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Foxfire Bride

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Fox is a woman as feisty as they come. Once the most sought-after scout west of the Rockies, she led folks through wild, unexplored terrain–until a gunshot wound ended her guiding career. She’s living a calmer life when a handsome stranger appears with an urgent request to take him to Denver immediately. The gold coins he offers catch Fox’s eye–and so do his sharp good looks. Fox can’t resist the chance to guide again, and can’t ignore the fire that burns in her body whenever she sees this oh-so tempting man.

Matthew Tanner has received a startling His father is being held for ransom in Denver. With time running out, Matthew must find the best scout money can buy. When the best turns out to be a woman with gritty good looks and a wild mane of red hair, Matthew is both shocked and intrigued. Can Matthew and Fox’s mutual desire and growing love survive the perils of their journey, or will their secrets destroy each other?

392 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 2004

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About the author

Maggie Osborne

31 books474 followers
aka
Margaret St. George

Maggie Osborne is the author of I Do, I Do, I Do and Silver Lining, as well as more than forty contemporary and historical romance novels written as Maggie Osborne and Margaret St. George. She has won numerous awards from Romantic Times, Affaire de Coeur, BookraK, the Colorado Romance Writers, and Coeur du Bois, among others. Osborne won the RITA for long historical from the Romance Writers of America in 1998. Maggie lives in a resort town in the Colorado mountains with her husband, one mule, two horses, one cat, and one dog, all of whom are a lot of aggravation, but she loves them anyway.

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5 stars
222 (28%)
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309 (39%)
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196 (24%)
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48 (6%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
Profile Image for Mo.
1,386 reviews2 followers
May 31, 2016
Fox is a woman as feisty as they come. Once the most sought-after scout west of the Rockies, she led folks through wild, unexplored terrain–until a gunshot wound ended her guiding career. She’s living a calmer life when a handsome stranger appears with an urgent request to take him to Denver immediately. The gold coins he offers catch Fox’s eye–and so do his sharp good looks. Fox can’t resist the chance to guide again, and can’t ignore the fire that burns in her body whenever she sees this oh-so tempting man.


A lot of the heroines written by this author are tomboys, living in a man's world, happy to wear pants instead of dresses. I love them. Was a bit of a tomboy myself when I was younger and hate wearing dresses, to this day!

"Why do you keep looking at my hair? Is there something wrong with it?"
"Not at all. Your hair is a beautiful gold and red, particularly in the firelight."



Fox has lived in the wilderness for many years, with nobody for company except Peaches, her trusted friend. Matthew Tanner arrives on the scene. He has been told that the best scout in Colorado lives here and wants to hire him to bring Tanner to Denver, through the Rockies. But the "him" turned out to be a "her"!

Fox amused him, annoyed him, aroused him, roused feelings of respect and admiration and irritation.



A man could polish a piece of granite all his life and never turn it into a diamond



There was a bit towards the end where I did roll my eyes a bit. Bit of a coincidence! You know, of all the gin joints and all that .... but it didn't deter me from enjoying the story immensely.

"Oh, Tanner." She touched his lips with a trembling finger. "I'll love you forever ..."



Profile Image for Anna.
1,093 reviews7 followers
January 5, 2021
Great historical romance with a lot of adventures!
This author is on of my fav for historical, her writing style is flawless, such a rich vocabulary, oh my god, i’m in love with her writings!
Great main characters and second characters as well.
Fox was through a lot, i wish she did her vengeance, this man made her suffer a lot.
Great caring hero: respectful, gentleman, great person.
Directly to my re-read list.
Safe read
Both were not virgins.
Profile Image for Lucie "a heart so wild".
150 reviews31 followers
March 7, 2016
10*, Great book
I love love this book. Fox is awesome. Tanner is wonderful, together they create a great and difficult adventure hand in hand together until love bound them.
Read this until the last word....superb!!!!
Profile Image for Korrie’s Korner.
1,259 reviews13.4k followers
October 4, 2022
This book was such a pleasant surprise!! I so enjoyed it and love these period reads with a passion. I fell head over heels for the heroine probably even more than the hero, and he was pretty darn epic.

“Fox” was everything you’d want in a female hero. She was kick ass, smoked cigars, cussed, and used to handling business in any shape or form. She was basically raised by an African American cowboy due to the death of her parents when she was 11 or so. I loved Peaches Hernandez, and how much he loved Fox. Right down to making her wear bacon grease in gloves at night so her hands would be soft, to the sun protection creme he concocted for them that kept her face, lips and skin from getting chapped/burned. He was her father in every sense of the word...probably more than a father because he was a true friend..her life line.

