Lady Gone Bad

Gone Bad #1

by Sabine Starr

The saloon singer known as "Lady Gone Bad" is the most drop-dead gorgeous outlaw the West has ever seen. Lady has never met a cowboy she couldn't entice, or a lawman she couldn't outrun. But when Lady tangles with a sexy U.S. Marshall, she's tempted to stick around long enough to watch him lay down the law - in her bed.

U. S. Marshall Rafe Morgan wants to lock up Lady Gone Bad for good - and he won't let his attraction to her slow him down. But when his attempt to bring Lady to justice goes awry, Rafe is nearly hanged - and by dawn, his face is plastered next to hers on every "Wanted" poster in Texas.

Now on the run together, Rafe and Lady find themselves in very close quarters - and even more compromising positions. As Lady surrenders to Rafe's touch, she slowly begins to reveal all her secrets - including her real name. Maybe "Lady Gone Bad" isn't beyond redemption after all. Either way, Rafe is in for one wild ride...

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Westerns, Historical, Western Romance, Ebooks, Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Sabine Starr rides the trails of her ancestors by horseback, four-wheeler, and jeep when she explores Wild West myths, legends, and mysteries to locate authentic excitement for her novels. She lives near the Old Shawnee Trail in Texas and in the Kiamichi Mountains of Oklahoma where she writes about lawmen, outlaws, Indians, and honky-tonk gals with a penchant for fast guns, hot guys, and daring adventures.

Reviews

[Virginia Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Sabine Starr offers a passionate historical western romance that packs a potent punch in "Lady Gone Bad". When the sultry saloon singer known as "Lady" lends her smokey-sweet voice to a song, men become her devoted audience. If the song is her trademark, "Lady Gone Bad", then they become spellbound. Determined lawman Rafe Morgan tries his best to ignore Lady's considerable charm. He is a US Marshal, and she is at the top of the "Wanted" list--a legendary outlaw--or is she? When she beats him at his own game and leaves him handcuffed to a chair in a saloon to make her getaway, the crowd turns ugly, beating Rafe and preparing to hang him. About to make a fast break in her guise as a boy, Lady rides into the crowd and saves Rafe from the hangman's noose. The two of them begin a journey to freedom, and it doesn't take Rafe long to see through her disguise. Working together to flee the angry mob, each of them also has their own agenda. Lady, whose real name is Sharlot Eachan, uses her outlaw persona to seek out her beloved horse Copper, who wears a special horseshoe and was stolen by the murderer of her parents. Rafe, while trying to capture and bring to justice the infamous "Lady Gone Bad", is also searching for his sister Crystabelle, who was abducted. All the while Rafe and Sharlot are on the run, they are learning more about each other and fighting an intense attraction. Will Rafe have to surrender his Lady to the law, losing his love as he has already lost his heart? An action-filled historical western adventure, "Lady Gone Bad" is a hot romance with a touch of tenderness at its core.

Review Copy Gratis Brava Books

[Caitlin O'Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why only two stars? Mainly, because of some very personal peeves, so YMMV:

1. Instant hornypants between the two main characters. If you like your romance steamy from the first page, you'd enjoy this, but I thought the instant attraction Rafe felt for Lady undermined his apparent dedication to his job as Deputy Marshal.

2. Historical infodump. Starr has clearly done her research on the time period and the area, but it occasionally drops into the story in awkward ways--particularly toward the end of the book, when Lady starts lecturing Rafe about post-Civil War history and outlaws.

3. Sassy dialogue that...didn't really feel sassy. Rafe and Lady argue, bicker, and flirt from the moment they meet, but the dialogue wasn't clicking for me.

4. Hazy backstory. I wasn't sure how long Lady had been an "outlaw" (or what she had done to be labeled that way). I also didn't have much sense of how Rafe had come to be a Deputy Marshal. While both characters' backstories are intended to be revealed slowly over the course of the book, I ultimately felt like I didn't get a rounded and realistic enough sense of who they were before they were plopped down in an "outlaw" saloon to face off with each other.

[Lynn Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like a good Western and I enjoy discovering good, new-to-me authors, so I thought I'd give Lady Gone Bad a try. From the plot and the back cover blurb, one gets the impression that it's supposed to be an action-packed road romance. Reality falls short somewhat, though, as vague plotting and haphazard characterizations drag this story down.

