Wow. Here comes Amy Harmon, barelling through the door, aka my heart, with yet another book that managed to sucker punch me, break me, destroy me, heal me and soften me all at the same time. She is one of my favorite authors for a reason and this book proves it!

Reading this book was like a taking shot of espresso to me. Strong, exciting and absolutely delicious and addicting. I can never not have a good time reading her books, and l "The Outlaw Noble Salt," was no exception because this book has been etched in my heart and I will forever be thinking about. The story captivated me from the start to finish. The way it's exploration of redemption, resilience, and second chances astounded me. Full to the brim with emotions, this book touched every corner of my heart.

Amy Harmon presents a romantic tale of an infamous outlaw, Butch Cassidy, who decides to leave his criminal past behind. On a fateful dat, when he crosses path with a celebrated singer Jane Touissant, he finds himself awestruck with her, leaving him wondering glimpses of what could've been. But he leaves her behind, their their paths unexpectedly cross again, in Paris. Despite Butch's reluctance, Jane trusts him and seeks his protection during her American tour. However, their pasts and secrets expose them to greater threats than the law, forcing them to choose between their lives, legacies, and love.

The story tells the untold story of Butch Cassidy, despite his tumultuous life, he can still find healing, love, and redemption. Harmon's attention to historical detail is mind blowing to me. It was a rollercoaster of a book in terms of emotions. My favorite thing about Harmon's books, especially in this, is her writing style. It shone through so well in this book, amazing me from time to time. Every word, stiched me open and back together again. So much attention to every detail and handled with such care. In this book, her ability to write love stories with honesty, poignancy, and beauty, reflected perfectly! Making this book a must-read.

Butch, is a character who captures the heart with his charm and depth. Jane stands out as a central figure for whom he experiences a transformative journey. The story takes place in 1900 in the wild west and involves elements such as tall tales, criminal activities, a single mom, an age gap, and a marriage of convenience. As Noble,aka Butch, and Jane navigate their complex relationship, they face second chances and sacrifices that test the strength of their love. I absolutely adored the romance between them. The connection that formed between them was so special to me that it teared me up multiple times and I just couldn't atop reading. Some quotes from this book that really stuck with me:

'"Just let me love you, Jane," he said. "That's all I want." "Why?" It made absolutely no sense. "Why me?" He was silent for a moment, thinking. "You make me believe... what my mother used to say. Some folks are just ours."'

and,

'"You always call me honey... as if I'm sweet.
And I am not," she warned. "Not at all, and I will not have you thinking I am."
"You are. Deep down, you're the sweetest little Jane Boot there ever was. But that's not why I call you honey."
"No?"
"No. I call you honey because that's the way you make me feel. Soft and warm and golden."'

and this quote,
"Love means you stay."
it sounds so simple but is packed with so much emotion!

Harmon skillfully weaves together themes of hope and pain in this novel, which left me enthralled throughout. The story also explores the importance of personal growth and the power of love to overcome adversity. Harmon's portrayal of characters like Noble and Jane resonated immensely within me, evoking such deep emotions and vulnerability!

"The Outlaw Noble Salt" also showcases Harmon's talent for character development. Augustus, one of Noble's companions, is a memorable character who adds depth to the story. Harmon's ability to write about children in a way that feels genuine and relatable shines through in her portrayal of Augustus, who is based on her own son. This inclusion adds an extra layer of authenticity to the narrative.

As for the historical context, readers do not need extensive knowledge of the real Butch Cassidy to appreciate the story. Harmon focuses on the universal themes of love and protection rather than an exhaustive biography of Cassidy. The book's setting, Circleville Utah, offers a unique backdrop that Harmon expertly utilizes to engage readers. The world building in this book was masterfully done indeed!

Overall, "The Outlaw Noble Salt" is a powerful love story that goes beyond the romance genre. Amy Harmon's ability to capture raw emotion and elicit profound connections with me is evident in this novel. As with her previous works, Harmon sets a high standard for historical romance writing and surpasses expectations with this exceptional tale. So, I highly recommend this book and I am eargerly waiting for her next release!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Amy Harmon for this arc!

