on 1998
Genres: Fiction, General, Historical, Romance, Historical Romance, Small Town & Rural, Western, Western Romance
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
SHE SHOT THE SHERIFF!
Trixianna Lawless can’t believe the man she’s shot on her front porch is the sheriff. She thought he was an intruder. What was he doing scaring her to death before the sun even rose? She is a proper woman who bakes pies for the restaurant in Grand Fork, Kansas. She isn’t dangerous; she’s simply run to Grand Fork after a misunderstanding with her sister. And she certainly isn’t Mad Maggie West, a notorious bank robber. Can she help it if she slightly resembles the woman on the wanted poster?Sheriff Chance Magrane can’t believe a woman has shot him. He has no choice but to arrest her for bank robbery. In the meantime he has to ignore the fact that she wears the fanciest underpinnings in town and has twinkling green eyes that remind him he is a man.
When Trixianna lands in Chance’s house instead of jail, she finds herself in the middle of the biggest mess of her life. As the days pass, Trixianna wishes Chance would believe her. Even as Trixianna and Chance fall in love, he is suspicious. In addition to shooting him, she tries to poison him, stabs him and almost burns down his house. It takes a cast of memorable characters to bring this spirited heroine and stubborn hero together.
I can’t remember the last time I picked up a historical romance set in the days of the wild, wild, west. It is not my cuppa usually as I avoid all things country-esque. I grew up in Montana and can confidently say “hard pass.” However, I picked this up for kindle when it was free during the rerelease, and saw a handful of reviews on goodreads from fellow reviewers. Fair warning, this review is a tiny bit spoilery so read at your own risk.
Bad Company is a historical romance boasting a slapstick, almost cheesy, sort of comedy along with some simmering sexual tension between Trixianna and Chance. Trixianna has a heart of gold and nearly above reproach. Even after inflicting bodily harm on Grand Fork’s sheriff, the entire town sings her praises. To the point where it felt nearly cultish. I mean, she’s only been in town for a month or two before all this happens at most. Sheriff Chance Magrane… He is a large, no-nonsense brooding lawman that is equal parts honorable and stubborn. Your typical grumpy alpha hero with cinnamon swirl qualities.
This story is stuffed full of external conflict ranging from silly to potential ethics violations. This veritable gold mine of tropes that is sure to entertain most readers. Starting with some flimsy excuse to start a raging fight (supposedly one-sided) between sisters stemming from some alleged husband stealing because miscommunication is a key component for happy lives. Mistaken identity! Clearly, Trixianna is the only red headed beauty in the west and Sheriff Chance doesn’t trust her purchases of flimsy undergarments so clearly she is a devious bank robber. Never you mind her eyes and nose look nothing like the sketch on the wanted poster. More importantly, forced proximity because what better place is there to hold on to an alleged dangerous criminal than the sheriff’s own home. Unshackled, access to cooking implements (knives), unsupervised visits with the townsfolk, and essentially free to leave at all times because the sheriff isn’t there.
The men are blushing maidens despite their raunchy locker room talk. All of the characters really suffered from a lack of backbone. I wish Aunt Tildy had stuck around because she was the one character beside Annie V to truly entertain me. I do wish there was more to Trixianna and Chance’s relationship. As it stands, there is certainly physical attraction and lust but I felt a little blindsided by the falling in love.
Forewarning, the Hero in this book is engaged to another woman until the very end of the book so if that is a deal breaker for you then you may want to steer clear. I had no real issues beyond raised eyebrows until the night before his wedding and then I was incredibly peeved at everyone.
Overall, this was a mildly steamy, amusing distraction from my book slump. I stuck around for the sheer chaos and the strains on suspension of disbelief were stretched to the limit. Bad Company barely eeked in at 3 stars because I am still uncomfortable at the whole relationship debacle. Still, if you are looking for a fluffy western romance, Carson’s got you covered.
CW: Gun/Knife Violence (mild), Adultery/Cheating, Kidnapping
