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Dancing with Billy the Kid
The good, the bad, and the morally ambiguous.
In Time, Book 2
Bonnie Borle finally has the missing piece for her history dissertation in her hot little hands. What she must do for it is chilling-go back to 1881 to fix a hitch in Billy the Kid's timeline. Sneaking her 2016 purse through the portal is easy. Resisting the temptation to tweak a few events surrounding the Kid's famous jailbreak is impossible. So is resisting Billy's dancing eyes and devil-may-care charm.
Though Billy's spooked by Bonnie's seeming ability to read his mind, he falls a little more in love every time she cuts loose with her blue-streak vocabulary. But it's what's in that fancy mochila of hers that fascinates him the most. Things that light up, play music-and foretell a future that doesn't end as pretty as his Jules Verne novels.
As they run from the posse, Bonnie loses the battle to keep her hands off Billy. But at all costs she has to keep her hands off his future. Because Billy's got a grim date with destiny. And erasing it could erase Bonnie-permanently.
Warning: Includes a scene in which you find out what Billy the Kid thinks of Young Guns, a woman with an advanced degree in profanity and bras appearing decades before they should.
In Time, Book 2
Bonnie Borle finally has the missing piece for her history dissertation in her hot little hands. What she must do for it is chilling-go back to 1881 to fix a hitch in Billy the Kid's timeline. Sneaking her 2016 purse through the portal is easy. Resisting the temptation to tweak a few events surrounding the Kid's famous jailbreak is impossible. So is resisting Billy's dancing eyes and devil-may-care charm.
Though Billy's spooked by Bonnie's seeming ability to read his mind, he falls a little more in love every time she cuts loose with her blue-streak vocabulary. But it's what's in that fancy mochila of hers that fascinates him the most. Things that light up, play music-and foretell a future that doesn't end as pretty as his Jules Verne novels.
As they run from the posse, Bonnie loses the battle to keep her hands off Billy. But at all costs she has to keep her hands off his future. Because Billy's got a grim date with destiny. And erasing it could erase Bonnie-permanently.
Warning: Includes a scene in which you find out what Billy the Kid thinks of Young Guns, a woman with an advanced degree in profanity and bras appearing decades before they should.
306 pages, Paperback
Published April 5, 2016
1 person is currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Terri Meeker
8 books22 followersTerri Meeker is supposed to write her author blurb in the third person. It's just how things are done. She shouldn't question it, but then she's always been difficult. Even in high school, her best friend's mother described her as 'eccentric' before urging her daughter to make friends with a nice, normal girl.
Though she was born in Wyoming, she has made her home in the Pacific NW. She's loved history since childhood and has been fortunate to live in lots of places with fascinating pasts, including: Washington DC, Philadelphia, Virginia Beach, Albuquerque, Missouri and Mons, Belgium. She's an ex-history teacher, a mom a Whedonite, a gamer and a ginormous nerd. She also loves to write.
Though she was born in Wyoming, she has made her home in the Pacific NW. She's loved history since childhood and has been fortunate to live in lots of places with fascinating pasts, including: Washington DC, Philadelphia, Virginia Beach, Albuquerque, Missouri and Mons, Belgium. She's an ex-history teacher, a mom a Whedonite, a gamer and a ginormous nerd. She also loves to write.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 11, 2016
Seems there's a bit of a problem with Billy the Kid's timeline back in 1881 New Mexico and assistant history professor Bonnie Bodle is recruited by York and Lancaster - the Repairmen of Time - to fix it .... but she can't change anything else or ........ Time As We Know It Will End .... yup, the universe sucks back into that black hole and we all wave the big bye-bye.
Intrepid Bonnie sneaks her modern-day purse along and hits the ground running, posing as a newspaper reporter from Chicago. She meets Pat Garrett (the lawman who famously shot Billy in the back) and William (Billy) Bonney - who turns out to be quite a charmer with "dancing eyes" and a way with the ladies. Bonnie fascinates Billy as well, what with her unladylike snorts and swearing like a sailor, and of course, the whiskey drinking doesn't hurt either.
After Bonnie helps break Billy out of jail, using a bit of scotch tape and some valium from her magical purse, they are on the run from Pat Garrett and his posse. Bonnie soon learns that she cannot tell Billy about his impending death, and must lead him to Fort Sumner, New Mexico to meet his fate.
Bonnie is a wonderful character - she is smart and resourceful and takes no guff from Billy - and she is not too darn perky or irritating as some time-travelling heroine are written. Meeker makes Billy come alive, and uses quotes from historical sources to back up her characterization. The love story is a delicious slow burn, and I loved the ending.
This book sorts of sneaks up on you slowly, and then you find yourself thinking about it in random moments, with a face on your smile. As an English history buff, I love how the Repairmen of Time are named Lancaster and York, possibly after the rival Houses in the War of Roses that permanently altered the course of English history?
I received a review copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you're curious, here's a sketch of what Billy the Kid probably looked like:
Intrepid Bonnie sneaks her modern-day purse along and hits the ground running, posing as a newspaper reporter from Chicago. She meets Pat Garrett (the lawman who famously shot Billy in the back) and William (Billy) Bonney - who turns out to be quite a charmer with "dancing eyes" and a way with the ladies. Bonnie fascinates Billy as well, what with her unladylike snorts and swearing like a sailor, and of course, the whiskey drinking doesn't hurt either.
