Lead Me Into Temptation (Gold Dust Brides – Book One)

WESTERN:  Violet Webster is on a mission to find her California gold miner father to save her sisters from a forced marriage. Left broke and penniless by their gambling uncle, the only way she can get to California is to travel as a mail-order bride. Her betrothed is the richest man in the California territory, Earl Sutherlin, a man more than twice her age. The kicker? She doesn’t plan to marry anyone – just get to California and pick up her search for her father in Old Dry Diggins. Earl’s son Garrett is there to meet the stage, and he recognizes Violet as soon as she exits the stagecoach. There is no escape from him. No matter how hard Violet tries to evade the handsome Garrett, he manages to find her – and just in the nick of time.

“Lead Me Into Temptation” is an entertaining adventure of a mail-order bride gone wrong.  While the premise of the mail-order bride is not original, Ms. McKay takes the idea and makes it her own by giving it unique and exciting twists.  The secondary characters, Bentley, Riddick, and Harrison Sweet are under-developed although they play major parts in the story. It’s less than believable that the Indian, Leyati, would follow Garrett and Violet after arriving in town.  Garrett and Violet are well-written, witty, and rich characters who often battle with wordplay. Adventure is the name of the game in this fast-paced love story set in the Old West.

Belinda Wilson