Charlene, nicknamed “Charlie”, works
on the ranch of her father, James
McCuan, in New Mexico Territory and
no matter what she does, it is not
good enough to please him. She hates
the situation and would dearly like
to leave, however her mother is dead
and she has two younger brothers and
a young sister that she feels she
must protect from her father's
violent temper. However, she
protects them at her own expense and
often pays a painful price when her
father rages out of control.
One day a roundup of cattle turns
into a stampede when lightening
strikes nearby, and Charlie is
amazed to see a tall man holding a
small girl in the direct path of the
rampaging cattle. She dashes to
their rescue, pulling them to safety
at the last second. And, when she
gets a look at the stranger she sees
the most handsome man she has ever
seen. He, of course, is amazed that
this cowboy turns out to be female
and very feisty to boot. As it turns
out, his wagon had broken down and
he was trying to find his way to her
ranch, for reasons that would change
both of their lives.
Garrett Steele is a retired U.S.
Marshal and is caring for his nine
year old sister since their parents
are both dead. For some reason he
feels an instant attraction to
Charlie and when he sees how her dad
mistreats her, he vows to protect
her from that violence. However he
has no idea just how low-down dirty
James McCuan can be.
Both legally and physically, Garrett
is in for the fight of his life and
the safety of his sister Maddie,
also Charlie and her siblings, falls
into his hands. Despite his good
intentions their lives are all in
danger. And the attraction between
Garrett and Charlie is undeniable
but tempestuous.
This is a novel that grabs you and
holds your interest from the first
page. Both the action story and the
love story in it are exciting. The
characters are so realistic the
reader becomes totally involved in
their lives, adventures and romance.
I highly recommend this book if you
like western romance and action.
My
Shelf.com ~ Shelina Emery (5 Stars)
On a ranch in New Mexico Territory,
Charlene “Charlie” McCuan works her
fingers to the bone for a father who
has never loved her. Constant
ridicule and taking the punishments
for her siblings has made her what
she is today: a tough-as-nails
tomboy who never believed any man
could love her. Charlie’s dream of a
family of her own was just that—a
dream.
Garrett Steele couldn’t believe the
man who saved him and his sister
from certain death turned out to be
a woman—a rough around the edges
beautiful woman. Her fire and
courage excites him more than he can
believe, but can he convince her his
feelings are real and true? Garrett
has business with Charlie’s father,
the kind of business that draws
danger to them all. In the end, they
save each other and find a love
that’s lasting and true.
Along Comes A Legend will capture
your heart from the beginning to the
end. For the young and the
young-at-heart, this is one story
that will have you smiling in
pleasure, gasping in disbelief, and
cheering in the end. Tammy Boulds
has made me a fan, and I look
forward to reading more from this
author. A definite 5 stars in my
book.
Round Table Reviews ~ Deb
Jones (5 Stars)
ALONG COMES A LEGEND and he is
handsome and emotionally available
to boot! Garrett Steele and his
young sister, Maddie, arrive in
the life of Charlie McCuan and
Charlie’s family in a most
inauspicious manner. Charlie
rescues Steele and his sister from
stampeding cattle, and Steele is
both surprised and pleased to find
his rescuer is a woman. Though she
is dressed in men’s clothes and
doing the work of any male ranch
hand, Charlene (Charlie) is
certainly a woman, round bottom
and all.
One good turn deserves another,
and as it turns out, Charlie and
Garrett’s futures are intertwined.
Life at the Circle Bar M ranch,
which Charlie’s father owns, is
soon to take a most pleasant and
positive turn after Garrett
reveals he is co-owner of the
ranch. James McCuan, Charlie’s
father, a mean-tempered and
violent man, does not take to the
idea of having a co-owner, and
makes quick plans to eliminate the
intruder. What follows is an
adventure in both romance and
action.
Ms. Boulds has an interesting
plot, together with colorful
characters in ALONG COMES A
LEGEND. This story is light and
fast-paced. A great read for fans
of romance.
Escape To Romance ~ Tami Sutton
(3 1/2 Stars)
Charlene "Charlie" McCuan works
hard on her father's ranch and
endures so much for the sake of
her brothers and sister. Her
father is a ruthless man who
physically and emotionally abuses
her. With little self esteem she
believes her father when he tells
her no man will ever want her or
find her attractive. So, when she
rescues a stranger, she can't deny
how handsome he is but knows that
he would never be attracted to
her.
After Garrett Steele's parents
are killed in an accident he decides
to retire as a US Marshal. He needs
to make a stable home for his little
sister. As he is making his way
across the McCuan ranch. Charlie
rushes to his rescue as he and his
sister face a stampede of cattle. He
explains to the feisty female that
he is looking for her father to
discuss an important matter. To
Charle's surprise Garrett and his
sister are here to make their home
at the ranch.
