Lily: A Love Story

by Cindy Bonner

It's been a long time since there's been such a plain-and-simple, head-over-heels love story as this one. It's about a good girl who falls so in love with a bad boy that she forsakes everything to ride with him - outlaw and fugitive that he is. Lily DeLony, fifteen, tells her very one-sided version of what happened on Christmas Eve night 1883 in the town of McDade, Texas, when a vigilante group made up of ordinary citizens struck against a gang of outlaws. One of the outlaw gang was the love of Lily's young life. One of the vigilantes was her father. The DeLony family is churchgoing, God-fearing, hardworking, controlled. The father's word is law and is seldom spoken softly. But Lily was raised to meet the challenge of hard work. She's a strong, upright girl who knows the rules of virtue and righteousness. And follows them. Follows them, that is, until she meets Marion "Shot" Beatty, youngest of the Beatty brothers. By the end of the story, Lily has forsaken all that for the love of Shot Beatty and an unknown future - one that included a pistol in Lily's skirt pocket. Lily's telling of this tale is characterized by her spirit, her will, her fearlessness, and the endearing gullibility of youth. Utterly convincing, utterly beguiling, "Lily" introduces a wonderful new writer with an ear for a certain kind of voice not heard so clearly since Charles Portis' "True Grit".

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Westerns, Fiction, Young Adult, Historical Romance, Teen

Library Binding

First published October 1, 1992

About the author

I’m the author of 6 literary and historical novels. I’ve written (and had published) short stories, essays, and book reviews. I've taught writing workshops for several writers guilds and for Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. I'm the mother of two sons, the grandmother of one grandson, and the daughter of a World War II veteran who recently passed away at age 88. I have two cats, and am also an avid watcher of birds, the weather, and the political goings-on in Washington, D.C. And I'm a bottomless well of spotty information on history and the meaning of life.

Reviews

[K I M B E R L Y ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book from a second hand book store. The moment i read the back cover i was already hooked! the copy is as old as i am and it's kinda beaten down with the cover almost falling off, the pages are really yellow and it really smells old but that made the reading experience even better!

Historical fiction wasn't really my thing but Lily made me love the genre now. I'm a sucker for forbidden romance and badboys (Marion Beatty gave me mini heart attacks!) and the wild west was a perfect setting for this epic love story.

Cindy Bonner you are amazing! You took me places i didn't know were beautiful!
Lily is definitely one of my all time favorite books now :)

oh, and Marion Beatty, you're one heck of a liar (and semi-rapist) .. and you're also very very hot, i wish i could marry you!

[Lauren - Find me on Fable! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I just love it so much. I read it for the first time in 1996 or 1997 - I was in 8th grade and it was on a banned books list. My teacher had us pick 5 books from the list and I picked this one. One of my assignments was to write a letter to one of the authors of the 5 books I picked and I wrote to Cindy Bonner. She wrote me back too!
Despite all the nostalgia surrounding this book (I don’t remember why or where it was banned, but maybe it was the sex? Idk), I still love it every time that I reread it, which is usually every 4-5 years. I like Lily’s character, and I like Marion, especially the basically historical mystery about who he was and how he fit into the Beatty gang. I know that it’s a very one-sided story and that of course in Lily’s eyes Marion can do no wrong, but I do like her naive nature and devotion to him and the way that he reciprocates to her. Anyway, it’s a fast read and a good story, and I’m glad that 20+ years after reading it for the first time, the nostalgia hasn’t been ruined.

[Suanne Laqueur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book for 3 reasons: 1) it's little and I'm a sucker for little books; 2) the cover illustration and 3) I confess I’m also a sucker for cowboys.

I enjoyed this and and its sequel, Looking After Lily.

Based on true events surrounding a vigilante posse that went after a band of outlaw brothers in post Civil War Texas, Lily introduces us to the motherless Lily DeLony. Living on her father’s farm and raising her younger brothers and sisters, she herself has been raised to be god-fearing and good. But she is inexplicably and irrevocably drawn to Marion “Shot” Beatty, one of the infamous Beatty brothers whose misdeeds of robbery and even murder are well-known but never proven.

Lily tells her side of the story at a Christmas Eve shoot-out that sends her running from her family and into Shot’s world with a pistol in her skirt pocket, never looking back.

Looking After Lily continues the story, this time from the point of view of Shot’s younger brother Haywood. Just twenty years old, Haywood is charged with looking after the now-pregnant Lily while Shot serves hard time in jail. The two make an unlikely but resilient pair of survivors as time after time Haywood tries to settle Lily and go out on his own adventure, but his misadventures bring him time after time back to Lily and the promise he made to Shot. In the end the brother- and sister-in-law find a place to settle together and wait for Shot and it’s then that Haywood faces the fact that he has grown to love the courageous Lily.

