Beyond Betrayal

by Christine Michels

On the run from the law, Samson Towers takes on the identity of a dying lawman to become the sheriff of Red Rock, Montana, but his attraction to gorgeous widow Delilah Sterne could destroy his new life. Original.

Genres: Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Westerns

359 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Christine Michels lives in Canada, near Medicine Hat, Alberta with her family. She loves reading -- almost anything from Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction to Westerns and Suspense/Mystery to Romance. And, of course, she loves story crafting and writing.

Christine divides her time between working in municipal government, writing, and spending time with her husband renovating their home. As her husband says, "We're ten years into a two year project."

Reviews

[Misfit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Montana Territory, 1887. Delilah Sterne has come to town to help her sister out of a financial jam before Eve and her husband lose the ranch. How's she going to make that money? Delilah's a card sharp (albeit an honest one), and the plan is to run a table at the local saloon and put her winnings into Eve's bank account. But there's one hitch - Sheriff Matt Chambers has already cleared the dishonest gamblers out of Red River and he's bound and determined to keep them out - not even one as pretty as Delilah.

That's the bare bones storyline and giving away much more than that would spoil the fun, and I do mean fun. You never know what you'll get with the Kindle freebies, but this one turned out to be a perfect blend of romance, mystery, cattle rustlers, some good ol' western shootouts, plus a few laughs and quirky characters (and pet!) thrown in for good measure. I thought the twist on the Samson and Delilah story was very well done, both Matt (Samson) and Delilah carry secrets and emotional baggage from their respective pasts. Those secrets are revealed slowly throughout the book, keeping the reader guessing and turning the pages.

Beyond Betrayal is another one of those older romances taking on new life in the digital age, just don't let that older cover scare you off (it's so awful I'm not even going to show you). A big thumbs up for a nice clean digital copy as well. If there were any typos or conversion errors I was too busy enjoying the story to notice them. 4/5 stars, perfect for a lighter, rainy day read.

Oh, I almost forgot my favorite quote and it's on the blurbs page:

. . . a tremendous reading experience. . . BEYOND BETRAYAL is a crafty retelling of the biblical story of Samson and Delilah, but in a. . . frontier [] background. Ms. Michels is one of the top guns of American romance.” — Harriet Klausner, Reviewer

:D :D :D

[Luminita Szen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story between Matt/Samson and Delilah. She is a young widow traveling to Red Rock in order to help her sister Eve, who is having money difficulties on her and her husband's cattle ranch.
Delilah works as a professional gambler in order to earn money and plans to establish a card table in Red Rock's saloon.
Her activity draws the attention and suspicion of the town's sheriff Matt Chambers, who hates dishonest gamblers.
Both main characters have secrets to hide and are drawn to each other despite their better judgement.
This story is an interpretation of the bible story of Samson and Delilah. So beware, betrayal is invoived. You have to read for yourself to find out more :-)

[Griffinyarn · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I just couldn't buy into the romance - it just didn't seem very realistic. For reference, here is the big "I'm in love" revelation (Warning: Sarcasm ahead)

Oh, no! She had to warn him. She had to tell him what she'd done. (i.e. Sold him out to his enemy - yeah, might be good to tell him)
But she was afraid. Afraid of his anger. Afraid of his hurt. And most of all, afraid of his hate. (gee, do you think he might be upset?)
Why? If you want him out of your life, why should you care what he thinks of you? a voice argued in her mind. (Plus he won't be thinking at all when he's dead.)
But she did, she realized with a suddenness that surprised her. She cared a lot. (With friends like these...) When that change had been wrought, she didn't know. Perhaps sometime during his revelation the previous evening. Perhaps at some time during the past weeks, without her realizing it, as he'd relentlessly but gently pursued her. Or perhaps, during his caring lovemaking last night. (No comment) But suddenly the thought of a life without Samson in it was more frightening than it was desirable.
She no longer wanted Samson out of her life! (Or his.)
The realization stunned her. She looked over her shoulder at the man sleeping at her back again. Had she grown to care for him? In that instant, with stunning force, Delilah received a revelation: She not only had grown to care for this big, intractable male, she loved him. (Awwww! Warm and fuzzies)

And I thought the whole Sampson and Delilah thing was too contrived.

[Jheart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought the digital copy of Beyond Betrayal by Christine Michels. I love the story - a female card sharp making her way in the old west on her own terms, falls for a sheriff with a secret. A classic Samson and Delilah tale with a happy ending. Michels' style is sassy and keeps the reader turning the pages. She has obviously researched the era around the Butte, Mt. region and it shows in the details. I hope she writes more Western historical romances.

[Sharon Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A female gambler and a town's sheriff hiding a secret. Oh, my.