Blood Oath

Blood Oath by Melissa Lenhardt. (Book 2, Sawbones Series) New York; Redhook Books, 2017. 282 pages *****

In this second book in the Sawbones Series, Kindle and Laura are heading to Fort Worth disguised as brothers trying to stay one step ahead of the bounty hunters and Pinkerton detective looking for them. Laura's voice is still hoarse after her encounter with Cotter Black and she is recovering from her physical ailments after her brutal attack at the hands of her kidnappers. Kindle has grown a beard and sports an eye patch attempting to hide his scars and evade the military consequences of his desertion. No stranger to violence, Laura and Kindle are willing to kill in order to be safe and to stay together.  As a doctor, Laura questions her ability to practice medicine in the future based on her acts in the present. Laura risks her life to save a Native American woman who is being savaged by bandits, only to once again find her reckless act curtails her freedom. However, Laura is an independent woman, not a trait valued on the frontier) and Kindle is madly in love with her. Seeking solace with Kindle's sister, who runs an orphanage, Laura and Kindle must face their own demons while learning to trust each other.

I received an ecopy for a review.

I read this book in one sitting on a flight from Bozeman, MT (by way of Dallas FW) to Philadelphia. I love historical fiction and this series really captured my attention. I received the 2nd one to review and quickly reserved the first one from my Public Library and requested to review the 3rd. I am so impatient when I get to the end and have to wait until the next one is published. (I don't do too well watching mini-series either) The violence of the frontier is realistically portrayed and the brutal acts committed against humanity are well documented. But, it is also a love story and one that survives against all odds. I recommend that you start with Sawbones because it is a little disjointed to start with Blood Oath. I could follow the story, because Lenhardt does backtrack, but I think you will enjoy them in order.

Melissa Lenhardt is on the board of directors for the North Dallas chapter of Sisters of Crime, as well as a member of the DFW Writers Workshop. She lives in Texas with her husband and two sons.

#sawbonesseries #bloodoath #historicalfiction