Thousand Pieces of Gold Features Feisty Female from China Making Her Way in the American West

I had no idea this was based on a true story and a book with the same title penned by Ruthanne Lum McCunn. It only crossed my radar at all because it was recommended to me on Amazon Prime.

Released in 1991, this is a gem that is still worth watching today. It follows the story of Lalu as her family falls on hard times in 1880 China, forcing her father to hand her over one day to a slave trader/wife seller, who then sends her off to gold-mining San Francisco where she's purchased and then taken to a saloon in Oregon.

It's there that things go from bad to worse. Her "owner" Hong King uses her badly and plans to sell her to the rest of the town, but a man named Charlie says he won't have slavery on his property. This made me think. The woman has been enslaved longer than anybody, haven't we? Almost twenty years after the battle against slavery was fought and won, women were still being enslaved, bought and sold, raped and beaten.

She brandishes a knife more than once to keep an unwanted "customer" at bay and refuses to lie down for any man but her "husband" Hong King, even though she loathes him. 

Circumstances finally take her away from the awful Hong King and when presented with the opportunity, Lalu immediately attempts to make her own path in the American west whether by taking in laundry or running a little boarding house of sorts. I laughed out loud and with glee when Lalu brandished a knife at the breakfast table. "You don't like my pancakes?"

We also see the hostility and deportation of the Chinese in Oregon. And romance lovers will not be disappointed either.

Long story short, this is not a woman who sits back and accepts whatever crap fate hands her. She makes her own fate, against all odds. Def a historical western movie worth watching. I thought the story, acting, settings were all marvelous. I'd watch this again.

Cattle Kate: A Historical Western That Corrects Misconceptions and Educates While Causing an Occasional Rip-Roaring Laugh

I'd spent most of my life working with Pa and my brothers, so I knew how to work with men to get things done. First thing, you can't be bossy. They don't like that. They'll do something the wrong way rather than take a bossy command from a woman.

First a little background...Cattle Kate was a real woman. She immigrated with her family from Canada to Kansas and then left her family to strike out on her own in WY Territory where she became the first female homesteader and cattle owner. She merely wanted to have land and raise cows, but back in those days, the cattle barons, though already filthy rich, couldn't get enough and when Kate refused to sell her land for their grazing purposes, they saw to it she was lynched.

She was then labeled an outlaw and whore.

This novel corrects that misconception, shows us the real Kate, who while not necessarily squeaky clean (keeping her marriage to Jimmy a secret in order to double their land is a bit sneaky), does not deserve the outlaw label. The novel follows her life from Canada to Kansas to WY, from childhood to abused married woman, to cattlewoman and pie-maker. We meet a woman with big dreams who is a bit naive. (I'm not all that certain Jimmy really loved her. I think he wanted to use her to double his land all along, but at least he was nice about it.)


I became very wrapped up in this woman's life in the wild west. I also learned an amazing amount about cattle laws, about grazing, about the "war" between the cattle people and the homesteaders, about the fights over water, about Cheyenne and WY history, even about the different cattle brands and how to read them. I wish I'd read this book before driving through Rawlins many years ago. I'd have appreciated where I was at a lot more and perhaps would have looked for a museum or something, and most def would have visited Independence Rock.

I also picked up things like the town of Oskaloose being run by women and was inspired to look up more about Esther Hobart Morris, the first female justice of the peace and WY's mother of the suffragette movement. (Someone, write a novel about this gal, please!)

And I suppose you're wondering how I got any rip-roaring laughs out of such a tragic tale... There is humor all over in this story. From her ranchhand telling jokes (the cowboy from Texas who had to walk) to just bits in the narrative told in a funny way: That wrangler stood there with a mouth so open, flies thought they'd found themselves a hotel. I love how the author did this, kept us smiling and laughing despite the tragedy we knew was coming.

My only complaint is Ella dies too soon in the story. At about 66% we start reading about the aftermath, when her good name was tarnished for the sake of the murdering cattlemen. I realize why this is here, but it was hard for me to read as I felt like I was reading about the debasement of a good friend at this point. It also lost me around this point because it began to read like a biography rather than a memoir. Kate's voice was gone.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Desperate Western Women Face Desperate Times in Sylvia McDaniel's Desperate

She didn't know how to flirt and bat her eyes at a man. She didn't know how to be coy and seductive. She didn't play cat and mouse games with anyone. She was a straight shooter. A woman who told you like it was, and if you didn't want to play, then get out of the way.