I absolutely adored everything about this book. I have probably on of the biggest and heaviest book hangovers I have ever had! The Outlaw was my undoing! I was thrown way off by what I expected from the bits and pieces I knew about Butch Cassidy! I learned so much about how we can be put in situations we think are harmless and the lose our way. He lost his way early on - from his parents, from his upbringing and stability. I loved the way his character was fleshed out. I also enjoyed the heroine and her son - fabulous characters. I was also overcome with compassion for the other outlaws. I am am always shocked how I can be drug though all the feelings when I read anything by this beautiful author! Thank you!

Thank you to Net Galley for this book, all opinions are my own!!!

Let me start by saying that I do not like Westerns, and I have never had an interest in reading about Butch Cassidy, Jessie James or any of the others. And, while I do not plan to dive into this genre in the future, I can say with certainty that this book was a sweet, lilting story. Amy Harmon did, what you know she will always do, and that is make you feel. The Outlaw Noble Salt was a true star-crossed lovers story. The book made me feel for Butch Cassidy, (like really feel for him) and Jane Toussaint and her son. What a tragic but lovely story. Amy Harmon at her finest! Highly recommend.

My knowledge of Butch Cassidy has been formed by passing references in history books, and by Paul Newman.

Amy Harmon introduces a different man, world weary and full of regrets over a life of crime fueled by an itch for adventure that collided with the wrong people. A man reborn as Noble Salt, writer of haiku and, outlaw still, desperate to leave his past behind.

His paths cross twice with Jane Toussaint, the Parisian songbird, and her precocious son Augustus. It’s the story of three people somewhat broken, whether by circumstances - Butch and Jane - or by the human frailty of Augustus’ facial deformity that exposes him from a young age to the prejudice and mistreatment of others. When Jane hires Butch as bodyguard for her American tour, their lives and pasts collide in a way neither expects.

While not my favorite Amy Harmon novel, I enjoyed this glimpse into what could’ve been for Butch Cassidy, whose life and death still remain a bit of an enigma.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was always a big fan of the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid movie as well as the TV show Alias Smith and Jones, so when I saw Amy Harmon had written a book based on Butch Cassidy I had to read it and am glad I did. Harmon has taken the legend of the outlaw with the soft heart and woven a gentle romance with a fictional opera singer and her precocious son. The novel also includes memorable characters in Cassidys brother and of course Sundance, but it is really the little boy who stole my heart. It is a book of finding love when you can for as long as you can and explores the reality that none of us are all good or all bad but we need to make peace with our mistakes.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the e galley in exchange for an honest review.

Harmon does it again . She is a master of historical fiction and this is another Jewel in her Crown . One of my favorite writers.

"He was accustomed to people's fear and disappointment, but when he left the hotel he actually felt noble, maybe for the first time in his life. And he liked the feeling."

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Amy Harmon for the opportunity to read an early copy of THE OUTLAW NOBLE SALT in exchange for my honest review!

THE OUTLAW NOBLE SALT is a story of redemption, resilience and second chances. It's a story that is equally full of hope as it is full of pain, and I loved every second of it.

The best way I can describe Harmon's writing is that it's like thread being stitched into the fabric of your soul. Every stitch is placed carefully so that it doesn't unravel or become wasted. I have never been the same after every Amy Harmon book that I've read, and I've loved getting to experience this latest novel from her. To me, she sets the bar for the historical romance genre and with THE OUTLAW NOBLE SALT, she's raised the standard to new heights.

I don't know much about the real Robert Leroy Parker, aka "Butch Cassidy", outside of the infamous moniker, but I didn't need to. This book was about a man who fell in love and what he would do to protect those he cared most deeply about.

From the prologue, I knew this book was going to make me cry, but I held onto hope that the tears wouldn't be only due to sadness and devastation. As I read and watched these characters face their past and rise above, I also felt like I was experiencing a newfound sense of resilience within myself, and that alone brought me to tears.

This book not only has beautiful prose and themes, but the characters are so grounded and honest. The love and devotion and care between Noble, Jane, and Augustus was so moving. But I also appreciated that the relationships in this book were as messy as they were moving, and I think that's what made them so grounded and so compelling to read.

