Clean, contemporary Western
357168
Rosie has an eventful past that's led her to be wary of men and romance. I don't need gritty details of what happened to her, but I wanted to see more of how she overcame these hard times, especially emotionally. She's not the easiest character to like. She loves animals and the underdog, yet she just can't face reality and lives in denial and oblivion, almost to the point of losing the best things that ever happened to her.  She takes the convenient road and refuses to follow her heart. Who doesn't want to be happy?

Destry, on the other hand, is very easy to love and admire. He's got his head on straight and wants to help others more than anything, sacrificing time, money, and love to do so. He's a great character and really brings a lot to the story. He's had some tough times in his past, too, but he rises above it.

I love a clean, wholesome romance and this one fits the bill, but I would have loved to see more chemistry in the romantic interactions, more of a connection with the characters and their relationship. I wanted a few more sparks. This story flows at a meandering pace and has some conflict on several levels, which adds good dimensions to the book. There is an eccentric supporting cast, which reminds me of why I love the small town feel. There are a few modern issues that are brought to awareness in a tasteful way. I'm not sure if this will be a series or not, but I did have a few unresolved questions.

This is a good read for those who like contemporary Westerns with a dash of romance and conflict.

Content: mild romance (a few G rated kisses); vague talk of drunk driving, sexual and physical abuse, drug abuse--nothing at all graphic. Clean!

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*
1092293
Gunfights, barfights and a romp under the stars in search of the outlaws.  I'm not much into westerns, but the story kept me going at a good pace.  There were a couple of typos, but with the rough western jargon I hardly noticed.  I'd be interested in reading more of the series, the characters were very likeable and the author painted a good landscape.
2162134
Good clean entertainment. I was looking for the newest lone range movie and found this one. I enjoyed watching this movie. No bad language no nude scenes just family entertainment. Had to find these days.
1733032
A Western?  I stopped reading Westerns before I was a teenager. Living in the real world of cars and telephones deleted all thoughts of cattle drives and chuck wagons.  With some trepidation I started Outrage at Blanco and was quickly hooked.  The script is of the modern world style, the plot is equal to many current day adventures, and the whole story allows the mind to be easily transported to days of yore.  America is still a very young country and many of us are of the age when television was a new introduction and the word technology was not an everyday statement.  If one was fortunate enough to have a TV it is likely each of the three channels was showing a Western.  Advance to more modern times and note how Western stories keep popping up in the entertainment world.  Outrage at Blanco quickly revives old memories as it follows a trail of realistic people in an easily believable environment caught up in a life of good guys (or gals) versus bad guys.  A most pleasing taste of the early life style in the semi wilderness of America.  I look forward to more works from Bill Crider.
3045862
This 6th episode from the Buckskin Chronicles stands on its own without dependence on the first five books.  Unlike many series sagas The Sierra Madre doesn't rehash prior events, characters, or relationships to the throw-up-your-hands-in-disgust point.  The story has good flow and reflects the considerable thought given in carefully crafting each scene.  The action is swift, clean, and just shy of graphic.  The characters are thoroughly likable and easy to follow so that as danger approached, in whatever guise it took on, I discovered there wasn't a single person of the book's sizable cast I was willing to lose or see harmed.  Strong, doing-good and heading-straight men.  Strong, confident and competent women.  Whether male or female, white, brown or black, I found them all desirable roll model types, each in his or her own special way.
In telling this tale Mr Rundell causes his readers to savor many good things including the feel of a meandering trail experienced on horseback, the rustle of wind moved grasses, the quiet solitude of a forest, and even the camaraderie between folks who depend on and who care deeply for one another.  Then, to top it all off, there's also the luxurious taste and smell of campfire and wood stove coffee, served up hot and steamy. Lastly, I'd a given this book 5-stars anyway based almost solely on its genuine and refreshing wholesomeness.
Not requiring a sequel but easily open to one The Sierra Madre is a novel you'll enjoy if you like this genre .
I wouldn't hesitate to pick up other stories concocted by this gifted author.  Great talent!
1837677
Lucas Wade and his friend Nellie have rolled into a new town. Of course there are problems to be had, this time with the local hired guns who have started to turn to lawlessness. Lucas takes on the task of getting things back into order, and like a true bad@$$ he goes it alone. Luckily Nellie is there for the times he does not help.

So far the Lucas Wade series has struck me as a well-written return to classic Western literature. The sequel ramps it up a bit, and there's even more action and I daresay the story moves at a swifter pace. Lucas serves as the perfect protagonist, doing things his own way and managing to restore some law to the town. He doesn't mince words, so he earns himself some enemies and rivals. Although he acts like a lone wolf, he does have a noticeable soft spot for Nellie. It was nice to see their relationship continue to grow, and provided a little break from the action here and there. Nellie is encouraged to try to making something more of herself, even despite the racism and sexism she encounters, and she in turn tries to help Lucas out when she can.

