GRR Reviews Shotgun Groom by Ruth Ann Nordin

Shotgun Groom managed to pivot from an interesting meet-cute (forced to marry at shotgun point) into a serious story of threats and obligations.

April is content to farm with her 14-year old brother and 1-year-old daughter after her no-good husband died in a saloon shootout. Then her brother in law came and tried to rape her and marry her. April's little brother chased him off with a rifle, but that's because that evil guy was drunk. April's little brother has a plan though. When the local doctor's assistant Joel visit to check up on the little daughter, they kidnap him at gunpoint and forced him to marry April... // Joel didn't want to get married yet, and being forced at gunpoint was just as ridiculous. But what would drive these two to do so? It is clearly out of desperation... but from what? And what does his large family have to say about it?

Basically, Joel is a "nice guy" that decided to stay even though he could have left the brother/sister deal with their own mess. Very nice escalation. This is one of those novels that started with the ridiculous and manage to pivot onto a proper plot, as there's a reason why the evil brother in law came back at all. The mystery is all solved by the end.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Can a young widow and her little brother fend off a violent man by forcing the peaceful doctor's assistant to marry her?

Overall Rating: 5/5

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