Without Words by Ellen O’Connell
Plot:
It’s 1871 and Bret Sterling, a bounty hunter, has just killed his latest target in front of his young mute step-mother.
Hassie Petty is stunned and frozen in place by this strange man’s ice-cold stare.
Hassie’s husband, old enough to be her father, just died and with his son now dead too, she has no one and nothing to survive on.
Soon it becomes clear Hassie has no way of fending for herself and Bret cannot leave the woman alone knowing she will be either ill-used or killed.
He offers to take her with him to a place where she’ll be safe but there’s still a job to finish and bounties to collect before they actually get there…
And thus, the mismatched pair begins a journey through the Old West that will bring them something neither thought possible: Love.
Personal Thoughts:
Another GREAT book by Ellen O’Connell.
Even though I loved “Dancing on Coals” more because the story touched me deeply, this book deserves more than 4 stars hence I’m rounding the rating up.
Hassie and Bret’s bond forms slowly and the way they begin to trust and lean on each other is very believable.
Hassie cannot speak well but there’s never a lack of comunication and somehow the author made it possible for me to almost forget she couldn’t comunicate in words.
Bret learns how to read her and Hassie’s lonely soul finally finds someone that treats her like an equal and respects her.
The pace of the story slows down a bit when Bret’s family and past enter the picture but overall I can’t complain because I loved Hassie and Bret together even then.
The epilogue is beautiful *_*
Also an awesome yellow dog (and his relationship with Hassie) stole a piece of my heart😍
*Little side note:
Wished Bret, the hero, was less generous with his brother and parents at the end…but that’s just me.
Right now I’ve little faith in humanity’s “inner goodness” and I’m not very forgiving when I see/read about people using other people, expecially family, for selfish reasons and treating them like shit.
I know he wouldn’t have become the happy and fulfilled man we see in the epilogue if he had held onto the bitterness but still…his family was horrible.
This is my third book by Ellen O’Connell and she’s quickly becoming one of my favorite historical authors.
⭐☆ 4.5 Stars rounded up ☆⭐
~ My Ratings ~
Writing: 4.5 /5
Plot: 4 /5
Hero: 4.5 /5
Heroine: 4.5 /5
Secondary Characters: 3.5 /5
MC’s chemistry: 4 /5
Triggers: Violence, almost rape, horrible parents that show up toward the end and little OW drama. Explicit Sexual Scenes.
Recommended to: Historical Romance Readers looking for a Western Historical Romance.
Without Words by Ellen O’Connell
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