Four novellas taking place in the late 19th century West make up this collection. All four were slightly above average. Jodi Thomas, Jo Goodman and Alison Kent were all familiar to me and represented themselves favorably here. Kaki Warner was a new author to me and I enjoyed her entry and will look for more things by her. Kent's and Goodman's stories dealt with runaways wanting to live independent lives from their family's expectations. Thomas's story dealt with a woman who had been labeled crazy by her stepfather in order to claim her ranch, she just wanted to live her life as a respected veterinarian. The last story also dealt with a woman who wanted to live an independent life after the death of her husband and not liking the options expected of her. The hero jumps to a lot of wrong conclusions about her because he doesn't consider possible alternatives. Nice group of stories. Crazy Callie by Jodi Thomas4 stars Callie and Luke's story evokes a strong sense of the western landscape and the challenges of being a woman who's at the mercy of a dishonorable man. Callie's indomitable spirit shines as brightly as Luke's intrinsic honor. There's a pleasant twist in the conflict resolution. Nat Church and the Runaway Brideby Jo Goodman3 starsIt's a predictable, but satisfying tale that gives J.G.'s story-within-other-stories character of Nat Church a worthy mate in Felicity.The Scent of Roses by Kaki Warner3 stars Great competitive rapport between Rachel and Richard makes this story a fun read like a western historical version of Clue. The Hired Gun's Heiress by Alison Kent2.5 stars Maeve's and Zeb's individual traits and backstories are interesting, but the romantic chemistry wasn't there for me. My bias toward A.K.'s contemporaries, especially her SG-5 series, may have lessened my enjoyment of this story. Overall, the anthology is worth reading.
Do You like book Boots Under Her Bed (2014)?
I love Jodi Thomas short stories, so fun. The others stories were good also.
—Sim0na
All the stories were terrific. Can't wait for the next one.
—loribeth616
4 stars for Jodi Thomas.. didn't like any other stories.
—Anna
Only read:Nat Church and the Runaway Bride by Jo Goodman
—Eric
