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The Guardsmen of Denver #Prequel
Beloved Outcast
The Wagons Went West - Without Her...
...but nothing could stop Victoria Amory from pursuing her 'great adventure.' Not even a reprobate like Logan Youngblood, whose lazy-lidded gaze and lopsided grin dared her to do things that should have made her blush - but didn't!
The minute Victoria Amory let him out of the stockade, Logan Youngblood knew he was looking at Trouble with a capital T. This Boston-bred bluestocking had hair that glistened like an autumn leaf and eyes so bright, they shamed the sun out of the sky. Yep. She was Trouble of the marrying kind!
...but nothing could stop Victoria Amory from pursuing her 'great adventure.' Not even a reprobate like Logan Youngblood, whose lazy-lidded gaze and lopsided grin dared her to do things that should have made her blush - but didn't!
The minute Victoria Amory let him out of the stockade, Logan Youngblood knew he was looking at Trouble with a capital T. This Boston-bred bluestocking had hair that glistened like an autumn leaf and eyes so bright, they shamed the sun out of the sky. Yep. She was Trouble of the marrying kind!
299 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1996
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 10, 2009
Beloved Outcast got off to a pretty good start and exhibited the potential to be a great book, but in the end, suffered from some pacing and character development issues. The first half of the story was taken up by the protagonists making a two-week journey from the abandoned Army fort where Victoria found Logan to Trinity Falls, the town where she had been heading and where Logan lives. During this time there are no secondary characters to speak of except for Logan's Native American friend who doesn't show up until they are just outside of town. The hero and heroine have no one but each other to play off of, and they spend a lot of time in extensive periods of introspection and overlong, relatively trivial conversations that sometimes veered off onto rabbit trails, rather than sharing more personal details of their lives with each other, which made the plot drag for me. Actually it is only the first three days and the last day of the trip that are even detailed with the rest being skipped over, and during that time very little occurs except the traversing of the trail and the typical day to day hardships that one might expect on the frontier. I know that this type of scenario can be written in a more exciting way though, because Lorraine Heath's Texas Destiny has a similar “road trip” theme where the hero and heroine were alone on the trail for nearly two months, and I never once felt bored while reading it. Also, in my opinion, the attraction and romance between Logan and Victoria often felt rather forced with the author doing a lot of telling about their feelings, but not really showing them. There were a couple of moments of a more romantic nature, but not quite enough to suit me or to convince me that this couple had fallen in love. In fact, up until the end of their travels, I didn't feel much more than lust emanating from the pages. The second half of the book was somewhat improved. It at least had some action and wasn't moving at such a plodding pace, but the actual romance still left something to be desired in my opinion.
Logan and Victoria were generally likable characters, but I felt that the author really only scratched the surface of who they were, when she could have dug much deeper. Logan was a womanizer who had been hurt by the perceived betrayal of his brother and former fiancée and had vowed never to fall in love again or marry because of it. Of course, Victoria changes his mind about that in two short weeks, but other than the author telling me that he had fallen in love with her, I never really understood why, as they didn't really get along very well or have much in common. He mainly just seemed to be overcome with lust for her because she was an attractive woman, and he had been tempering his associations with loose women ever since he took responsibility for his young ward. Logan was definitely an alpha who only exhibited a few rare moments of softness. He certainly wasn't given to any romantic notions, and even his marriage proposal was more of a demand than a question. His time with the Shoshones and friendship with Night Wolf, as well as his reasons for taking on Madison as his ward were only cursorily explored, which was quite disappointing and made it seem like these things were only present in the story as convenient plot devices. In fact, both Night Wolf and Madison were interesting characters who I would have liked to see more of.
Victoria was a proper Boston lady whose reputation had been ruined through an unfortunate but amusing mishap. She decided to accept an offer of employment as a tutor to Logan's ward and undertake the arduous journey west to escape the taint of scandal. Since she had contracted for the work through Logan's man of business, she had no idea who Logan was when she first met the battered man who was locked in the stockade of the abandoned fort and left to die. I did appreciate that Victoria acted with a degree of caution when she found Logan in the stockade rather than immediately releasing him which could have been to her detriment if he truly had been a criminal. It was certainly understandable that she would initially think Logan might be a desperado, but after traveling with him for a while and gaining a measure of trust in him, one might think that she would begin to question whether his claims of innocence might be true. Instead Victoria stubbornly insists on continuing to think the worst of him throughout the entire book until the very end when she finally believes in him when it counted the most. I guess it felt like too little too late for me though, because her lack of faith in him up to that point just didn't go a long way toward fostering romantic feelings. I did enjoy and deeply relate to Victoria's love of books, and for an Eastern lady, she certainly had some spunk.
