In one devastating night, Grace Milton’s peaceful life on a horse ranch outside Tombstone, Arizona is shattered. Grace’s family is brutally killed by the notorious Guiltless Gang, leaving her the only survivor. Alone and desperate, she sets out into the wilderness on her trusted stallion, Bullet, with burning thoughts of revenge. But when she falls foul of the elements, a young man called Joe saves her life by taking her to an American Indian camp to heal her body and spirit. She begins to learn their ways and despite all her heartache, she finds herself beginning to fall for Joe. Then she comes face-to-face with one of the Guiltless Gang, Doc Slaughter. Can Joe persuade her to start a new life with the tribe or will Grace stop at nothing for justice?
I wasn't sure what to expect going into Grace and the Guiltless, but I wound up enjoying it. Westerns are a new genre for me, but one I'm excited to try more from since I've had a fun experience so far. This one starts off with a bang! In the opening chapter, Grace's whole family is murdered and their house is set on fire. After burying them, Grace goes to town to find the sheriff. Unfortunately, he's being payed off by the gang who killed her parents and siblings, so she decides to take justice into her own hands. She overhears where the gang is camping out, so she heads out into the desert, where her survival skills are severely lacking. Luckily, Joe finds her and takes her back to the Ndeh tribe who has adopted him as their own. There Grace learns some essential skills for her mission, while also trying to be deferred from it for her own sake.
After those first chapters, I was excited for a fast paced, gun-slinging tale, but Grace and the Guiltless was more about Grace's personal journey. She is dead set on killing the entire Guiltless Gang, but that's put on hold as she heals within the Ndeh's camp. There she learns a bit of their language, culture, and some of their skills. Grace knows she has to be smart or else she's going to get herself killed, so she learns everything they're willing to teach her. She also grows close to the people, almost like a new family, despite vowing to never love anyone again. This part was slow, but interesting.
I really liked the direction Grace and the Guiltless took at the end. Everyone has been telling Grace to let go of her vengeance, and settle down. That killing all of those men will change her, and there will be no coming back. Well, Grace wants her revenge and she's going to get it! It was kind of nice to see a protagonist not be deterred, despite it being the wrong decision. Even that didn't play out how was expecting! Grace has gotten herself into something, and if she keeps going, she will be lost. It was a great twist, and I'd love to see where it goes in the next book!
In the end, Grace and the Guiltless was pretty great. I may not have been fully into the middle portion, but the beginning and the ending are completely engaging.
