The Peacemaker

Men of the Saddle #1

by Lori Copeland

Bull-headed Wynne Elliot has one goal in to track down Cass Claxton and shoot him dead for leaving her at the altar and running off with her money. But when Cass's brother Cole shows up, Wynne finds herself on an unexpected adventure, and she just might lose her heart. Beloved author Lori Copeland takes readers back in time to an era when cowboys were heroes and the rules of the Wild West prevailed. Lori's trademark blend of humor, romance, and Christian content make this an irresistible read.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Romance, Christian, Westerns, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Lori Copeland was born on 12 June 1941. She had a relatively late start in writing, breaking into publishing in 1982 when she was already forty years old. Over the next dozen years, her romance novels achieved much success, as was evidenced by her winning the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books' Best Seller award. She has been inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame.

Despite her success in more mainstream romantic fiction, in 1995, she decided to switch focus. Her subsequent books have been in the relatively new subgenre of Christian romance. She has also collaborated with authors Angela Elwell Hunt or Virginia Smith on a series of Christian romance novels.

Lori and her husband of over forty years, Lance, live in Springfield, Missouri, surrounded by the beautiful Ozarks. They have three grown sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. She and her husband are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.

Reviews

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

HILARIOUS read,heroine drives the hero crazy! This was a laugh out loud funny read. Yes, it is a little far-fetched in places, but I was having too much fun reading it to let it bother me!

I really enjoyed when it gave the first-person POV of the heroine Miss Wynne Elliot, and I found myself really getting into the emotions she was feeling, like when she felt she had to leave the ranch and was walking to town despite getting a painful blister from her button-top shoes, and Cole rode past her "like I was a fence post"! Believe me I entertained thoughts of her killing him, too!

I enjoyed the way she drove him crazy and was not a bit afraid to stand up to him.
I had a really fun time reading this one, and the character development was superb.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lori Copeland was one of my first tastes of CF as a teen & I quickly remembered her writing voice. This story was rather bland with shallow characters. The female was saved by the hero numerous times & then complained that she didn’t need help- possibly my biggest pet peeve in fiction. They seemingly barely talked to each other, fought in every scene with each other, & then somehow kissed ?

I loved Copeland’s Brides of the West series as a teen so I’m not sure if this book is not suited for audio or if my taste has just evolved. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the narrator so that could have impacted my reading experience. This is a light hearted western with potential, but I’m not planning on reading the other books in the series any time soon.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wynne Elliot was left standing at the alter by Cass Claxton. She feels hurt, angry, embarrassed and betrayed. She sets out for Kansas to get revenge. Her plan? Shoot Cass Claxton straight through the heart. He left with her heart and almost every dime of her inheritance money!
When Wynne sets out for revenge, she ignores the small voice tugging at her conscience. She is so set on getting her vengence that she blunders into many mishaps along the way. And the people she meets...well, lets just say that you won't want to miss it.

You'll meet Cole and his brother Beau. Once Cole discovers Wynne's plan to shoot Cass Claxton, he is determined to stop her. Even if it means following her all the way from Missouri thru Kansas.

It's a clash of the wills as Cole and Wynne battle it out. The dialogue is great and the story takes on a life of its own. The Peacemaker is funny and infuriating at the same time. If you are looking for a light-hearted and fun book, look no further - you'll find it here.

[Jamie (The Kansan Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

An enemies to lovers that travel across Missouri country. Battling with anger, Wynne has traveled to River Run Missouri to find Cass Claxton who left her at the alter and took almost all her money. Almost to town, her stage coach is robbed. As the robbers leave, Cole and Beau Claxton come upon the stage coach.

Cole doesn't like Wynne from the start. The feeling is mutual as well for Wynne. Beau invites Wynne home until the sheriff can find the robbers and collect the rest of her belongings. But can Wynne keep her secret of wanting to do harm against the youngest of the Claxton family from the others.

Wynne wrestles with God and His commandments as she heads on the road toward forgiveness.

