Courting Calamity: 4 Stories from Bygone Days

If the last story hadn't been a dud with graphic violence (tragedy by fire) and liberal politics, I'd have probably given this an extra star. Here's the breakdown of the stories in this collection:

Lady and the Tramps- 4 stars
This one was just a lot of fun. I love stories of orphans getting taken in and the Wild West/outlaws who strike a train and the Wells-Fargo agent who saves the day. But that's not all that's going on, as Mattie and the kids quickly discover. It would have been perfect if the epilogue hadn't felt rushed and surprising (things happen that weren't clear to happen in the body of the story).

The Secondhand Bride of Polecat Creek- 4.5 stars
This one was just totally sweet and I enjoyed every minute. The hero got himself in a jam by being a little too nice, and now he's got a lawsuit. He's happy to pick up and run home to get a bride...but she isn't there. And maybe she didn't send him that note after all...this relationship was fun and engaging.

The Bride of Basswood Hill- 3.5 stars
This one needed some more work on setting and a couple more chapters on the relationship's growth. While the story is sweet and the two leads engaging, the leap to true love and understanding was a bit hasty and I had to take the author's word for it that they would be okay.

Echoes of the Heart- 1 star
Ouch. I was looking for enjoyable, clean fictional romance. Hardly any romance, lots of socialism, lots of politics, and lots of graphic deaths by fire. And I do mean graphic. This was a bummer of a note to end on and I had to take a few deep breaths to cool off. The author posits that banning free labor in the factory would have prevented the fire altogether. Now, pardon me, but pro-union is NOT the only way a company can be asked to complete basic safety features. And then the three chapters of on and on, blood and guts, people jumping from windows, etc etc. Just nope.

Thanks to the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.