Outlaw in Paradise

By Patricia Gaffney

Cady McGill is a saloon owner in Paradise, Oregon. Looked down on by the local women, she is independent and tough-minded and used to being on her own. Then one day a tall stranger comes to town, renting a room above the saloon. Attractive and dangerous, the stranger Jesse Gault is there to get whatever he can out of the citizens of Paradise. Because Jesse Gault is a man with a mission, hired gun out to exact revenge for whomever hires him. And, hired gun though he may (or may not be), Cady finds herself drawn to him, despite his murderous reputation.

I liked the premise of Jesse's scam on the citizens of Paradise. It's a cute idea, using his deadly reputation to extort money from those with guilty consciences. But other than that, it was just your typical romance story, with a subplot of a local bully whom Jesse eventually has to deal with. And like most modern romances, Cady eagerly falls into bed with her new lover. I guess the local ladies were right about her. Anyway, while I liked Jesse's scam and the Jesse character, the rest of the story was only average.