I like the romance, the faith, and the plot. I didn't like the long chapters but thankfully each chapter had a few chapter breaks. The chapter breaks serve as a transition between POVs. This is a dual POV between Cole and Wynne.

~~~~~~~~

Review and rating to come.

[Carolyn Vandine West · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in a series. This is an update to an original book. So check if you have another from her first. This is a senior group read from our library.
It was not my favorite read by Lori, but still lots of fun.
When Wynne is left at the altar by her fiancé Cass, things get crazy. She thinks he has also stolen her inheritance money as well. So logically she is going to track him down and kill him.
I won’t ruin the fun by going any further. Enjoy. I look forward to the next book in the series. I borrowed this from the library.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book on the longer side about a girl, Wynne who is out for revenge on a man, Cass Claxton, who wronged her. She goes out on her own, stagecoachin it all the way from Georgia to Missouri. This takes place right after the war between the north and south and there are still rebels and ruffians out on the plains. Wynne doesn't have much luck in seeking revenge as her plans are waylaid every turn...when she is robbed on the stage coach and left with only her cloths and then is met with hospitality by none other than Cass' older brothers and family. Cole Claxton doesn't want to get involved with any female and has his own plan for his return from 4 years at war, but his upbringing on the treatment of woman and as a protector prevents him from letting Wynne go off on her own to seek revenge on his brother. Of course, his brother's welfare helps to keep him following wynne too. Neither one is that receptive to the other's intrusion, but when situations arise that put both of them in danger and they only have each other, they start to warm toward each other. The only thing standing in Cole's way from telling Wynne that he loves her is his brother's prior claim to Wynne's heart. This is resolved in the end when Cass finally comes home and Wynne has forgiven the misunderstanding of being left at the alter and having invested her money with cass.

[Chanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars is the actual rating. (Goodreads really needs to find a way to factor in those half points.)

This is one of the first Christian novels that I read and one of the first Christian romance novels I have ever read. To be honest, I would have thought the phrase "Christian Romance" to be an oxymoron, considering the quality of the typical romance novel i.e. Mills and Boon and Harlequin-esque romances.

I enjoyed this book because it does a great job of fusing the tenets of Christianity with the fact that Christians don't live in a separate magical world, but in the same place we exist and have lived through the same ups and downs of history and daily life that have challenged and continues to challenge us all.

[Sunshine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this 4 stars rather then 3 1/2 because it was an enjoyable read and because the past few books I've read had really lame leading men. However, Cole Claxton is someone I would have be drawn to. I liked him a lot. He made me smile many times and even laugh a little. Wynne was kind of a silly girl and always in some sort of trouble, but she was likeable as well. Her intent to kill a guy because he jilted her and took her money was a little over the top, but it was what drove the story. I've had my heart stomped on, and I could relate to wanting to cause this person some physical harm, but her determination to find him and seriously destroy him was childish. The rest of the story was entertaining and cute. Cole is a keeper. The story was fun.

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually like Ms. Copeland's books, but I could not tolerate this one. Wynne Elliot, the supposed heroine, is spoiled, shallow, self-centered, and nasty. Any man spending more than 5 minutes in her company would realize this and run for the hills. However pretty she may be (Copeland describes her green eyes and auburn hair repeatedly), she's still no better than a pig wearing a nose ring, as the book of Proverbs points out.

Her actions put other innocent people in harm's way and there is no amount of humor or pleading that will change this. At no point does she claim responsibility for her idiocy or even say that she's sorry. Why the handsome Cole Claxton falls for her is anyone's guess. I've liked most of the other books in this series, but this is by far the worst.

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to like a book when you don't like the main character. I gave this book 3 stars for good theology but only one star for plot. The plot was completely unbelievable and so slow. The heroine had 3 main character traits which I found very annoying. She was silly, stupid, and Stubborn. I didn't count how many times she messed up without any real consequences. The main one is when she was caught by an outlaw in the James gang. She was very close to getting violated when the hero saves her yet as they ride off together she tells him she didn't need his help. I was like REALLY! And of course the typical romantic plot; they hate each other throughout the story till the end.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is classic Christian Romance. Spunky Southern belle heroine meets honorable cowboy/Civil War soldier hero.... they aggravate each other, she gets in to all kinds of trouble, he rescues her repeatedly, they fall in love, I smile and sigh, the end! I enjoyed this story and look forward to reading the rest in the series!!

[Linda Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Men of the Saddle Series and the Bride of the West Series are full of adventure, humor, and romance. Lori keeps a reader interested to the last page. I love the way she writes Christian fiction. She doesn't preach but has good old fashioned values. Way to go, Lori!

[Salinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read! So entertaining! I even read most of it out loud to my brothers and they enjoyed it too! A great western, with mild romance. I like how the book has a Christian message through out. Loved the characters so much! Cole and Wynne being my favorite for sure! Hehe

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