U.S. Marshal Rafe Morgan ends up in a rundown Texas saloon as he hunts for the infamous Lady Gone Bad. Lady is apparently a saloon singer and outlaw of some sort. Rafe intends to execute the warrant for her arrest, and take her in for trial and probable hanging. He spots Lady in the saloon, but his attempt to capture her goes awry as she recognizes him for a lawman and points him out to the other patrons. Given the roughness of the place, a lynch mob soon forms. The escaping Lady is horrified to see that Rafe is about to be killed (um, what did you think was going to happen, Lady?) and so she rides in to rescue him.

This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookRev...

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep saying I don’t like Western romance novels, yet here’s another one I really enjoyed (and another one I forgot to review when I finished it!)

I really liked the heroine. She suffers enormous personal tragedy and responds by remaking herself. How she does it and how she lets a man into her life despite everything makes it a good read.

[Karen M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a really hard time getting into this book. I read three other books while reading this one. I did see it through to the end, but I didn't really enjoy it. I picked this up as a Nook free Friday book.

[Ridley]

This is currently free on Amazon, and free + historical western = *grabby hands*

[Terric853]

Is it damning with faint praise to say that this isn't the worst book I've ever read? Comes close, though.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I've read by author Sabine Starr and it doesn't disappoint! I love strong female characters such as Lady Gone Bad, aka Sharlot Eachan! She takes matters into her own hand when deputies cannot find the people responsible for murdering her parents. She skirts the law as she mingles with outlaws in her mission. She is singing at one of the outlaw's haunts when she runs into U.S. Marshall Rafe Morgan who is out to arrest her! Things go awry for Rafe when Lady Gone Bad outs him for a lawman. A group of outlaws string him up to hang him. Sharlot feels responsible and frees him just in the nick of time. Now both are on wanted posters and are on the run together! This is their adventure. Enjoy!

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up from the clearance section on a whim, wanting to branch out and try genres that I don't usually read.

I'm unsure if I don't like the genre or I just don't like this work, but the latter is definitely true. I found the writing style inconsistent and poor. The language is sometimes modern and sometimes period specific, the plot is barely present in the beginning and rushes to wrap up in the end. Characters come and go with little relevance and meaning. Overall it is just a mess, and I am happy to be done with it.

[Kathryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandoned, and quickly. Having a nice ass does not mean she's "asking for it," plus a bit of non-consent spanking, plus one can only refer to breasts as "globes" or "melons" so many times before one pukes. Sure, it was a free book, but still.

[Janet McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traditional Western

Marshall Rafe is hunting outlaw Lady Gone Bad. Tradional Western storyline plus a risque love story. Good characters that come out of the book to feel like real people. Definitely better than most western books!

[Kimberly Rocha~ Book Obsessed Chicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Gone Bad, AKA Sharlot Eachan, is a saloon singer and evidently an outlaw, albeit a very beautiful one. After the murders of her parents she is in search of a horse that was stolen from her family, and in doing so, keeps finding herself on the wrong side of the law. Lady sings her heart out in seedy saloons for information and to keep herself alive.

US Marshall, Rafe Morgan's mission is to bring Lady Gone Bad in for justice to be served, but when he finally finds her, she is way more trouble than a woman should ever be. Setting him up so she can get away backfires on Lady when the saloon's patrons decide to lynch the lawman. Guilt overrides Lady's judgment and instead of hightailing it out of town, she saves his life.

When they both wind up on the run together, the good Marshall also an outlaw, things start heating up when Rafe can't keep thoughts of Lady out of his mind. Deep in Indian country the pair face more than a few mishaps, but also a few amazing encounters as Rafe is also in search of his sister, a schoolteacher who was kidnapped on her way to see Rafe. Traveling with Lady Gone Bad may be a good way to get a handle on where his sister may have gone.

The journey Lady Gone Bad and the Marshall take, is not an easy one, but very necessary. Both have been on their own for quite a while and putting these two together creates fireworks. The good Marshall constantly teeters between the issue of Lady being an outlaw or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though Lady knows that she could be on the wrong side of the law for consorting with criminals, her determination to find justice for her family takes the relationship to another level.

I truly enjoyed Lady Gone Bad by Sabine Starr. I do enjoy a tough as nails non-whiny heroine and a handsome, broody lawman thrown together creating sparks all over the wild west. Lady Gone Bad is a well written, fast paced story that keeps your attention from start to finish. I love how Sabine Starr has introduced the characters for the next story... I am already waiting on ANGEL GONE BAD with bated breath!

~KIMBERLY~


Sabine Starr on the Web: http://www.sabinestarr.com/
Sabine Starr on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sabine.starr....