I was surprised by some of the tropes in this book such as:
- bodyguard/celebrity
- different worlds
- marriage of convenience
Each of these being tropes I am absolute putty for!

I think my favorite part of this book were all the hokku verses from Noble. I feel like it's only fitting to end this review with one of my own:


This book was perfect
Best yet from Amy Harmon
Five out of five stars

I was happily surprised reading and would love to get the chance to be able to experience the story for the first time again. Amy Harmon stole my heart, again. And, I loved it.

I really enjoyed this story! It was fun to read about the lore of Butch Cassidy, which I am not super familiar with. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union, and the author for the ARC (my very first!).

I was raised in Colorado mostly, as well as Wyoming and Nebraska somewhat, so I grew up surrounded by lore (read: tourist traps) about outlaws and legends from the Wild West, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid included. Not interested, but thanks. So if you had told me that I would have enjoyed a reimagined “tall tale” about Butch Cassidy, I would have had more than a little trouble believing you.

But Amy Harmon is Amy Harmon, and having written one of my favorite ever books (What the Wind Knows), I enthusiastically, if a bit dubiously, dove in. Her ability to make complicated characters out of worn-thin stories from a century ago was remarkable and I found myself totally immersed like I was sitting right there in the train car with them.

I don’t know how to say more without spoiling it, other than this is a deeply heartfelt and heartbreaking story about the push and pull of love and honor, how heavy and tangled family ties can be, and hope for redemption and second chances.

Amy Harmon says she wanted to give this outlaw a second chance, and she did so—tremendously—with this book. (Should I have written this entire in hokku/haiku? Oops.)

5/5, pick this up when it comes out in April, even if you’re hesitant about another Wild West story about an outlaw.

I loved Amy Harmon’s historical fiction. I’ve read every one, so of course I jumped on the chance to read her newest. I knew I’d love it…but this blew me away!!!! I devoured this. I laughed, I cried, and I didn’t want it to end. Not only were the main characters amazing, but the side character’s (who at first irked me) were too! This historical fiction has heart, emotion, angst and a beauuutiful romance. If you love historical fiction with a love story or like any of Amy’s other books, do yourself a favor and pick this up.

How do you write the tale of an outlaw but make it romance and not completely rip out someone’s heart and tear it to shreds? I have no clue but Harmon sure does.

Don’t get me wrong. This story was full of heartache but most of all there was someone who just wanted to leave the past and take care of those he cared about. I cried several times because you could just feel all the hope and how fleeting it felt.

It was beautifully written and I didn’t want to put it done. I don’t know that I’ve ever rooted for an outlaw so hard. Loved it and can definitely see a reread in my future.

Some favorite lines: “Honey” & “You’re not real.”

You just can't go wrong with a Harmon book. I love her style and how she writes her characters. I think my favorite was Augustus or Gus. He just made this whole book better. For whatever reason I just didn't click with Jane. I loved Noble:} He is just one of Harmon's men that just make all other men look bad. I loved the feel of this book. It was so interesting to read about, I lived and went to school near Circleville Utah and once went and checked out all the Butch Cassidy stuff they have there. I loved History and how it shapes us. His story is an interesting one and I love how Harmon wove this one.
This is an adult novel with some sexual content. It is not too detailed. It is the talk of rape that might be the trigger for many people with this book. It is a little detailed. There is drinking and a couple swear words.

Oh, this book...simply stunning. It was not at all what I expected from a book with Butch Cassidy as the lead character. It was so much more. Beautifully complex characters, an ever-twisting plot, and haikus. Yes, haikus. Everything about this book was unexpected, all the way to the very end. There were many memorable quotes but this one stood out: "See, the thing about monsters is...most of the time, they don't look like monsters." Amy Harmon has outdone herself with this one. It's spectacular.

My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are entirely my own.

When I saw my dear friend on IG post about this book I immediately wanted to read it. The cover was eye-catching and the synopsis about none other than one of the most famous outlaws in history, Butch Cassidy (otherwise called Noble Salt), completely had my attention. I NEEDED this book and am so grateful to have received an early copy to read and review.

