Book: The Courting of Widow Shaw (H, R, WE)

In Charlene Sands' The Courting of Widow Shaw, Steven Harding finds Glory Shaw lying beside her husband's corpse with a knife in her hand. She is battered and bruised and he believes the killing was justified, so he stashes her in a brothel (the last place anyone would look for the preacher's daughter) until he can be sure justice will be served and Glory won't be hanged.

Because Glory's late husband was abusive, she responds instantly to Steven's kindness. However, Glory's father took a bullet to save Steven's mother's life. Convinced that Ms. Harding's profession led to an innocent man's death, Glory is reluctant to become involved with Steven because he is the madam' s son.

Steven is a blend of alpha and beta, strong and self-confident but also very gentle and sweet, which is just what Glory needs (and what I prefer).

The I Can't Forgive plot drags on too long, and a few editing errors and anachronistic expressions pulled me away from the story. However, the romance itself is captivating as Glory recovers from her abusive marriage and flourishes in the presence of real love.

Grade: A-