Amy Harmon really outdid herself with this book! She is usually an auto buy author for me but I was a little disappointed by her las book. She more than makes up for it with this newest book. Impeccable writing and storytelling with engaging characters!

I've always had a soft spot for the Wild West and the outlaws that ran it, but I'll be the first to admit that my knowledge of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is lacking. If nothing else, I'm grateful to this book for putting them in front of me, although this book is sort of their retirement era, after being train robbers and cowhands. It's nice. It made them more human, somehow.

That's really what this book did: it humanized legends, and I really loved that about it. Butch (ahem, Noble) was incredibly likeable, I was rooting for him from the first page. He wants to lay it all down and have some peace, and life is continually showing him that it's not possible. And yet, he hopes, and I love him for it. And then there's Jane, who's also been beaten down by circumstances, but continues to choose the love of her son (and eventually Noble). The romance is SO SWEET I love them so much ;-;

I could not put it down, I read the majority in a day when I definitely should've been doing dishes because I was far too invested. I had to stop for dinner and I thought about it the whole time. It's been awhile since something absorbed me so thoroughly, and I'm thrilled.

So yes, I loved it, thank you to the friends who keep telling me to read Amy Harmon. 5 stars from me!

*Content warnings for profanity, violence (including suicide), miscarriage, sexual assault, and some steamy/suggestive scenes between a married couple that were a bit more blush-inducing than I prefer

**I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**

Amy Harmon is such a beautiful writer and I have loved every book of hers I’ve read. I read The Outlaw Noble Salt months ago (sorry I’m just now getting around to reviewing) and I still think of it fondly. She has such a special way of weaving beautiful tales of real life people and bringing them to life. I definitely recommend any of her books, but this one was especially sweet. Seeing the softer side of Butch Cassidy was so beautiful.

I love stories about the Wild West and outlaws, and couldn’t wait to read this one - Amy Harmon’s latest historical fiction novel.
In this fictionalized account, Butch Cassidy is less a violent outlaw and more of a misunderstood Robin Hood type figure. When he meets opera singer Jane Touissant, it’s love at first sight. And when they meet again years later, when he’s hiding in France, he agrees to be her and her son’s bodyguard on her tour back to the U.S., despite his qualms on being caught.

There were some elements of this book I enjoyed, like Butch Cassidy’s back story and some of the tales of his exploits, but unfortunately, not all of it worked for me. While I enjoy historical romance, the romance in this one just fell flat for me.

I'm not sure what to feel about this book. I really wanted to like it, but it just didn't work overall for me.

What did work for me:
-Amy Harmon's beautiful writing. She can paint a picture with words that I feel like I can step into.
-The draw between Butch and Jane. They just fit together.
-The character of Augustus. I loved him. He was plucky and dear and the perfect addition to this story.

What didn't work for me:
-The fact that this love story of Butch Cassidy's wasn't real. The whole time the fact that I didn't really happen just niggled at my brain.
-The pacing. This book was too slow for me. I was always impatient fort the next thing.

Book Elements: 3 POVs, Opera Singer, Outlaw, Wild West, NYC, Paris

Content Note: This is a fade to black historical romance. There are vague descriptions of sexual assault, mentions of suicide, and gun violence.

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for a digital copy. All opinions are my own.

This book is why Amy Harmon is one of my favorite authors. She crafts historical fiction in remarkable ways. Butch Cassidy, a real life wild west outlaw, is portrayed in the story as a fallible person, more than just the myth or the legend. This is a fictional account of the famous outlaw falling in love, and risking it all for what matters most. The characters were genuine and I was sucked into the story of love, loss, crime, and redemption.

The following review was posted on Goodreads on 8.6.24:

THE OUTLAW NOBLE SALT has an intriguing premise. Butch Cassidy, the infamous outlaw, trying to go straight? I'm in! With so much potential for an exciting, interesting story, I couldn't wait to read the novel. Especially with Amy Harmon steering the tale.

Even though the book centers around a very colorful figure from American history, it actually moves along very slowly. I liked Butch, Jane, and especially Gus, so I stuck with it even though the tale dragged quite a bit. Part of the problem (for me, anyway) is that THE OUTLAW NOBLE SALT is more of a romance than anything else. I was expecting something with a bit more complexity, depth, and well, plot. But, honestly, not a lot happens in the novel. It got boring for me. As much as I liked the main characters and wanted happiness for them, I also wanted there to be more adventure, more risk, more suspense, and more oomph to their story. Butch Cassidy is a fascinating historical figure; I wanted to see more of that in this book.

I did enjoy this novel. It's an easy read with appealing characters and some thought-provoking questions to it. I was just a bit disappointed with the slow pace of the novel, its simplistic plot, and the dullness of Butch Cassidy's character. The book kept me turning pages, but in the end, it was just an average read for me. Bummer.

