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The Guardsmen of Denver #1
Cade's Justice
Gideon Cade Was Consumed By One Desire,
until the night the angelic Emma Step, all fire and fury, demanded entry to his home and transformed his life. But could she give the gift of her love to a man who harbored murder in his heart?
Emma January Step had faced the challenges of a hard life head-on, but none had ever been as overwhelming as Gideon Cade, a wealthy, enigmatic man who seethed with an anger he seemed barely able to keep in check. Why then did she feel the temptation to rouse him to passionate action?
until the night the angelic Emma Step, all fire and fury, demanded entry to his home and transformed his life. But could she give the gift of her love to a man who harbored murder in his heart?
Emma January Step had faced the challenges of a hard life head-on, but none had ever been as overwhelming as Gideon Cade, a wealthy, enigmatic man who seethed with an anger he seemed barely able to keep in check. Why then did she feel the temptation to rouse him to passionate action?
295 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1997
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 18, 2021
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars" Cade’s Justice is I suppose what would technically be the first book of Pat Tracy’s Guardsmen of Denver series. There is another book, Beloved Outcast, that’s considered a prequel, because the hero of that book is related to one of the Guardsmen, but otherwise, it isn’t directly connected to the series and takes place in a different setting. The basic gist of the series is that three best friends who are also wealthy businessmen band together in response to lawlessness in the area to form a secret vigilante group known as the Guardsmen to protect their interests as well as the city. In this one, we have Gideon Cade whose brother and sister-in-law were brutally murdered, leaving him as guardian of a teenage niece. He’s consumed with the need for vengeance and along with the other Guardsmen, has been searching for the killers to bring them to justice. His pursuit has been pretty single-minded until a slip of a young woman shows up at his door in the middle of the night in a bedraggled state. Emma is his niece’s teacher who has come to let him know that Courtney went missing after learning that her school was likely going to shut down soon. The woman is both infuriating and amusing, and Gideon finds himself immediately taken with her. That same night the school burns down under suspicious circumstances, so he offers her a place to stay at his house. After unsuccessfully propositioning her to become his mistress, he instead offers her respectable employment as his niece’s tutor until a new school can be found for her. The longer they’re living in the same house, the hotter their attraction burns until Gideon knows he has to have Emma for his wife. But the same men who murdered his brother are still out there posing a threat to him and his family.
Gideon is a wealthy businessman who earned his fortune in freighting. Before his brother and sister-in-law were killed, Gideon was receiving death threats, so he feels responsible for their demise. He has been relentlessly searching for their killers ever since and gladly took on the responsibility for his niece, Courtney, although he’s been rather aloof toward the girl. He doesn’t believe there’s any room in his life for a wife and family, so he’s avoided any romantic entanglements. Then Emma shows up at his door, looking like a drowned rat, demanding to see him. Courtney is safe at home, but annoyed that she and her fellow teachers weren’t keeping a better eye on their charges, he toys with her for a while, and is surprised when she holds her own. Gideon almost immediately finds himself feeling rather possessive toward Emma, especially after an old nemesis shows an interest in her after the fire leaves her homeless, so he offers up his home as an alternative. He first offers Emma the position of his mistress, but when she vehemently rejects that idea, he hires her as Courtney’s tutor instead. But having her living in his house is a constant temptation that he finds impossible to resist. There’s also the matter of his revenge that doesn’t leave much room for softer feelings and then the death threats begin again, leaving Emma and Courtney both in danger. In the beginning, Gideon is a tad too much of an arrogant alpha, as well as a bit too chauvinistic for my taste. I felt like he kind of pushed himself on Emma the first time he kissed her, although admittedly, deep down, she enjoyed it. However, I will admit that he lightened up as the story progressed, and by the end, I did like him. He’s an attentive lover, and ultimately his love for Emma won out over his need for vengeance.
