saves her, tends to her wounds, and teaches her to shoot to protect herself. But the danger isn't past. When Nick's horse-trading deal with Kingston goes bad, Lillian races to be the one to save him this time.

Genres: Romance, Western Historical Romance, Westerns, Historical

105 pages, ebook

First published March 1, 2008

About the author

Debra Parmley is a best-selling, award-winning, multi-genre author of over 38 books, specializing in military romantic suspense and contemporary western romance set in Montana and Wyoming.

Known for her authentic portrayal of veteran heroes, she is the author of Montana Delta Rodeo Cowboy: Bodyguard Protector, and popular titles in the Brotherhood Protectors World, including Montana SEAL Protector, Montana Delta Rescue, and Montana Marine.

Her new Green Brotherhood SEAL Team XII series is set in Virginia Beach, VA, where she lived for a season.

Drawing from her life as an adventurous traveler and the wife of an Air Force veteran, Debra crafts high-stakes stories of danger and redemption from her current home in North Carolina in the summer months.

In the winter, she and her husband, who live full-time in a motorhome, become snowbirds living in Florida.

Whether writing gritty suspense, or romantasy, in her new Reenactment Realm series, or fairytales as Debra Bishop, her work is guided by the core belief that “Every day we are alive is a beautiful day.”

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Reviews

[KatLynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

A Western Historical Romance that grabs your attention with the first page. The heroine, Lillian, is being tortured and Nick, the hero, rides in for the rescue. It's a quick read at 105 pages, action packed with enough suspense to keep you turning the page. As with most short stories, the scenes and relationship move rather quickly.

A sweet romance with a few kisses, a strong cowboy, a likable heroine, and a gentle build.

This book courtesy of InD'Tale Magazine for the purpose of reading/rating as a participant in judging this year's RONE Awards.

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story, but wish it had been a full-length novel because there were times I felt like I was being hurried to the end. I think the characters were great, the plot intriguing, but it definitely could have used more pages to fully flesh everything out.

I’m looking forward to reading more by this author!

Blurb -

Lillian's fiance convinces the townsfolk to exchange their gold for his worthless bank notes. When he disappears, every eye turns to Lillian. Even her cousin Carl insists she knows where the gold is. Carl is deeply indebted to Kingston, owner of the saloon and small town criminal. When Nick discovers Lillian she's strung up over a mine shaft and the rope is breaking. He saves her, tends to her wounds and teaches her to shoot. When his horse trading deal with Kingston goes bad, Lillian races to save Nick.

A copy of Dangerous Ties was provided to me by InD'Tale Magazine for the purpose of reading and rating for the RONE Awards.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0

Although this is novella length, Ms. Parmley writes wonderful characters who run the gamut from kind and sweet to seriously evil!

Read full review in the 2012 November issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Maranda Prigmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to this in audio. The love that blossomed between Nick and Lillian was bittersweet. However, all the twists and turns to get there made the story.

[76kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very suspenseful and romantic. I started reading and couldn't put the book down! Great read!

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Violence against women is always a tough subject to deal with, and I’ve faced more than my fair share. So when a book opens up with “Pain erased all sense of time” I knew I was in for a rough ride. The heroine Lillian Hayes had the misfortune of being engaged to the charming local banker, who absconded with all the town’s gold and money. The townfolk are rightfully outraged, and decide to have someone “ask” Lillian. Since she’s his fiancée she must know. Only she doesn’t. No matter how “persuasive” they try to be, she can’t tell them what she doesn’t know. So they leave her for dead.

Nick Brace is just passing through, on his way to town to sell a man some horses when he sees a woman dangling from a rope over a mine shaft. Outraged at what someone did to a beautiful, helpless woman, he frees her and does what he can to revive her, giving her water and treating her injuries. He’s determined to find out who did this to her and why—and exact a little cowboy justice on the bastards.

This book is a study in human contrasts. Set in the post-Civil War Old West, when the promise of gold could make people do crazy things. You’ve got the best and the worst—greedy people willing to do anything, decent people who allow their anger to justify turning a blind eye, people who think “might makes right” and that the ends justify the means. You’ve also got a hero bent on learning the truth and holding the guilty accountable. You’ve got a heroine who tries to understand—and forgive. This isn’t a pretty satin-and-bows story. This is a gritty, no-holds-barred story that doesn’t flinch from the truth of what humans can be capable of—both tremendous evil and tremendous good.