🌟Five Star Friday 🌟

I have read over 200 books so far this year, not counting rereads like this one, I just finished it for the 6th time! Yes, it’s that good! Yes, I want everyone to read it! Yes, I want us all to find a love like this. Yes, I want us all to believe we can be better, do better, and change the trajectory of our lives. Because we can! We are all deserving of the life we want!!

📖 📱 🎧 The Outlaw Noble Salt
✍🏻 Amy Harmon @amy.harmon.author
🗣️ by Rob Shapiro
🗓️ Released in all formats April 9, 2024

Honestly, I do not have the words to explain to you the impact this book has on my heart & soul. I have always been the girl infatuated with the bad boy who has a backstory & deserves to be loved. I’ve always been the person to seek out the whole story & learn more about the how’s & why’s people become who they are, what happened to them and who influenced their lives.

Well this novel gives us all of that, so perfectly. Robert Leroy Parker aka Butch Cassidy aka Noble Salt has waited since 1908, 116 years for Amy Harmon to give him a written redemption story. Growing up in Utah we heard of the Wild Bunch, told campfire stories & tall tales of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, but this is about the years we never heard about. Amy gives him & us a gift. One I’m sure the he’s proud of, he couldn’t have asked for better!

Now go read this historical fiction that based on the time we don’t have record of and the way it may have played out! If only. . .

Some of the things you’ll find within this novel
• 1900’s historical fiction/romance
• Criminal/Bad Boy with a kind heart
• Famous singer Female MC
• Redemption Story
• Romance with Depth
• Found Family
• He’s her bodyguard
* Single parent
• Lyrical Writing - Poetry/Haiku
• He Falls First
• Marriage of Convenience
• The American Wild West
• 🤠😊🫣😍😭🤠

I’ll add, for me this was perfect pacing and I have been pressing this book to everyone, I’ve heard some say it starts slow, should they continue - YES, please do! It’s really written to be savored and when you’re finished you’ll want more ♥️

Amy Harmon can do no wrong.

I've read so many books by this author and genuinely adore them all!

This story had me completely enraptured. Full of rich historical details, just enough fiction to keep me guessing what was real and what wasn't, a timeless love that stopped my heart and made my chest ache, and stunning character depth that had me yearning to hug, hold, put back together, and know these characters intimately! Amy is a master at what she does and this story of Noble Salt was a beautiful second chance redemptive story and was an absolute honor to read!

Amy Harmon has done it again.

Butch Cassidy.

Lawless cowboy. Thief. Liar. Troublemaker.

But what if he decided to make a turn to the straight and narrow and, on the way, fell in love? Harmon takes the legend of Butch Cassidy and reimagines it in just such a way. Cassidy turning over a new leaf but still chased by the powerful men he has run into along the way. And so he remakes himself. Takes on a new name and forges a new path.

And then he meets Jane who is not without her own dangerous secrets. Knowing his history, Jane enlists Cassidy as her body guard for the US leg of her musical tour. As their stories, and their lives, tangle together, theirs becomes a journey of redemption, risk and love beyond logic.

This is a story that has stuck with me long past finishing reading it. At the risk of sounding trite, it is just so, so good. The way that Harmon weaves their love story through the legend of Butch Cassidy was artfully done. The risks they took and the decisions they made were forged in heart and emotion. She managed to make the love story such a rich component of the book while still keeping the individuality of the characters. Their own personal struggles were still real and raw. The struggle of morality - questioning what is right and wrong - felt real; Butch was a truly likeable character.

I love this quote in Amy's author note. She says he 'was a fascinating character, full of the contradictions that make humans remarkable and faillible. He was good even though he did bad things. he was honest even though he was a thief. He was foolish even though he was wise. If it's possible to channel characters - and research starts to feel like channeling after a while - the overwhelming feeling I got from Butch was genuine regret. He knew he'd gotten it wrong and chased false happiness, and like his father says in the book, there are so few second chances....Everyone deserves a love story, even an outlaw, and I hope he (and you) liked this alternative ending to an American legend."

I sure did, Ms. Harmon. Thank you.

When a wild western outlaw repents of his ways, he encounters a beautiful songstress whose desperate need for a new chance at life rivals his own. Can they leave their pasts behind? Talented historical fiction and romance author, Amy Harmon, gives infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy a romance, and I was excited to get this tale.

The Outlaw Noble Salt begins at the time when Butch Cassidy is middle-aged and done with outlawing. He sees the writing on the wall for that type of life even if several of his old gang including his younger brother, Van, and partner, Harry “Sundance Kid” Longbaugh, do not. The only way he can survive the law’s rightful requirement is to walk away from his life and start a new one far away. This is when he meets the people who will truly change his life, Jane Toussaint and her son, Augustus.

The Outlaw Noble Salt is told from three perspectives- Butch, himself and Jane and her young son, Augustus, getting their turns. I enjoyed all three perspectives. Butch is the primary figure, but getting Jane and Augustus’ thoughts and feelings give the story a rich, layered feel.