Gunfighters Justice is a well written western novel that packs in adventure, dusty besieged towns, and rough-and-tumble saloons. A nice escape and a great read.
918179
This film was clean, witty and yet depicted some of the conflict betweem cattlemen and sheepmen.  Also, it did not contain a lot of the foul language that most modern films inflict on us.  I do not view most of the newer films because of all the sex, violence, etc.
1394504
I really enjoyed this western romance. It was sweet and pastoral and gentle and just a lovely, relaxing read.  It is not entirely clean but the heat level is pretty low to moderate and any of the more risqu scenes are easily skipped through. I can't wait to read the next book in the series from this author.
19321
Even if you have never ridden the range, The Last Cowgirl lets you feel what it would be like to live there, do that. With believable characters, making interesting sometimes upsetting choices, even a very contemporary "in the news" plotline, Richman has a lot to offer here. I did find some of the conversation between the 12-year-old Stumpy and Dickie too mature, but that's not a big deal. And at the end I wanted the "bad guys" to get punished, but of course that doesn't always happen in real life either.
3856143
If you like a good clean Western, you will enjoy this one. It is about a Widower with three children who is trying to marry and start over. Action filled Western.
1495176
This was a pleasant western romance. It was clean, the characters felt real and the situations felt believable.
2511333
This is a nice, clean, inoffensive mail order bride story. It's a short, quick and easy read with likeable characters, not to much conflict, just the type of thing to make you feel good about love and humanity. If you like the mail/order western sub-genre, them you'll probably like this one. Unlike many clean romances, the hero and heroine do not feel like brother and sister. The build up isn't very well-developped but that's understandable as this is a shorter story. All in all for what it is, 3.5 stars!!!
3091804
New sheriff arrives in town, immediately finds vigilante justice.  The action is straight forward, the characters are believable, the plot plausible, the reading enjoyment ever-present.  TJ Osgood is a fine example of an old west upright man, in the tradition of Gary Cooper in High Noon (but younger and more human), beset by bad men who need to get their comeuppance.  You learn about the Idaho Territory and its environs through the plot, and that plot takes you back to a "simpler" time, where crime solving was still done, but without forensics.  Good book to enjoy.
I did receive an ARC for an honest review.
1234061
Unlike so much contemporary fiction, the central character, Bruno, is neither disaffected nor alcoholic. he is part of a community and terroir that we also grow to know and care about. This is a man with hens and a vegetable garden, who daily rides his horse Hector and makes do with  friendly lovers as he seeks love, wanting to settle forever in St Denis, raise children and care for his community. However, With a back story of having fought in Bosnia, Bruno can be a hard man when the need arises.
In this story, the little village of St Denis is again tempted by a major property development, but all is not on the up and up. A satisfying mystery entwines with the civil matters that face small communities - how to thrive economically without losing the character that makes it so charming. There are some dark themes: the tale is kicked off by the discovery of a naked dead woman.  Suggestions of a 'Black Mass' with themes of power-seeking, obsession, exploitation and destructive families underpin the plot.
It moves at a good canter - keeping you interested, but also let's you get some sleep. :)
4386004
Wild Horses made a nice change from the usual when it comes to Western romances. The setting and the issues surrounding the horses was really refreshing but it still had the same comforting feeling of small town and beautiful descriptions of rugged countryside. True to the Superromance line, Wild Horses delivers more than romance. It brings light to the plight of the wild horses and of the issues facing people living in a small town. Nora is desperate to escape her past but is unable to when having to return home to help her brother with his ranch.

Shadowed by her past and her need to be perfect, Nora is pretty uptight. I found it quite hard to connect with her, in spite of understanding why she was the way she was. I was really hoping for some more light-hearted moments from her but even when she was enjoying banter with Todd, it didn't seem natural. Todd is a good counterpart to her--easygoing and understanding though I felt he had more patience than I would have done. Whilst I found him likeable and certainly heroic, I didn't fall for him. He was sometimes a little too perfect.

The theme of growth and understanding was strong in this story. Having dated in the past, the story could have been one where they hashed over all their previous issues. I'm glad they both realised quite early on to let go of who they were in the past. Though their growth wasn't complete, both managed to realise neither of them were like the teenagers they were in the past and they were honest with each other. It was a breath of fresh air to have two adults behaving just like that--like adults. And the story offered a heart-warming promise of a fresh start that was both satisfying and beautiful.
4369150
{3.5 stars}

SWEETWATER is a nicely-done noirish parody of the old spaghetti western. Plot-wise, there aren't a lot of big surprises, but it keeps your attention and incorporates steady humor without turning into a complete slapstick joke. Best of all are the very colorful cast of characters: Crazy charlatan cult leader; beautiful, now-married former prostitute who's out to settle down and lead a quiet, simple life; unstable yet nobly maverick sheriff; perverted clothier; and a whole bunch of sheep who contribute a great deal to the story (really, they do).

Intelligently simple entertainment/nothing to be taken too seriously. Great performances by Ed Harris (sheriff) and January Jones (former prostitute).
1219233
Audie Murphy portrays a young outlaw who kills for money in this psychological thriller, a genre of Westerns, that deals with the impact of people's pasts in a small western town. Chaos breaks out when the threat of  consequence for past immoralities causes townspeople to face their guilt.  Subtle, simple, Murphy depicts a cool, level-headed killer amused by the  effects his presence in town is having, yet occupied only with killing the  man he was sent to murder.  In this town, there is no name on the bullet,  and everyone thinks its headed for them.  Great flick.