Emma was placed in an orphanage when she was only three years old, and that’s where she grew up. When she was old enough, she became a teacher and went west to accept an offer of employment at a girl’s school in Denver. However, she’s just been informed that the school is basically bankrupt and will be shutting down for good soon. When Courtney finds out, she leaves without letting anyone know to go home and ask Gideon if he can help them out. Worried sick, Emma trudges seven miles through the rain to Gideon’s home to inform him that his niece has gone missing. She exhibits a backbone of steel, first in standing up to Gideon’s butler and then to Gideon himself. The man irritates her to no end, but when the school burns down that same night, she has nowhere else to go. She accepts Gideon’s offer of shelter as the lesser of two evils, because she’s totally creeped out by her employer’s nephew, the only other person who offers her a place to stay. The very next day, Gideon makes his scandalous proposition that leaves Emma appalled, but when he promises not to touch her again and offers her a respectable job instead, she can’t turn him down. Of course, the longer she’s close to him, the more she wishes he would touch her again, and soon she gets her wish. But she doesn’t realize just how much danger she’s in from Gideon’s enemies.
Generally I thought Emma was a nice mix between sweet and sassy, and her background as an orphan made her very sympathetic. However, there were two parts of her characterization that I thought could have been better. First, when Gideon starts getting the death threats again and assigns guards to watch out for her 24/7, she deliberately slips past them at one point for a rather frivolous reason. Then there’s a second incident where her guards had been knocked out, but she didn’t know that and chose to go with a stranger who claimed Gideon was hurt without telling the butler or another trusted person first, all of which bordered on TSTL. The other thing is that she doesn’t think she’s pretty at all, even though Gideon repeatedly tells her she’s beautiful. I can relate to this type of insecurity, but I like to see the character grow and perhaps at least come to a place where she accepts that her man thinks her beautiful. However, even during the final pages, she hasn’t reached that point yet. Otherwise, I liked Emma and thought she had her good points, too.
Overall, Cade’s Justice was a decent story that had some good parts. Initially I thought it was on track to possibly receive at least four stars from me. But the further I read, the more I started to see weaknesses in the plot. Being a Guardsman seems to be a pretty big part of who Gideon is, yet we see very little of him in action in this role. I thought that the story might have a decent mystery/suspense sub-plot, but I really felt the author dropped the ball on that promise. It’s pretty obvious from the outset who the villain is, although even when it’s revealed, his motives are weak and ill-defined. I just saw a huge missed opportunity here to make the story more exciting. Then there’s the romance, which was pretty good, but at the same time, could have been even better. Gideon is away from home both on regular business and Guardsmen business for long periods of time, so he and Emma don’t even spend that much time together. Because of this, their romance almost had the feel of a love-at-first-sight story, even though it does take some time for them to acknowledge their feelings for one another. I did, however, feel that the love scenes were very well done and fairly steamy for a Harlequin Historical, which was a plus. I also enjoyed the humor surrounding Emma “civilizing” Gideon’s men and the secondary romance between the butler and the housekeeper was cute. The dog, Duncan, was a nice touch, too, and the epilogue was a great wrap-up to the story. But in the end, I just didn’t feel that the book was quite good enough to make it to the four star mark. There are two more books in the series. Emma’s teacher friend, Jayne, becomes the heroine of the next book, Burke’s Rules, paired with Gideon’s friend and fellow Guardsman, Burke Youngblood. He and their other friend, Hunter, who is the hero of book #3, Hunter’s Law, were barely seen in this book, though. I might be open to continuing the series at some point, but after two so-so reads from this author, I may not be in a hurry to do so.
"3.5 stars" Cade’s Justice is I suppose what would technically be the first book of Pat Tracy’s Guardsmen of Denver series. There is another book, Beloved Outcast, that’s considered a prequel, because the hero of that book is related to one of the Guardsmen, but otherwise, it isn’t directly connected to the series and takes place in a different setting. The basic gist of the series is that three best friends who are also wealthy businessmen band together in response to lawlessness in the area to form a secret vigilante group known as the Guardsmen to protect their interests as well as the city. In this one, we have Gideon Cade whose brother and sister-in-law were brutally murdered, leaving him as guardian of a teenage niece. He’s consumed with the need for vengeance and along with the other Guardsmen, has been searching for the killers to bring them to justice. His pursuit has been pretty single-minded until a slip of a young woman shows up at his door in the middle of the night in a bedraggled state. Emma is his niece’s teacher who has come to let him know that Courtney went missing after learning that her school was likely going to shut down soon. The woman is both infuriating and amusing, and Gideon finds himself immediately taken with her. That same night the school burns down under suspicious circumstances, so he offers her a place to stay at his house. After unsuccessfully propositioning her to become his mistress, he instead offers her respectable employment as his niece’s tutor until a new school can be found for her. The longer they’re living in the same house, the hotter their attraction burns until Gideon knows he has to have Emma for his wife. But the same men who murdered his brother are still out there posing a threat to him and his family.