This is the second book I’ve read of Amy Harmon’s and it has me scrambling to add her other books to my TBR. She takes a real person and weaves such a beautiful story around their lives, creating romance and heroism and characters that you can’t help but fall in love with as well as immersing you in the historical world these people lived and breathed in. I loved the sweet relationship between dear ‘Noble Salt’ and Jane as well as the precious little boy Augustus. I loved that little boy so much and his tenacity for life and the way Noble brought so much confidence to him and loved him so purely. There were many interactions that brought tears to my eyes because of the sweetness and kindness that radiated.

There were also so many perfect romance tropes portrayed, ‘Marriage of Convenience’, ‘Only One Bed’, and ‘Second Chance Romance’ just to name a few and I LOVED every moment of it. Who is surprised that I fell head over heels for this outlaw named Butch Cassidy? Probably no one. I love a bad boy but what I love even more is a reformed bad boy and Harmon did not disappoint and knew just the way to my hopelessly romantic heart.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review. I whole-heartedly recommend and will definitely be ordering a copy to have once it releases on April 9,2024.

Last year someone gave me a book by Amy Harmon, Where the Lost Wander, which became my #1 book of 2023. Amy has become one of my go-to authors and I jump at the chance to read anything she writes. Having accessed an ARC of The Outlaw Noble Salt was a real treat!

Amy pulls Butch Cassidy from history and creates a beautiful story about the the later years of his life.

A love story that hit the right notes. The romance unfolds within other story lines and feels natural. Sometimes romance novels just push the romance, but Amy Harmon, thankfully doesn’t do that.

This isn’t about the wild west and not an action! It’s a slow burn love story with unforgettable characters.

Speaking of characters, I’m a sucker for good bad guys, and misunderstood characters and these characters hit those notes! She creates complex characters, and Noble Salt is no different!

It doesn’t get five stars only because she has written other books that I love a bit more, but still another wonderful story by Amy Harmon. It really was a 4.5 star book for me!

I was going into this story without a clue about the real Cassidy and Sundance. Lets just say the author had me right from the start and had me eager to learn more about the men and their history. So her it goes.
Robert LeRoy Parker aka Butch Cassidy and Harry Longabough aka Sundance Kid are in my opinion the most famous outlaws of the Wild West ever. Haunted by Pinkerton Detectives but still living their lives to the fullest, they and their spouses G. Livesay and E. Place are legends. And A. Harmon masterfully draw a masterpiece of a picture, made them and their story come to life.
This historical romance is next to What the Wind knows the more tender of her books and I fell in insta love with characgers, story and writing. One of my very few fav reads in 24, I recommend the book, 5 stars.

FEELING EVERYTHING.

I don’t even know how to put into words how beautiful this book was. I was swept away (again, because let’s be honest, Amy Harmon books always sweep me away) into the early 1900’s and Butch Cassidy’s life, and what a life it was.

I looooved the exploration of Cassidy and his life and how he ended up where he did. I love how the inclusion of history was woven in with the romance. Good heavens I loved Jane. Her continued strength through a difficult life and being the mother she wanted and needed to be for Augustus while allowing herself a chance to be with Butch. It was incredibly romantic and heartfelt and raw with truth and longing.

Also Augustus? In love with him. He was the sweetest boy who had to grow up too soon. And he was the perfect addition to this story. I found strength is his courage and the way he handled himself throughout the book.

I loved the setting and story and the intensity of what was slowly closing in. My heart was in my throat and had to hope with everything in me that we’d get to the ending I was begging for.

Another masterpiece where I fell in love with a ‘villain’.

Overall audience notes:

Historical Romance
Language: low
Romance: fade to black
Trigger/Content Warnings: suicide, rape (mentioned a few times, recounted), gun violence

The infamous Butch Cassidy is ready to leave his crooked life behind. He goes on the run and travels abroad to escape the Pinkertons who are searching for him far and wide. When he runs into Jane Touissant in Europe, he knows it's a bad idea to spend time with her. Years ago, they had an intense interaction that he still dreams about till this day. Jane is a famous singer and when she asks him to be her bodyguard for her American tour, he hardly hesitates to accept. Butch's past catches up to them the second they set foot on American soil. They form a deep bond as they navigate how to avoid the authorities.

