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Helpless Hearts
Can a former gunslinger find redemption through love?
Noah Sinclair comes home to regain respectability and finds temptation instead. Juliana Jeffries is now a woman and she's engaged to the man who offered Noah a job and a second chance. But Noah's Helpless Heart still yearns for Juliana—a woman with dreams and ambitions that don’t include a former gunslinger.
Noah Sinclair comes home to regain respectability and finds temptation instead. Juliana Jeffries is now a woman and she's engaged to the man who offered Noah a job and a second chance. But Noah's Helpless Heart still yearns for Juliana—a woman with dreams and ambitions that don’t include a former gunslinger.
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First published January 1, 228
90 people want to read
About the author
Lilly Gayle
12 books45 followersI write paranormal and historical romance. I have two grown daughters, two grand daughters, two grandsons, and have been widowed from my husband of 42 years since 2022. I'm also a reader, who enjoys many genres.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 16, 2014
3.5/5.0
“Helpless Hearts” is a historical Western that grabs one’s attention from the very first page and is filled with all the action, angst and adventure any wild west fan could crave!
Full review in February 2013 issue of InD'tale Magazine.
“Helpless Hearts” is a historical Western that grabs one’s attention from the very first page and is filled with all the action, angst and adventure any wild west fan could crave!
Full review in February 2013 issue of InD'tale Magazine.
April 18, 2013
After the Civil War, the town of Redemption struggles to get back to an existence resembling normal. Several of its former inhabitants move back in order to recuperate and put back together their damaged lives.
Juliana Rogers witnessed horrors that still haunt her. As the daughter of a doctor, she had followed her father to the medical camps to help with the wounded soldiers. She returns to Redemption without him. Dr. Rogers was shot to death in the camp simply for doing his job. She wants to become a doctor and follow in his footsteps, but that is nearly impossible for a woman in the late 1800’s. Her only hope of survival is to become engaged to a man she nursed back to health.
Her engagement to Sheriff Avery Martin barely keeps her from having the reputation of a loose woman in Redemption. After all, she and Avery were alone in her house while she nursed him back to health. Six long years later, they still aren’t married because a bullet wound damaged Avery’s ability to perform his husbandly duties and he doesn’t want to marry her until he is fully healed. It is becoming painfully obvious that a full recovery of his manly prowess may never happen. In truth, their relationship is more like guardian and ward than lovers. Juliana is okay with this arrangement until her old love Noah Sinclair takes a job as Deputy Sheriff.
Noah has his own baggage from his past. Taking the job of deputy is his way of reclaiming his reputation. After his father was shot to death, Noah took to the road to find his killer and became a gunslinger. Then the war happened. Now, he wants to redeem his reputation. But his renewed passion for Juliana makes him feel guilty for betraying his friend Avery, whom he feels he owes a debt of gratitude. Juliana feels guilty for loving a man besides her fiancé. And Avery feels guilty for keeping Juliana from the man of her dreams.
This would make for a tense enough love triangle, but the author, Lilly Gayle, isn’t through throwing twists into the plot. Enter Natalie Harris, whose life is shattered by a brutal rape. Adding insult to injury Natalie’s father disowns her for shaming him, as if the rape was her choice. (I wanted to jump into the pages of this book and smack Mr. Harris around a bit for his stupidity.) Juliana never inspires the physical attraction in Avery to prompt his recuperation from his manly inabilities quite like Natalie does.
So here’s the situation. Juliana is engaged to Avery, but loves Noah. Noah loves Juliana, but doesn’t want to come between his best friend and his fiancé. Avery is engaged to Juliana, but falls in love with Natalie. Avery doesn’t want to break his promise to Juliana since it is the only thing keeping her from being ostracized in Redemption.
So far, there hasn’t been a lot of redemption in Redemption. But for me, that is the theme of this book. All four characters eventually find redemption. Sometimes in their relationships with each other. Sometimes in doing the right thing by each other. The catalyst that stirs this mix of restrained emotions and makes them all boil over is the kidnap of Juliana by members of the James-Younger gang of robbers. I’m not going to tell you the plot, but I will tell you that Ms. Gayle unravels this mess in the most delightful way in the truest fashion of historical western romance.