No spoilers here, because this story had some twists in it, but Fox and Tanner are an incredibly sexy, passionate duo that had each other’s backs. I love that he thought he was hiring a man to take him across country to Denver and his surprise when he saw a woman. The instant attraction between the two, and fighting on Fox’s part of the chemistry she felt was spectacular. Very well written and with the right amount of heat. I could literally keep on, but I’m going to stop. Read it for yourselves. You won’t be disappointed.
Profile Image for Serial Romance Librarian.
944 reviews233 followers
October 3, 2020
Maggie Osborne is an excellent author. This story is set out west during the Civil War, which is one of my favorite historical time periods to read about. The war doesn’t feature prominently in the plot, except through dialog. I really enjoyed Fox’s character. She is a talented scout who holds a grudge against her stepfather because he stole her inheritance and abandoned her. She was raised by a black man named Peaches and they lived hand-to-mouth. Revenge is her sole motivation. It’s impossible not to feel for Fox given how unfair life has been for her.



Tanner hires Fox to guide him on the fastest route to Denver so he can pay his father’s ransom. He doesn’t anticipate that they will fall for each other. Many adventures and calamities ensue. There is heartbreak and the MC’s uncover each other’s true identities. Of course, there’s a HEA.

Profile Image for Mara.
2,508 reviews253 followers
August 11, 2019
3.5
I probably would have enjoyed it more with a different ending or rather with different timing. She has lived all her life thinking about revenge and yes I can understand seeing the truth/light but accepting and forgiving or forgetting so quickly is too difficult to swallow. It was simply too pat.
Profile Image for SheLove2Read.
2,964 reviews193 followers
April 8, 2010
(Spoiler alert! Stop reading if you don't want to know the ending)

I ♥ Maggie Osborne.

I really do. If I had to pick a favorite by her it would be Silver Lining with this book a very close 2nd. Osborne's characters are so REAL they make you want to be in the story with them.

This is the story of Fox, a woman as feisty as they come. She is a scout who leads people all over the Rocky Mountain territory. She's lived a hard life and has the scars to prove it. Her best friend and the only father she's really ever had is Peaches, a black man who she's been with for over 20 years. Together they agree to lead Matthew Tanner on a dangerous trip directly over the mountain passes to Denver, where he is going to deliver ransom money to kidnappers who have his beloved father.

This is right up Fox's alley because she has been planning a trip to Denver....her last trip. You see Fox has an agenda: to find and kill the man who stole her inheritance and threw her away as a child of 5 years old - her stepfather. Fox's mother was an heiress and when she died, her stepfathers greed led him to give Fox to distant relatives and never return, telling all who would listen that Fox died shortly after her mother did of an unknown illness. Unable to prove she's the rightful heir to her mother's estate some 20 plus years later, Fox decides she'll just kill him and take her punishment. It can't be any worse than the life she is living now, hand to mouth in a roughneck mining town on the frontier.

The only problem is, Fox didn't count on her attraction to Matthew Tanner, or his reciprocal interest. Along the way they become much more than guide and employer. Matthew has never met a woman like Fox. She tells it like it is, isn't afraid of man or beast and yet she shows a vulnerability that he is unable to reconcile with the take charge persona Fox gives the world. He cannot help but admire her, and eventually fall in love with her. But Matthew comes from money - lots of money, and he knows that Fox will never fit into his world. He has enough honor to resist starting anything with her because he doesn't want to hurt her feelings once they reach Denver. The only problem is, Matthew didn't count on Fox taking that decision away from him! Their love scenes are touching but also scorching hot.

I love a good travel romance and this has all the elements. There is a twist you never see coming and you wonder how in the world Osborne will resolve this between the characters, but she does, and its not contrived or rushed. There's also violence, anger and death in the story and more than once I cried. If you've got a whole day you can sit down and do nothing but read - pick up this book. I hated putting it down even for a minute.

A+









Profile Image for Andy .
338 reviews11 followers
November 11, 2020

Peaches was my fav ✨
I'd have liked it more but the ending was rushed with a tacked on bow to boot. The journey too drawn out for an .
Profile Image for Jess the Romanceaholic.
1,033 reviews485 followers
June 29, 2010
I recently discovered that I'm a sucker for Maggie Osborne books. Though not as good as Silver Lining, this is definitely going on my keeper shelf.

One trend that continues throughout MO's books are the tomboy heroine (who has a hard time cleaning up her language and dressing/acting like a "lady"), the fact the heroine isn't a virgin yet hasn't had any truly satisfying lovers/happy relationships in the past, and the hero who is wealthy and handsome and "out of her league".. This one, however, didn't have a child as a main character (or at least in the background), which was a little different.

I guessed the twist pretty soon into the story, but that's only because I've read so many books that it's almost impossible to miss little hints that authors like to tuck into their stories when a twist is a'coming :)

I was a little dissatisfied with the ending, as I really would've liked an epilogue, but in the end, everything was tied up nicely (and honestly, for a while, I'd wondered if that would be the case).

Overall, a very good book. 4 1/2 Stars
Profile Image for ChloeLeeNH.
286 reviews45 followers
October 21, 2008
I found this at my library book sale this weekend. I don't normally go for the western theme. I thought I would try it out. The heroine Fox was a rough woman that could outdrink and outshoot anyone. She was definitely in the lead with this relationship and the hero was very much a beta male. Run of the mill for me but I didn't mind getting to the end.
Profile Image for Sometime.
1,700 reviews154 followers
November 25, 2015
I love a good western. And I love a good story where the MCs go on a journey and spend the time getting to know and respect each other. I really liked the supporting characters. Loved this romance.

The only drawbacks for me were that the end of the journey dragged on just a tad too long and the h was just a bit too stubborn and "oh no, I'm not good enough it will never work" for too long.
Profile Image for Sonia189.
1,040 reviews30 followers
May 20, 2020
From my blog:

In this book we meet Fox, an unconventional heroine but who deep down regrets her life has not followed a more traditional path.
The story begins when she and older friend/father figure Peaches are hired to be part of a team to guide a rich man to Denver, though secondary routes that might be dangerous, in order for him to carry a huge amount of gold part of a ransom mission.
Fox feels attracted to Tanner, the "boss", but although she feels like having an adventure, she also has a hidden goal in mind for she wants to reach Denver too, so she could find and kill the man she has always known to be responsible for how her life went.
With many adventures and some drama and even a road trip romance, will Fox be able to deal with her regrets and accept the apparent second chance in happiness she is given?

This was a story filled with adventure. It's very fast paced, there is always something happening, something to deal with and, on one hand this is good because there's no time to waste on unnecessary things. The author has to rely on the characters' actions so that readers can grasp their personalities and positive aspects instead of being told every single thing.
I like this style because it can allow the reader to get the information between the lines but, on the other hand, it can make things sound a little simplistic and I assume this might be one reason why the style is considered "old school". It seems as if nowadays there's more eagerness to see fresh, innovative things and styles.

This aside, the story was a good one. The main characters have a mission, a goal and they face some adversity while the protagonists decide on a love affair until they end their journey.
As for the plot, nothing really to say, this is a simple story whose best feature is in the character's development and in the question on whether the characters will do what they say they will when the mission is over. There were some doubts regarding this but I confess I wasn't that worried or eager to find out the - let's call it - twist since I feel that was rather predictable.

What makes reading this genre a more interesting experience for me is to see how the romance develops. I must say that while it was different because the heroine also wanted it to happen, I wasn't as impressed by it and actually felt it brought my enjoyment of the story lower. I'm a little old fashioned, I suppose, and I much prefer romances where both partners go into it with some mystery, with some discovery to make. It wasn't as fun to watch if they discussed it like a business transaction!
I would have preferred them to slowly become aware of the other, of thinking, debating if the other might feel the same... I guess I would have liked a more well done tactic of "they couldn't help it but fall in love" and this love story didn't feel like that to me.

As a whole, there was nothing wrong with this story but I missed that something "extra" that all the books I liked the most need to have for me to put them in that level.
I think the fact there is some dragging in the middle with the journey taking over the whole book and the final resolutions being so easily and quickly summarized make things feel like they were rushed in the end.

While reading this I kept wondering that there is a reason why these books tend to be considered old school so they aren't as well received nowadays but at the same time, there is a reason too why old school can be a synonym of "established" and that is because the plots work.
I liked this book in general even though it wasn't as spectacular as I would have wanted.
Profile Image for Sharon.
65 reviews48 followers
May 15, 2011
This has been my favorite 2011 read to date. I don't think I've laughed so much and so hard reading a story since Julie Garwood's The Wedding I read years ago.

Fox (h) is an absolute delight. She is my favorite kind of heroine... Feisty, outspoken, strong, courageous, hard headed, untamed, intelligent, honest and pure of heart.

Time: 1800's (late)

The story setting begins in Nevada where she is brooding over her consuming hatred for 1 man as she shapes a plot to head out to Colorado and kill him. All she is waiting for is a sign the time is right.

Well, that sign comes immediately in the form of Matthew Tanner who hires her as scout to get him to Colorado with his $50,000 in gold to ransom his father from kidnappers.

The trek begins.

Another reason I loved this story so much is that Osborne concentrated on the journey heading from Nevada through Utah into Colorado. That pretty much took up the bulk of the story. The early trails, lay of the land, the people and obstacles are of intense interest to me during this time period. She did a wonderful job describing it putting this reader right there.

One early scene is planted in my mind's eye at the moment. They have been on the trail not too long, and have noticed Indians trailing in the distance. Fox leads the men to an abandoned pony express station for the night. As she enters they come under attack from these Paiute.
She orders the 4 men to man the walls of the station with their rifles, then hears whoops and laughter as arrows zing overhead.

What comes next is so unexpected and original (as is many scenes in this book) that made it a treasure...

"You know what that sounds like?" she asks Tanner who is beside her as she listens. "Kids. Just fooling around." Then she stands and stares over the wall. It's 6 young Paiutes painted like warriors having a grand time. Speaking to them in their tongue, she yells at them and after shooting one last arrow they jump on their ponies and head for the hills.

Tanner asks her what she said to them.

Fox answers "I told them they looked real cute in their paint."

Only the reader knows what she actually said.

The only issue raised for me was why Tanner had to take the ransom money in gold to the kidnappers. Why not just wire it to them? The answer, then there wouldn't have been this great story. When they do reach the kidnappers, it's anti climatic. But by then, it doesn't seem important.

This was a loaner and now I have another book to hunt down so I can have my own Keeper.
Profile Image for MBR.
1,259 reviews370 followers
January 31, 2011
4.75 Stars Historical Romance

If you want to read about heroines who are feisty, independent and live on the fringes of the society having to make do with what they have and are all the more strong for it, Maggie Osborne is always the author to look for. Fox is a heroine as feisty and independent as they come.

Full review which contains spoilers: http://bit.ly/9psOCj
Profile Image for thepassivecontemplator.
96 reviews13 followers
July 21, 2018
Foxfire Bride is the kind of book that builds your expectations throughout the whole book to lead up to a moment and then it fails to deliver the appropriate climax.

Profile Image for Mads.
1 review2 followers
August 28, 2022
The ending ruined the whole book for me. What a disappointment!
Profile Image for Catarina .
241 reviews2 followers
May 17, 2018
My first maggie book and i loved this one.. Cannot wait to read more of this author
Profile Image for Sarah.
320 reviews28 followers
July 28, 2013
Originally posted on Sarahsbookshelf.com

A blog that I regularly get book recommendations from recently was hosting a love-fest featuring Maggie Osborne’s books. The guest blogger wrote about western heroines and the concept of true grit. This book recommendation was for both a genre and author I had not read before, so I was intrigued enough to give her a shot. This book was originally published around 2004, but the content makes it relatively timeless.

It’s easy to see why this author is such a staple for someone like Wendy, The Super Librarian. Her characters truly were amazing and had a depth that even I found to be unexpected. While it’s easy for some to be dismissive of Romance, this author brings the conversation back to why Westerns allow authors a lot of leeway to write strong and independent heroines.

We initially meet Fox and Peaches as they are struggling to make ends meet as ice farmers. When Spring comes earlier than anticipated, Fox is approached by a man to lead a group to Denver. Reluctant to hire a woman to do the job, Matthew Tanner ends up without any other options. But Fox surprises him. Despite having a grandfather-type man with her, Fox truly beats to a different drum. She’s honest, dependable, surly, and amazingly good at her job as a scout, yet underneath this crusty, sun-worn exterior is a person few know. Matthew Tanner is the good son, doing his best to secure funds to have his kidnapped father released. He, too, has many secrets and layers that make him much more complex than Fox originally assumed.