This is a prequel to a series, a short story that introcuces three sisters and apprises us of their situation. It's Texas in the wild west days; their father has just died, leaving these motherless sisters, ranging in age from 15 to 19, only 30 days to pay the outrageous mortgage on their farm.

Meg is the oldest and the one I like. She wears the pants, literally. She has the gumption to propose to the local sheriff. She even goes so far as to feed the man a stolen ham. I like how quick she is to stick up for herself and argue when she feels others are wrong.

But something bugged me. She wears pants and doesn't want to. She fancies herself a clothing designer and wants to wear pretty dresses but at the same time complains she can't work in clothes like that. Well, if you're such a great designer, design a dress you CAN work in. Hum. She complains about this a lot and in the light of the fact she at the same time claims she's a great designer, I lost sympathy.

The story didn't feel very historical either. Except for the fact they use outhouses and get around via horse and buggy and have a house of ill repute, it could very well have occurred nowadays. The diner scenes especially were too modern. The youngest sister annoyed the heck out of me. She's an insolent little brat and too much of the story is spent focusing on her and Annabelle's cat fight over a man. But even more off-putting for me was the fact this woman/child nearly has sex. She's only 15. This was disgusting to me. We're not reading about the middle ages or the Native tribes here.

It's also historically inaccurate. These gals carry around Baby Colt Dragoons and stand around shooting cans in anger. I counted eight shots (with no reloading) from Ruby alone and a Baby Colt Dragoon only carried 5 rounds. Regardless of whether my research is accurate or not, revolvers back then def didn't carry more than 6 shots. And they didn't have electric lights and I doubt they had lanterns in the closets, so how does Ruby see her employer's son in that dark closet?

And while I appreciated how the story showed us the different troubles women faced trying to work day jobs back then, especially with male employers, Ruby and the historical problems ruined the story for me. It should also be noted that they don't do any bounty hunting in this book. And though I really did like Meg despite the irritating clothing thing, I don't think I'll read the rest of the series.

I actually read this novella in the Wild Western Women anthology, but it's available on its own. I received it from a book publicity service.

Wild Western Women Release Day Blast & Giveaway

AVAILABLE TODAY! 5 historical romance stories from USA Today Best Selling Authors Kirsten Osbourne and Callie Hutton, and best selling authors Caroline Clemmons, Sylvia McDaniel, and Merry Farmer (PLUS bonus content!) all for just $0.99!

Get your copy now on iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo!
Add it to your Goodreads WANT TO READ list!

From USA Today Best Selling Author Kirsten Osbourne: Mail Order Misunderstanding

Julia traveled West to be a schoolteacher. Thomas requested a mail order bride. When he arrives at the train station to pick up his bride, Thomas mistakenly thinks Julia is there for him. Julia sees Thomas and thinks he's there from the school board. She's married an hour later.

{ Find Kirsten on her website, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. }

From USA Today Best Selling Author Callie Hutton: A Chance To Love Again

Widow Rachel Stevens is very happy with her job as a cook for the Lazy Sunset ranch where she is raising her son. However, the new foreman, Rusty McIntyre, is turning her life upside down. She could overlook how her son has begun to idolize Rusty, but she’s having a heck of a time ignoring the flutters in her stomach every time the man smiles at her.

But Rusty has problems of his own. His previously unknown fourteen year old daughter has just arrived to live with him. Used to always being on his own, now he has a young boy following him around imitating his every move, and a surly young lady glaring at him. Throw into the mix the tug he feels toward the ranch cook—who wants no part of him—and life is no longer as easy as it once was.

{ Find Callie on her website, Facebook, and Twitter. }

From Best Selling Author Caroline Clemmons: Save Your Heart For Me

After fleeing an abusive husband six years ago, Beth Jeffers wants nothing more than to protect her son Davey and to help her mother operate a Texas Hill Country boarding house. The strong women in her family have had no luck with men, and she has no intention of letting any man influence her son. Not even handsome lawman Matt Petrov, no matter how much her lonely heart urges otherwise.