I appreciated that Amy Harmon didn’t try to whitewash Butch’s past or have him act like it didn’t matter. He was remorseful and, what Jane appreciated most, he was always honest with himself and with others. He was a strange mixture of bad and good even when he was an outlaw with rules of conduct, but he was also a natural leader, which made him successful. Harmon gives him the need to save people. This is a strong part of the story because of the struggle he has loving his younger brother and caring about Sundance who play significant secondary roles, but Butch understands that associating with them will only draw him back into the old life because they won’t change.

He was just the man to partner the beautiful caged singer, Jane Toussaint, who hid behind a cold wall of disdain and hauteur to protect herself because people, and particularly men, have hurt her and exploited her since childhood. It was hard for her to open up to Butch, and her only show of love was toward Augustus.

Gus was a scene-stealing little guy. He’s disfigured and it hurts him the way people stare, avoid, or talk about him, but he’s got a quirky humor and pluck and an old soul that is wise beyond his years at times and, at others, he’s a kid. And, oh boy, did he take to Butch. He recognized a safe man and a man who cared about him and his mama. Boy and man needed each other as much as Butch and Jane needed each other.

There is a good rising action and emotional payout all through this story. The West, Paris, and New York City of that time after the turn of the century and before the world wars is brought to life in vivid color. Real life figures were sprinkled throughout. I got a chill recognizing the captain and first officer of the passenger liner Butch, Jane, and Gus took across the Atlantic would be the same ones a few years later on Titanic.

And, so, this rewrite of a famous outlaw’s life with a poignant romance was a hit with me and I can recommend it whole-heartedly to Western Romance and historical fiction fans alike.

This book was amazing!!! I loved learning more about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. All of the characters were so-well written and realistic. The love story was beautiful. Amy Harmon did it again- I love her historical fiction books!

Oh my - how to do justice to this book? I loved it - it made me laugh, made me tear up, I was almost afraid to finish it because I was sure it would end up breaking my heart. And it did, more than once. And I loved it all. As a person of "a certain age" - one who saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in the theater at 18 and it's remained one of my favorite movies ever since - I was immediately drawn to this reimagining of Butch's final years. I felt like it would be safe in Amy Harmon's capable hands, and as usual, her writing is lovely and lyrical at times, and kept the story feeling familiar, yet also fresh and new. Don't miss her author's notes at the end of the book, they're illuminating as to her inspiration as well as the fact vs fiction aspect. I had both the ebook version and the audiobook and found myself listening more than reading as the narration was excellent.
Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

The quality of writing is as always superb!!! Same for the story. The author has the most wonderful ability to bring history in a riveting and fascinating way to life. It's always a pleasure to read an Amy Harmon book.
The Outlaw Nobel Salt was engrossing and I read it not surprising in one go.
In the end, the author delivered everything she is known for.
A historical romance with wonderful characters, a superb romantic couple and a history that became even more fascinating because of the way the author wrote it.

Besides all that, The Outlaw Nobel Salt didn't hit me the same way as some of her other novels did in the past. But that doesn't take away from the enjoyment I got out of reading it. It just means that my rating isn't as high as some of her other books

And there is always the next one :D

It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did I was more and more invested. I even felt some sympathy for characters that I disliked at first.
The only part I never could buy into was the romance. Not sure why, but the love story never felt quite real. That's alright. Everything else was good.

I did not finish this book. It was very slow for me and I couldn’t get into the plot. It was not what I was expecting.

Amy Harmon never disappoints, her stories are full of emotions, her characters are so perfectly flawed. This is a wonderful story of redemptive love, the plot is unique and intensely moving. I didn’t want the book to end! A five star read, this was by far my favorite book of 2024!

I went into this book not knowing much about Butch Cassidy or the Sundance Kid. Never watched the movie, only vaguely knew names. Of course, Amy Harmon is a master of storytelling and taking historical figures and making them timely and relatable. The characters in this story were rich and dynamic and you were rooting for the "bad guy" throughout the entire book.

Easy 5 star read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, the opinions above are my own.

Outlaw Noble Salt was interesting take on one of the most famous outlaws in the 1800s and what could have possibly been a redemption alternative to his story.
The full historical facts mixed with a tale and characters was a story that unfolded so well done, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished.
Harmon has a keen way of mixing her stories with historical fiction bringing to life diverse characters that impact you as a reader.
We may never know what did happen to Noble Salt in real life, but I like the ending within this story.

Amy Harmon is one of my favourite authors as her stories are both memorable and beautifully crafted. Her most recent novels have been historical fiction and she has proven she can write anything.
With rich historical details this fictional story is based on the Outlaw Butch Cassidy.
The author gives us a tale of love, self-sacrifice and redemption.
The Outlaw Noble Salt is a unique and captivating alternate ending to an American Legend of the Old West.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.