Synopsis:
The year is 1880, and outlaw gangs roam the West.
When Daisy Allen’s family is brutally murdered by the infamous Hopkins gang, she’s left with two options: drown in a bottle of whiskey and grief, or saddle up and hunt the killers down. Accompanied by strangers in pursuit of the same outlaws, Daisy takes to the Colorado plains with an old revolver and a hunger for revenge. But the Hopkins gang isn’t easily found, and as their pockets run dry and the trail goes cold, Daisy and her companions may be at the end of the road. She must learn how to survive in this dangerous world of outlaws and gunslingers, or her only chance at avenging her family may be lost.
Don’t miss Whiskey City, the next book in Daisy’s cutthroat quest for revenge.
SPOILER FREE
This is the first book I've ready by Natalia Leigh. I enjoyed it so much that I picked up "Song of the Dryad" since that's more up my alley as I prefer fantasy books.
I don't normally read Westerns, typically because most books are not written for or by women. I've read a few Westerns written by women and have been pleasantly surprised at how much I like them. Also, I don't feel like the time period was particularly kind to people of color. The author seemed true to the time period but I feel like she took some creative liberties which I welcomed.
I found myself easily slipping into Daisy's world and I even enjoyed the Cowboy accents within the dialogue. It felt authentic although I've not lived in that era.
I flew through the book and I liked Daisy overall as the protagonist. Her reaction to her family's murder more than believable. I enjoyed the different characters in the group but I did find myself losing track of who was initially introduced and how many people were in their little group. I sorted it out later but I did get a bit confused with that. I also wanted to know more about them and how they all met or got together.
I feel like there were several moments of waiting for information to come or things to happen. It didn't usually last long but I did find myself skimming to get to the juicier parts. I kind of forgot who the 'baddie' was too because we didn't really see him except in the beginning.
I enjoyed the end but perhaps it's just me but I wanted a bigger pay off at the end. However, I still liked how the author ended the book. It does make you want to know what happens next! I recommend this if you're looking into diving into a woman driven Western story.
I also would like to point out some triggers: sexual assault and harassment, then some prostitution. I'd consider this a upper YA book and you might want to consider this if you're sharing this with younger readers.
4 out of 5 rating for me!
(An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way.)