Federal Marshall Matt Petrov, also known as Lone Wolf Peters, fell in love with Beth the first time he saw her. Then she was another man’s wife, so he kept his longing a secret. But he’s saved his love for her for six horrific years. Now, the lovely widow and he have crossed paths again. This time, he intends to risk all for a chance at happiness. First he must rescue his distant kinsman from an assassin’s clutches and protect Beth’s son Davey from the villain. Mystery, kidnapping, and twists await Matt and Beth. But will Matt’s secrets shatter the love he and Beth share?

{ Find Caroline on her website, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. }

From Best Selling Author Sylvia McDaniel: Desperate

After the death of their father, the McKenzie sisters, Meg, Annabelle and Ruby try the normal ways for women to earn a living in a small western town. When they fail, the McKenzie sisters decide to take up their father’s profession, bounty hunting. They quickly learn they can use their feminine wiles and their Baby Dragoons to earn their way in the old west. They’re tough and resilient, badass women in this historical western novella. Kick off the adventure with the first installment of the new series, Lipstick and Lead with Desperate.

{ Find Sylvia on her website, Facebook, and Twitter. }

From Best Selling Author Merry Farmer:The Indomitable Eve

The one thing Eve deLaurent has wished for in the two years since her sister, Amelia, was whisked away to America was to be a family again. But the tragedy that befell her once Amelia was gone has left her wounded, body and soul. Now, reunited with her sister, all Eve wants to do is run. Amelia’s new, happy life is a betrayal deeper than Eve can stand. She would leave and never look back, were it not for Mark Andrews.

As Cold Springs’s reverend, Mark is used to people confiding their darkest sins and looking to him for help. So when he sees the pain behind Eve’s mask of confidence, all he wants to do is help her. But Eve awakens a desire in him that reminds him that even a man of God is still a man. They seem to be everything the other wants and needs, but can the people of Cold Springs accept an actress in their pastor’s arms? Can they be together if bitter family betrayals keep Eve and Amelia at each other’s throats?

You’re only as strong as the loves that hold you together...

{ Find Merry on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

THERE'S A GIVEAWAY HERE!

What Makes Dearest Darling Stand Out From Other Mail-Order Brides?

When Tara asked me what makes Dearest Darling different from other mail order bride stories, I had to think twice. In actual fact, I had never set out to write a 'mail order bride' story and, therefore, had never considered my novella as one. Then someone else commented to me, 'nice twist on the mail order bride theme,' and I realized that I had, indeed, written…a mail order bride story. Perhaps this wasn't at the forefront of my mind because what had spurned the story was, in fact, the idea of The Wild Rose Press' 'Love Letters' series. I loved that letter idea, and the first thing that came into my brain was: what if the love letter went to the wrong person?

Most mail order bride stories I've come across seem to deal with either the hero or the heroine not getting what they bargained for. My hero, Daniel Saunders, certainly doesn't get what he bargained for—he gets totally the wrong bride. That's plot twist number one. Without giving away any spoilers, there are at least four more unexpected twists to come. But what fascinates most readers of these stories is the fact that a woman would venture out into the unknown with the actual intent of marrying someone she had never met. Nowadays, we're pretty nervous and suspicious about doing online dating via something like Match or eHarmony. Things also move a lot faster in today's world; you can email back and forth, Skype to get to know the other person before ever agreeing to meet that person. Furthermore, these matches are made within a specified geographical area so that the two people can easily meet. In Dearest Darling, this venture into distant, uncharted territory is compounded because Emily Darling, the heroine, has never corresponded with the person to whom she is traveling with the intention of marriage; she has only ever read one letter of his, and that has touched her heart enough to give her the courage to go. Of course, to her it proved a more tempting fate than the one to which she was doomed by her overbearing brother, but even weighing up the odds, it's a pretty dang plucky thing to do.