She digs deep into these characters’ feelings and motives, weaving their fears and desires in and out of their relationships with each other with delicious precision. Although some of the plot devices were standard western fiction clichés, such as the gunslinger that is shot and is not in so much pain that he isn’t able to get on his horse and ride to the nearest town, the story is compelling and the depiction of the characters’ emotions is credible. Juliana’s desire to become a doctor in a male-dominated society added texture and interest to a very common western plotline. There are plenty of misunderstandings and stubborn attitudes for the characters in this story to overcome.
The story drew me in from the beginning and kept me interested until the very last word. Overall, this was a very good read and I would recommend it to lovers of western historical fiction.
Juliana Rogers witnessed horrors that still haunt her. As the daughter of a doctor, she had followed her father to the medical camps to help with the wounded soldiers. She returns to Redemption without him. Dr. Rogers was shot to death in the camp simply for doing his job. She wants to become a doctor and follow in his footsteps, but that is nearly impossible for a woman in the late 1800’s. Her only hope of survival is to become engaged to a man she nursed back to health.
Her engagement to Sheriff Avery Martin barely keeps her from having the reputation of a loose woman in Redemption. After all, she and Avery were alone in her house while she nursed him back to health. Six long years later, they still aren’t married because a bullet wound damaged Avery’s ability to perform his husbandly duties and he doesn’t want to marry her until he is fully healed. It is becoming painfully obvious that a full recovery of his manly prowess may never happen. In truth, their relationship is more like guardian and ward than lovers. Juliana is okay with this arrangement until her old love Noah Sinclair takes a job as Deputy Sheriff.
Noah has his own baggage from his past. Taking the job of deputy is his way of reclaiming his reputation. After his father was shot to death, Noah took to the road to find his killer and became a gunslinger. Then the war happened. Now, he wants to redeem his reputation. But his renewed passion for Juliana makes him feel guilty for betraying his friend Avery, whom he feels he owes a debt of gratitude. Juliana feels guilty for loving a man besides her fiancé. And Avery feels guilty for keeping Juliana from the man of her dreams.
This would make for a tense enough love triangle, but the author, Lilly Gayle, isn’t through throwing twists into the plot. Enter Natalie Harris, whose life is shattered by a brutal rape. Adding insult to injury Natalie’s father disowns her for shaming him, as if the rape was her choice. (I wanted to jump into the pages of this book and smack Mr. Harris around a bit for his stupidity.) Juliana never inspires the physical attraction in Avery to prompt his recuperation from his manly inabilities quite like Natalie does.
So here’s the situation. Juliana is engaged to Avery, but loves Noah. Noah loves Juliana, but doesn’t want to come between his best friend and his fiancé. Avery is engaged to Juliana, but falls in love with Natalie. Avery doesn’t want to break his promise to Juliana since it is the only thing keeping her from being ostracized in Redemption.
So far, there hasn’t been a lot of redemption in Redemption. But for me, that is the theme of this book. All four characters eventually find redemption. Sometimes in their relationships with each other. Sometimes in doing the right thing by each other. The catalyst that stirs this mix of restrained emotions and makes them all boil over is the kidnap of Juliana by members of the James-Younger gang of robbers. I’m not going to tell you the plot, but I will tell you that Ms. Gayle unravels this mess in the most delightful way in the truest fashion of historical western romance.
She digs deep into these characters’ feelings and motives, weaving their fears and desires in and out of their relationships with each other with delicious precision. Although some of the plot devices were standard western fiction clichés, such as the gunslinger that is shot and is not in so much pain that he isn’t able to get on his horse and ride to the nearest town, the story is compelling and the depiction of the characters’ emotions is credible. Juliana’s desire to become a doctor in a male-dominated society added texture and interest to a very common western plotline. There are plenty of misunderstandings and stubborn attitudes for the characters in this story to overcome.
The story drew me in from the beginning and kept me interested until the very last word. Overall, this was a very good read and I would recommend it to lovers of western historical fiction.
December 5, 2012
Lilly Gayle has written another blockbuster book titled HELPLESS HEARTS. This time she has written a romantic western that has all the elements that will keep the reader spell-bound from the first page to the last and still wanting more.
Lilly Gayle tells a story of the American frontier of the Old West with true outlaws, such as the Younger and James gangs and of a fictional gunslinger, a doctor's assistant, a sheriff, and an outcast young mother due to a rape. Their lives are entwined with realistic hardships and challenges.