From the looks of it
Garrett has a legal right to half
the ranch and her father is furious
over it. As Garrett witnesses James
McCuan taking out his aggression on
Charlie, Garrett intercedes. He vows
right then and there that the abuse
will stop and James will never lay
another hand on Charlie. But, James
McCuan has plans of his own one that
will put Charlie and Garrett's lives
in danger. However, Garrett is no
easy prey -- he hasn't earned the
nickname "Cold Steele" or legendary
status that went with the moniker
for nothing.
As Garrett and his sister
settle in to their new life he can't
help but become attracted to
Charlie. She is like no other woman
he has ever met and and Charlie
feels the same way about Garrett.
But, since she has low self esteem,
she doesn't think he is attracted to
her. As the two struggle with their
romantic feelings they must face the
dangers that are to come.
ALONG COMES A LEGEND is
such a refreshing read. The heroine
is not the unrealistic conventional
beauty that readers are used to. She
is flawed and still manages to get
her Knight in Shining Armor. I loved
her feisty nature and sheer grit.
She truly became beautiful by her
inner qualities. Tammy L. Boulds did
a beautiful job bringing together an
unlikely duo who fell in love
against the odds. Make sure to keep
tissue handy for this one!
Victoria Taylor Murray ~ Top
500 Amazon.com Reviewer (5 Stars)
"Along Comes a Legend" by
fun writer Tammy L. Boulds was such
a fun story I stayed awake all night
just to finish reading it! The
characters are easy to identify
with, the dialogue interesting, and
the plot had me swiftly turning the
pages very rapidly. If you are a
reader that enjoys the western
romance genre then this is the book
to top! I really enjoyed this story!
(Highly Recommended Novel!)
Romance Fiction ~ Melissa Alveraz
(4 1/2 Stars)
Charlie McCuan hasn't had
an easy life. Life is never easy
when you work a ranch and have a
horrible father who beats you.
Especially when you're a girl. But
Charlie has more important things on
her mind. Like protecting her
brothers and sister from that
monster that calls himself their
father. No matter what it takes, no
harm will come to those kids. He'll
have to go through Charlie's dead
body first - and that's a real
possiblity.
Garrett Steele and his kid
sister Maddie are just about as
greenhorn as they come, according to
Charlie. Only greenhorns get
themselves caught walking in the
middle of a field with a herd of
cattle bearing down on them. Luckily
Charlie beat the cattle to the duo
and rode them to safety.
And that's when the
fireworks start. When Garrett
realizes that Charlie is a girl he
can't believe his eyes or the fact
that he's instantly attracted to
her. Charlie, however, thinks that
no man could ever love her because
she's heavy and ugly. These feelings
are thanks to that father of hers.
When Garrett states that
he's half owner of the ranch,
Charlie's father designs a plan to
get rid of Garrett and his daughter.
But will he prevail? Will Garrett be
able to win Charlie's love? This is
one you'll have to read to find out.
The Best Reviews ~ Harriet
Klausner (5 Stars)
"Romance that focuses
on life and relationships"
On the
Circle Bar M Ranch in the New Mexico
Territory, Charlene "Charlie" McCuan
works extremely hard with the cattle
though she is daughter to the owner
James. Charlie hates her widower
father for his mistreatment of her
and his other children. Lightning
spooks the herd and Charlie saves
the lives of trapped Garrett Steele
and his young sister. Charlie
escorts Garret and his sibling to
her home because he has business
with her father.
James
starts to smack Charlie for leaving
the herd, but Garrett stops him.
Garrett informs James that he and
Maddie are the children of James'
deceased stepbrother and that he and
his sibling own a quarter share of
the ranch each, and plans to remain
there. James will not share what he
believes is his. He waits to exploit
the intruder's weakness: loving
Maddie. As Garret protects Maddie,
Charlie and others love blossoms.
However, Garret wonders if her
feelings are from gratitude and
Charlie questions whether a hunk
could find anything feminine in a
ranch hand like her. James has a new
weapon to exploit.
ALONG
CAME A LEGEND is a deep western tale
with much romance that focuses on
life and relationships in nineteenth
century New Mexico Territory. The
story line is terrific in painting
an incredible landscape of the era.
Fans will appreciate the heroic
retired law man who protects those
with no defense against bullies. The
support cast adds depth especially
to the era. James knows he is above
the law, but his irrational behavior
towards everyone seems overly done
to portray him as a malevolent
lunatic in an otherwise wonderful
good vs. bad High Noon tale.
Midwest Book Review ~ L.A.
Johnson (5 Stars)
Sometimes people are not what
they seem on first impression.
When Charlie McCuan rescues
Garrett Steele and his little
sister Maddie from stampeding
cattle, she thinks Steele is a
dumb greenhorn of the highest
order. What kind of real man would
stand unprotected in the middle of
a prairie and let a herd of cattle
run him down? Garrett has his own
misconceptions of their rescuer.
He's mistaken Charlie for a
cowboy, and an unpleasant one at
that. Charlie is no delicate
flower. She's a working ranch hand
fighting dust and cattle right
alongside the men in her father's
employ. But there are curves
aplenty beneath her dirty clothes,
and she has the kind of courage
Garrett cannot begin to imagine.
