Trevor Malloy loves women – all sorts of women.  What he doesn’t love is how hard he has to work on his family’s ranch.  After walking out and going on a two day binge of liquor and women before being confronted by his brothers, he decides to leave the ranch and his family behind and make his living as a professional gambler.

Adelaide Burns, owner of the Last Chance Saloon in Cheyenne, is a champion poker player and considers herself immune to the wiles of handsome gamblers.  Then Trevor walks into her saloon and sits down at her table – and she is no longer so sure that she can resist this handsome cowboy, no matter who wins the pot.

The Gift is actually my first exposure to Beth Williamson’s historical western romances and, despite a small amount of trepidation, I have to admit that I loved it.  The characters sucked me entirely into their lives and situations.  The complex and often turbulent relationships in the Malloy family are compelling and kept me wondering.  Adelaide is no one’s simpering miss or soiled dove.  She is a strong woman in a time that requires strength.  The plot is intricate, but without so many players that the romance is removed from center stage and just when I thought things were settled, Beth had another obstacle waiting for me.

I’m not normally a reader of western historicals but after reading The Gift, I’ve added Beth’s other books in the Malloy series to my list of books to buy.