I love Amy Harmon and her books. She writes books so deeply entrenched in historic detail that I feel like I am there. Harmon breathes life into historic characters and makes them feel human instead of just people you read about or see in movies. I never thought much about Butch Cassidy. I knew that he was an outlaw and was affiliated with the Sundance Kid. That was it. This book gave me an imagining of his character that was complex and layered. My favorite thing about his character in this book was that he was so different from what he has been portrayed as in media. He was gentle, caring, and self-sacrificing. This side of him made his relationship with Jane believable and I was rooting for them.

Amy Harmon wrote an ending for this that I didn't expect and that I needed badly. I was in tears for the last few chapters of this book - both tears of sorrow and joy.

Pick this one up for a historical fiction about a redeemed hero who find romance when he least expects it.

Steam level: 🔥🔥
⚠️: rape, murder, gun violence, robbery

The Outlaw Noble Salt is simply wonderful. Amy Harmon shows her masterful writing skills once again in this tall tale about Butch Cassidy, aka Robert LeRoy Parker. A story that is as grand as it is unpretentious. A veritable 'what if', with Harmon magically imagining what could have happened with what actually happened to the notorious outlaw, thereby providing us with a book that I'd like to think would make the real Butch proud.

Of course, I couldn't stop imagining Paul Newman as our Butch, much like in the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", as Harmon gave him the striking blue eyes we have all come to know and love. He's a very calm-spoken kind of man, knowing his faults and how his past transgressions decidedly did more harm than good. But when he crosses paths with the renowned songbird known as Jane Toussaint not once but twice, Butch not only sheds his name to become Noble Salt but finds a harmony within himself he didn't know existed.

The book is beautifully written as we get a glimpse of life in the early part of the 20th century in both America and Europe. Harmon no doubt used a bit of kismet to put Noble in Jane's path, he very definitely becoming everything and more to the hardened songstress, who is very protective of her son, Augustus, and the life they lead. Her feelings of being trapped by not only her late husband but by the cruel Lord Ashley had Jane keeping Noble at arm's length, despite her convincing him to be her bodyguard. But I was over the moon when both started to trust the other through heartfelt talks and being in close quarters, changing their lives for the better.

In fact, the very unexpected burgeoning romance between Noble and Jane is a huge highlight of this book. I could feel Jane's awe of the level-headed Noble, how he takes command seemingly easy and without fuss, of most situations when life could and would continue to throw curves in their shared journey. Even though both were to part ways once Jane's tour of America ended, something magical happened to both of them aboard their 8-day excursion aboard a luxury liner from England to the United States that solidified these surprising feelings each had for the other. I knew right then and there that Noble and Jane were destined to find a new course together, however dangerous and unpredictable that might be.

There is plenty of indecision on both Noble and Jane's parts as they meander through America but nothing was as lovely as how they continue to fall hard for one another. The way Noble admits how Jane is the only woman he has ever loved just from the first time he heard her sing and how Jane surprises herself that she can finally feel like the brave woman she undoubtedly is. That she can succumb happily in Noble's arms and the pains of the past can be erased for good.

The secondary characters of this book, whether good or evil, play their parts perfectly. And I must make special mention of Augustus. The boy with the face disfigurement who stole everyone's hearts, including mine, as he enthusiastically makes his way in the world. The way he knows his mother's emotions, as they start to change once Noble is in their lives, is beautiful in every sense of the word. Gus is in tune with the world around him in a unique way and Harmon gave him a voice that was meant to be heard no matter how others may perceive him because of his looks. The way he won everyone over within a few minutes or so had me cheering for this wondrous young man that he forever keep his incredible sense of adventure.

I had been very curious about The Outlaw Noble Salt and how Harmon would craft this storyline regarding the legend of Butch Cassidy. To say it far exceeded my expectations would be an understatement. This new stage of writing historicals is truly a whole new level of brilliance for the talented Harmon and she wrote a superb gem with this newest book. Her research is what sets her apart time and again even with obvious exaggerations used to make the story that much more enjoyable.

The Outlaw Noble Salt is the kind of book that is as easygoing as it is meticulous. I honestly could have read another 100 pages about the man with perhaps too many personas but with the kind of soul that ultimately saved his heart and that of those who loved him. It is outstanding.

5+++++++++++++ stars!