So what about my hero? Visualize that the west is full of lonely single men, and good women, not soiled doves, are at a premium. Former soldiers who moved west for their next big escapade, men seeking wealth in silver or gold, men just seeking their fortune whatever way it would come, headed west as the frontier expanded. But unattached women? Perhaps the odd schoolmarm with a sense of adventure, the singular women who had some sort of profession or trade, but very few. So, there is Daniel Saunders, well educated and alone, not a person who would put an ad in a paper but someone who would write to the friend of an acquaintance. And then what happens?

Well, to find out more I'm afraid you're going to have to read the book.

***

Stuck in a life of servitude to her penny-pinching brother, Emily Darling longs for a more exciting existence. When a packet with travel tickets, meant for one Ethel Darton, accidentally lands on her doormat, Emily sees a chance for escape. Having turned down the dreary suitors that have come her way, is it possible a new existence also offers a different kind of man?

Daniel Saunders has carved out a life for himself in Wyoming—a life missing one thing: a wife. Having scrimped and saved to bring his mail-order bride from New York, he is outraged to find in her stead a runaway fraud. Even worse, the impostor is the sister of his old enemy.

But people are not always as they seem, and sometimes the heart knows more than the head.

***

Andrea Downing likes to say that when she decided to do a Masters Degree, she made the mistake of turning left out of New York, where she was born, instead of right to the west, and ended up in the UK. She eventually married there, raising a beautiful daughter and staying for longer than she cares to admit. Teaching, editing a poetry magazine, writing travel articles, and a short stint in Nigeria filled those years until in 2008 she returned to NYC. She now divides her time between the city and the shore, and often trades the canyons of New York for the wide open spaces of Wyoming. Family vacations are often out west and, to date, she and her daughter have been to some 20 ranches throughout the west. Loveland, her first book, was a finalist for Best American Historical at the 2013 RONE Awards. Lawless Love, a short story, part of The Wild Rose Press ‘Lawmen and Outlaws’ series, was a finalist for Best Historical Novella at the RONE Awards. Dearest Darling, a novella, is part of The Wild Rose Press Love Letters series, and comes out Oct. 8th and Dances of the Heart, another full length novel, comes out in the next few months.

Links to Social Media: WEBSITE AND BLOG: http://andreadowning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writerAndreaDowning

Twitter: @andidowning https://twitter.com/AndiDowning

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6446229.Andrea_Downing

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=124888740&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Downing/e/B008MQ0NXS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Buy Links: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dearest-Darling-Letters-Andrea-Downing-ebook/dp/B00NGWT816

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=5842

Slow Hand by Victoria Vane - Review, giveaway, and spotlight

This was my first book by Victoria Vane and it won't be my last. The blog owner, Tara, actually recommended this author, and I'm glad she did. Mrs. Vane does a wonderful job telling a story. Lots of sizzle and sweet moments.

I enjoyed Nikki's character a lot. She was a tough woman and swore off dating cowboys again. And when she first meets Wade, she remembers why she dislikes cowboys. However, when the one walks into your life, it can never be that easy.

Wade is a smooth talker. He comes from a small town and he helps everyone he can, including Nikki.

I found the characters to be realistic and people I could relate to. The plot was real and not far-fetched. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a western romance, or even to the reader who's never read a cowboy book. This one would be a great one to start with.

Another aspect I enjoyed with this book as well, was the heroine being from Georgia. I live in Georgia, so it was fun to hear about places that are local, such as Babyland in Cleaveland, GA.

Now to wait for the next book by Victoria.

About The Book:

In rural Montana…

Wade Knowlton is a hardworking lawyer who’s torn between his small-town Montana law practice and a struggling family ranch. He’s on the brink of exhaustion from trying to save everybody and everything, when gorgeous Nicole Powell walks into his office. She’s a damsel in distress and the breath of fresh air he needs.

Even the lawyers wear boots…

Nicole Powell is a sassy Southern girl who has officially sworn off cowboys after a spate of bad seeds—until her father’s death sends her to Montana and into the arms of a man who seems too good to be true. Her instincts tell her to high tail it out of Montana, but she can't resist a cowboy with a slow hand…

My Rating:

About the Author:

Victoria Vane is a multiple award-winning romance novelist and history junkie whose collective works of fiction range from wildly comedic romps to emotionally compelling erotic romance. Victoria also writes historical fiction as Emery Lee and is the founder of Goodreads Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers and the Romantic Historical Lovers book review blog.

Social Media:

Website | Facebook | @AuthorVictoriaV | Goodreads | Pinterest

Buy Links:

Amazon | Apple | B&N | BAM | !ndigo | IndieBound

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWXU89hat6s

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Devil's Daughter (The Devil Ryder #1) by Suzie Grant

I love Suzie Grant's books. She always writes a strong heroine, women who know their own minds and aren't afraid to fight for what they love. She doesn't disappoint in this book, but once again delivers a kick-ass woman. Her name is Blaze. She's got a very cloudy past, refuses to wear dresses, can herd cattle and shoot, and mouths off when the situation calls for it.

But she's the only female in the story. There isn't another woman at all, except for a...what do ya call it...a woman who runs a boarding house, briefly. So let me just get that complain out of the way right now. Too much testosterone, too many men in this one. I had a hard time remembering who was who. Too many fights between brothers. And...honestly? I couldn't stand the hero in this book. He never grew on me, at all. I liked him better in the second book.

But it's still a very entertaining read with shootings, murder, cattle herding, bad weather, flooded rivers, steamy sex. (I confess I skim those scenes, but I promise they are steamy if that's what you're looking for.) And I sure did like Blaze.

When the hero kisses her at a bad moment, what does this lady do? (I have shortened the passage some. Where there are ...s, I left out some text.)

One fist shot out. She hit him with enough force blood spurted from his mouth. A knee in his stomach doubled him over, and with a thrust to the face, he fell....a knife sailed past his head and embedded into the tree...

"You've misjudged me from the beginning. Don't be so cocky. Underestimating your opponent will your downfall. I'm done playing your game. You made sure of that the moment you took my freedom from me....I'm forced to stay with you. Don't expect me to give over and let you toy with my emotions whenever you feel the need to exert your masculinity."

Whoo hoo! You go, girl!

And as always with a Suzie Grant book, there was a perfect blend of description/action/dialogue/telling/showing. Not too much, not too little. She always gives you exactly what you need to set a scene in your mind.

The ending has a twist I saw coming, but it doesn't end peachy and predictable. Nobody is coming out of this mess unscathed or unchanged... As I said above, too many male characters, not enough female hurt it for me, but that's a personal issue. LOL

I bought this on Amazon.

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Melissa Dehavilland

Book: Suited to be a Cowboy
Author: Lorraine Nelson
Heroine: Melissa Dehavilland

Strong:

Melissa Dehavilland found out that money doesn’t guarantee happiness. When her marriage falls apart and she’s left with a young son to raise, she doesn’t allow it to get her down. Fate intervenes when she and her son inherit her Grandfather’s horse ranch, and she decides to move there. A new start…a better life, for herself and for her son.

Taking over the running of the ranch meant hard work and long hours, but she was determined to fulfill her grandfather’s trust. Melissa could ride and rope as good as any of her wranglers, but she had a lot to learn. She tackled it head-on, one project or chore at a time. During the process, she’s rebuilt her self-esteem and reinforced positive values for her son. Strong and determined, the only thing she refuses to tackle is paperwork. Give her the outdoors any day. She’d sooner muck out the horse barn than do accounting or try to balance her checkbook.

Sexy: (excerpt)

Not unexpectedly, she rode like the wind, at one with her horse, her golden tresses blowing out behind her, tempting him, as did her derriere. It bounced nicely up and down as she rode. Jimmy kept his horse at a slow trot as he followed in her wake, thinking that he’d love to cup those butt cheeks in his bare hands and make her body bounce on his. If they hadn’t been on horseback, he might’ve breached the employer/employee relationship back there. Her eyes had darkened with desire and those firm, full lips had begged to be kissed. Right or proper protocol had nothing to do with it. He’d wanted to hold her tight, mold her body against his.

When she dismounted and stood beside her son, the reddish haze of sunset provided the perfect backdrop to outline her enticing curves. He gave his head a shake and rode closer, ready to dismount, but a quick glimpse of the area beyond rooted him to his saddle.

Blurb:

Inheriting a ranch on the heels of her husband walking out has Melissa Dehavilland struggling to learn the ropes. James McGovern, raised in foster care, has saved all his life toward a dream…that of owning a ranch. Such diverse backgrounds don’t always converge in harmony, especially when their first meeting turned sour, but working together means saving her ranch and restoring his dream. Respect is hard-earned and trust non-existent as they fight their attraction to each other. Melissa’s ex shows up, wanting a cut and causing trouble. The difficulties bind them closer together as they strive to guarantee a future…together.

Excerpt: (Strong)

Walt’s was the lead truck in their little convoy. Although he tended to flirt outrageously, Walt was good company and he soon realized that Melissa could give as good as she got. It all served to help pass the time and she found she enjoyed the ride to Kentucky…until they pulled onto the racetrack to find her ex-husband waiting with the potential buyers.

She thanked Walt and jumped down from the cab ready to send Marcus on his way while the men unloaded the stock. The sale of her horses had nothing to do with his running of Dehavilland Downs. If he hadn’t been the father of her only son, she would have sent him packing when the marriage ended.

Still fuming, she motioned him to one side and confronted him. “What are you doing here?”

“Why, darling, I’m overseeing the sale of our horses. Surely you wouldn’t expect me to leave something so important in your incapable hands.” Marcus wore an evil smirk that did nothing to cool her anger.

“How dare you! These are my horses.”

“Oh, I dare. I can fetch a much better price for them than you can. My share of the proceeds will compensate for the pittance I’m allowed for managing the track.”

“These are my buyers and my horses. You get paid handsomely for what you do and you’re not getting one red cent of my sale money. Now get off this track before I call security and have you removed for good.”

“Tut, tut, darling. Such a temper. What would Aaron say if you followed through on that threat?”

That thought gave her pause, but only for a moment. “Oh, I think he’d understand well enough, given the way you’ve kept in contact with him. Not! And don’t call me darling. You gave up that right when you walked out.”

She palmed her cell phone and began to dial.

“All right. You’ve won this round, but you’ll be sorry. Those buyers will strip you bare of the horses’ real worth, but you’re on your own. Know that I’ll be laughing from my position on the bleachers.”

Melissa breathed a sigh of relief as he stomped off. He could watch the proceedings or not. She really didn’t care.

At this time, Suited is available at Secret Cravings Publishing. This post will be updated with the Amazon link as soon as it is available on that site.

Gunpowder Tea (The Brides Of Last Chance Ranch #3) by Margaret Brownley

What a cute and entertaining read. I really enjoyed this historical story: a mixture of romance and western with some funny moments that had me chortling aloud.

The plot: She's a Pinkerton agent. He's a Wells Fargo detective. But neither of them knows the other is what they are...instead, they suspect each other of being in cahoots with the Phantom gang. You could say they distract each other from finding the real Phantom--train and robber extraordinaire.

She's at the ranch where the outlaw is said to be hiding under the guise of an heiress to the woman who owns the place. He's posing as a cattle hand when he's not robbing trains...you just have to read it to see what I mean.

I think the mystery could have been stronger. That has to be my only quibble. While I hate knowing whodunit by page 5, some hints along the way are nice. The clues are so sparse or vague, they never led me to point the finger at anyone, which took some of the fun out of it for me. I like to be "Oooh, I know whodunit..." and then "Shoot! I was way off."

The romance and humor is clean. I appreciate that. Though a Christian romance, the book is in no way preachy. I appreciated that too. I learned some things about running a ranch--I seriously had no idea that salt could poison cows. I loved the heroine and especially the old lady running the ranch. Her brusque attitude, humor, and sarcasm made me laugh while at the same time hid a warm heart.

I'd like to add that while this is the third in a series, I never once felt lost. I hate it when I pick a series book and have to go dig up all the titles that became before it to know what in the world is going on. No problems here, at all. Matter of fact, I'd like to add a pleading note here for the author...

Ms. Brownley, 

Please consider writing another series based on the detective agency that comes to be in the end. I'd like more adventures of the people involved. Please. 

Sincerely,

Book Babe aka Tara

And I'm going to sign off here by sharing my two absolute favorite parts of the story. I received this from Netgalley, so passages may be different in the final book.

"I should specialize in stubborn patients. They're a pain the gluteus maximus but they seldom die, which does wonders for a doctor's reputation."

***

"Plan on shooting anything with that toy?"

"John Wilkes Booth managed and his was a Deringer with one r. This one has two."

She was right in that regard. The original derringers were spelled differently and had only one shot. Imitations such as hers had two shots. 

"You might be interested to know that this is a Peacemaker--with one r--and I've got a good mind to arrest you. I believe that's two r's."

A Bargain Struck by Liz Harris

I've never read a book like this before...I'm sitting here reeling and trying to gather my thoughts.


First, major points for uniqueness. It's def not a traditional romance. I hesitate to label it a romance, honestly. Instead of a man and woman meeting, feeling attracted to each other, falling in love, and ending with a wedding and passionate lovemaking before or after, you have instead, a wedding first, a man who treats his new wife like a cow and just mounts her night after night without even kissing her (thankfully the details are left out), no attraction at all till very late in the game, and maybe...just maybe some love later?

'Cause this is all literally a bargain.

"He was highly satisfied with the bargain he'd made with her. His side of the bargain had been to give her a home; hers had been to run the house, look after Bridget and be a good mother to any children they might have together."

Methinks she got the short end of the stick. :/

Regardless, I was taken aback by this story. He orders a wife from Omaha to help him in WY Territory, with his farm, his daughter, and making mini-mes. She has a scarred face and naturally, left that detail out as she knew he wouldn't agree to wed her then. He marries her anyway and she feels he's done her a great favor. Through them we see the hardships of farming and living and even town life of WY Territory. There's also a side story of poachers/cattle thieves, jealousy, a brother come back, and a woman making trouble for the new marriage.

It may seem as if I didn't like this story, but I actually did for the most part. I was intrigued, sucked into another time, and I have to admit, I found it all very thought-evoking. There is so much about people's behavior in this book and it made me take a long look at people. We're all guilty of these actions at times, we are. We can claim all we want that looks don't matter, but deep down inside, they do more than they should. When Conn abandons his wife to dance with the pretty girl all night, when the little girl avoided being seen with the "ugly woman", when the "ugly woman" felt grateful to be married and demanded nothing she was so dang grateful that someone had married her...all of this was thought-evoking.

How many of us are guilty or have been guilty of this stuff at some point?

That being said, there was much that irritated me though. The daughter, Bridget...what an evil, nasty little girl. Though she changed in the end, I was disgusted that no one ever made her apologize for her earlier nastiness. That there were never repercussions for her. The ending of this book disappointed me. The two who ride away....again, the villains face no repercussions for their actions and wrongdoings.

And the worse thing of all....and this grated on me more than anything...was how spineless and passive the heroine is. She spent the entire book apologizing for her ugliness and thanking her husband for marrying her in spite of it. And while he finally came to see the beauty IN her, she didn't. And frankly, I felt it was more important for her to realize her own self -worth than him. She never sticks up for herself, never says "No, I don't feel like it", just feels grateful someone married her and thinks she has no right to ask for anything else.

I think more could have been done with her, especially in the end.

I received this from the publisher.

Visiting Women of the Wild American West with Liz Harris

Please welcome Choc Lit author Liz Harris as she discusses her new book, A Bargain Struck.

"After writing The Road Back, published last year, in which my heroine was a victim of her family circumstances and her time – the 1950s and 1960s – I had a high time writing a contemporary heroine, Evie Shaw, heroine of my ebook rom com, Evie Undercover. A spunky, go-getting heroine, Evie was great fun to live with.

What next, I asked myself when I’d said goodbye to Evie. The next novel had to follow The Road Back, so I was looking at a historical romance. Into my mind floated a concept I’ve always found very romantic – mail order brides. It was closely followed by a location I’ve always thought the ultimate for rugged outdoor types – The American West in the late 1880s. And A Bargain Struck was born.

I wanted another strong woman, and Ellen O’Sullivan walked into my head. Bingo, I thought.

It was time to start thinking about Ellen and the times into which she was born. I did more than just think, in fact; I went all the way to Wyoming to find out for myself first hand.

My contemporary heroine Evie’s nature was to be strong, and she lived at a time when she could give full rein to that – 21^st century women were educated, could pursue almost any career, could have medical problems dealt with surgically, could control their fertility with the pill, could drive cars, and so on – they were more empowered than ever before.