The issues I had with the book were technical, the formatting and the editing. I’ve personally never been a fan of uber-short dialogue or scenes, bouncing from one character/scene to another to another. It’s popcorn-y and jarring, and never lets me get really into one situation before I’m bounced to another. And there were silly editing errors, like the fact that Nick’s horse is an appaloosa mare named Moonlight (that stuck w/me b/c that’s the name of my daughter’s pony). Now, mares are female for those who don’t know. But there’s a sentence of dialogue when Nick’s teaching Lillian to ride HIS horse where HE says, “The saddle horn or his mane.” What? He forgot his own horse was a girl? The equestrienne in me cringed. Now I know we’ve never seen a “perfect” book; we all catch those little “oops”-es. That one just bugged me, horse geek that I am. (Maybe I’m the only one who noticed.)

Reading is subjective—some people LIKE a fast pace and knowing what everyone’s “up to.” This is a strong story with strong characters that stay with you. It’s not a warm and fuzzy story, but it’s compelling and truthful. I’m glad I read it, and kudos to the author for not taking the easy road.

[Stephanie Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parmley pens a suspenseful western romance that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat with "Dangerous Ties." Lillian is blamed by the townsfolk when her shyster fiancé leaves with the town's gold. Strung up over a mine, Nick, a horse trader, finds her in a terrible state. Can Lillian clear her name and root out the culprits who injured her?

Set in the historical west, Lillian joins her cousin, Carl, seeking a grand adventure. She opens up a ladies dress shop and becomes engaged to the local banker. Unfortunately, her fiancé steals the town's gold and Lillian's left to answer for his double cross. The town's hooligans try to get the location of the gold out of her by harming her. Nick finds Lillian, saves her, and vows to help her. Will Nick and Lillian's attraction get in the way of Lillian clearing her name?

Parmley engages the reader right from the get-go by putting the heroine in a precarious position, forcing them to turn the pages to find out what will happen next.

The author's writing style is crisp and easy to read. She uses a good economy of words to paint vivid pictures in the readers mind. The dialogue adds a nice, subtle touch to the authenticity of the story.

Both Lillian and Nick are strong characters, willing to stand up for what they believe in. Nick embodies the traits of a true hero, kind, yet strong when faced with adversity. Lillian's growth throughout the novel is heartwarming to the reader. The ending has a surprise twist that put a smile on my face.

The story is sweet for romance readers with Nick and Lillian exchanging a kiss or two. Overall, "Dangerous Ties," has the perfect blend of romance and suspense, making this story a great escape to another time and place.

[Hildie McQueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dangerous Ties has the best opening I've read in a long time, certainly catches the readers attention as to how the heroine got herself in such a dire situation.

Lillian has been through a lot in a brief time and understandably she is shaken and slow to trust. Ms. Parmley did a great job of allowing her time to warm up to the hero, Nick.

As the story progresses, we learn about the characters and get several points of view to allow the reader to know what the motivation behind their actions are. In the world that Ms. Parmley builds, its was good to see how two people can come through stronger and able to still seek happiness.

The only thing I hoped for was a bit more character development, I wanted to know Nick and Lillian just a bit more, they are great characters.

[Reggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lilian’s scumbag ex-fiancé stole all of the gold that was deposited at his bank and left her to face the wrath of the townspeople. Every small town has a rich bad guy with goons...and this town’s bad guy is BT, who owns the town saloon. Liliian’s cousin, Carl, encouraged to move out West and open a clothes shop. Once she arrived, Carl expected her to pay his gambling debts. When the ex-douche skips town, BT & goons, including Carl, kidnap Lil and torture her, believing that she knows the location of the gold. Nick, a horse trader, is on his way to town to sell his horses when he stumbles upon a woman...bound, gagged & hanging over a mine shaft. Nick cuts down the woman & nurses her back to health. Meanwhile in small town, BT is requiring proof that Lil is dead...will they find Lil and finish the job? Will Nick & Lil give in to the growing attraction to each other? Will they find the gold? No spoilers...just know that Lil grows a backbone. There is an HEA. Now my heart rate can get back to normal!
I accepted a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This western style story has a little bit of everything. You have that old time western feel of the robbery, the bad guys chasing who they thought have the gold, the damsel in distress and the cowboy to the rescue. Nick and Lillian build a love while living through extenuating circumstances. Nick is the protective type, easy to fall for while Lillian is trying to figure out where life will take her next. Being pursued for the gold leaves her vulnerable and afraid. With this strong man next to her, will she be protected? When Nick finds himself in a deal with the devil, how will it all play out? Parmley has woven a lot of suspense into this novella. With a fairly large supporting cast including BT, Grady and Carl, it would have been interesting to have additional storyline with these outlaws.They did heighten the excitement of the story. A fun listen.