[Angela Fanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Delony is a girl, in 1883 living in McDade, Texas. She does as she's told and takes care of her brothers and sisters. The town McDade is plagued with a infamous band of outlaws called the Beatty Boys. Lily hears story after story about the Beatty Brothers growing up in McDade. One day whil she gather groceries for her family Marion Beatty helps her with her grocery. Marion becomes instantly taken with Lily. Lily son, against her better judgement is literally, and figuratively taken by Marion Beatty.

I loved this story. I picked it up because of the really awesome green cover, but I almost put it back when I read " western love story". I'm so glad I didn't. This book would appeal to anyone. The pace of the book was just right. There was never really a dull moment because it is a western tale having all the usual guns and a shootout. The "love story" was not a cliché; it always kept me guessing and was surprising at times. This was a wonderful book, and if you are a fan of mystery books, this might be a book for you.

[Emily Buehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will always be one of my favorite books--even if I read it again and no longer loved it as much as I did when I was in college, it would still stay on the shelf of favorites simply because I did love it so much at one time. And I wonder if I would still like it as much, as a middle-aged person, so far removed from starry-eyed teenage daydreams and more able to see the reality of the book's situations.

When I read it, I thought it was a perfect book. It's a simple story about a teenage girl who falls in love with a bad boy, set in the late 1800s in the West. Each time the lovers meet, it's delicious, and they sneak around together for the whole book, so there are no boring stretches without romance. There are three sequels (about different characters in the family) that focus on later stages of life, but Lily ends before anyone has to grow up and leave the teenage ideal of a perfect romance.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young girl becomes romantically involved with a Western gang member. Romance novel. May appeal to young adults. Not a typical Western.

[Ry Ry:) :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the romance and the bad boy gets the girl it was just a adventure

[Jenna Packard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in probably 4th grade and needed to remember if it was appropriate for my 8 year old daughter to read (it is not). The re read as an adult showcases where my love for bad boys started (and I wish would have ended). This was my first real love story and now I remember why. Marion Beatty will always hold a special place in my heart.

[Priscilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

2018 Read Harder Challenge #7--a western

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y'all, I LOVE this book! I stumbled upon it in my hometown library more than 15 years ago, and I can't even remember how many times I read it as a teenager. I wasn't sure about it the first time I saw it - I've never been into westerns, and the cover art was unusual for the types of books I did read - but I was drawn in by the subtitle: A Love Story. I'm so glad I gave it a shot all those years ago.

The characters stuck with me. As someone from a similarly strict and religious upbringing, I identified with Lily a lot, and I understood her desire for more. The profanity and sexuality in the book was quite risque for teen Mary, so this was a book I hid and didn't share with anyone. I also loved the way Bonner took real figures from history and invented plausible stories for them - that's my favorite kind of historical fiction. Man, did I love it. I'm so glad I had this book as an outlet for a lot of my teenage frustrations and angst.

A month or so ago, Lily popped into my head. I haven't read the book in at least 15 years, and I worried maybe it wouldn't be as entertaining and important to me as an adult. I finally decided I had to try it again, and I'm so glad I did. I devoured this book. I could've read it in one sitting if I didn't have a job to go to. What seemed scandalous to me as a teenager seems quite tame now as an adult. I was even surprised it wasn't MORE scandalous! Anyway, this was an awesome blast from the past, and I'm going to try to find my own copy of this book to add to my permanent collection so that I can revisit it whenever I want. I love it!

[Jodi Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when i was probably around 16 years old or so and have held onto it ever since. For one, i'm a HUGE huge fan of Westerns so the setting of this story appealed to me. but it was a really fast read, emotionally potent with a ver strong sense of voice and place which caused me to never forget it. The love story is exciting and dangerous and facinating (at least it was when i was a teenager). I am re-reading the book currently (it's old enough that pages are starting to fall out of it!) so that i can read the rest of the series as i was not aware this was even a series! i'm really excited to read the remaining books. my only question is... why is Cindy Bonner no longer publishing?!

[Amy Jasperson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book so long ago but it has always stuck with me. The characters are timeless and you never forget them. It’s an easy read that transports you back in time. I have read all of Cindy Bonner’s books over the years and this is my favorite. I even had the chance to meet her once and it was a great experience. This will probably forever be one of my favorite little love stories.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book about ten years ago. It was the best book I had read up until that point. So it's always had a soft spot for me. The book itself is a really good read, its a classic good girl falls in love with a badboy persona. Its a book I can pick up at anytime and fall into Lily DeLonys life.