Not so in Wyoming, 1887, when the West was still wild and the options for women were few; when a woman could find herself labouring from dawn to dusk doing ‘a woman’s work’.

Ellen O’Sullivan, recently widowed, with no caring family, no home or job to fall back on, reads an advert from a widower Conn Maguire, a homesteader, who needs a wife to do the woman’s chores, and to look after his eight year old daughter and bear him a son. Ellen applies, is accepted, and a train and stagecoach journey later, marries Conn.

It struck me that a girl couldn’t be much gutsier than that! When Ellen answered Conn’s ad, she’d no idea that he’d turn out to be extremely easy on the eye. She’d omitted an important fact about herself, and he, too, might have done the same. And he might be heavily mustachioed, suffer from halitosis and be badly in need of a few months on the Atkins Diet!

And she wouldn’t just be pulling up potatoes - she’d be alone with him and the daughter, and obliged nightly to fulfil her marital role. No coyness and fluttering for her at the bedroom door – having a child was part of the bargain and there was only one way of going about that in 1887.

True, she made things worse for herself by not being completely open in her initial exchange of letters with Conn; if she had, she’d never have been so paralysed by guilt for what her omission had done to those around her - a guilt that weighed more heavily on her than did her corset and petticoats, a guilt that made her unable to relax from the outset and be the kind of woman she was.

I’ve now reluctantly said goodbye to Ellen, whose life with Conn is captured in the pages of A Bargain Struck, and I’ve returned to the present century. It was fun transporting myself to a period in which a woman’s life was much more determined by her environment than happens today, but I’m so glad I live in the times that I do!" 

Blurb:

Widower Connor Maguire advertises for a wife to raise his young daughter, Bridget, work the homestead and bear him a son.

Ellen O’Sullivan longs for a home, a husband and a family. On paper, she is everything Connor needs in a wife. However, it soon becomes clear that Ellen has not been entirely truthful.

Will Connor be able to overlook Ellen’s dishonesty and keep to his side of the bargain? Or will Bridget’s resentment, the attentions of the beautiful Miss Quinn, and the arrival of an unwelcome visitor, combine to prevent the couple from starting anew.

As their personal feelings blur the boundaries of their deal, they begin to wonder if a bargain struck makes a marriage worth keeping.

Set in Wyoming in 1887, a story of a man and a woman brought together through need, not love …

*Come back later today to read my review of this interesting book!*

The Outcasts by Kathleen Kent

I love strong women in books, and when I saw this cover and read the blurb, I thought, "Heck yea."

While I didn't hate this story, I'm a tad disappointed. I thought I was getting some kinda gun-slinging woman outlaw, but truth is, she only actually wields a gun once at the end and she's really just a cold, heartless whore--made that way by men. There's something a bit crazy about her, to be honest, and I'm not referring to her seizures.

The story alternates between her and Nate, a new Texas Ranger. Nate is a good ole boy from Oklahoma and...well, dull as a doorknob. Through him, however, we follow two other Texas Rangers--I thought they were total A-holes. Because I really truly disliked his comrades and the things they did and found Nate just a dullard, I started to skip his parts around twenty percent. I'm all about women. I don't like male narrators.

It's the woman's story I was fascinated with. She's been institutionalized and you could say made nuts by the experience. She's been betrayed by the very men who should have loved her. She's in love with a serial killer and willingly allowing herself to be used. She's manipulative, conniving, and vengeful...and has a fascination with geometry as well as the occasional seizure.

There's a treasure hunt and she has to use people to get information. She is fascinating whether you like her or not. Why she's attracted to the killer I never quite understood though.

Long review short: I really enjoyed the historical side of this. Everything from the horses, to the hurdy gurdy girls, to the whorehouses, to the former Southern plantation owners adjusting to their new lives...was very well done and totally transported me into the past. I could picture it all so well. The descriptions were superb. I also appreciated how things tied together in the end. I couldn't predict everything. I didn't like the Texas Rangers and I was bored with about half of the book. Too must testosterone in their scenes. But that's just me. But that being said, loved how a tone of darkness was intertwined with a western.

I got this via Netgalley.