WINNING MAURA’S HEART
The Hangman’s Daughters Series, Book # 1
by
LINDA BRODAY
Western Romance / Clean & Wholesome / Historical Fiction
Publisher: Severn House
Date of Publication: March 7, 2023
Number of Pages: 256 pages
Scroll down for the Giveaway!
The Calhoun brothers are identical twins but on opposite sides of the law. Cutter is a deputy Marshal, Jonas an outlaw. When Cutter attempts to break his brother out of a notorious gang, they are shot, and Maura finds one of them wounded, close to the mission – but which brother is it?
Maura Taggart is an outcast, the daughter of a hangman and tainted by association – no reputable man wants her as his wife. And now she is homeless, along with her sister and the group of children in their care. Armed with pure grit, she finds a nearby mission where the nuns agree to take them in and set up an orphanage. But trouble is just around the corner . . .
As the stranger regains his strength under Maura’s care an attraction between them grows, yet how far can she trust him? And why has he brought trouble to their door? With the orphanage under threat can Maura trust this handsome stranger both with their safety and with her heart?
From the incredibly evocative first page, Winning Maura’s Heart grabbed my attention and my heart and didn’t let go until the tenderly sweet ending. This story of outcast sisters, abandoned children, an unforgiving society, and morally ambiguous men had me tearing up in parts and once again admiring Ms. Broday’s remarkable writing prowess. She is an auto-read for me whenever I get a hankering for a good old-school Western romance.
You’ll never get anywhere by sitting down and giving up.”
Maura Taggart joins the long list of Ms. Broday’s amazingly stalwart heroines. Along with her sister Emma, she somehow survived being driven out of San Antonio by ungrateful citizens while taking care of more than a dozen orphaned children armed only with her indomitable will, innate kindness, and unshakeable faith in a higher power. In saving a half-dead man, an abused child, an alcoholic uncle, and many lives, she is the embodiment of a true heroine.
By contrast, Calhoun is not a clear-cut hero. There is a mystery surrounding his real identity and he exists in the gray area between bad and good. I really appreciate how Linda wrote him as well as Max Taggart. Both men earned redemption through their actions. Such is the power of love.
New life was born from hopeless despair.”
Nothing symbolizes love more than children. In this story, they provided both touching moments and funny scenes. They supplied the light to balance the heavy and dark threats of violence and abuse.
Indeed, Ms. Broday penned another action-packed and adventuresome novel that also taught me something new (hint: spiderweb) while satisfying my romance-loving heart. Her talent is so extraordinary, I’m willing to accept the improbabilities that happened in the story to bring about a happy-ever-after.
Thank you, Linda, for this book. And thank you, Lone Star Lit, for providing me with the opportunity to review this story and be included in the blog tour.
I’m a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of western romance novels and short stories. Watching TV westerns during my youth fed my love of cowboys and the old West and they still do. On a still day, I can often hear the voices of American Indians, Comancheros, and early cowboys whispering in the breeze here on the high West Texas plains. We refer to this land as “cowboy” country and men here still ride the range just as cowboys of old. My stories focus on family life and almost all have children.
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
THREE WINNERS:
GRAND PRIZE: tote including a signed copy of Winning Maura’s Heart, strawberry & chocolate tea, Cowgirl hand lotion, bath bombs, personalized cup;
2nd Prize: eBook copy Winning Maura’s Heart;
3rd Prize: $15 Amazon gift card
(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 4/14/23)
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04/04/23 |
Guest Post |
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04/04/23 |
BONUS Review |
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04/05/23 |
Review |
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04/05/23 |
BONUS Promo |
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04/06/23 |
Excerpt |
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04/07/23 |
Review |
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04/08/23 |
Review |
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04/09/23 |
Notable Quotables |
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04/10/23 |
Review |
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04/11/23 |
Excerpt |
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04/12/23 |
Review |
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04/13/23 |
Review |
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Maida Malby 
Terrific review! This one has moved to the top of my TBR pile — seems like just the escape I need (even though there’s ROMANCE. heh heh. It sounds like it’ll do me good). Thanks for sharing!
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Hall Ways, everyone needs a little romance. But this has plenty of mystery to take you down a different path. And humor. These orphans are so funny and cute. Love you, Kristine.
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Dearest Maida, thanks just doesn’t seem enough for this beautiful review. My heart is filled with happiness that you liked this story. Maura and Calhoun were such great characters with an interesting story to tell. Emma will get her chance in November when her book – Courting Miss Emma – comes out. I’m so grateful for your opinion on Winning Maura’s Heart. Blessings and love.
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Linda, it’s my pleasure to give your book a rave review. Courting Miss Emma will be a nice birthday gift to me. Congrats again on a successful new release.
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What a fabulous review, Maida! You definitely portray the beauty and essence of the book. Thank you for sharing and a huge congrats to my sister!!
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Thanks, Jan. Appreciate your kind words.
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