About the Book
Book: The Bandit’s Redemption
Author: KyLee Woodley
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release date: February 18, 2025
A holdup gone wrong, a reluctant outlaw, and the captive she’s sworn to guard.
Life in the American West hasn’t been easy for French refugee Lorraine Durand. She has precious few connections and longs to return to her native land. So when the man who rescued her from a Parisian uprising following the Franco-Prussian War persuades her to help him with a deadly holdup, she reluctantly agrees. Despite his promises otherwise, the gang kidnaps a man, forcing Lorraine to grapple with the fallout of her choices even as she is drawn to the captive she’s meant to guard.
Jesse Alexander must survive. If not for himself, then for the troubled sister he left behind in Los Angeles. At the mercy of his captors, he carefully works to earn Lorraine’s trust, hoping he can easily subdue her when the time comes. But as they navigate the treacherous wilderness and he searches for his opportunity to escape, he realizes there may be more to her than he first believed.
With danger lurking at every turn, they must decide whether to trust each other enough to plan a combined escape or risk falling prey to the gang’s devious schemes.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
KyLee Woodley is a cheery romantic who loves to write about bygone days and heartwarming romance with a pinch of adventure. She teaches preschool at a lab school in Texas, where she lives with her husband of eighteen years and their three teenage children. On weekends, KyLee cohosts and produces the Historical Bookworm Show, a steadily growing author interview podcast for history lovers and readers of historical fiction.
In her spare time, she cares for a rescue mutt—Lucky Dog—a feisty feline named Hazel, and three adorable Boston Terrier puppies. She listens to Cricket Country and K-Love radio, reads classic books with her children, and watches Marvel movies with her husband, who might resemble Superman.
More from KyLee
A Pinch of History on Our Heroine
The heroine of The Bandit’s Redemption started as simply a female outlaw and evolved into a complex, troubled, and fascinating woman. Firstly, Lorraine’s parents defied cultural norms in France simply by marrying. Her father was a French soldier and her mother was Romani. Such a marriage was frowned upon because the Romani people were considered outcasts throughout all of Europe. Her father died when she was fairly young, and so Lorraine was raised among her mother’s people.
When Lorraine’ was old enough, she attended the Château d’Écouen—a school for the daughters of less prestigious French military officers. But, doing this meant being separated from her mother and her people. The Romani people were typically nomadic, traveling from place to place and sometimes camping in the French countryside. Lorraine finished school and moved to Paris with her mother, who was no longer able to travel with her troupe due to poor health.
In 1870, Napoleon III, Emperor of France, declared war on the German Confederation and so the Franco-Prussian War began. The conflict lasted six months, and during this time, German soldiers advanced into parts of France and laid siege to Paris. In January of 1871, the two countries signed an armistice, and France had to pay reparations amounting to five billion francs plus interest.
Paris had been besieged by the Prussian army during which time privation ravaged the city. When the French government rescinded the wartime moratorium on debt repayment, the working class of Paris, whose industry and commerce had stalled during the war, revolted. The movement was spearheaded by a group known as the Paris Commune. Prussia allowed the French government to deal with the civil unrest, and after a two-month standoff, French troops took back Paris during the Bloody Week—May 21-27, 1871. The death toll is not known and has been debated by historians for years. It is certain to be in the thousands. Some members of the Commune who survived were sentenced to death, imprisoned, or sent to penal colonies. Other people accused or suspected of being involved were arrested and imprisoned without trial.
Lorraine was swept up in the arrests but rescued by a man who had been close friends with her father during his life. She immigrated to America because she believed she had no other choice. Settling in a new land where she felt like an outcast, after never fitting in at school or among her mother’s people—because she was half French and half Roma—Lorraine determined to remain isolated. She refused to speak English, only ate French foods, and purchased her clothes from French seamstresses. To make a living, she joined the Sells Brothers Circus with a few of her friends from home. There she used her horsemanship in an equestrian act.
Her life was relatively predictable for the next few years until that friend of her father’s, who rescued her following the Bloody Week and brought her to America, asked for her assistance in a robbery. She refuses, until she learns the money will go towards freeing the people they left behind in France. This is where the book picks up. Lorraine is torn between the desire to stay in the predictable routine she’s built in the East and assisting her people who were unjustly condemned. Will the moral compromise and inability to leave her past behind cause Lorraine to lose the battle for her soul or will she find redemption with a God who heals even the deepest wounds?
MY REVIEW
A great story with a western theme. I loved how the author makes you feel like you are right there in the story. With vivid descriptions and lots of action this story is fun to read. I liked Jesse because he has a forgiving spirit. After being robbed and kidnapped he still finds in his heart to show grace. I liked how he wants to help Lorraine even though she is an outlaw.
Reading how Jesse wants to get home to his sister is nice and shows how big his heart is. He feels responsible for her predicament and wants to see her find joy again. Now that he has lost his family’s gold he starts to have a need to survive and get justice.
The best part of the story is watching Lorraine begin to want to know about God. With everything she has done she questions if she can be saved. It made me think about how I felt when I had reached a hard time in my life. Lorraine is a young woman who wants to be loved but seems to follow the wrong type of people. I loved how the author slowly gives us an illustration of beauty from ashes.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Blog Stops
Stories By Gina, March 6 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 6
Pens Pages & Pulses, March 7
Texas Book-aholic, March 8
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 9
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 10
Vicky Sluiter, March 11 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 12
For Him and My Family, March 13
Cover Lover Book Review, March 14
lakesidelivingsite, March 15
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 16 (Author Interview)
Devoted To Hope, March 16
Holly’s Book Corner, March 17
Pause for Tales, March 18
For the Love of Literature, March 19 (Author Interview)
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, KyLee is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54167
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