The Strange Courtship of Kathleen O'Dwyer

It's been so long since I've read a western that I'd forgotten how exciting they can be. Even though I haven't read a bunch of books in this genre, I've never read one with a female protagonist. For this reason, I was particularly curious. School teacher Kathleen O'Dwyer sets off on a wagon train heading to New Mexico but later ends up traveling with a mountaineer named James Colter. Though ambivalent of his character, Kathleen finds herself drawn to him. Together they go forth on a number of adventures from the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains. Along the way, they encounter a mix of people, such as fellow travelers, Native American tribesmen, and missionaries.The book has a lot of action (and occasionally violence), however, there is also a more character-driven side to it. The latter was my favorite part of the story. I liked Kathleen even though I couldn't personally relate much to her. Well-written and keeping a good pace, [b:The Strange Courtship of Kathleen O'Dwyer 64415252 The Strange Courtship of Kathleen O'Dwyer Robert Temple https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1670432350l/64415252.SY75.jpg 99987488] is a nice read. Unfortunately, the ending is awfully abrupt despite the satisfying conclusion. I did a double-take when I reached the acknowledgments page. It's an otherwise rich story for being under 250 pages. I enjoyed it.A huge thanks to the author for reaching out and sending me a free digital ARC to read and review!