4 Stars (Brilliant)

[Diah Didi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My very first of Sabine Starr and I really really love the cover.
So it started with Rafe being in the saloon where Lady performed on stage, Rafe never thought she's that smart to tricked and ran away from him. Well, what did he expect? She's a Lady Gone Bad afterall. But Lady Gone Bad was once raised as a lady and she felt so bad that she made Rafe got into trouble because of her. So she helped him, and planned to leave after that. But it'd gotten worse from there.
Rafe found out that his face was on Wanted poster, along with Lady's. So they ran and ran, but they just couldn't runaway from the chemistry that has built from the very first time they met. It's gotten stronger especially when Rafe decided to acted as her lover, Fast John. I kept grinning on part where Rafe couldn't help feeling jealous when Lady talked to almost everyone in the saloon with charm that melt them in her feet. He'd been with her for short time but already want her for himself.
I like the plot, their characters and dialogues, the chemistry. There was a part when I couldn't stop me tear when Pecos Pete died.
Maybe it's only 4 stars from the story itself. And I was wondering if this was the first book Sabine Starr wrote. If it is, well, it's definitely great! So for that, and the cover, I gave 5 stars.
Can't wait to read the next book Angel Gone Bad about Rafe's younger sister. ;)

[Melanie Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Gone Bad is wanted. US Marshall Rafe Morgan is the one who will bring her to justice. He didn't count on Lady being so wily. She puts his neck in a noose the first day he arrives at The Bend. Feeling guilty though, Lady also saves him from the would-be- hangin group. They arrive at a place where it's safe for Morgan to go on alone but he decides he must help "the kid" stay safe. Things seem to go from bad to worse when Rafe's face shows up on a wanted poster. Now what else could possibly happen to this unlikely duo?


Sabine Starr never disappoints when it comes to a really good story. She knows how to make even the unlikely happen. Winding strength, love and justice in one book is a feat she makes look incredibly easy. I found the characters to be lovable and fun to read about. I recommend this book. It will let you fulfill your fantasies about cowboys and give you a chance to live on the wild side. In all honesty, when I started this book, I figured it was going to be a bad one. Just had that feeling. I was more than pleasantly surprised to find a wonderful book inside.

I found no issues with this one.

I gave this one 5 out of 5 books because it caught me by surprise.
~Copy of book provided by author in exchange for a fair review~

[BRNTerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a true western. I don’t really see it as romance because of how much action was in it. The hero and heroine were on the run with each other starting less than ten pages into the story and it just never slowed down, ever. Too fast, too much action for my taste.

The heroine and hero both have had tragedies in their lives and they work together to try to bring closure. The plot involving Rafe’s sister just wasn’t at all believable to me.

I liked the hero but the heroine seemed a bit too modern and sassy. She’s twenty-seven and her real name is Sharlot but she goes by ‘Lady’ and ‘Lady Gone Bad’. That in and of itself is just silly and annoying at the same time.

Overall, I didn’t like any part of the story. It was more of an action western and that just didn’t appeal to me. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Gone Bad is an outlaw singer, working her wiles on the many outlaws in Indian country in the Red River Borderland of Texas. When Deputy Marshall Rafe Morgan shows up with the intention of arresting the notorious outlaw, he doesn’t know what he’s letting himself in for. Lady gives him the slip, but when the outlaws try to lynch him, Lady has to come to his rescue. What follows is a Wild West adventure with murderous horse thieves, rambunctious outlaws, a lawman gone bad, a search for a special horse, as well as justice for the deaths of Lady’s family, and growing feelings between the determined lady outlaw and the lawman, all with a hefty dose of humor to add to the fun. I thought this was a delightful story with lots of great details of the western locations and two interesting main characters, along with several fun secondary characters. The bad guys deserved what they got, and so did the good guys, although I really didn’t want to say goodbye to them all, they were so much fun. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Angel Gone Bad, featuring Rafe’s sister Crystabelle.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sparks fly as soon as sassy saloon singer Lady Gone Bad and US Marshal Rafe Morgan meet, even though she's at the top of the deputy's "Wanted" list and knows a lawman when she sees one. Soon everything goes terribly wrong: Lady must save Rafe from getting his neck stretched and they end up on the run together. They each have a goal: Lady, out to avenge her parents' murder, is desperately seeking her beloved horse Copper, and Rafe is trying to find his sister Crystabelle who was kidnapped by outlaws. As they make their way to a notorious outlaw hideout they learn more and more about each other, grow closer by the day, and completely lose their hearts to each other. With a classic western shoot out at the end, this fantastic debut completely transported me to the Wild West.