After Bonnie helps break Billy out of jail, using a bit of scotch tape and some valium from her magical purse, they are on the run from Pat Garrett and his posse. Bonnie soon learns that she cannot tell Billy about his impending death, and must lead him to Fort Sumner, New Mexico to meet his fate.
Bonnie is a wonderful character - she is smart and resourceful and takes no guff from Billy - and she is not too darn perky or irritating as some time-travelling heroine are written. Meeker makes Billy come alive, and uses quotes from historical sources to back up her characterization. The love story is a delicious slow burn, and I loved the ending.
This book sorts of sneaks up on you slowly, and then you find yourself thinking about it in random moments, with a face on your smile. As an English history buff, I love how the Repairmen of Time are named Lancaster and York, possibly after the rival Houses in the War of Roses that permanently altered the course of English history?
I received a review copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you're curious, here's a sketch of what Billy the Kid probably looked like:
July 20, 2024
I honestly can't rave about this book enough. I feel like the author held true to the Kids personality, at least from what we know of him. I have to say, this is probably one of my new all time favorite books because I love a good Western and Billy is probably my favorite. And the author didn't make him a villain or a monster. He's a young man with a heart. Love, Love LOVE this!!!!! ❤️
April 17, 2016
Loved it! Wife had me read it as it was her favorite book. Tough to put down; wanted to find out what would happen next. Unconventional and funny time travel. Should be made into a movie.
Read
June 22, 2016Wonderful historical novel. Made history come alive
January 24, 2026
Fun and sweet! I liked the characters. This is told in third person, mostly from Bonnie's and Billy's povs. The interplay between the two is generally fun. I could definitely see why these two were drawn to each other, and though I think the love aspect came up a bit too easily, this is a lighter story with a happy ending that satisfied me.
Billy was the highlight. He had the charming personality along with the ruthless gunslinger aspect and could snap into it at the first sign of danger. He seemed intelligent and well read, young though not a kid, excited about the future, but living very much in the present and recognizing time is short. I enjoyed the historical quotes associated with him at the chapter heads, and I liked how he was portrayed in contrast to various popular media.
The author balanced Bonnie's historical knowledge with a need to refresh and review information that allowed the reader to follow along easily. There is a fish out of water aspect, but it's not too prominent. Her fix it attitude vs history impact rationale didn't always make sense to me (as Lancaster points out), and she seemed to handle some situations more easily than I would have expected or preferred.
Overall, a fun, quick read with a light romance on the run.
Billy was the highlight. He had the charming personality along with the ruthless gunslinger aspect and could snap into it at the first sign of danger. He seemed intelligent and well read, young though not a kid, excited about the future, but living very much in the present and recognizing time is short. I enjoyed the historical quotes associated with him at the chapter heads, and I liked how he was portrayed in contrast to various popular media.
The author balanced Bonnie's historical knowledge with a need to refresh and review information that allowed the reader to follow along easily. There is a fish out of water aspect, but it's not too prominent. Her fix it attitude vs history impact rationale didn't always make sense to me (as Lancaster points out), and she seemed to handle some situations more easily than I would have expected or preferred.
Overall, a fun, quick read with a light romance on the run.
March 18, 2019
I read this book when it first came out, and I thought, Well, this is a really cool twist on Billy the Kid lore. Really enjoyed it. But you know how sometimes a good story gets lodged in your head, and just haunts you (in a good way)? That's Billy. This book is a "must read" for lovers of Westerns, Western romances, time-travel -- heck, anybody who likes a good read.
And I'll never look at stand-alone mirrors the same way.
And I'll never look at stand-alone mirrors the same way.
June 19, 2019
Couldn’t put it down! I loved it!
September 30, 2020
I read this book and fully enjoyed it. I was engaged the entire time I read the book. It made me laugh, it made me smile. I would read more from this author.
February 23, 2017
Loved it.
April 6, 2016
Witty and smart, Dancing With Billy the Kid is one of my favorite new books for 2016. It's got the mysterious time travel element, the sassy heroine, the charming hero, and the perfect amount of history tying this book together. I was a big fan of Not Quite Darcy and the series only got better with a real life historical figure as one of the main characters. As realistic and three dimensional as her characters are, I believe Ms. Meeker might actually be a time traveler. I laughed with the characters, I ached for them because we all know how Billy's story ends. There wasn't anything I didn't love about this book.
September 9, 2024
I love this book, love this story and I can't wait to read it again.. yes, for real.
I am surprised that more people who love Billy the Kid, ( he hated that name by the way)
haven't read this book. Its just interesting, adventurous, gives a reasonable description of the Kid,
its the kind of book that keeps my attention and makes me want to stay up for just one more page, one more chapter, but not finish the book because I want to draw it out for as long as I can.
Well done ~ but what else would I expect from an English teacher writer?
This novel is so fun, that I am looking forward to reading it again.
its a keeper..
I am surprised that more people who love Billy the Kid, ( he hated that name by the way)
haven't read this book. Its just interesting, adventurous, gives a reasonable description of the Kid,
its the kind of book that keeps my attention and makes me want to stay up for just one more page, one more chapter, but not finish the book because I want to draw it out for as long as I can.
Well done ~ but what else would I expect from an English teacher writer?
This novel is so fun, that I am looking forward to reading it again.
its a keeper..
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews