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Unconquerable Callie
Callie Collins, a proud woman in the late 1800’s, is a liar and a darned good one, a master of the dubious art. She is also a dreamer. Her greatest hope is to reach a new life in South Pass City, Wyoming, where she can open a bakery and live an independent life. To be successful, she will need her greatest deception to date, a mythical fiancé who waits at the end of the line. As a woman alone, she has to prove to Seth McCallister, the wagon master, that she has the wherewithal and the stamina to survive months of drought, dust, hardships, and even the risk of death.
Seth McCallister is mystified by the audacity and determination of Callie Collins. His initial distrust and concern for Callie, a woman traveling alone, opens first to admiration, then friendship, then love, a love that he is forced to hold at bay. What he doesn’t realize is that there is no fiancé. To make matters worse, Callie develops feelings for Seth McCallister, too. Yet she feels certain that once he realizes her deception, he’ll turn away, ashamed of his love and trust in her.
Seth McCallister is mystified by the audacity and determination of Callie Collins. His initial distrust and concern for Callie, a woman traveling alone, opens first to admiration, then friendship, then love, a love that he is forced to hold at bay. What he doesn’t realize is that there is no fiancé. To make matters worse, Callie develops feelings for Seth McCallister, too. Yet she feels certain that once he realizes her deception, he’ll turn away, ashamed of his love and trust in her.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2013
160 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 7, 2014
Perfect Story to Capture your Heart!
What a perfect story that was heartwarming and guaranteed to capture your heart. From beginning to end the story completely captivated my heart and soul. The writing is smooth and addicting and before I knew it I found myself immersed into a wagon train journey I could have stayed on forever.
The characters are beautiful showing compassion and strength as they grew to become a team of one to help each other along their journey. The author does an excellent job capturing the elements of the season, along with the exciting encounters with the dangerous savage Indians, drought of water through the rough dusty terrain, diseases from the river’s / creek’s waters and the sickness and death from drinking it.
Their survival techniques and their positive attitudes in reaching their goals was 75% of what got them through their long journey – the other 25% was listening to their Captain instead of the one odd ball loud mouth drunk in the group. By listening, their learning experiences kept them alive for the long haul especially when it came to crossing some of the rivers.
I loved Callie and Seth. Callie is an amazing woman that I identified with immediately. Her independent ways and determination to conquer all made this story such a fun read. She could ride a horse, shoot a gun, cook the best cookies and bread, and she liked wearing men’s clothing. I absolutely loved her. Seth on the other hand is such a dream. I mean what a man, what man, what a mighty fine man – LOL Seth is not only handsome but the author depicted his leadership skills with a firm but kind demeanor. The way he treated and talked to the group showed his respect for life and the men, women, and children in his train. Seth and Callie’s romance was a sweet buildup and even had me tear up in the end as I felt each of the character’s emotions wrap around my own heart.
This was just such a perfect read. Sigh, sniff – sniff but Smiling and feeling gleeful as I hug the book thinking about the heart melting happy ever after.
I’m a new fan of this author as well and I look forward to reading more of her awesome works. I highly recommend this beautiful western sweet romance to all readers.
Excellent read!
**A copy was provided by Author for a Fair and Honest Review**
What a perfect story that was heartwarming and guaranteed to capture your heart. From beginning to end the story completely captivated my heart and soul. The writing is smooth and addicting and before I knew it I found myself immersed into a wagon train journey I could have stayed on forever.
The characters are beautiful showing compassion and strength as they grew to become a team of one to help each other along their journey. The author does an excellent job capturing the elements of the season, along with the exciting encounters with the dangerous savage Indians, drought of water through the rough dusty terrain, diseases from the river’s / creek’s waters and the sickness and death from drinking it.
Their survival techniques and their positive attitudes in reaching their goals was 75% of what got them through their long journey – the other 25% was listening to their Captain instead of the one odd ball loud mouth drunk in the group. By listening, their learning experiences kept them alive for the long haul especially when it came to crossing some of the rivers.
I loved Callie and Seth. Callie is an amazing woman that I identified with immediately. Her independent ways and determination to conquer all made this story such a fun read. She could ride a horse, shoot a gun, cook the best cookies and bread, and she liked wearing men’s clothing. I absolutely loved her. Seth on the other hand is such a dream. I mean what a man, what man, what a mighty fine man – LOL Seth is not only handsome but the author depicted his leadership skills with a firm but kind demeanor. The way he treated and talked to the group showed his respect for life and the men, women, and children in his train. Seth and Callie’s romance was a sweet buildup and even had me tear up in the end as I felt each of the character’s emotions wrap around my own heart.
This was just such a perfect read. Sigh, sniff – sniff but Smiling and feeling gleeful as I hug the book thinking about the heart melting happy ever after.
I’m a new fan of this author as well and I look forward to reading more of her awesome works. I highly recommend this beautiful western sweet romance to all readers.
Excellent read!
**A copy was provided by Author for a Fair and Honest Review**
March 21, 2013
Ooooooh, I just loved Unconquerable Callie :-)
It was just my kind of love story. I give it 4.6 stars!
With all these free ebook offers on Amazon you never know what awaits you when you start reading and every now and again you get to read a really good story and this was the case with Unconquerable Callie...
I liked Callie, her strength and determination to join a wagon train all by herself in order to fulfill her dreams of opening a bakery. Seth turned out to be quite a catch as well, once he let go of his suspicion of Callie and his skepticism about women. They really seemed like equal partners until
June 27, 2013
This was almost a good book. On the plus side the characters were refreshingly well drawn and more human and realistic than the usual romance stock characters. Unlike the usual too dumb to live heroine who never listens to anybody and keeps putting herself in needless peril so that the hero has to save her, Callie works hard reading up on information and listening to experienced people and tries her best to prepare and adjust as best she can, and she comes off as a fairly sane and competent human being whom I found rather interesting and likable. Some of the story was very fresh and original. On the negative side however, a lot of the material was not. Also the author needed a dictionary because she obviously did not know the meaning of several of the words she misused. There was also some really poor vocabulary and verb usage, e.g. indigent plants, using a singular verb with a compound subject, etc. Don't schools teach English anymore? The most annoying thing was a lot of inconsistencies such as Callie's eyes being green in most scenes but blue in another (contact lenses?) and her friend Phyllis episodically becoming Millie (multiple personality disorder?) I also found the coincidences too bizarre, which weakened the ending.
July 10, 2014
Sweet, Clean and Fun Historical
I enjoyed myself reading this book. The H/H are both totally endearing. Callie's actions/accomplishments are pretty unbelievalable hence the reduction of one star,but the author made her so likeable and the story such a pleasant read,that it didn't really bother me.I wanted to see the wagon train ride with it's really interesting info, to it's conclusion.I felt like I was on that wagon train!Would love to find more clean/non Christian historicals set in this time.
Highly recommended for those looking for clean/non Christian romance with a heroine who is not desparate for a man or TSTL!
I enjoyed myself reading this book. The H/H are both totally endearing. Callie's actions/accomplishments are pretty unbelievalable hence the reduction of one star,but the author made her so likeable and the story such a pleasant read,that it didn't really bother me.I wanted to see the wagon train ride with it's really interesting info, to it's conclusion.I felt like I was on that wagon train!Would love to find more clean/non Christian historicals set in this time.
Highly recommended for those looking for clean/non Christian romance with a heroine who is not desparate for a man or TSTL!
January 6, 2017
PG
I love Deann Smallwood books! This is the second one I read (the first was *Montana Star*) and she is top notch! Callie is one of my favorite heroines. She is really "unconquerable" - she is smart, kind, loving, beautiful, modest, brave, and the list goes on. I love the integrity of the H, Seth. He is so good and handsome and brave, as well. There is definite chemistry, but it's totally PG and pulse-increasing in its discretion. This book reminded me of *These Is My Words* except it's more of a romance than that one. Highly recommended!
I love Deann Smallwood books! This is the second one I read (the first was *Montana Star*) and she is top notch! Callie is one of my favorite heroines. She is really "unconquerable" - she is smart, kind, loving, beautiful, modest, brave, and the list goes on. I love the integrity of the H, Seth. He is so good and handsome and brave, as well. There is definite chemistry, but it's totally PG and pulse-increasing in its discretion. This book reminded me of *These Is My Words* except it's more of a romance than that one. Highly recommended!
November 12, 2016
I read this book and find that it was about a young woman who desired a future o her own. She had to lie to people to get a place on a wagon train. It's about finding true love and facing the hardships that they had to endure on the trail west. Very good book would recommend as a good read.
May 7, 2017
I think the thing I will take away from this book is Callie's attitude. She had courage and determination to go forth even though women at the time weren't allowed or permitted to do what she wanted to do without a husband. I loved her "can do" attitude - she jumped in and was a leader and encouraged the other women that they could be more helpful too. She stood with courage when she needed to. I loved her dream to open a bakery in Wyoming and how she baked along the way to share with others and to make them happy.
Callie's flaw was to tell lies to get her where she needed to go - like a fiancé, Frank, waiting for her at the end of the trail. She had a goal and didn't feel there was another way. I liked that she knew telling lies was not honest and she needed to tell the truth. If someone needed to tell an untruth it better be her. She didn't want others to lie but since she had already ----But what I liked was that in the end she came through and apologized and told the truth and seemed to give up all she grew to love.
Callie's flaw was to tell lies to get her where she needed to go - like a fiancé, Frank, waiting for her at the end of the trail. She had a goal and didn't feel there was another way. I liked that she knew telling lies was not honest and she needed to tell the truth. If someone needed to tell an untruth it better be her. She didn't want others to lie but since she had already ----But what I liked was that in the end she came through and apologized and told the truth and seemed to give up all she grew to love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2017
Head strong Callie
Loved this story about a woman who is not afraid to follow her dreams. Although she did lie to achieve them, she still had good values. I got lost in the story. I felt like I was living Callie's life. Living on a wagon train was a hard life. Loved the happy ending.
Loved this story about a woman who is not afraid to follow her dreams. Although she did lie to achieve them, she still had good values. I got lost in the story. I felt like I was living Callie's life. Living on a wagon train was a hard life. Loved the happy ending.
May 14, 2017
Adventure
The things Callie had to do and how brave she was. The lying well...she had to do what was needed. Making friends and fighting with the captain and then becoming friends and falling in love. Loved this story.
The things Callie had to do and how brave she was. The lying well...she had to do what was needed. Making friends and fighting with the captain and then becoming friends and falling in love. Loved this story.
April 11, 2021
Loved it
Once again, as in all of DeAnn's books, I have been capitavted from beginning to end. Laughed, cried, was on the edge of my seat. Can't wait to start another. Thanks DeAnn
Once again, as in all of DeAnn's books, I have been capitavted from beginning to end. Laughed, cried, was on the edge of my seat. Can't wait to start another. Thanks DeAnn
May 9, 2017
Great Read
This was the first book I ever read of Ms Smallwood's but it will not be my last.
Once I started I couldn't put it down.
The characters were great and the plot was cute.
This was the first book I ever read of Ms Smallwood's but it will not be my last.
Once I started I couldn't put it down.
The characters were great and the plot was cute.
May 17, 2017
Dreams come true...
If you are determined, If you let no barriers stand, if you have courage, strength, generosity, then it can all be yours.
If you are determined, If you let no barriers stand, if you have courage, strength, generosity, then it can all be yours.
February 16, 2018
3.5 * - it was an ok read, nothing special but funny - I enjoyed it
June 23, 2018
A perfect easy read... Enough history (Oregon Trail) to keep you checking Wiki and Google maps, and a sweet romance between likeable characters.
June 8, 2019
Very good
I enjoyed this book very much but I would like epilogues its always nice to see how they fair in the future
I enjoyed this book very much but I would like epilogues its always nice to see how they fair in the future
January 4, 2020
Beautiful
It's a simple story of a woman out to prove that she can do it and in the end he finds friends and love. And a man willing to let her continue to prove it all.
It's a simple story of a woman out to prove that she can do it and in the end he finds friends and love. And a man willing to let her continue to prove it all.
January 26, 2020
Great reading!
Great author. Fantastic reading, really enjoyed this book, looking forward to another book by this author. Thank you for a great book.
Great author. Fantastic reading, really enjoyed this book, looking forward to another book by this author. Thank you for a great book.
October 5, 2020
Excellent story
Great story. Is there a part 2
Be good to learn whay happens to callie and Phyllis story. Very good. Enjoyed it very much.
Great story. Is there a part 2
Be good to learn whay happens to callie and Phyllis story. Very good. Enjoyed it very much.
October 10, 2020
Great book!
Kept my interest throughout. I really enjoyed the interaction of all the people in the book. Had a very happy ending.
Kept my interest throughout. I really enjoyed the interaction of all the people in the book. Had a very happy ending.
January 7, 2021
Great read
Wonderful story of a woman with a dream, a man with strength and courage, a dangerous wagon train trip, and a happy ending.
Wonderful story of a woman with a dream, a man with strength and courage, a dangerous wagon train trip, and a happy ending.
June 11, 2015
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review
Unconquerable Callie
Summary:
Sometimes a lie can lead to love. Callie Collins, a proud woman in the late 1800’s is a liar and a darned good one, a master of the dubious art. She is also a dreamer. Her greatest hope is to reach a new life in South Pass City Wyoming, where she can open a bakery and live an independent life. To be successful, she will need her greatest gifts of deception to date. As a woman alone, she has to prove to Seth McCalister, the wagon master, that she has the wherewithal (a wagon and a set of oxen), the stamina to survive months of drought, dust, hardships and even risk of death, and a mythical fiancé who waits at the end of the line. McCallister is uneasy, but also mystified by the audacity and determination of the young woman. He allows her to join the train west. What he doesn’t realize is there is no fiancé. To make matters worse, Callie is in love with Seth McCallister, too. For the first time, the lies that have brought her so far in life threaten to keep her from her one, true love. McCallister is a man of strong character and Callie feels certain that once he realizes her deception, he’ll turn away, ashamed of his love and trust in her.
Review:
First off, I’ve got to say I hate liars and don’t normally read books if the summer has anything in it about liars, but something drew me to go ahead and read this story and wow... I became Callie Collins, it’s been a long time since I became the character in a story, most times it’s like watching a live show. Her motives for lying are self-serving, but also understandable for the time frame in which this story takes place. Women just weren’t taken seriously and very few made names for themselves on the frontier.
I just loved this book; you came to love each character and rooted for them as the journey west continued. If you know anything about history of this time period, you know each wagon train had many obstacles, which they had to concur to survive the journey west. It gave a real clear picture and pretty accurate on this journey west.
I don’t recall any grammatical or punctuation errors, and those are pet peeves of mine and an automatic three star rating; this is one of the very few five stars I’ve read in a while.
The development of the story plot, and characters was beautifully done as well as complex and complete. The flow was perfection. There as not one slow spot in the plot
Conclusion:
I would recommend this story to all my friends. This book could and should be read by anyone age sixteen and older, as for the price, it’s conservatively priced, in fact, I think the author, and publisher could have gone up in price to $4.99, and still it would be a great buy for this full-length novel.
Unconquerable Callie
Summary:
Sometimes a lie can lead to love. Callie Collins, a proud woman in the late 1800’s is a liar and a darned good one, a master of the dubious art. She is also a dreamer. Her greatest hope is to reach a new life in South Pass City Wyoming, where she can open a bakery and live an independent life. To be successful, she will need her greatest gifts of deception to date. As a woman alone, she has to prove to Seth McCalister, the wagon master, that she has the wherewithal (a wagon and a set of oxen), the stamina to survive months of drought, dust, hardships and even risk of death, and a mythical fiancé who waits at the end of the line. McCallister is uneasy, but also mystified by the audacity and determination of the young woman. He allows her to join the train west. What he doesn’t realize is there is no fiancé. To make matters worse, Callie is in love with Seth McCallister, too. For the first time, the lies that have brought her so far in life threaten to keep her from her one, true love. McCallister is a man of strong character and Callie feels certain that once he realizes her deception, he’ll turn away, ashamed of his love and trust in her.
Review:
First off, I’ve got to say I hate liars and don’t normally read books if the summer has anything in it about liars, but something drew me to go ahead and read this story and wow... I became Callie Collins, it’s been a long time since I became the character in a story, most times it’s like watching a live show. Her motives for lying are self-serving, but also understandable for the time frame in which this story takes place. Women just weren’t taken seriously and very few made names for themselves on the frontier.
I just loved this book; you came to love each character and rooted for them as the journey west continued. If you know anything about history of this time period, you know each wagon train had many obstacles, which they had to concur to survive the journey west. It gave a real clear picture and pretty accurate on this journey west.
I don’t recall any grammatical or punctuation errors, and those are pet peeves of mine and an automatic three star rating; this is one of the very few five stars I’ve read in a while.
The development of the story plot, and characters was beautifully done as well as complex and complete. The flow was perfection. There as not one slow spot in the plot
Conclusion:
I would recommend this story to all my friends. This book could and should be read by anyone age sixteen and older, as for the price, it’s conservatively priced, in fact, I think the author, and publisher could have gone up in price to $4.99, and still it would be a great buy for this full-length novel.
April 14, 2015
A new author and setting for me, UNCONQUERABLE CALLIE was a very interesting book that would make a good reading requirement for students learning American History.
It's 1850 and Calllie Collins has made the decision to brave the Oregon Trail and head out west...on her own. She'll have to lie her way into passage on the trail with the train, since women just aren't able to travel that route alone. But Callie is nothing if not determined, and if it takes a faux fiancé in Oregon to make her dream a reality, then Callie will tell all the lies she has to. When she meets Seth McCallister, the captain leading the train, he is one of her biggest detractors. Until he sees Miss Callie in action.
Callie Collins is a menace. Not only is she traveling without a man by her side, but she takes risks that usually only the strongest man is willing to take. Eventually, Callie's indeterminable spirit takes Seth by surprise, as she becomes one of the leaders in this train of wagons heading west on the Oregon Trail. Seth is an honorable man, but his honor is sorely tested with the wildly strong white-haired woman, and it takes everything in him to stay away from another man's fiancé. Between crossing the mighty Missouri River, breathing endless dust for days on the prairie and facing down a bout of cholera, the trip to Oregon will be an experience only those with a strong will and heart will survive.
UNCONQUERABLE CALLIE was a surprisingly good read and the first I've ever read that features the Oregon Trail as a setting. How incredibly brave Callie is, and history is full of untold stories of women just like her who braved unimaginable trials in order to make a new life in an untamed land. Even though UNCONQUERABLE CALLIE read more like a companion read to American History classes rather than a romance novel, I found that I really didn't care. I was surprised to find that I didn't know as much as I thought I did about the trials the early pioneers faced when building our great country. I've always been a big history buff, so I found myself doing research on Ms. Smallwood's accuracy (which was very well done).
As for the romance portion of UNCONQUERABLE CALLIE...there really wasn’t much of that going on. Other than a few chaste kisses here and there, the story instead focused on the adventurous spirit of those who braved the Western world before us. The romance between Callie and Seth was secondary, and their chemistry felt more geared toward a solid, once in a lifetime friendship rather than a great love.
Bottom Line: this surprisingly historically accurate 1850's pioneer novel will keep you fascinated just thinking about how far we've come in just 165 years.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
It's 1850 and Calllie Collins has made the decision to brave the Oregon Trail and head out west...on her own. She'll have to lie her way into passage on the trail with the train, since women just aren't able to travel that route alone. But Callie is nothing if not determined, and if it takes a faux fiancé in Oregon to make her dream a reality, then Callie will tell all the lies she has to. When she meets Seth McCallister, the captain leading the train, he is one of her biggest detractors. Until he sees Miss Callie in action.
Callie Collins is a menace. Not only is she traveling without a man by her side, but she takes risks that usually only the strongest man is willing to take. Eventually, Callie's indeterminable spirit takes Seth by surprise, as she becomes one of the leaders in this train of wagons heading west on the Oregon Trail. Seth is an honorable man, but his honor is sorely tested with the wildly strong white-haired woman, and it takes everything in him to stay away from another man's fiancé. Between crossing the mighty Missouri River, breathing endless dust for days on the prairie and facing down a bout of cholera, the trip to Oregon will be an experience only those with a strong will and heart will survive.
UNCONQUERABLE CALLIE was a surprisingly good read and the first I've ever read that features the Oregon Trail as a setting. How incredibly brave Callie is, and history is full of untold stories of women just like her who braved unimaginable trials in order to make a new life in an untamed land. Even though UNCONQUERABLE CALLIE read more like a companion read to American History classes rather than a romance novel, I found that I really didn't care. I was surprised to find that I didn't know as much as I thought I did about the trials the early pioneers faced when building our great country. I've always been a big history buff, so I found myself doing research on Ms. Smallwood's accuracy (which was very well done).
As for the romance portion of UNCONQUERABLE CALLIE...there really wasn’t much of that going on. Other than a few chaste kisses here and there, the story instead focused on the adventurous spirit of those who braved the Western world before us. The romance between Callie and Seth was secondary, and their chemistry felt more geared toward a solid, once in a lifetime friendship rather than a great love.
