Returning from the Civil War, Nate Marchand and his friends find nothing but death and destruction in their hometown.  Deciding to head west, Nate and his friends want to begin again.  Joining to form D. H. Enterprises, the men are almost starving and have no money.  With little choice, Nate heads into the town of Grayton, Texas, and while there he meets a man who is interested in hiring Nate and the rest of his friends who call themselves the ‘Devils on Horseback’ using the nickname they were given during the war.  The job is simple thinks Nate. All he and his friends have to do is get rid of three squatters living on a parcel of land that is no longer theirs.  Easier said than done when Nate realizes the woman that caught his attention in town is the woman whose family he is supposedly been hired to make homeless.

Elisa Taggert has spent the last year protecting her land and running off the man that allegedly bought her ranch.  Knowing without a doubt that the bill of sale is false, Elisa is unable to get anyone to listen to her.  When she sees a stranger in the town mercantile, her interest is piqued, that is until she sees him talking to the very man that has made her life hell since the death of her mother.  Vowing before God and everyone else, Elisa refuses to give up her land without a fight and it is too bad that the man she has to pit herself against is the very man who fascinated her so completely while in town. 

Nate and the Devils figure that they can oust the squatters in just a matter of time.  What starts out as a simple job, turns complicated once Nate and Elisa realize their attraction to each other as well.  When Nate discovers that the man who hired him has ulterior motives up his sleeve, the fight for Elisa’s land turns personal. 

What can I say to emphasize how much I loved Devils on Horseback: Nate?  My personal epitome of a post Civil War gentleman is Nate Marchand; he’s learned, well-spoken, and respectful to women.  Having no choice but to take the first job he was hired to do, Nate finds himself at odds with his conscience as well as his heart.  Elisa Taggert surprised Nate and he was unprepared for the feelings she invoked in him.  Nate was not alone with those unfamiliar thoughts as Elisa experienced the same type of emotions herself.  Forced from an early age to take care of herself as well as her brother and emotionally scarred father, Elisa had been running on empty for a long time.  No wonder these two lost souls found each other.  Their coming together was fiery, passionate, and extremely real. It bordered at times on desperation and when I looked beyond the obvious defense mechanisms employed by both Nate and Elisa when around each other, I saw two people who just craved emotional closeness and love. 

When I am in the mood for an exciting, passion-filled western historical romance, I turn to Beth Williamson.  She never fails to capture the emotions of her characters, and her books always grip me from page one and refuse to let go.  Devils on Horseback: Nate is this type of novel.  Beth Williamson’s books should never be missed and I find myself constantly perusing her coming soon page for a look into future books. I just finished Nate’s story and I am on pins and needles waiting for the next installment about this loyal band of devils on horseback.  Nate’s story deserves two thumbs up and a huge Rebel yell.  Yee-haw!