Ruby Thornton, the
proprietor of the Silver Sage Saloon is a business woman, not a
prostitute. But, because she runs a saloon, the proper folks of Silver
Sage Creek treat her as such, until the wealthy Richard Webster moves
into town. His reputation of being a gentleman and a lucrative railroad
businessman has the entire town smitten, including Ruby. When a cowboy named Jesse Stryker comes along working for the wealthy Webster, Ruby is torn by her conflicting emotions. His angry eyes contradict his proposition for a night of pleasure. She’s tempted. Only, she isn’t a prostitute.
Ruby’s first instincts about a person is usually right, until now. Who’s the shrewd and fiendish man, the wealthy Webster or Stryker? Caught up in a charmed life, Ruby’s backed into a corner of kidnapping and murder, putting her life and others in danger. Who can she trust?
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REVIEW:
4.5
Stars
Like many Western
towns in the years following the Civil War, Silver Sage Creek is facing some
drastic changes, brought about mostly by the explosive growth of the
railroad. Ruby Thornton’s saloon,
inherited from a man who helped her rebuild her life after she was traumatically
separated from her home and family back in Atlanta, is falling a little
behind. Large numbers of railroad
employees, ranch hands, and other travelers are looking for services she does
not provide, and has no intention of ever providing: prostitution. So she needs to consider other
attractions, like musical performances.
She also finds herself caught up in a romantic triangle, torn between
wealthy, charming railroad businessman Richard Webster, and his employee, Jesse
Stryker, equally appealing but more rugged, less sophisticated and just a little
mysterious.
Ruby also has an eye
for helping people in need of rescue, like she had been once. Complicating her life just as much as
her two suitors, is her growing involvement in rescuing young girls kidnapped
and forced into prostitution by someone called the Railnapper. Could one of her two beaus be this
villain? And how can she keep those
she has rescued safe, not to mention surviving threats to
herself?
There are strong
elements of romance in ‘Better She Live’, but the intriguing triangle is
expertly blended with the suspense involving the Railnapper, all woven nicely
into a good portrayal of Western history.
Not only are Ruby, Jesse, and Richard all interesting characters, there
are many wonderful secondary characters.
Details of Ruby’s past are carefully included, giving readers all the
information needed to understand this story, without slowing it down.
Overall, this book
is very well written; the only flaw, in my opinion, is that the build-up to the
final climax feels unnecessarily drawn out, even though many of the details are
interesting. I truly enjoyed
reading it; in fact, I’ve already read most of it a second time, as I really
like historical romances with good suspense. Therefore, I definitely recommend Judy
Baker’s book, and award it 4.5 stars.
I am grateful for
the free reviewer’s copy that I was given. (NOTE: I also intend
to read the earlier book in this series, ‘Better She Die’, and watch for when
the next one is published.)
Reviewed by: Roberta
