High Button Shoes by Margaret Brownley

I'm not a person who laughs out loud at books, more the SALTS type (smiled a little then stopped). But this book had me GUFFAWING several times, especially in the first few chapters where we're introduced to the characters. OMGoodness, the "Kissing Bandit" is too hilarious. We first meet him travelling in the same stagecoach as the heroine, he of course is shackled with ball and chain, while she and her two children are passengers. The prisoner's guard snores, the other male passenger reads Shakespeare and the bandit stares openly and appreciatively across at the heroine the WHOLE stagecoach ride. When she eventually glares at him he blows her a kiss. Totally cracked me up.

 On another occasion the stagecoach is rocking so violently that the heroine is near to being sick. The only thing that holds her back is that she reflects on her strength and tenacity and decides she "would NOT make a fool of herself, especially in front of a prisoner..." well, "between Santa Maria and Ballard," the book continues," Maggie Turner made a fool of herself" (it goes on to describe the heroine hanging out the stagecoach window, whacking her head against the frame and eventually ending up in a heap on the floor).

 It's one of the things I love about Margaret Brownley, the characters are somewhat self-deprecating and we can connect with them.

When certain situations arise and the heroine realizes that she is going to be stuck with the bandit for the forseeable future she decides to "smoke him out" and make him leave by irritating the living daylights out of him. She burns his food, leaves darning needles on chair cushions and is completely obnoxious. Entertaining reading at it's best!

Margaret's writing is brilliant. This is my third book by her that Ive read and they've all been 5 stars.

There is no sex, no cussing , no violence and no preachiness whatsoever in this book.