Bottom Line: this surprisingly historically accurate 1850's pioneer novel will keep you fascinated just thinking about how far we've come in just 165 years.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2017
A thoroughly enjoyable, clean historical romance
I would actually give this book 4 ½ stars if that were possible. It repeatedly transitions very well back and forth among the threads of different character relationships and events throughout the plot with enough depth to be three dimensional. It has excellent, specific descriptions of what daily life was like at that time, in particular for those traveling west by wagon train. It is a historical romance that manages quite well to demonstrate true depth of developing emotions while still being completely clean, with none of the explicit actions or descriptions many authors feel are necessary to their story's success. There is occasional profanity. The major characters are well described and mostly consistent.
(SPOILER ALERT FOR THIS PARAGRAPH) I did not think the ending consistent with a main character described throughout as bravely making her own path, far from all she has ever known, deliberately bucking the societal norms and expectations of her time and enduring months of extreme hardships to seek out a very distant place where women's rights were well ahead of what they were anywhere else at that point in history. She came up with innovative solutions to many situations that were not just unique, but which put her on the same level or above the intelligence and ingenuity of many of the men around her at a time when women were mostly regarded as completely incapable of such things. I think that Callie could easily have successfully managed marriage, family, and business, not giving up any of her dreams, because of all of the common sense and survival skills she had already demonstrated and continued to acquire.
My only distractions from this story were a few things that should have been caught in editing. Callie's eyes kept switching back and forth between green and blue. If you are going to furnish such details in your character descriptions, they should be consistent. Her beautiful eyes are mentioned several times, but keep changing colors. Seth's horse changed names 3 times – Tramp, Buck, and Patch. The character Phyllis Monroe is sometimes called Millie instead. Sometimes characters stand only to stand again a few lines later, 'you' should be 'your' in some places, and other similar mistakes are present. Few edits are perfect, but much of the above could and should have been caught at that stage.
I would actually give this book 4 ½ stars if that were possible. It repeatedly transitions very well back and forth among the threads of different character relationships and events throughout the plot with enough depth to be three dimensional. It has excellent, specific descriptions of what daily life was like at that time, in particular for those traveling west by wagon train. It is a historical romance that manages quite well to demonstrate true depth of developing emotions while still being completely clean, with none of the explicit actions or descriptions many authors feel are necessary to their story's success. There is occasional profanity. The major characters are well described and mostly consistent.
(SPOILER ALERT FOR THIS PARAGRAPH) I did not think the ending consistent with a main character described throughout as bravely making her own path, far from all she has ever known, deliberately bucking the societal norms and expectations of her time and enduring months of extreme hardships to seek out a very distant place where women's rights were well ahead of what they were anywhere else at that point in history. She came up with innovative solutions to many situations that were not just unique, but which put her on the same level or above the intelligence and ingenuity of many of the men around her at a time when women were mostly regarded as completely incapable of such things. I think that Callie could easily have successfully managed marriage, family, and business, not giving up any of her dreams, because of all of the common sense and survival skills she had already demonstrated and continued to acquire.
My only distractions from this story were a few things that should have been caught in editing. Callie's eyes kept switching back and forth between green and blue. If you are going to furnish such details in your character descriptions, they should be consistent. Her beautiful eyes are mentioned several times, but keep changing colors. Seth's horse changed names 3 times – Tramp, Buck, and Patch. The character Phyllis Monroe is sometimes called Millie instead. Sometimes characters stand only to stand again a few lines later, 'you' should be 'your' in some places, and other similar mistakes are present. Few edits are perfect, but much of the above could and should have been caught at that stage.
May 28, 2015
Western Romance
This is a wonderful western with Callie as the heroine. Her spinster Aunt Bertha, who late in life has recently married, raised Callie. The new husband has a nephew, who needs a wife. Aunt Bertha thinks Callie needs a husband. Callie is a woman out of step with the time; she is smart, stubborn, independent, and determined. She refused to fit the mold of the day, so she runs away to find her dream, a bakery in South Pass Wyoming.
Woven thru this story are the realities of crossing to the west on a wagon train; this is the story of one of those crossings. Only strong men and women survived the trip, Callie is one of those women. Callie grows into a strong woman that has a smart mind that earned the respect of her fellow travelers. Her opinions were respected and sought out. The way west was harsh, Callie became a woman that met each challenge as well as any man as she faces, raging rivers, heat, unforgiving terrain, disease, and Indians, earning the respect and love of the Seth, the wagon captain. What a character in Callie, Mrs. Smallwood created. I chuckled as I read some of Callie’s antics in dealing as a woman in a mans world. I thought I would howl when Seth was oh so patiently explaining to Callie why, she, a woman could not set on the wagon train counsel, as she ate her baked cookie in front of all the men. The man had no idea who he was dealing with. This was one smart woman who knew how to work men around to her way of thinking. Mrs. Smallwood’s descriptions were so vivid I could easily see the landscape and action, as well as feeling the emotion. This is a romance without the sex; it is a clean read.
I would recommend this to anyone that likes a clean western romance featuring a strong woman making her way in the world on her terms.
I received this book from Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2013
I'm not a western fan, but something drew me to this book. I do love historical fiction, usually just not during the times of the 'Old West', but maybe I was craving something different?
Callie, a single young woman, craved a different life than what was expected for a woman in those days. Hearing that Wyoming was a progressive state for women, she planned to get there and open a bakery of her own. Getting there from MO meant getting together her own wagon and following a train on the Oregon Trail. She has to lie her way through, as wagons and oxen are not just 'sold' to a female, particularly if it was known she was going the dangerous trail on her own. Soon, her lies are making her feel guilty as she forms friendships with others on the train.
Overall, a good read and a happy ending - which was completely expected. I would have been disappointed without the happy end...sometimes you read a book just because you know it will end happy - this was one such book. I liked the characters pretty well, just felt something was missing. Cassie was a little annoying sometimes and a little too perfect. Still, new to the western genre, I'd say I liked it more than expected. Would recommend to romance and western fans.
Callie, a single young woman, craved a different life than what was expected for a woman in those days. Hearing that Wyoming was a progressive state for women, she planned to get there and open a bakery of her own. Getting there from MO meant getting together her own wagon and following a train on the Oregon Trail. She has to lie her way through, as wagons and oxen are not just 'sold' to a female, particularly if it was known she was going the dangerous trail on her own. Soon, her lies are making her feel guilty as she forms friendships with others on the train.
Overall, a good read and a happy ending - which was completely expected. I would have been disappointed without the happy end...sometimes you read a book just because you know it will end happy - this was one such book. I liked the characters pretty well, just felt something was missing. Cassie was a little annoying sometimes and a little too perfect. Still, new to the western genre, I'd say I liked it more than expected. Would recommend to romance and western fans.
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March 23, 2013Unconquerable Callie is an enjoyable and entertaining love story. DeAnn Smallwood exhibits her talent for words with her tale of love, hardship, relationships, and determination. She does an excellent job of crafting a romance with the historical backdrop of a wagon train. Her depiction of the adventurous spirit of settlers, as well as the dangers and hardships they endured on their journey for a better life, was fascinating and excellent.
The heroine, Callie, a courageous woman determined to forge a life for herself, embarks on a treacherous excursion through Indian country, despite the obstacles or the dangers she must face. Along the way, her courage and giving nature wins the hearts of her fellow travelers, including the wagon master.
Unconquerable Callie is a sweet romance that will draw you in from the beginning to the end. It is resplendent with history, well-drawn characters, and vivid descriptions. The plot flows unfettered and solid with an engaging story line. This novel is for anyone who loves romance and history without sexual complications. A must read.
Janna Shay
Author of Fair Play
The heroine, Callie, a courageous woman determined to forge a life for herself, embarks on a treacherous excursion through Indian country, despite the obstacles or the dangers she must face. Along the way, her courage and giving nature wins the hearts of her fellow travelers, including the wagon master.
Unconquerable Callie is a sweet romance that will draw you in from the beginning to the end. It is resplendent with history, well-drawn characters, and vivid descriptions. The plot flows unfettered and solid with an engaging story line. This novel is for anyone who loves romance and history without sexual complications. A must read.
Janna Shay
Author of Fair Play
October 13, 2015
Not a disappointment, for sure. I signed up to provide an honest review for a copy of this book through The Reading Alley. I'm a die-hard western fan, and I love wagon train stories. I must say, this story was everything and more I hoped it would be. As an author, I've also written a story about a heroine who traveled via wagon train, and Callie shared the same qualities as my Sarah. Although Sarah didn't lie to get on the wagon train, I really admired her determination, and like someone else mentioned...through Ms. Smallwood's amazing attention to detail, I became Callie and lived the world through her eyes. The pace was fast moving, the story interesting, and of course, the characters where totally fleshed out and believable. I don't usually cheer on liars, but Callie had a noble reason to want to achieve something not many women could in her era, and finding love along the way, even if it worried her, was just more bang for bucks I didn't have to spend. If you pass this one up, you're making a mistake. DeAnn Smallwood must have been a pioneer in another lifetime. WTG. Loved it.
May 30, 2016
Good, but the editing is the worst I have ever seen
A cute story, romantic take on a wagon trail blossoming romance. Sorely in need of an editor, and a few times names were mixed up. Hattie, a pregnant woman on the wagon train, and an elderly lady, there was a chapter or two where the names are swapped out repeatedly, which was pretty confusing. I don't know if no one did even a rough edit, but there are a pretty substantial amount of mistakes that make the reading a bit difficult at times, but it is still a cute story. It is KU now, with the large amount of mistakes, I don't think it is a good enough quality to be asking money for (I mean, it reads like a rough draft without even an author read through), but worth checking out. I have read a few other books by this author, and there is obviously a lot of research going into the stories, and I am certainly a fan, but the editing is a repeated problem for her books. This was the first time it led to confusion for me, though, which is why I gave four stars instead of five.
A cute story, romantic take on a wagon trail blossoming romance. Sorely in need of an editor, and a few times names were mixed up. Hattie, a pregnant woman on the wagon train, and an elderly lady, there was a chapter or two where the names are swapped out repeatedly, which was pretty confusing. I don't know if no one did even a rough edit, but there are a pretty substantial amount of mistakes that make the reading a bit difficult at times, but it is still a cute story. It is KU now, with the large amount of mistakes, I don't think it is a good enough quality to be asking money for (I mean, it reads like a rough draft without even an author read through), but worth checking out. I have read a few other books by this author, and there is obviously a lot of research going into the stories, and I am certainly a fan, but the editing is a repeated problem for her books. This was the first time it led to confusion for me, though, which is why I gave four stars instead of five.
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November 7, 2016Callie Collins is a very forward thinking female for the 1850s. Her reactions to problems are definitely not those of the normal, usual females of the time and that is what makes this story attractive. The reader tries to predict what she will do and will probably be wrong each time. From wearing buckskins to leading a wagon train, DeAnn Smallwood creates an amazing woman of today thrown into yesteryear.
The scenery descriptions are also very good. It almost makes you want to be on the wagon train. Callie has the innate ability to make friends and by being the helpful person she is, helps to create a community from the others on the train.
The sex in this book is just not there. Callie, no matter how attracted she is to the adorable wagon master, has a fiance (albeit fake) and tries to stay true to this image. This is a book you will not mind your child picking up and reading! In fact, it is just the type of story that makes a good read aloud in an upper level classroom where history, relationships, personal drive and other subjects can be discussed.
Definitely recommend!
The scenery descriptions are also very good. It almost makes you want to be on the wagon train. Callie has the innate ability to make friends and by being the helpful person she is, helps to create a community from the others on the train.
The sex in this book is just not there. Callie, no matter how attracted she is to the adorable wagon master, has a fiance (albeit fake) and tries to stay true to this image. This is a book you will not mind your child picking up and reading! In fact, it is just the type of story that makes a good read aloud in an upper level classroom where history, relationships, personal drive and other subjects can be discussed.
Definitely recommend!
November 21, 2016
Callie is the perfect woman. The problem is she is a little too perfect. This girl grew up in the city. However, she knew exactly what she would need on the wagon train, including the wagon and oxen. She can shoot a rifle better than a man, she is not afraid of wild animals such as bears and she is a strong swimmer who can pull a man out of a river. On the other hand, she is gifted baker and can help birth babies. She is so good she can even run the wagon train. She only thing she did wrong was tell one small lie.
The over all idea of the book was good but about half way through the book Callie started to get on my nerves. I found myself thinking there had to be one person on that wagon train that hated her. Oh no, everyone loved Callie.
I will not tell you the ending but even that was unbelievable.
There is one good thing about this book, it is FREE.
The over all idea of the book was good but about half way through the book Callie started to get on my nerves. I found myself thinking there had to be one person on that wagon train that hated her. Oh no, everyone loved Callie.
I will not tell you the ending but even that was unbelievable.
There is one good thing about this book, it is FREE.
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