Joshua Macrae is a soft sounding narrator, his voice is very soothing. I found his narration at times to be a little too easy,the characters need the gruffness and ruggedness of an outlaw. He does have a good pace for his reading and a good variety of voices.

[SOMDReigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I am not a victim. I am a survivor.”
Engaging story with small western town “justice”. Lillian’s fiancé has abandoned her to face the anger of everyone in town. Nick comes across her beaten and hanging from over a mineshaft. She becomes his “Broken Angel” and he immediately takes care of her. She only knew bad behavior from men, not the kind, helpful behavior from Nick who wanted nothing from her in return. She is slow to trust him but he soon as her believing that she is not a victim but a survivor. A sweet romance mixed into the action.

[Simply Love Book Reviews]

This review posted on Guilty Pleasures

3.5 STARS

Dangerous Ties by Debra Parmley is truly a ride off into the sunset type, western historical romance. The story begins with our heroine, Lillian, being tortured because of her fiancé who swindled the whole town and left without a trace. Everyone believes she knows where he put the gold, but she has no clue. Left with little hope, Lillian is resigned to dying a horrible death, but then our hero, Nick, happens upon her and is able to save her.

After such a dramatic opening, the rest of the story is a series of figuring out who did what, to whom and where is the gold! During this short amount of time Lillian and Nick develop a strong bond and a tremendous attraction to one another. Nick gives Lillian hope and strength when she has none, and Lillian brings some of the softer side to Nick’s rough and tumble cowboy life.

This is a good story with lots of action and chemistry. I think if you like a traditional, historical romance, you will love this book.

[Donna Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lillian Hayes moved from the east out west and opened a dress shop at her cousin's insistence. His name is Carl. He introduced her to the local banker Thomas Shelton and they became engaged. Thomas took all the gold from the townspeople and got them to use bank notes that were worthless. Then he took off taking the gold and letting Lillian holding the bag. The town all wanted her to pay so a couple of locals and her cousin took her out to an old mine and beat her and raped her and then branded her with an S. They strung her across an open mine shaft hoping the ropes would break and she would fall to her death. Nick Brace was heading to town to sell his horses when he came across her. He cut her down and tried to doctor her up. He moved her to a cabin he thought they might not find her at as he took care of her. She was really weak and ran a high fever when her branded mark became infected. Nick wanted to protect and Help her. This is a short historical read and it is also a sweet story of love in the old west. A really good read

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Dangerous Ties in exchange for a blog tour and my honest review.

This was a super short, only like 100 pages, read. Therefore it reads kinda fast. Things happen quickly as it all has to wrap up just as most of us are really getting into it. This could have been a great full length story as the characters were interesting and there was a lot of possibility. But I guess there's benefits to a short story as well...like you don't read a lot and want to be able to finish a book in one sitting...or you're waiting in the docs office..or you're kicking it at the beach or pool.
The characters are intriguing. Nick comes across a damsel in distress...well, a little more than distress really, as she's 5 minutes from falling to her death. As it is, she's been beaten, bruised, branded and barely hanging on.
Not only is this a quick read, but if you've got teens that are just getting into the whole romance thing, this is an approved read.
I'll gladly give this 3.75 stars.

[Gennie Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Dangerous Ties by Debra Parmley is truly a ride off into the sunset type, western historical romance. The story begins with our heroine, Lillian, being tortured because of her fiancé who swindled the whole town and left without a trace. Everyone believes she knows where he put the gold, but she has no clue. Left with little hope, Lillian is resigned to dying a horrible death, but then our hero, Nick, happens upon her and is able to save her.

After such a dramatic opening, the rest of the story is a series of figuring out who did what, to whom and where is the gold! During this short amount of time Lillian and Nick develop a strong bond and a tremendous attraction to one another. Nick gives Lillian hope and strength when she has none, and Lillian brings some of the softer side to Nick’s rough and tumble cowboy life.

This is a good story with lots of action and chemistry. I think if you like a traditional, historical romance, you will love this book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The harsh realities of living in the old West are very much at the forefront here. With the gathering of material wealth the driving force for most people of this time, anyone who gets in their way will be lucky to escape with their life in tact.

