According To Hoyle

Even if something isn't according to Hoyle it can be right.3,5 stars for this witty and action-packed western novel

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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When Dusty Rose declines a shady job offer and gets hunted in return his best chance of survival seems to be in the arms of the law.

When Cage gets arrested and send to trial in New Orleans he didn't expect to find friends or love along the way.

The two U.S. Marshals Eli Flynn and William Henry Washington who escort three prisoners to trial, one of them Dusty Rose, they weren't prepared to get into such a complicated situation. The law is the law, but that doesn't mean it's always right.

The story has three main POV and a few minor ones pop up from time to time. Admittedly, it left me a bit confused at he beginning because that are a lot point of views when you aren't familiar with the characters. It's rather interesting to obtain the insight of so many different personalities. Alas, the downside is that some developments appear to be rather sudden. I can think of a few I'd have liked to actually read about and not just get tiny glimpses and then get the result thrown in my face.
Aside from that I thought it sad that Wash was kind of left out. Instead of getting a few chapters about antagonists I would've prefered to get his POV as well.

The plot appeared to be rather simple at the beginning but it becomes evident during the read that there is much more scheming and plotting than meets the eye. Although the first part of the book dragged a bit at times the second half picked up speed and kept you seated until the end.

The book was a nice read and I hope there'll be a sequel as there are quite a few questions that need answers.

Reread July 2021

Didn't like it quite as much the second time around. (More of a 3.5 that I'd round up.) A large part of the reason is because I've discovered that I don't actually much like most westerns. I've seen enough movies since my first read to realize that. Also, side note, I find Flynn a little aggravating with how hard core he's in denial. (Also, I would have totally made it through the book in less time, but I got distracted by a certain character from a certain game and they infected my life for a handful of days.)


Original Review

There's a couple things that I absolutely adored about this book. First, there are actually two couples in this story, and they're different and distinct from each other while neither feels like a ‘beta couple'. (Honestly, I've read some authors whose couples are exactly the same from one book to the next, so the fact that two couples in one book are so different makes me VERY happy.) And, also, the plot as it is would pretty much stay exactly the same even without the romance. Sure, there might have been slightly different changes, but a solid, building friendship would have done about the same thing. Which I absolutely love. I mean, we get good romances without them taking over the story. The ending might be a little disappointing to some people, because it honestly feels like a setup for a sequel. It kind of has a Hollywood movie feel and, in fact, put me in mind of the Wild, Wild West movie ending. Sadly, there isn't a sequel, but it really feels like ‘and the adventure continues'. (Which I love and always have.)