The Roaming Adventurer

Author: Karen Baney
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Colter Sons #2
Release Date: October 21, 2022
Publisher: Author Services International

A heartwarming western romance and shotgun wedding. Set in Prescott, Arizona Territory in 1890 – 1891.

Boisterous Boone Colter settled into his career as a surveyor when his older brother approached him to survey a route for a new railroad. When Boone hires Jack Bennett, he never expected to be forced to choose between his desire for independence and protecting Jack. Will he rise to the occasion? Can he find a way to strike a balance?

Jaclyn “Jack” Bennett spent the last six years apprenticing as an assistant surveyor under her father. When her father asks her to give up her dreams, settle down, and get married, Jaclyn disguises herself as a man and flees to Prescott, Arizona. Except she never thought through how her choice would destroy the lives of those around her. Will she find a way to reconcile broken relationships?

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Reviewer: Billi Varela

This is the second book in the Colter Sons Series. 

This novel has a shotgun wedding with an main character disguise. I liked that Jaclyn went to Prescott to escape marriage, and she ended up hitched to have her reputation protected. I love novels with these types of marriage tropes. Amazing. 

Boone has always been the boisterous son. His mama tried to get him to settle, but she couldn’t. I liked that it took a stranger who ended up becoming his wife to be the one to help him get his priorities straight. 

Jaclyn didn’t want a husband or children. She wanted to be a surveyor. I liked that even though she was a woman, she was one of the best surveyors around. 

Boone and Jacyln were the perfect match for each other. Both were surveyors and free spirits. And both couldn’t see themselves married anytime soon or ever. Had it not been for a fall and propriety's sake, neither one of them would have married. In the end, they knew it was the best thing that ever happened to them—such a cute story. 

Baney doesn’t make her female characters dainty. Well, some are dainty, but they are all active. And some have jobs fit for “men,” which I like. 

I loved the positive message in this book. God doesn’t punish someone for their deceit by making a miscarriage happen. A miscarriage is part of life. I liked that God was pointed as a merciful and good God. You may ask, “How else would He be shown?” Well, I know people who accept these tragedies as God teaching a lesson, which is FAR from the truth! But I won’t get into that. I like that God was shown as a good God who did not send the miscarriage. 

This is a clean novel. There are mentions of a man without clothes, but it is clean. There are no mentions of anything inappropriate. 

Disclaimer: I requested and received a copy of this book courtesy of the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own. 

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