Gideon is a wealthy businessman who earned his fortune in freighting. Before his brother and sister-in-law were killed, Gideon was receiving death threats, so he feels responsible for their demise. He has been relentlessly searching for their killers ever since and gladly took on the responsibility for his niece, Courtney, although he’s been rather aloof toward the girl. He doesn’t believe there’s any room in his life for a wife and family, so he’s avoided any romantic entanglements. Then Emma shows up at his door, looking like a drowned rat, demanding to see him. Courtney is safe at home, but annoyed that she and her fellow teachers weren’t keeping a better eye on their charges, he toys with her for a while, and is surprised when she holds her own. Gideon almost immediately finds himself feeling rather possessive toward Emma, especially after an old nemesis shows an interest in her after the fire leaves her homeless, so he offers up his home as an alternative. He first offers Emma the position of his mistress, but when she vehemently rejects that idea, he hires her as Courtney’s tutor instead. But having her living in his house is a constant temptation that he finds impossible to resist. There’s also the matter of his revenge that doesn’t leave much room for softer feelings and then the death threats begin again, leaving Emma and Courtney both in danger. In the beginning, Gideon is a tad too much of an arrogant alpha, as well as a bit too chauvinistic for my taste. I felt like he kind of pushed himself on Emma the first time he kissed her, although admittedly, deep down, she enjoyed it. However, I will admit that he lightened up as the story progressed, and by the end, I did like him. He’s an attentive lover, and ultimately his love for Emma won out over his need for vengeance.
Emma was placed in an orphanage when she was only three years old, and that’s where she grew up. When she was old enough, she became a teacher and went west to accept an offer of employment at a girl’s school in Denver. However, she’s just been informed that the school is basically bankrupt and will be shutting down for good soon. When Courtney finds out, she leaves without letting anyone know to go home and ask Gideon if he can help them out. Worried sick, Emma trudges seven miles through the rain to Gideon’s home to inform him that his niece has gone missing. She exhibits a backbone of steel, first in standing up to Gideon’s butler and then to Gideon himself. The man irritates her to no end, but when the school burns down that same night, she has nowhere else to go. She accepts Gideon’s offer of shelter as the lesser of two evils, because she’s totally creeped out by her employer’s nephew, the only other person who offers her a place to stay. The very next day, Gideon makes his scandalous proposition that leaves Emma appalled, but when he promises not to touch her again and offers her a respectable job instead, she can’t turn him down. Of course, the longer she’s close to him, the more she wishes he would touch her again, and soon she gets her wish. But she doesn’t realize just how much danger she’s in from Gideon’s enemies.
Generally I thought Emma was a nice mix between sweet and sassy, and her background as an orphan made her very sympathetic. However, there were two parts of her characterization that I thought could have been better. First, when Gideon starts getting the death threats again and assigns guards to watch out for her 24/7, she deliberately slips past them at one point for a rather frivolous reason. Then there’s a second incident where her guards had been knocked out, but she didn’t know that and chose to go with a stranger who claimed Gideon was hurt without telling the butler or another trusted person first, all of which bordered on TSTL. The other thing is that she doesn’t think she’s pretty at all, even though Gideon repeatedly tells her she’s beautiful. I can relate to this type of insecurity, but I like to see the character grow and perhaps at least come to a place where she accepts that her man thinks her beautiful. However, even during the final pages, she hasn’t reached that point yet. Otherwise, I liked Emma and thought she had her good points, too.