There were a few other things that I liked about Beloved Outcast. I always seem to enjoy the frontier setting and this one was no exception. I enjoy learning what life was like back then and how the west was settled. I was particularly intrigued by the triple waterfall and hot springs that Logan showed Victoria at the end of their journey and had some fun imagining how beautiful they must have been. The hot springs love scene was fairly steamy (pun intended;-)), and unique for its location. I was also amused by the “game” Logan and Victoria played with her books. It was her refusal to lighten her load by leaving her precious books behind that got her into trouble in the first place, and when Logan took over he insisted the books had to go too. Every day he would take a few books out and she would find them along the trail and put them back in which was rather funny, as were the questions Logan asked Victoria when she initially didn't recognize him all cleaned up and looking the part of the businessman he was. Overall, Beloved Outcast was a worthwhile read. Information on Ms. Tracy's books is a bit scanty, but Beloved Outcast appears to be either the first book of The Guardsmen series or a prequel to it. I haven't yet figured out the connection between this one and the next book Cade's Justice, but Logan's brother, Burke, is the hero of the third book, Burke's Rules and Victoria's sister, Annalee, is the heroine of the fourth book, Hunter's Law. Neither Burke nor Annalee were actual characters in Beloved Outcast but they were mentioned quite prominently. This was my first book by Pat Tracy, and even though she didn't exactly wow me with it, I will likely try another before passing judgment on her work, especially since I have the next of the series waiting on my TBR pile.
Logan and Victoria were generally likable characters, but I felt that the author really only scratched the surface of who they were, when she could have dug much deeper. Logan was a womanizer who had been hurt by the perceived betrayal of his brother and former fiancée and had vowed never to fall in love again or marry because of it. Of course, Victoria changes his mind about that in two short weeks, but other than the author telling me that he had fallen in love with her, I never really understood why, as they didn't really get along very well or have much in common. He mainly just seemed to be overcome with lust for her because she was an attractive woman, and he had been tempering his associations with loose women ever since he took responsibility for his young ward. Logan was definitely an alpha who only exhibited a few rare moments of softness. He certainly wasn't given to any romantic notions, and even his marriage proposal was more of a demand than a question. His time with the Shoshones and friendship with Night Wolf, as well as his reasons for taking on Madison as his ward were only cursorily explored, which was quite disappointing and made it seem like these things were only present in the story as convenient plot devices. In fact, both Night Wolf and Madison were interesting characters who I would have liked to see more of.
Victoria was a proper Boston lady whose reputation had been ruined through an unfortunate but amusing mishap. She decided to accept an offer of employment as a tutor to Logan's ward and undertake the arduous journey west to escape the taint of scandal. Since she had contracted for the work through Logan's man of business, she had no idea who Logan was when she first met the battered man who was locked in the stockade of the abandoned fort and left to die. I did appreciate that Victoria acted with a degree of caution when she found Logan in the stockade rather than immediately releasing him which could have been to her detriment if he truly had been a criminal. It was certainly understandable that she would initially think Logan might be a desperado, but after traveling with him for a while and gaining a measure of trust in him, one might think that she would begin to question whether his claims of innocence might be true. Instead Victoria stubbornly insists on continuing to think the worst of him throughout the entire book until the very end when she finally believes in him when it counted the most. I guess it felt like too little too late for me though, because her lack of faith in him up to that point just didn't go a long way toward fostering romantic feelings. I did enjoy and deeply relate to Victoria's love of books, and for an Eastern lady, she certainly had some spunk.
There were a few other things that I liked about Beloved Outcast. I always seem to enjoy the frontier setting and this one was no exception. I enjoy learning what life was like back then and how the west was settled. I was particularly intrigued by the triple waterfall and hot springs that Logan showed Victoria at the end of their journey and had some fun imagining how beautiful they must have been. The hot springs love scene was fairly steamy (pun intended;-)), and unique for its location. I was also amused by the “game” Logan and Victoria played with her books. It was her refusal to lighten her load by leaving her precious books behind that got her into trouble in the first place, and when Logan took over he insisted the books had to go too. Every day he would take a few books out and she would find them along the trail and put them back in which was rather funny, as were the questions Logan asked Victoria when she initially didn't recognize him all cleaned up and looking the part of the businessman he was. Overall, Beloved Outcast was a worthwhile read. Information on Ms. Tracy's books is a bit scanty, but Beloved Outcast appears to be either the first book of The Guardsmen series or a prequel to it. I haven't yet figured out the connection between this one and the next book Cade's Justice, but Logan's brother, Burke, is the hero of the third book, Burke's Rules and Victoria's sister, Annalee, is the heroine of the fourth book, Hunter's Law. Neither Burke nor Annalee were actual characters in Beloved Outcast but they were mentioned quite prominently. This was my first book by Pat Tracy, and even though she didn't exactly wow me with it, I will likely try another before passing judgment on her work, especially since I have the next of the series waiting on my TBR pile.
July 12, 2025
it's 3.5 also I believe it's my first "western romance" read. And I like it. I'm a fan of when calls the heart (the tv show) and this gave me all those vibes. She was a lot like Elizabeth at the beginning and he was a great outcast. I love the bantering between this two and how they kept on the edge.
he was a teddy bear. And I liked that way. I guess now they call them golden retriever but he had a strong moral compass and I love that.
it took me a while to finish it and I thought it was gonna be done in three days or some but anyway my rating reflects I was expecting other kind of pace.
he was a teddy bear. And I liked that way. I guess now they call them golden retriever but he had a strong moral compass and I love that.
it took me a while to finish it and I thought it was gonna be done in three days or some but anyway my rating reflects I was expecting other kind of pace.