these are just like the Brides of the west. Loved it.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good first in the series book. This series isn't all bad, but its not excellently written either. However, it has some brilliant moments.

[Sammie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I'm honest, I would not have picked up this book on my own, as it's not the sort of book I enjoy reading. However, it was for a book club, and I like to give book club books a chance, as I've been introduced to some good books through it. This time, however, that was not the case.

Where to even begin? The book is filled with almost every trope/cliche you can imagine in romance. Wynne is a vengeful would-have-been bride who was left standing at the altar, and she runs into Cole and they instantly hate each other, for no obvious reason. But of course, everyone knows they're going to fall in love by the end. Things are complicated even further when Wynne finds out that Cole is actually the brother of her ex-fiancee, Cass Claxton.

Wynne is a lousy Christian. There, it had to be said. I'm not even Christian, and I feel it needs stating. From the very start, she's decided that the only proper thing to do is kill Cass Claxton for leaving her at the altar, a thought that has never once crossed my mind. I mean, even to me, this punishment seems ridiculous and harsh. Despite the fact that she knows the commandments forbid her from doing so, Wynne is convinced that this is really what God wants because Cass is a bad person and so of course his murder would be justified. In fact, throughout the entire book, she manages to rationalize her really crappy, un-Christian thinking by just deciding that's what God would want, even though her entire belief system would say otherwise.

It wasn't just that, though, but the whole idea of murdering Cass in cold blood is handled quite flippantly. It seems like it's supposed to be a joke, like a tongue-in-cheek remark, except she's quite serious about it. Her intentions are repeated ad nauseum, and never once did they strike me as funny. Especially not when they sit opposite from Cole's perspective, having just gotten out of the Civil War and seeing death first hand and how serious the matter is to him. Even he takes her threats flippantly, though, and finds them more amusing than anything.

Wynne herself is an absolutely garbage character. She's self-entitled, whiny, spoiled, petulant, and all together a horrible excuse for a human being. But she's pretty. Which, as far as I can tell, is her only redeemable characteristics, and one that every character she meets seems to point out, so that's how I know that. Despite Cole going out of her way multiple times to help her, she's ungrateful and continues to hate him ... for nothing. She's petty. She was vicious to him from the moment they met and then hated him for not helping her out of the carriage, which ended up in her falling on her bum, so she seethed over that because it's all his fault and how dare he. That's basically her attitude the whole book. How dare he not bend over backwards to help her as she spits venom at him and tells him how much she hates him and doesn't need him.

But it's okay, because they totally fall in love in the end for no reason at all. Actually, 80% of this book is how much they hate each other, but she's pretty and he's handsome, and apparently, that's enough. There is no big climax, no aha, come-to-God moment where they realize the error of their ways. They just hate each other and then they don't, pretty much. For no discernable reason other than they're physically attracted to each other.

Most of this book makes no sense and is ridiculous. The situations are just so stretched and unrealistic, and it's obviously done as a way to show that everything fits together perfectly in God's plan. Which would be a wonderful sentiment, but it was stretched way too far that the "coincidences" were too unbelievable to give me that warm, bubbly, "everything happens for a reason" feeling.

There was also a ton of repetition. Certain thoughts or concepts or ideas were repeated over and over again, some more than a dozen times, to the point where it was really obvious and I felt like the story was going in circles.

All in all, I have to say this one's a pass for me. Obviously, there's a market for it. I think if you're really into romance and the popular tropes in it, then this would be right up your alley. I'm not a fan of any of these tropes and I just hated Wynne with a passion, so there was no way I could get into this book, unfortunately.

[Cynthia Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the Peacemaker before (audio). I could not forget the picture of Wynn Elliot riding through town on that stubborn mule, wearing her ridiculous hat, while the miner's pans clanged noisily. So I had to read it again!
Armed with platitudes from her finishing school while guilted by scriptures, Wynn is on a mission of vengeance. Embarrassingly left at the altar while the groom, Cass Claxton, made off with her money, she has comes to the realization that there is only one solution to her problem-shoot the cad! Cass's brother Cole learns of her plans to kill his baby brother and trails her to prevent the murder. This book takes place right after the Civil War. Cole and his other brother Bo are returning from the fighting and are on their way home to Missouri.
Wynn, is a spoiled, determined southern belle. She is prone to hair brain plans and has a temper, but she grows in humility. I forgot the trauma that she endured even before being jilted at the altar As the book progresses, you see her morph into strong woman. And she is not going to throw herself at Cole. She made peace with God, her life, and is determined to carry on. I grew to admire her more this time around.
On the other hand I had a little harder time with Cole in this reading. I found him to be arrogant and self-satisfied. He let her fall out of a stagecoach and would smugly make comments to her (even before he knew she was planning to kill his brother). However, he was brave and honorable and saved Wynn multiple times. The contrast in personalities adds to the humor and in the end makes the story very engaging!

[Donna Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the first few pages to the very end. It had all elements that make a great book. I have never laughed so hard out loud while reading a book. The author did a superb job describing the scenes that you read about that you can actually see the whole thing playing out in your mind.