Overall, Cade’s Justice was a decent story that had some good parts. Initially I thought it was on track to possibly receive at least four stars from me. But the further I read, the more I started to see weaknesses in the plot. Being a Guardsman seems to be a pretty big part of who Gideon is, yet we see very little of him in action in this role. I thought that the story might have a decent mystery/suspense sub-plot, but I really felt the author dropped the ball on that promise. It’s pretty obvious from the outset who the villain is, although even when it’s revealed, his motives are weak and ill-defined. I just saw a huge missed opportunity here to make the story more exciting. Then there’s the romance, which was pretty good, but at the same time, could have been even better. Gideon is away from home both on regular business and Guardsmen business for long periods of time, so he and Emma don’t even spend that much time together. Because of this, their romance almost had the feel of a love-at-first-sight story, even though it does take some time for them to acknowledge their feelings for one another. I did, however, feel that the love scenes were very well done and fairly steamy for a Harlequin Historical, which was a plus. I also enjoyed the humor surrounding Emma “civilizing” Gideon’s men and the secondary romance between the butler and the housekeeper was cute. The dog, Duncan, was a nice touch, too, and the epilogue was a great wrap-up to the story. But in the end, I just didn’t feel that the book was quite good enough to make it to the four star mark. There are two more books in the series. Emma’s teacher friend, Jayne, becomes the heroine of the next book, Burke’s Rules, paired with Gideon’s friend and fellow Guardsman, Burke Youngblood. He and their other friend, Hunter, who is the hero of book #3, Hunter’s Law, were barely seen in this book, though. I might be open to continuing the series at some point, but after two so-so reads from this author, I may not be in a hurry to do so.
August 7, 2022
This was ok, a little heavy on the physical intimacy for me… not too bad, but it still didn’t seem fully necessary. And the descriptions of said acts were definitely written in the 90’s. Not an altogether bad story, I did like the more tame aspects of their relationship and the other supporting characters as well. It was a decent read!
June 16, 2019
Be sure to read this series in order; the list is at the bottom of this review. This is the second book but the start of 'the guardsmen.' It is the late 1800's in Denver, Colorado. Lawlessness is rampant and three businessmen join forces to handle the violence. There's a sheriff in town but he seems more interested in jailing drunks than fighting crime.
Spinster schoolteacher Emma January Step rushes to the mansion of Gideon Cade to warn him of the disappearance of his niece and ward, Courtney Cade. When Gideon takes Emma back to the girls' school where Emma and Courtney live, they find the school in flames. After the building is demolished, Emma has three choices: Wealthy Lyman Thornton (nephew to the school's owner) offers Emma lodging; going to a hotel or accepting the housing offer of Gideon Cade, who is too amorous around Emma, to suit her tastes. Although Lyman is very attracted to Emma, she considers him 'creepy.' Emma has no money for a hotel room. After accepting Gideon's offer, she proceeds to chastise him about his over-bearing attitude and his free use of his hands on her person, as they ride home in Gideon's carriage.
In a short period of time, Emma (with the aid of Duncan, the dog) manages to unsettle Gideon's sedate life. There are two problems that will become obstacles for the couple: Emma lived in an orphanage from the age of three and is totally alone. She has now lost her job and Emma is now destitute.
Courtney became the ward of Gideon when his brother and sister-in-law were murdered. Gideon has sworn to find justice for the dead members of his family. He instantly understands that Emma is the 'marrying kind of woman' and he doesn't have the time or inclination for such. However, he offers to make her his mistress. Oddly, the walls are still standing in Gideon's mansion after Emma gives her answer to the clueless Gideon.
Although I did not find the dialogue to be as wild as the first book, it still is a delightful story. 4 stars
The Guardsmen
1. Beloved Outcast (1996)
2. Cade's Justice (1997)
3. Burke's Rules (1998)
4. Hunter's Law (2000)
Spinster schoolteacher Emma January Step rushes to the mansion of Gideon Cade to warn him of the disappearance of his niece and ward, Courtney Cade. When Gideon takes Emma back to the girls' school where Emma and Courtney live, they find the school in flames. After the building is demolished, Emma has three choices: Wealthy Lyman Thornton (nephew to the school's owner) offers Emma lodging; going to a hotel or accepting the housing offer of Gideon Cade, who is too amorous around Emma, to suit her tastes. Although Lyman is very attracted to Emma, she considers him 'creepy.' Emma has no money for a hotel room. After accepting Gideon's offer, she proceeds to chastise him about his over-bearing attitude and his free use of his hands on her person, as they ride home in Gideon's carriage.
In a short period of time, Emma (with the aid of Duncan, the dog) manages to unsettle Gideon's sedate life. There are two problems that will become obstacles for the couple: Emma lived in an orphanage from the age of three and is totally alone. She has now lost her job and Emma is now destitute.
