Julian McCaid has left his Eastern background behind and returned to the Dakota Territory to take up the reins of his ranch. He steps off the train in the town of Defiance and immediately senses that something is wrong. His suspicions are proved correct when a pretty redheaded woman steals his money, and then he’s attacked in a bar by several of the sheriff’s men. Julian’s suspicions that the sheriff is behind the many wrongdoings in the area are well-founded. The sheriff wants to drive Julian off his land.

Julian recognizes the thief. She’s Audrey Sheridan, and apparently they shared a dance together a year earlier (this is referenced but no further explanation is given).  Audrey is in a tough spot.  She makes a small living as a laundress, and is caring for a number of orphan children. The sheriff, who is intent on destroying Julian, is threatening to harm the children unless Audrey does exactly as instructed. Julian offers Audrey a job as the ranch cook as a way to pay back the money she stole.  Under threat from the sheriff, who will plant two hired hands on the ranch as spies, Audrey accepts, leaving the children in the care of her teenaged brother, Malcolm.

This isn’t a bad setup at all for a western romance. Julian is wealthy, smart, and willing to protect Audrey. When the sheriff sends his thugs to the ranch, Julian’s ranch hands are loyal and willing to put up a fight. Audrey, however, has no such spunk.  Even after spending time with Julian and deciding he’s a decent, kindhearted person, she won’t tell him the truth. This is annoying to the reader because it’s obvious that Julian has the means to bring the kids to the ranch and protect them, if she’d only think about it, and there’s no real reason she can’t tell him the whole story. To complete the “rescue me” fantasy, he’s even building a fabulous house, and of course Audrey begins to decorate it and falls in love with it.

It’s too bad the author couldn’t have figured out how to spin out her plot without making Audrey appear so clueless. It’s hard to root for her, no matter how plucky and determined she’s touted at being.  Her actions and attitude just don’t bear it out.

Julian, frankly, makes no sense much of the time. He won’t court Audrey because has vowed not to marry due to his grandmother being an ex-slave, and if word ever gets out that he’s of mixed race, his business partners won’t do business with him, and his wife would be shamed.  At the same time, he’s pondering a short list of women back East that might make a good wife.  Huh?  He’s building a fancy house on his ranch, and Audrey urges him to decorate it.  Yet he states that when he marries, he’ll never bring his wife to live on the ranch.  So why decorate it?  Stuff like this, which seemed to be inserted at random, was distracting and didn’t help give a clear idea of his character.

One aspect that was quite well-done was the setting. The author uses a number of vivid details to bring Defiance and the Hell’s Gulch Ranch to life, and it works. I almost felt as though I were there with Julian and Audrey.

Audrey and the Maverick was a bit of a disappointment overall, but I’ll give the third book in this trilogy a try. There are some pals that enter into the picture; one, Sager, was the hero of the first book, and Jace, the other, is probably going to be featured in the next installment. Elaine Levine has undeniable talent and her voice is a good fit for western romance.  If she clarifies her characters better, she’ll have a winner.  

--Cathy Sova