The end of the book contains a teaser for the next book in the series, Angel Gone Bad, where we find Crystabelle writing dime novels about her experiences in Indian Territory. What fun!!!

[CDean Andersson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Gone Bad is a romantic and exciting old west adventure I would love to see filmed. I can imagine a young Clint Eastwood as the deputy U.S. Marshal and a young Marlene Deitrich as the saloon-singer "outlaw" Lady who draws him into her undercover web of adventure, intrigue, and ultimately romance. The plot may twist and turn (never boring, thank goodness!) but always Lady pursues her determined goal to bring the killers of her family to justice. There are scenes set in real southeastern Oklahoma (Indian Territory in those days) locations that show Starr's personal familiarity with them and made me want to go there for real. It's a fun read, and until a reincarnation of John Ford or Sergio Leone comes along to film it, the book itself will more than suffice. Put on a recording of an Ennio Morricone soundtrack to The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly or Once Upon a Time in the West and giddy-up, pardners. Lady Gone Bad won't let you down! Recommended.

[Jennifer Crump · Rating 4 out of 5]

U.S. Marshall Rafe Morgan is on the trail of an outlaw named Lady Gone Bad. When he begins his journey of catching Lady, he has no idea that he has everything wrong about her. Lady almost gets Rafe killed by a gang of outlaws hell bent on being out of jail. Lady isn’t all bad because she saves him before he can hang. They end up outlaws together and Rafe realizes he has been wrong all along about Lady. She isn’t an outlaw by choice. They go through some scary journeys with each other, and eventually fall in love but can they clear their names before the hangman finds them? This was a great story and I really enjoyed the characters. I cant wait to read more from Sabine Starr.

[Reading Rediscovered · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Wild West adventure. Lady Gone Bad is a simple girl who plays at being a temptress so she can find a horse left to her by her parents. She can outsmart any lawman or outlaw with her songs and wild riding, until she meets Rafe. Rafe and Lady have an immediate attraction and through some unfortunate slips of the hand & speech, Lady ends up saving Rafe from the gallows. They are then on the run together and strike a deal to help each other out until they go their separate ways once again. They fall for each other and spend their time together instead of going separately after Rafe clears Lady's name as an outlaw.

[Will Decker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A western romance? I'm not quite sure. There was a romance of sorts, and the setting was 1880's with outlaws and hooligans, but some of the dialogue was a bit modern for the day. I know, I know, I'm reading too close. I expected more from such an established author. I also haven't decided if I'll read anymore by Sabine. Who knows though, maybe we can strike a bargain. After all, the book was well edited.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This historical romance was not my favorite. I liked the fact that the author gave you both characters thoughts. But it was corny right from the beginning. A little too corny for this romance lover's taste. I did finish it. Only b/c it was not much more than 200 pgs. Would not have bothered with it, if it was longer.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute romance novel set in Indian Territory where the outlaws congregate. Rafe is sent to capture Lady Gone Bad because she is wanted for many crimes. However, the tables are turned when he gets her and she finds that he is a wanted man too. They collaborate a plan to help clear each others names and end up falling hard for each other.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this on my Kindle and it really was a good book. I liked that the author used actual places in the story to help bring it to what could have really taken place back in the day! Funny, hot and full of "what is going to happen next?" Both characters were tough and weren't giving in to there circumstance but couldn't keep it from happening with there attraction to each other.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting and action packed adventure...

Lady Gone Bad was a singer in saloons with a big heart. Her real name was Sharlot but as Lady she gained fame, solved crimes and saved the man she came to love. The story-line has twists and turns that keeps you reading. It is a fun book about the old west.

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 2 out of 5]

I downloaded this ebook when Barnes and Noble offered it for free on Feb 22, 2013. I should have known by the amount of exposed skin on the cover that it was more graphic than what this prude usually reads but I took a star away anyway.
I thought it might be historical fiction but I classify it as sexual fantasy in a Western setting.

[Mei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. The hero and heroine were likable, but the story was nothing special. You never get to understand why Lady Gone Bad is wanted by the law. It's a real pity because the characters very good and the pace was also good.

[Deven Dougherty · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of the same. There isn't much of a character build before all the sex scenes. It feels somewhat forced. It's a romance, we know what's going to happen, so the when, how, why, and where have to be great.

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read. Not much romance in the book but lots of action.

[❤️ Dorsey aka Wrath Lover Reviews ❤️]

Kindle Freebie 2/20/13