Courtney became the ward of Gideon when his brother and sister-in-law were murdered. Gideon has sworn to find justice for the dead members of his family. He instantly understands that Emma is the 'marrying kind of woman' and he doesn't have the time or inclination for such. However, he offers to make her his mistress. Oddly, the walls are still standing in Gideon's mansion after Emma gives her answer to the clueless Gideon.
Although I did not find the dialogue to be as wild as the first book, it still is a delightful story. 4 stars
The Guardsmen
1. Beloved Outcast (1996)
2. Cade's Justice (1997)
3. Burke's Rules (1998)
4. Hunter's Law (2000)
February 21, 2012
4 Stars! ~ Denver was a town besieged with rustlers, robbers and murderers and the sheriff seemed more concerned with protecting the elite and rounding up the drunkards then catching the criminals. Forming the secret group called The Guardsmen, seemed the only way for shipping tycoon Gideon Cade, banker Burke Youngblood and rancher Hunter Moran to protect their interests.
Gideon Cade became guardian to his niece four years before when his brother and sister-in-law were brutally murdered. Gideon was consumed with guilt as he had been the intended target, and he vowed justice. Emma January Step was Courtney Cade’s teacher, and when the girl runs away from the academy in the middle of the night, Emma travels across Denver to inform her uncle, only to discover that Courtney is safe in his home. Gideon is intrigued by the tiny woman who isn’t the least bit intimidated by him, and he’s surprised to discover she appeals to him. When the academy burns to the ground Emma becomes homeless and without a job, so Gideon offers to hire her – as his mistress. Emma is the marrying kind of woman, and Gideon soon finds that his wealth and the comforts it can provide mean nothing to her. So Emma is coaxed into accepting the position as Courtney’s tutor and companion. From that moment on, the household that had always been peaceful and orderly became alive and filled with unexpected surprises.
I am truly enjoying the characters that Ms. Tracy creates. Emma is wonderfully feisty in her independence and strength of character. She’s unaware of her appeal to the opposite sex, and that others are instinctively drawn to her. Gideon is a real hero; not only in deeds but in his integrity. He’s a bit of a rogue but Emma can handle that! This pair has chemistry from the start, and it was great fun reading their very spirited exchanges. I’m very much looking forward to reading the next in this trilogy.
Gideon Cade became guardian to his niece four years before when his brother and sister-in-law were brutally murdered. Gideon was consumed with guilt as he had been the intended target, and he vowed justice. Emma January Step was Courtney Cade’s teacher, and when the girl runs away from the academy in the middle of the night, Emma travels across Denver to inform her uncle, only to discover that Courtney is safe in his home. Gideon is intrigued by the tiny woman who isn’t the least bit intimidated by him, and he’s surprised to discover she appeals to him. When the academy burns to the ground Emma becomes homeless and without a job, so Gideon offers to hire her – as his mistress. Emma is the marrying kind of woman, and Gideon soon finds that his wealth and the comforts it can provide mean nothing to her. So Emma is coaxed into accepting the position as Courtney’s tutor and companion. From that moment on, the household that had always been peaceful and orderly became alive and filled with unexpected surprises.
I am truly enjoying the characters that Ms. Tracy creates. Emma is wonderfully feisty in her independence and strength of character. She’s unaware of her appeal to the opposite sex, and that others are instinctively drawn to her. Gideon is a real hero; not only in deeds but in his integrity. He’s a bit of a rogue but Emma can handle that! This pair has chemistry from the start, and it was great fun reading their very spirited exchanges. I’m very much looking forward to reading the next in this trilogy.
May 17, 2025
Gideon Cade is a wealthy Denver businessman with revenge on his mind. His brother and sister-in-law were murdered in an attempt on his life. Emma Step is the teacher at his niece's school--then her private tutor when the school burns down. Emma is an orphan and sees herself as unworthy, but she and Cade are attracted to one another. In typical romance novel fashion, there is friction, heat, and all that. But they get married, find her family, and find his brother's killer. Her orphanage is bought and reformed--and they adopt one of the girls themselves. Not a bad story, even though formulaic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2017
I'd definitely read this again really good premise with great characters. No cardboard knight or swooning princess here.
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