Charlie's father - James McCuan -
is a heartless madman who has
fathered four children. As his
oldest child, Charlie takes the
brunt of vicious beatings
regularly as she fights to shelter
her siblings. Garrett springs more
than one big surprise on McCuan at
their first meeting, including
dishing out a beating when he
catches the cruel rancher
brutalizing Charlie. Everything
goes downhill from there for the
mean spirited James McCuan. He
decides to kill Garrett, and his
four children if necessary, to
protect his holdings. As a man,
Garrett Steele stands tall, holds
his ground. He vows that no one
else will ever hurt the feisty
woman he admires and desires, or
the fear-numbed siblings she
protects.
Garrett is a retired US Marshal
with a legendary reputation. He's
no stranger to gunplay, and
nobody's fool. And yet he is
compassionate and protective with
Charlie and the children. He's
more than equal to the fight that
brews with McCuan and his hired
guns, but distracted by his
growing love for Charlie.
Despite the spicy sexual fireworks
between Charlie and Garrett, this
is more than a romance. For those
who love old west action, there's
plenty of that to keep such
readers occupied. But this book is
more than a simple western
romance. The characters are lively
and believable and the theme of
long term child abuse adds
strength to the story line. Ms.
Boulds did a fine job with her
first book. I look forward to
reading more of her writing.
The
Romance Studio ~ Louise Riveiro
Mitchell (5 Stars)
Charlie McCuan was not your
average ranch hand. Charlie, short
for Carlene, was the eldest
daughter of James McCuan, who
treated his children much like he
treated his hired hands. Maybe he
treated the help a bit better.
Charlie was the one he hated the
most and never let her forget his
disatisfaction with her. Telling
her no man would ever want her
because she was too plain and fat,
Charlie preferred to live her life
as a tomboy, never to feel the
pain of another man's rejection.
It was like nothing would ever
come her way until the day Garrett
Steele walked into the stampede.
There in the mist of utter confusion
and chaos stood the most handsome
man she had ever seen in her life.
To her surprise and delight he was
heading for her father's ranch.
To Garrett's surprise the rowdy
young boy was really the most
beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Garrett Steele had come to the
Circle M ranch to inform James
McCuan that he was moving in since
Jamie's brother did hold the deed to
the ranch and since his parents were
killed, Garrett was the guardian of
his young sister Maddie. Let's say
it was not a happy family reunion
and from the start James was
determined to get Garrett and his
sister off his ranch and out of the
territory. What he didn't plan on
was that his plain daughter Charlie
would start to have the fool notion
that this man or any man for that
matter would even look at her more
than once. But look at her Garrett
did and he soon wanted to show this
woman, who had no idea the effect
she had on him, that she was a
desirable woman whom he had fallen
in love with.
Love was there for both of them
yet there were a few obstacles in
their path before it truly bloomed.
A real page-turner and a love story
that one never will tire of. I loved
the character of Charlie and all
readers will fall in love with her
spirit and down to earth quality.
Saddle up and join Charlie and
Garrett and enjoy how two people
destined to be together find a love
that not even time or old memories
can take away.
Love Romances ~ Susan (4
Stars)
Garrett Steele and his sister,
Madeline, are heading to the
Circle Bar M ranch. His father
owned half the ranch that is
located in the New Mexico
Territory. He is planning a new
start there with his sister.
Charlie (Charlene) McCuan is
working with the herd, and she
saves Garrett from being run down
by the cows. At first Garrett
thought she was a boy, but is
disabused of that idea quickly.
He finds himself attracted to her
even in the getup she is in.
James McCuan, Charlie’s father, is
an abusive man. It is left to the
housekeeper and Charlie to protect
her siblings from his wrath.
James is not happy with the idea
of having to share the ranch with
Garrett. He has a plan to prevent
that from happening.
Charlie is a
feisty heroine. She can be tough
when she needs to be, but shows a
softer side to her siblings. She
has taken the burden of protecting
her siblings from their father’s
rages. Her beauty is not physical
but comes from within. Garrett
is trying to make a new life for
him and his sister. His previous
occupation as a US Marshal was not
suitable, especially with a child
to care for. Garrett comes to
love Charlie as well as her
siblings. These two characters
are hugely likable. The reader
will come to admire them both as
they try to do what is best and
right. There is a wealth of
supporting characters, from their
respective siblings to James.
James was a bit over the top as
the villain, but didn’t detract
from the story. The author has
done a superb job of defining her
characters and motivations. The
reader will understand what drives
them and their reactions to
various situations.
The reviewer
will admit to not favoring
westerns but loving this book.
The author pulls the reader in
with extremely memorable
characters and rich, descriptive
dialogue. The story moves at a
steady pace with no noticeable
drag anywhere. Readers will be
transported to 19th
century New Mexico and thoroughly
enjoy it!
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