[Sharon Zoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also by my cousin Cindy. This is actually the first in the series and then "Looking After Lily." If you like historical romance, ill-crossed loves, and adventure. You will fall in love with her characters.

[Brittany Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried to stretch this book out and enjoy it in tiny morsels and it still ended way too soon! This author has an exceptional ability to make characters come alive and they’ll be sticking with me for a long time!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very good. I stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish it.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. There are some who may not like certain elements of this book, but nothing like a good story about a girl getting swept off her feet by a seeming-bad boy.

[Jenelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books from my teen years

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
I read this several times in high school/university when I lived at home. Who doesn’t love a Western romance?

[Alayna Bolyard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cowboy Take Me Away - The Chicks

[Darcy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah yes. We have to love a love story that holds an undying, unseparable kind of love. Where characters in their home town forbid a polite nice girl from seeing the bad boy that causes crimes. Lily, a 15 year old girl, who grew up in McDade, Texas with her Papa, younger brothers, and younger sister. She was one of a kind, she had amazing cooking skills and was very obedient in her everyday chores. This seemed to catch the attention of one of the Beatty boys, the towns gang of outlaws. Marion ''Shot'' Beatty, who was the youngest in the group and took an interest into Lily. When the two met, Lily couldn't believe she was talking and making connections with one of the Beatty boys, and was scared about anyone in town catching her run off with the young outlaw. Who knew their love was being chased down by the towns posse, life or death situations, death, and sacrifice.

While reading the book, the beginning made me a tad confused and bored to read. I was upset with Lily at some points in the book, and wished she wouldn't have said the words that left her mouth. The way she was thinking showed how much she was head over heels for Marion but she refused to believe it and tried forcing herself to not think about him much; due to her Papa disliking Marion. Though, we all knew that was going to happen because she was in love! As time grew on, and I was in the middle point of the book, I seemed to always be on my toes. Always wondering what they were going to do and if they would ever survive the horrible shots of pain they faced together. There were some parts in the book where I did feel sorry for them and just wished they could have had a normal life and forget what Marion has done in the past. But, it's like what they all say, The past will always haunt you.

I believe this story deserved 5/5 stars not only because it was a romance book, but because it held so much drama that it itched my brain so good. I personally love a lot of drama and twists in books I read. Their love made me happy, knowing that Marion was so determined to keep Lily happy and safe. While Lily was happy to have someone care for her with so much love. The ending did of course make me incredibly sad but it was an amazing book overall. The characters and their personalities. I loved how the author made the text sound like it was in a southern accent and added details about how each character or town looked like. Since this book took place in 1883, the book showed that it stayed in that time line by adding details of what was around in 1883. Such as their transportation, the money, and the type of clothing the men and women would wear. If you're a fan of Romance just like me, then I totally recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did. <3

[Brooke Fravel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally tracked down this book I read in middle school and would think of time to time. 14 years and plenty of google searches later and I figured out the author and title AND the sequel I didn’t know existed !! I was able to get them from Biblio.com for 1$ each ! EEEK. 12 year old me was so excited when they arrived on my doorstep. For the audience it’s written for I thought it was done well. Excitement and a miniature love story with some western action. This is honestly probably the book that got me into historical fiction. (This book is loosely based on events that happened in McDade in 1883)

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went to my public library looking for something involving horse breeds and I came upon the Western section of my library and this book looked sooo good. I’m a sucker for seeing the good in bad boys, and I also love boys with red hair, plus I love the Southwest. So Marion is pretty much my dream boy. I want this to become a movie because I think it is so underrated. Tom Holland with a southern accent playing Marion could literally make my heart melt to the core. Ugh this book is just amazing.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best novel I’ve read in a while. The writing is excellent, the characters interesting, and the drama engaging. The plot involves both family conflict and crime. As a major bonus, the story is based on the author’s research into real people and events in Central Texas in 1883.

Highly recommended!

[Sandra Newton]

I love this story

I have read this series at least three times. I love the simple girl who falls in love and the outlaw she follows. I highly recommend you read this story and the others in this series🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💖💖💖💖💖

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked up with no idea what it was about. Interesting story of a young, sheltered girl who falls in with the "wrong sort" in the late 1800's.

[Dee Dees · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my most favorite book of all time. I have read it countless number of times!

[Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a good ol' Texas tale? I enjoyed this one very much. :)

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book. It's the first in a 3 book series, and the best of them

[Danyelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this during highschool and the story was interesting enough that this became the first book I finished after a dry spell. A cute enemies to lovers romance set in the wild west.