western

REVIEW: Wish on the Moon by Barri Bryan

Dear Mr and Mrs. Houston, Now we’re back in business. After my disappointment in the contemporary book of yours I tried, I figured I’d better go back to a historical. And since I’ve been in the mood for westerns lately, this seemed a good choice. Twenty seven year old Isabel Delaney listens in amazement as(…)

REVIEW: Ride a Painted Pony by Kathleen Eagle

Dear Mrs. Eagle, I’ve adored your books for years and have posted in praise of them in the past. And then something happened with your writing. A new direction, I think it was called. I know you have to follow where your muse leads you but frankly, I wasn’t happy about where she was taking(…)

REVIEW:  Various Short Stories by Jennifer Mueller

REVIEW: Various Short Stories by Jennifer Mueller

Dear Mrs. Mueller, After I enjoyed your short story “Till Death Do Us Part,” I knew I had to try some more of your work. The problem still is that a lot of them are very highly priced. So when I noticed you have some freebies at your website, I was very happy. I love(…)

REVIEW: Allegiance by Rosalie More

Dear Ms. More, “Allegiance” caught my eye as I’m always looking for a good western and it’s harder and harder to find them in print anymore. Unfortunately, I don’t think you’ll like to read my opinion of it. Amy Baker and her brother Jeb are headed downriver to New Orleans on a Mississippi River boat.(…)

REVIEW:  Death on D Street by Kathryn Kristine Rusch

REVIEW: Death on D Street by Kathryn Kristine Rusch

Dear Ms. Rusch, I wasn’t aware when I bought this that it is a short story. But I was an ebook novice then and thought I had just gotten a good deal on the price. I know authors have no control over price and compared to Quinn’s famous Second Epilogues this one is cheap but(…)

REVIEW: The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas

Dear Ms. Dallas, I remember reading about this book a few years ago when it was first published. For some reason, I never bought it then but I thought about it from time to time. When I saw it was available in ebook form, I took the plunge. So much of it reminded me of(…)

REVIEW: Letter Perfect by Cathy Marie Hake

Dear Mrs. Hake, I wasn’t quite sure what I’d get when I impulsively picked this book at the bookstore. I had vaguely heard of Bethany House and thought it publishes inspirational literature. I am religious and a Christian but don’t care to be preached at, if you know what I mean. Happily, I found that(…)

REVIEW: A Reason to Live by Maureen McKade

Dear Ms. McKade, As other reviews have stated, it’s hard to sell a Western romance today. Everyone wanted Regencies and now they want paranormals with vampires, werewolves and whatnot. I’ve always had a special love for Westerns and am glad to see such a nice addition to the genre. The story of Laurel Covey and(…)

REVIEW: The Southern Devil by Diane Whiteside

Dear Ms. Whiteside: I wanted to like this book. It had a nice cover (albeit very modern in feel) and it was a Western. I know that Jayne gave River Devil a poor grade but Jayne and I don’t always see eye to eye on books. A perfect example of this is the fact that(…)

REVIEW: The Bride of Willow Creek by Maggie Osborne

Dear Mrs. Osborne, Some of your other novels have made my “Best of” lists. You wrote westerns and stuck with the genre even when it fell out of favor. You never tried to incorporate the latest “trend” in your books but wrote about basically decent, honest people working hard and trying to make a living.(…)

REVIEW: A Kiss to Die For by Claudia Dain

Dear Ms. Dain: I am not sure where you are today in your writing career, but in 2003, you wrote one of my favorite westerns ever published. It is an oft overlooked gem and I am glad to have this forum to bring it to a few people’s attention. I want to give thanks to(…)

REVIEW: Hope’s Captive by Kate Lyon

Dear Ms Lyon, After seeing the cover of your second novel, I have to wonder who you pissed off. Wow, that cover is ghastly, complete with huge man titties. Which is a shame since the book isn’t bad. Set against the historical backdrop of the Cheyenne Indian’s flight from their squalid reservation in Oklahoma territory,(…)

REVIEW: The Wishing Tree by Catherine Snodgrass

Dear Ms Snodgrass, I loved the excerpt for The Wishing Tree. And I’m a sucker for a good marriage of convenience and was still in the mood for a good Western. Enough that I bought the book soon after reading it. I’m still debating with myself if this was a good move. Let me explain(…)

REVIEW: The River Devil by Diane Whiteside

Dear Ms. Whiteside: I was intrigued by another review of your book which promised a heroine who was in control of her own sexuality and who didn’t require saving as she fled for her life from a forced marriage with the villain. Plus it’s a Western, something which is becoming a rarity these days in(…)