What I loved about this book was that no matter how frustrated I got with the characters, I could not stop reading the book. This was a story with characters that made many mistakes–sometimes learning from those mistakes, sometimes not. The peril these characters faced was also very real. Unlike Regency historicals, these characters had much more pressing things to worry about (theft, bears, rapids–you name it). These issues gave the book a depth that I hadn’t really considered before. Perhaps The Super Librarian is onto something reading this type historical.

If you are looking to expand your historical horizons, give Osborne a shot. The writing and characters were both excellent, and the story compelling.
Profile Image for Laurie  (barksbooks).
1,837 reviews748 followers
January 11, 2010
I enjoyed this one very much. Maggie Osborne is an author who doesn't write your typical whiny, helpless, feminine heroine which is why I love her books so much and continue to buy them new.

Fox, one the best scouts around, and her elderly friend Peaches are eeking out a living selling ice when Fox is approached to lead an expedition by a man named Tanner who tempts her with lots of gold pieces and his ruggedly good looks, though she'll never admit it. Fox is the best and isn't afraid to boss the men around. When she discovers Tanner's true reason for the expedition she can't refuse even though the trip will quite possibly put all of their lives in danger. During the course of the trip Fox and Tanner begin a "liaison" that quickly turns into a love with no future.

This book was a great western road trip with a foul mouth, rough around the edges heroine. In comparison, Tanner seemed almost a little bland but that's a mild complaint. This book reminds me why I used to love the romance genre so much.
Profile Image for Sally Mander.
767 reviews22 followers
January 12, 2023
5 Stars, Well written Western

FOXFIRE BRIDE
by Maggie Osborne

A scout by the name of Fox, figures out herself, that there are definitely times that you experience bad things that turn out to be great things in the end. A person definitely needs to thank God for unanswered prayers.

Fox has only loved two people in her whole life, her mother who died when Fox was relatively young; and Peaches Hernandez, the black man who took a small, unloved, overworked child and adopted her as his own. He taught her everything she knew, anything worth knowing, or arranged for it to be taught to her.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. Several of Maggie Osborne's books affect me this way. She is a talented writer, who speaks to the little "tomboy" that is hidden inside of me. I have over-read several of her books and had to purchase new copies, to love them again. Highly recommend this author.

#maggieosborne #foxfirebride #strongfemaleprotagonist #unansweredprayers #kidnapping #love #inspirational
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Luli.
707 reviews77 followers
November 11, 2014

3.5 stars.
Ha estado bien.
No es una historia memorable pero al menos ha estado entretenida.
Yo creo que esta autora y yo no conectamos bien porque ya he leído algunos libros de ella y al final me quedo con la impresión de que les falta algo. No consiguen emocionarme, les falta sentimientos. La historia está bien, es (más o menos) realista, pero es lo mejor que puedo decir.
El romance me ha parecido un poco frío, esa manera de empezarlo…no fue especialmente romántica, y la idea de que tenía fecha de caducidad es algo que se lleva toda la historia pesando sobre los hombros de los protagonistas y del lector, con lo cual es como una traba para que no te impliques demasiado en su historia.
El suspense se veía venir…no ha sido sutil que digamos, y el final, el final se soluciona demasiado rápido…plis, plas y ya está…
No ha estado mal, aunque tampoco ha sido para tirar cohetes…
Profile Image for Katrina Passick Lumsden.
1,782 reviews12.9k followers
June 22, 2012
Yes, I've read three Maggie Osborne books in the last two days. I don't like her writing or anything...

Anyone who enjoys romance, action, and adventure shouldn't find much fault with this book. I didn't like it as much as I liked The Promise of Jenny Jones, but I think that might be because Ty isn't in it;) Don't get me wrong, though, Tanner is an awesome male lead, definitely swoon-worthy, and Fox is a genuinely intriguing female lead. Well-written romances are hard to come by, but I think I've definitely hit a gold mine with Maggie Osborne.
135 reviews
March 21, 2021
Good book but not great. Definitely not as captivating as Maggie’s other books. But I still found the story unique and engaging. I predicted the “twist” pretty early on but it was still good. The ending though did feel rushed. I wish we could have gotten more and learned what happened with the couple. I also wasn’t a fan with how the conflict at the end was handled. I think it could have been more believable if the heroine had more of a confrontation. I think my biggest issue though is just that I didn’t find the romance as captivating as Maggie’s other books. I can’t put my finger on why though.
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