Lillian is on the receiving end of this repulsive behaviour when her fiancé absconds with the town's gold. Believing that she knows where the gold is, she is strung up, beaten up and branded. But even the old West has decent men: enter Nick, who saves her and looks after her. He shows her that there are some things worth sticking around for and that it is not all gun slinging and violence.

This was a fast paced, quick read that had a real feeling of authenticity about it.

***Reviewed for LBM Book Blog***

[Laura Kivi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

I felt like the beginning was missing...more background information and setting for both the main characters would have set the mood of the book better for me.

I did think that the connection between Nick and Lillian was great, and I like that the romance needed to build up to trust and love.

I guess I would have just liked more of an understanding about who Nick was before this and maybe having actually read and felt the pain that Lillian was going through during the time she was with the banker and after...I think this would have made more of a connection between the reader and the characters...more feeling behind it.

[Jennifer Zorko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dangerous Ties by Debra Parmley is a sweet historical romance novella that has some suspense, surprises and a very sweet HEA. It is the kind of quick read that will transport you back in time to a place where a man knew how to protect and respect a lady.

It proves that good can win out over the bad and in the end, the tender feeling of Lillian and Nick will leave you cheering for this sweet couple. This is the first book that I have read by this wonderful author, but I will be looking for more in her historical romance setting, because this sweet little read was amazing. I give it 4 wonderful stars

[N. Kuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book free in exchange for an honest review*
This was an interesting historical. I've never read one that was more action packed and suspenseful. I read a lot of historicals. The old western ones always get me! This story was an old western shoot em up. The story was packed with action, romance and sigh worthy happiness. The characters were likable. This was a quick, short read but it was so packed! The storyline was interesting and kept my attention. This is a great short read if you're into old western romances.

[Terry Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book in return for an unbiased review

Lillian's fiancé took off after selling gold to the town and not producing anything which in turn caused the whole town to turn against Lillian and cause her to be kidnapped. When Nick is going to sell his horses he finds Lillian tied over a mine. He saves her and takes care of her.
This was about a girl who thought she was broken after all that was down to her and still someone fell in love with her and helped her to make a new life.

[Eve W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began reading Dangerous Ties because I had heard so many good things about the book and its author. Now I know why. I will continue ordering and reading Debra's books as long as they are in print. Set in the 19th century, Dangerous Ties is a realistic depiction of the "wild west" of the 1800s. The characters - both good and bad - kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the story but hated to see it end.

[Audrey Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't usually enjoy western romance books. This has to be one of the better ones I have read as far as the content. My criticism of the book is the character themselves didn't portray to me the "falling in love stage". The storyline development was good, but it's missing that yearning feeling of a romance book.

[Lori Meehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
I enjoyed this book. This is a short story with a alpha hero and a strong heroine. This book has a suspenseful story line and a sweet romance. I would of like to of learned more about the main characters but all in all it was a good book.

[Lynn Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book. It would have been fantastic as a full length novel. It felt rushed but at only about 100 pages, that's to be expected. I love the gentle compassion and strength shown by the hero and the determination of the heroine to not remain a victim.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book

[Tonya]

For a full review please see the November issue of InD'Tale Magazine.

4.5 out of 5 stars


http://www.indtale.com/reviews/danger...

[CarolKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opens with Lillian in a precarious position. Her former fiancé had taken off with the Bank's gold. He had persuaded the town's folk that the gold was safer in the bank and notes were easier to keep track of.

Now the notes were worthless and the town thought she knew where the gold was. No thanks to her cousin who perpetuated the rumor.

Nick has to deliver some horses and with a little luck maybe he can convince Lillian to come home with him.

Plenty of action once he realizes the buyer for his horses was the man who ordered the pain that was inflicted on Lillian.

A perfect romance, with an emotional and heartrending start.

[Jen Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be a short story, it’s well written but a tad bit too descriptive at moments. The pinnacle scene was actually over too quickly in my opinion. However, with it being a short story, the tempo worked well overall. Westerns aren’t typically my style but I liked this one very much.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this story. I'm a suckere for happy endings. Lillian and half the town were taken advantage of by her former fiance. A gang didn't believe that she had no idea what he did with the $$ he stole. Enter Nick to the rescue.

[janelle beaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are in the old west with this book and the beginning of this book will get your attention. Lillian has been thru a lot when Nick comes to her rescue. In this book we have bad guys, a robbery, and a cowboy who falls in love.