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A Texan's Honor - Shelley Gray Miss Jamilyn Ellis was taken hostage by the notorious Walton Gang when her train was hijacked for its cargo of silver. While it is apparent that some members of the gang would like nothing more than to do her harm, Will McMillan steps in to protect her, with the permission (but not the approval) of Scout Proffitt, the gang’s second-in-command (and the younger brother of Clayton, from A Texan’s Promise). After Will and Jamie escape from the train, Scout is sent to find and silence them, but his search is distracted by Kitty, who has suffered years of abuse from her stepfather.Similar to the characters in A Texan’s Promise, Will is another person who has been deeply affected by the war, someone who perceives that the war and the choices he has made have broken his character. This made me wonder about the current war - how many young men and women of good character are being broken by the things they are seeing, and what affect will this have on their futures? Will appears different to the other gang members, as though he is hiding something. Again, this made me think of the consequences of war, of having lived through a time so difficult and dangerous that making a living as a train robber almost seems like a moral improvement. Overall, A Texan’s Honor is a darker book than A Texan’s Promise, as the story focuses on two men who have made bad choices. Call me shallow if you like, but I usually prefer the lighter stories. It is a testament to Shelley Gray’s ability as a writer that I actually found both books equally good, equally enjoyable and equally challenging. I especially liked her sensitive way of dealing with some difficult themes, without sensationalising them or being unnecessarily graphic in her descriptions, but at the same time, not diminishing the abuse or glossing over the damage it caused. She struck an excellent balance between horror and restraint, particularly as these books are (I assume) quite different to her previous books, which were set in the Amish community. A Texan’s Honor is the second book in the Heart of a Hero series, following A Texan’s Promise. Thanks to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.This review also appears on my blog, www.christianreads.blogspot.com.