July 11, 2025
I didn't like this book. The tedious, drawn-out journey to Trinity Falls was a major drag. What's more, Victoria's persistent, yet seemingly performative, snootiness toward Logan, whom she considered a "lowlife" for most of the book, made her later willingness to sleep with him highly questionable. Their dynamic ultimately felt superficial, driven more by physical attraction than emotional depth. Given these issues, I cannot recommend this read.
April 29, 2023
299 pages A sweet romance story. I read the book
January 9, 2025
It's a nice western love story! Their dialogues were funny and I loved the way in which they inevitably fell in love with one another.
June 16, 2019
The dialogue between Victoria Amory and Logan Youngblood is hysterically funny and absolutely convoluted. Individually, these two characters are very interesting; together, they make the pages sparkle.
Victoria is on her way out west when the wagon master decides to leave her behind -- without her weapon. This Boston bluestocking is undaunted by this setback, even though she is heading directly into Indian Territory. However, she isn't so blase when she arrives at the nearest fort to find the gates open and signs that the troopers vacated quickly. Eventually, she finds someone left in the stockade. When Logan Youngblood tries to explain that he'd done nothing wrong, Victoria finds it hard to believe. What Army officer would imprison an innocent man? What Victoria does not know is that Logan is often called (by the town's women) -- 'Passion's Pirate." The Army officer thinks that his wife and Logan have gotten to know each other (in the biblical sense) and he wants to punish him.
I hesitate to tell too much of the story. The only reason I did not give this book a score of 5 is that the reader can see most of the events heading towards this couple. However, Pat Tracy tells the story so well that I didn't really care.
This book is the first of 4 books in THE GUARDSMEN series. 4.5 stars
Victoria is on her way out west when the wagon master decides to leave her behind -- without her weapon. This Boston bluestocking is undaunted by this setback, even though she is heading directly into Indian Territory. However, she isn't so blase when she arrives at the nearest fort to find the gates open and signs that the troopers vacated quickly. Eventually, she finds someone left in the stockade. When Logan Youngblood tries to explain that he'd done nothing wrong, Victoria finds it hard to believe. What Army officer would imprison an innocent man? What Victoria does not know is that Logan is often called (by the town's women) -- 'Passion's Pirate." The Army officer thinks that his wife and Logan have gotten to know each other (in the biblical sense) and he wants to punish him.
I hesitate to tell too much of the story. The only reason I did not give this book a score of 5 is that the reader can see most of the events heading towards this couple. However, Pat Tracy tells the story so well that I didn't really care.
This book is the first of 4 books in THE GUARDSMEN series. 4.5 stars
February 21, 2012
3 1/2 Stars! ~ Because of unfortunate and easily misinterpreted circumstances, Victoria Amory found her reputation tarnished. To protect her family from the wagging tongues of Boston Society, she decided to accept a contract to travel west to tutor a young woman. On the trip Victoria again found herself an outcast, this time from the wagon train and having to lead her team of oxen on alone. She was relieved after several days of traveling to reach the military Fort, only to find it abandoned, apparently in haste, by every one of its occupants – that is except for the man calling to her from the stockade. Logan Youngblood had been badly beaten, locked up and left to die by the hands of the soon to arrive angry Indians. He was shocked to find his rescuer to be a pretty redheaded spitfire traveling alone. And much to his frustration, the woman refused to believe he was innocent of any crime and had been wrongly imprisoned. The following two weeks journey to safety were enough to test all his limits as a gentleman, not only did she possess a sharp tongue and a stubborn streak, but he couldn’t get the thought of tasting her out of his mind.
Victoria isn’t the prim blue-blooded woman her breeding says she must be, and Logan isn’t the thieving, plundering, criminal that she imagines. The sparks fly off each other as soon as they get close, and Victoria is constantly shocking herself with her very inappropriate thoughts. Logan’s pride is hurt when she refuses to believe he’s a decent man, and he decides to get even. Victoria isn’t a silly woman, she’s smart and resourceful and charmingly innocent. Logan admires her bravery and fights hard to keeps his hands off her. Their banter is fun and witty, and their chemistry sizzles. This is my first book by Ms. Tracy, and I’m very much looking forward to reading more of her western historicals
Victoria isn’t the prim blue-blooded woman her breeding says she must be, and Logan isn’t the thieving, plundering, criminal that she imagines. The sparks fly off each other as soon as they get close, and Victoria is constantly shocking herself with her very inappropriate thoughts. Logan’s pride is hurt when she refuses to believe he’s a decent man, and he decides to get even. Victoria isn’t a silly woman, she’s smart and resourceful and charmingly innocent. Logan admires her bravery and fights hard to keeps his hands off her. Their banter is fun and witty, and their chemistry sizzles. This is my first book by Ms. Tracy, and I’m very much looking forward to reading more of her western historicals
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews