Audiobook Review! THE GATE TO EDEN by Cathy McDavid

The Gate to Eden
By Cathy McDavid
Historical Romance, Western
Audiobook, 10 Hours and 33 Minutes (also in Paperback and ebook)
January 12th 2019

Expert crackshot Maddie Campbell will do whatever it takes to survive in this female Robin-Hood-of-the-Old-West story – including evading bounty-hunter-for-hire Scott McSween who’s intent on bringing her in.

Not your ordinary thief, widow and mother Maddie Campbell likes to think her wealthy victims are merely “donating” to herself and the hundreds of other widows and children left abandoned by the mining company after a devastating accident took the lives of their menfolk. Maddie’s secret excursions are quite successful…until ruggedly handsome former lawman Scott McSween arrives in Eden to investigate the recent string of crimes.

Despite her efforts to throw him off track, they can’t resist each other. He knows she’s somehow involved and is determined to draw out all her secrets in the most exquisite ways – with soft caresses and passionate kisses. But when finally confronted with the truth – that Maddie is actually the thief he’s been hired to hunt down and bring in – will Scott choose the woman he loves or his duty to the law?

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Review:

I loved the premise of this book–a group of down-on-their-luck widows who have turned to a life of crime in order to survive, and the lawman-turned-PI who always gets his man who’s hired to stop them. Of course the leader of the robbery gang is going to fall for the PI, and vice versa! What could possibly go wrong? 😉

Ms. McDavid, a new-to-me author, did a great job of ratcheting up the tension and conflict in this story. Maddie and Scott are both very sympathetic characters, and though they have some solid chemistry, it’s hard to imagine for much of the book that they could really end up together in the end. Though of course I knew what I wanted to happen (and what should happen, in a just world, because the women of Eden weren’t destitute because of anything that was within their control!) there were honestly times that I wasn’t sure that things could convincingly lead to an HEA for Maddie and Scott. Fortunately Ms. McDavid succeeded, giving us an ending that put a smile on my face.

I enjoyed the narrator–he had a great voice that really helped to transport the reader to the old west setting. Unlike some male narrators, his female voices weren’t at all grating, which was refreshing. I’d definitely listen to another book narrated by him in the future.

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily listened to an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:

As a sophomore in high school, NY Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author Cathy McDavid won a local writing competition with her self-illustrated children’s book. Who knew that small triumph would eventually lead to a career writing contemporary romances with over 1.3 million books sold? With forty-seven titles to date, Cathy is also a member of the prestigious Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll. This “almost” Arizona native and mother of grown twins recently married her own real-life sweetheart. After leaving the corporate world four years ago, she now spends her days penning stories about good looking men who ride the range or fight fires or hunt creatures all while sweeping the girl off her feet. It’s a tough job but she’s willing to make the sacrifice.

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