Maggie Osborne

Infiltrating a rowdy Colorado saloon in the disguise of a boy, bounty hunter Samantha Kincade is discovered by the very man she seeks in Trace Harden, but their subsequent game of cat-and-mouse gives way to an irresistible passion. Original.

The Seduction of Samantha Kincade

Saayan

There's no ebook version available so I opted for the audiobook from the library. The narrator left a little to be desired but I was happy to at least have the chance to "read" it since it's no longer in print.

The heroine, Sam, has lived her life under the guise of her deceased brother. She even has her own uncle fooled and he wants to set up an arranged marriage in order to boost his own political career. My favorite exchange between Sam and Sam's Uncle:
"All you gotta do is marry Millicent Snow and give Edwin a grandson. Now, preferably with your nose and her mustache. Give me one good reason why any man with a brain in his head would walk away from a sweet deal like this."
"I... Oh my god." The proposal reduced Sam to appalled stammering.

What makes this exchange particularly amusing is that Sam is in fact a woman that happens to make a good-looking young man, and has caught the fancy of the powerful town banker's daughter.

But the overall tone of the book is more serious and packs some amazing angst and inner turmoil. It also deals with tough subjects like cw: (view spoiler)[rape and suicide (hide spoiler)]. 

I loved the fact that the heroine is a better gunman than the hero and is overall tougher and more street smart than him. Even after her obligatory feminine makeover, it didn't change her core strengths and character. I also liked how she learns to wield her newly discovered power of femininity, too.
 
I'm glad I read others' reviews beforehand, warning about the closed door love scenes. If I went it blind, I would have been left quite frustrated after all the sexual tension and buildup for sure!

The Seduction of Samantha Kincade

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