Title: The Outlaw Noble Salt
Author: Amy Harmon
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
First published: April 9th 2024
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Finished reading: March 21st 2024
Pages: 364

“The hope scared him most of all. Hope was dangerous. Hope made a man attempt the impossible. Hope kept a man coming back when he should have stayed away.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

REVIEW

It’s no secret that I consider Amy Harmon to be one of my absolute favorite authors, and I’ve read and loved every single one of her books that have been published so far. I added The Outlaw Noble Salt even before I read the blurb, and then I discovered what it was about and I became even more excited to read this newest story. I loved the sound of the American West setting and the outlaw Butch Cassidy trying to go straight, and I’ve been dying to read it ever since it appeared on my kindle. I decided to save it for a special occasion though, as it has become a tradition to start a book by a favorite author on my birthday each year… And I couldn’t have wished for a better story to celebrate. It’s another fantastic piece of historical romance!

Butch Cassidy is probably one of the most famous Wild West legends, and there have been countless of stories and movies made about him and the rest of the gang. The Outlaw Noble Salt is not an exact representation of what is known about his life, but instead sprinkles some facts in with the fictional encounter between Butch (aka Noble Salt) and singer Jane Touissant. If you are trying to learn more about the outlaw himself, this might not be the book for you… But if you enjoy stories about second chances, trying to do better and a little romance and adventure thrown in, The Outlaw Noble Salt will most likely charm your socks off.

This story starts out slower than expected, and I admit it took me a little while to get a proper feel for the plot. I think this had a lot to do with this slower pace and the fact that I simply had to get to know the characters better first… Because while a lot is happening along the way, there is a lot of focus on the character development and growth as well. And boy, does Amy Harmon create the most wonderful characters! Noble Salt is basically your perfect flawed anti-hero, and I simply loved spending time with him. Gus is likewise such a fantastic character, and both Noble and Gus are two of the main reasons this story works so well. They will win over your heart in record time! Jane made less of an impression on me, although I can’t deny I did feel for her with everything she has been through in life… But Noble and Gus are the true stars of the show.

Like I said before, The Outlaw Noble Salt is only partly based on the life of the real Butch Cassidy, but I personally liked how the facts were incorporated with the fiction. It’s definitely made me do a little research on his life, and it was fun to spot the similarities. The romance itself is really well done; proper slowburn with a realistic and growing connection along the way… Although I loved the connection between Gus and Noble even more. There is a lot of travel included in the plot, and I really enjoyed what the different scenes added to story as well. A little warning is in place for more serious topics including rape, murder, violence, miscarriage and bullying.

I might be a bit biased because I tend to adore everything Amy Harmon writes, but if you enjoy historical romance you simply can’t miss The Outlaw Noble Salt. It might not have been my absolute favorite out of the 20! titles published so far, but it is still a beautifully rendered Wild West adventure slash historical romance.

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