Shiloh comes home to find his sister and nephew dead. Bent on revenge he sets out to find and kill the culprits., when he meets the town doc. Sydney has come west to show the town that a female doc can be as good as a male. When Shiloh is injured, Sydney is there to help. But will revenge stand between them?


I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Shot Through the Heart by Andrea Downing is an old-fashioned cowboy story with a little romance thrown in. Shiloh Coltrane has come to town to discover that his sister and her son are dead, probably at the hand of her husband. He has been a hired gun for years but this is personal. He is a good man at heart. His friends, Bones, is an example of that. Bones is black and some people in Texas didn't take kindly to that fact. Shiloh got him out of there and they became a team. He meets the doctor after he is thrown through a plate glass window and has glass in his hands, his clothes, and his behind. He is not thrilled the doctor is woman but he needs to get rid of the glass. He likes her at once and is worried for her safety. She lives out in the middle of nowhere and there are plenty of people willing to do harm. They fall in love, but she leaves to return to Philadelphia and the man she is supposed to marry. Lots happens before, during, and after. It was a good journey. It is a good story.

This is a story about two people who are who they are and are not willing to change. Shiloh has been a killer and doesn't want any more of it, as soon as he gets his sister's killers. Sydney can't accept that. She thinks it will never stop. She loves him and discovers how much as time goes on. He leaves, searching for the killer and is gone ten months. She thinks he is dead and even as strong as she is, regrets her behavior. It is a good story. A traditional historic cowboy, Shiloh grows and changes as well. Some men just have to be killed. This was a good book. I liked it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Shot Through the Heart by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #shotthroughtheheart

This was an interesting read with a fairly realistic nod to the past. Shiloh was a man bent on avenging his sister’s murder. Sydney was a doctor trying to practice her profession during the time when people frowned upon women doing ‘men’s work’. Great characters, lots of drama, low steam but a bit slow moving for me.

A story of revenge, redemption, and fighting for the people and things that are most important to you, Shot Through the Heart is a great historical romance. The story begins when Shiloh seeks Dr. Sydney Cantrell’s help in removing glass from various parts of his body. Shiloh Coltrane is intrigued by the fiercely independent doctor, and a relationship slowly forms. However, Shiloh seeks vengeance against the men who killed his sister and nephew, and Sydney refuses to let anything get in the way of her career aspirations. With danger lurking in the shadows, can this pair resist their growing attraction for each other, or will they realize that they are stronger together than they are apart?

I loved Sydney and Shiloh! Both are rejected by society – Sydney for being a doctor, and Shiloh for being a hired gun. Sydney struggles to find acceptance in a world that doesn’t approve of female doctors. However, she is determined to prove her worth and independence even though the odds are against her. Without support from family and friends and living across the country from them in the developing state of Wyoming, Sydney is truly on her own. That is until she meets Shiloh.

Shiloh is a hardened rancher who has revenge in his heart. He won’t rest until he avenges his sister’s death, and even his love for Sydney doesn’t deter him. When Sydney’s life is in danger from the same men who ruthlessly murdered his family, Shiloh’s fierce determination is even greater. He has suffered much loss and rejection, much like Sydney. However, his rough exterior hides a kind and compassionate man who always helps those in need.

The romance between Sydney and Shiloh is beautiful and complex. Though they feel deeply for each other, Shiloh and Sydney’s stubbornness and unwillingness to the other’s point of view proves a hindrance to their relationship. Sydney is a healer, and Shiloh is a killer, and they struggle to reconcile their opposing views on life and death. However, their love is strong, and their feelings for each other prove stronger than their opposing opinions. I love the ways in which Shiloh shows his love for Sydney, and her longing for him is heart-warming.

A quick and captivating story with messages of love, perseverance, and acceptance, Shot Through the Heart is the perfect read for people who like historical romance with plenty of action and an opposites-attract love story. Thanks so much to Netgalley and The Wild Rose Press, Inc. for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.