Bound for Eden

Our Review

BOUND FOR EDEN by Tess LeSue is an exciting western starring a beautiful woman in trouble who disguises herself as a boy then hides in a cathouse from the men who want their gold back. Accompanied by her brother and sister, they meet a handsome man who knows both sides of this lady/boy’s personalities but doesn’t discover that they’re the same person for most of the novel. You can well imagine the insanity when they hit the Oregon Trail.

Like other historical western pioneer stories that I consider comfort reads, BOUND FOR EDEN has all the elements I love, plus a few surprises I didn’t expect. With danger, mean and hateful outlaws, a brave hero, and a ridiculously stubborn heroine — the combination works. I was a little bugged by the POV (point of view) switching in one of the intimate scenes, but it was well-done, so I got over my quirk.

I did roll my eyes a bit at the constant references to this couple’s beauty. Luke is a playboy through and through. Even though Alex knows she’s beautiful, she doesn’t realize her worth until Luke proves he’s serious about her. I did want a few more flaws for Luke. He was a little too much of a player and could get women to do anything for him with just a look. That sometimes made me wonder how Alex would forgive his nonsense.

Alex is hilarious. She is one spunky western gal. Her feistiness with Luke when she’s pretending to be a boy is very amusing. Hiding her beauty and allowing her sister to shine showed Alex’s determination and love for her siblings. Since the siblings are orphans and not really blood, but adopted together by a loving couple who died, this book reminded me of FOR THE ROSES by Julie Garwood, one of my favorites. It’s probably why I fell in love with the characters from the beginning.

BOUND FOR EDEN is so ridiculous and addictive that I carried the book with me everywhere until I finished. I laughed so hard at Deathrider. He’s the absolute best caricature of a Native American who befriends white settlers. He’s the best friend who knows you so well that he’s the thorn in your side for life. I had a feeling I knew who he really was, but even though I was wrong, it was so fun getting teased right along with Alex and Luke. LOVE this book as pure entertainment. I cannot wait for book two in this FRONTIERS OF THE HEART series, BOUND FOR SIN, due out in September 2018.