Wynette Elliot is a woman scorned and she is seeking revenge. She was left at the alter by Cass Claxon and she thinks he ran off with her money. So this properly dressed young lady ventures out into the wild west to track him down to make him pay and her way of making him pay is to kill him. As she is looking for him she runs into his brother. The brother has a little fun with her as he is trying to warn his brother that a crazy lady is looking for him.

One of the best scenes that the author describes is little miss proper riding a donkey down the middle of town to go out to find Cass. She is in her finest clothes and every man sitting outside the store fronts stops in mid sentence as she passes by.

If you like a romance with humor and adventure this is definitely a book you will enjoy. It is the first book of 4 in this series.

[Carol Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun story to read. Lori Copeland had me laughing out loud on several occasions. The hero is strong, muscular and handsome and completely put out by the heroine. He thinks she is a nutcase and she certainly does a good job of making herself look that way. But you also realize that she just can't seem to catch a break. She's hell bent on revenge and nothing is going to stop her. She falls into one mishap after another. I can't wait to get the next book in the series. I'm hoping it's just as entertaining as I found this one. Yes, it may have been a bit far fetched but who cares if it makes you laugh. That's good medicine if you ask me.

[Lou · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t necessarily dislike the whole book, just the female protagonist. Her impetuous immaturity read more like a spoiled brat, rather than the bold southern belle I believe the author was trying to portray her as. I found her to be infuriatingly arrogant, and would rather the male protagonist end up alone instead of being shackled to a Wynne Elliott, who was really just a toddler possessing a woman’s body.
This is book 1 in the series of 4, and I’m not sure I’ll be picking up 2-4 if the women in those books are going to be as ridiculous as this character.
Unfortunately, I found this to be a romantic tragedy, not a romantic comedy.

[BlueJeansAndTeacups · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this laugh-out-loud tale of cantankerous Wynn Elliot and Cole Claxton who has just returned home after 4 long years of war. But, just prior to arriving he's forced to rescue the spit-fire who wants revenge on his brother. It's a great adventure as she gets into one mess after another and his moral compass demands he protect her, though he can't stand her.

Gentle faith woven throughout.

I own this book.
All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation.

𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 46 𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓮 📚 2023

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to think when this book started…a woman chasing a man to kill him because he left her at the altar and the man’s brother chasing her.. and the ensuing comedy of errors. I will say that both Win and Cole do a lot of growing over the course of the novel. I did enjoy the subplot of Bertie and his journey. It got kind of tiresome following Win and Cole and their constant bickering and such, but it all turned out.

[Noelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Westerns just aren't my jam. I wanted to like it more because of the enemies to lovers bit, but I just couldn't stand how awkward the main girl was, and then the romance felt like they just flipped a switch and then told us how they had grown closer during a time jump. Idk so much of it just gave me anxiety and secondhand embarrassment. I read it for a reading challenge and I think it confirmed that I'm not cut out for this genre.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I didn't think I was going to like this book because it isn't my normal type of book, but it really took me by surprise. It was such a fun read. I enjoy historical fiction, so give me a book that's historical and romantic and I'm on board. It reminded me of the romantic, historical, made-for-tv movies that used to watch when I was a teenager. I need to read the rest of this series!

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down

This was one of Lori Copeland’s best books ever! I couldn’t stop reading it. It has everything. Great characters, drama, adventures and some really funny situations. I absolutely loved the two main characters. There could not have been a more misfit or perfect match. I highly recommend this book for some interesting and fun reading.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Peacemaker

A story of revenge, love and denial. When Dunne shows up in the Claxton family in Missouri she is difficult to say the least. She is there to kill Cass for dumping her and she and Cole can't say a decent word to each other. However, the Christian way to live life continues to poke at both of them until they can't ignore,it,any longer.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining story of Wynne, a stubborn girl wanting to blow a hole through her ex-fiance, but when she meets his brother Cole, she has a problem. When he learns what she intends to do, he of course, is determined to stop her. Fun story!

[Tawnya · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the idea of this story, the execution was not great. Wynne is obnoxious, rude, and stubborn, and not in a way that makes her endearing... I would have loved it if the author had at least made her a LITTLE likeable. She acts more like a 12 year old than an adult, and has zero ability to see even 2 seconds into the future to decide how dumb her decisions are.

All of this makes it even more strange that Cass would ever fall in love with her. They rarely speak to each other. They have no chemistry. And yet suddenly they are just in love...? How??? It was just too ridiculous to be believable.

On top of the character flaws, there were writing problems... There were several sequences of the exact same thing being repeated over and over. The same sentiments were shared every few pages. Even if this was just to demonstrate that the characters still felt the same way, it came across as redundant and repetitive.

[Chesney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Carol Macdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mysterious Mr. Bertram G. Mallory had more than his share of miserable mishaps as he steadfastly tracked the disaster magnet, Miss Elliot across the country. A great, good fun read.