The book begins with an old-fashion gunfire by some drunken cowboys and a young woman on a runaway buckboard. The woman is Juliana Rogers, the sheriff's fiancee, and her rescuer, the sheriff's deputy, Noah Sinclair. Noah comes back to his hometown, Redemption, and works for the sheriff and his best friend, Avery. He had left town hunting for his father's murderer and due to the circumstances became a gunslinger. Juliana was a young lass who worked with her father as a medical assistant during the Civil War. She fell in love with Noah all those years ago, and now he has rescued her from the drunken cowboys.
During his traveling the west, Noah had crossed paths with the James and Younger gangs. Word had spread that the Younger gang was in the territory. Noah decided to find and join the gang, so that he could discover their plans. After he headed out on this mission, Juliana was kidnapped by the Younger gang.
Here's an excerpt from HELPLESS HEARTS:
Avery reached for the folded paper with a shaking hand. He blinked several times and then handed the note back to Noah.
"Just tell me," he said with a weary sigh. "I can't seem to focus on the words." Noah took the note and slid it into his pocket. The Youngers have her, Cole says he'll release her unharmed if you leave the town unprotected for the next twenty-four hours.
This storyline becomes a thrill-seeker, a very romantic conflict between Noah, Juliana, Avery, and Natalie. What an astounding action-packed read that kept me throughly entertained, just as I have in reading every book that Lilly has written.
Lilly Gayle tells a story of the American frontier of the Old West with true outlaws, such as the Younger and James gangs and of a fictional gunslinger, a doctor's assistant, a sheriff, and an outcast young mother due to a rape. Their lives are entwined with realistic hardships and challenges.
The book begins with an old-fashion gunfire by some drunken cowboys and a young woman on a runaway buckboard. The woman is Juliana Rogers, the sheriff's fiancee, and her rescuer, the sheriff's deputy, Noah Sinclair. Noah comes back to his hometown, Redemption, and works for the sheriff and his best friend, Avery. He had left town hunting for his father's murderer and due to the circumstances became a gunslinger. Juliana was a young lass who worked with her father as a medical assistant during the Civil War. She fell in love with Noah all those years ago, and now he has rescued her from the drunken cowboys.
During his traveling the west, Noah had crossed paths with the James and Younger gangs. Word had spread that the Younger gang was in the territory. Noah decided to find and join the gang, so that he could discover their plans. After he headed out on this mission, Juliana was kidnapped by the Younger gang.
Here's an excerpt from HELPLESS HEARTS:
Avery reached for the folded paper with a shaking hand. He blinked several times and then handed the note back to Noah.
"Just tell me," he said with a weary sigh. "I can't seem to focus on the words." Noah took the note and slid it into his pocket. The Youngers have her, Cole says he'll release her unharmed if you leave the town unprotected for the next twenty-four hours.
This storyline becomes a thrill-seeker, a very romantic conflict between Noah, Juliana, Avery, and Natalie. What an astounding action-packed read that kept me throughly entertained, just as I have in reading every book that Lilly has written.
February 5, 2013
Helpless Hearts started out action packed and maintained an absorbing pace throughout the story, but skillfully woven so as not to take away from the impact and connection of the relationship between the main characters. I enjoyed the adventures of Noah and Juliana, their history, reunion, and lingering emotions. I was pulled right into the Wild West and immersed, anxious, scared, in love, and hopeful right along with them and above all, involved in their world. A thoroughly enjoyable read, my first by Lilly Gayle but certainly not my last!
October 21, 2012
Just finished reading Lilly Gayle's latest and it lived up to what I know to expect when I read her. I loved it. A disreputable gunslinger, at least in his own eyes, has returned home. He finds he is not quite ready to see the girl he thought he was over. She's grown now and even more beautiful, but taken - by his only friend. How can he get some honor back with that hanging over his head? If you like strong women, this is the book for you! Enjoy!
October 23, 2012
Lilly Gayle brings the wild west to life with Helpless Hearts.
Noah left town, and the only girl to capture his heart, to avenge his father’s death. He returns years later, a gunslinger looking for redemption. The problem? He’s still in love with Juliana, and she’s engaged to the sheriff—his boss and only friend. When the Younger gang kidnaps Juliana for leverage against the sheriff, Noah must decide which side of the law he’s on to save his love.
Noah left town, and the only girl to capture his heart, to avenge his father’s death. He returns years later, a gunslinger looking for redemption. The problem? He’s still in love with Juliana, and she’s engaged to the sheriff—his boss and only friend. When the Younger gang kidnaps Juliana for leverage against the sheriff, Noah must decide which side of the law he’s on to save his love.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews