A heart sore woman fighting for her community; a rancher tracking stolen horses; the discovery that could destroy her happiness…
With the death of her father last month, Blessing Odell inherited the largest ranch in that part of Utah, the Rafter O. She goes by the nickname Buster and wears men’s overalls but they can’t disguise her regal beauty and natural grace. She is also generous to the community, which is why she’s splitting proceeds from the sale of 100 horses with the widows of Wildcat Ridge.
Thad King has tracked stolen horses to the Rafter O Ranch. He’s determined to capture and see punished the horse thieves who beat his former employer before stealing his horses. He is successful in being hired to work on the ranch, but he doesn’t want to believe Buster Odell or her father had anything to do with stealing horses.
What else can he believe unless he finds evidence to the contrary? Convinced of her father’s innocence, Buster implores Thad to work with her to discover the real culprit. Their quest leads them on a dangerous journey.
Read all of Caroline’s The Widows of Wildcat Ridge books
Blessing, book 2Garnet, book 9Read all of Caroline’s McClintock series books
The Texan’s Irish BrideO’Neill’s Texas BrideMcClintock’s Reluctant BrideDaniel McClintockRead all of Caroline’s Kincaid Series
The Most Unsuitable WifeThe Most Unsuitable HusbandThe Most Unsuitable CourtshipGabe KincaidMonk’s Bride
Through a crazy twist of fate, Caroline Clemmons was not born on a Texas ranch. To make up for this tragic error, she writes about handsome cowboys, feisty ranch women, and scheming villains in a small office her family calls her pink cave. She and her Hero live in North Central Texas cowboy country where they ride herd on their rescued cats and dogs. The books she creates there have made her an Amazon bestselling author and won several awards. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and Pinterest. Click on her Amazon Author Page for a complete list of her books and follow her there. Follow her on BookBub. Subscribe to Caroline’s newsletter at www.carolineclemmons.com to receive a FREE novella of HAPPY IS THE BRIDE, a humorous historical wedding disaster that ends happily—but you knew it would, didn’t you? She loves to hear from readers
(3.5 Stars) I love a story with a strong female lead, especially set back in the past. It seems that this small town of Wildcat Ridge now has many women in positions of power due to the death of so many of their men. Blessing, who prefers to go by the name of Buster, runs one of the largest ranches in the area and she is not one to back down from trouble--and there's plenty of that going around.
Buster's leadership and friendship skills cause her to be a very courageous and kind woman and I enjoyed watching her bravery take her right into the middle of perilous situations. Her heart is naive and selfless, but she has a great rapport with those in the community.
The relationship between Buster and Thad, a new ranch hand, is pleasant, but not very fluid--especially at first. I would have loved to have a more natural progression that allowed me to believe it and fall in love alongside them with some popping chemistry.
The mystery and danger that enshrouded the area was tense at times, but fizzled a little at others. That aside, it was a pleasant diversion and provided some fun entertainment.
Content: mild violence; mild romance (curiosity about sex, kissing)
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
This was a fun story! I loved the characters and their interaction. Blessing and Thad made a great romantic couple. I could have used a few more lovey dovey scenes ... but that’s just me. Thanks for a fabulous adventure!
I really enjoyed reading this book, I enjoyed Buster who is a no nonsense owner of the Rafter O the largest ranch in Utah. I loved getting to know Thad who is a ranch hand who's owner was beaten and died. Thad goes on a mission to find the killers and find the stolen horses. This story was very entertaining. Clean and didn't take long to read.
The series revolves around Wildcat Ridge, Utah, where the Gold King Mine was located. This is a historical western, multi-author series about the women left behind and what they must do to keep their homes, their late husband’s businesses, and survive. In March 1884, an explosion occurred that altered the lives of those who did not perish in the disaster. One hundred and forty-three men, plus nineteen women and thirteen children, died that fateful day. Now, Mortimer Crane is making threats against those left behind because he owns the town.
In April 1844, Thad King, ranch foreman, and two ranch hands came in from fourteen hours working on the range to discover the theft of four prize horses of their employer, Colin Ross, and Colin was unconscious and badly beaten. Doing all they can for him, continuing to run the ranch and caring for Colin until his death, and the ungrateful family swoops in, fighting over possessions and selling off what they don’t want. Thad made a promise to Colin, I’ll find your horses—and after the funeral, he sets out to do just that.
Buster lost her father, William, who had gone to town the day of the explosion. Now, she is continuing his legacy—but the Army has reneged on buying the horses they trained—not buying from a woman. June 1884, at Rafter O Ranch near Wildcat Ridge, Utah Territory, Blessing ‘Buster’ Odell and ranch foreman, Dub Reilly, are making plans, culling out the horses they plan to keep and another one hundred for the auction to raise funds to aid the widows and children left behind after the Gold King Mine explosion.
The story will have Thad King tracking the horses to Wildcat Ridge and learns about the horse auction. He needs to see the horses, and manages to get hired on the Rafter O Ranch by Buster. It won’t be long before the women in Wildcat Ridge see Thad, and even Marnie is pushing Buster to act and dress like a lady to attract his attention.
Marnie: That’s a fine-looking man who drifted in yesterday. Good manners, and Dub said he’s smart and works fast. I saw him watching you with appreciation. You could do a lot worse. Buster: I agree—if I wanted a husband, which I don’t. Maybe someday, but not now. Marnie: And why not now? You’re not getting younger, you know. You need to marry while you’re young enough to handle having babies and raising them. Buster: Now what makes you think I know anything about raising children? I’ve never even been around them. Marnie: You were a child, weren’t you? You at least know how you felt and what you liked and didn’t like. Not that your children will be just like you, but an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
The story was an interesting, page-turning, action-packed tale of the good, the bad, and the evil. Thad King is on a mission to recover the horses stolen from Colin Ross. Silas Hansen is trying to coerce Buster to sell him her family ranch—or at least marry him. Now, questionable things are happening at the ranch—is this to discredit her to her employees and show she isn’t capable of running a ranch? Trouble is coming, and there are those who are determined to undermine Buster—but she has loyalty on her side and a mission to help the survivors left behind after the mine explosion. The one thing Buster never expected was Thad King and how he makes her feel—he sees her beyond the clothing, into the intelligent, caring woman she is—and when they kiss—passion. But how will a naïve Buster handle these new feelings? At least she can speak with a trusted friend—Hester.
“Advice is always free here—and sometimes worth that price. You’re welcome anytime.”
Another fun story in the series. Buster isn’t like ‘most’ women; she has worked alongside her daddy since she was young, working the cattle, the horses, and doing whatever needed doing. She doesn’t take care of the house or cooking; Marnie and Lucy do that. The other thing about Buster is that she dresses as a man, in overalls. But when she listens to Marnie, and occasionally puts on a shirtwaist and split-skirt, she is more feminine—and wait until she wears a dress! In the end, Thad and Blessing, aka Buster, discover that they belong together.
Well, this book was better than the first one in this series, but it still wasn't great. This book also felt very contrived and surface level. The characters technically had emotional depth, but I didn't experience any of that as the reader. It was just kind of explained. (It's almost a show-vs-tell issue, but with the addition of there just not being enough there in the first place.) This was most apparent in the romance development, but was also present in other aspects of the story.
Wow, I truly loved Buster and Thad's story especially because Buster is so strong and has a great heart, and Thad doesn't need to be all macho to be strong for her which made me love him more! Thank you so much for this wonderful story Mrs. Clemmons!
Buster is quite the character! She runs a big ranch and helps keep the widows from starving. She has a wonderful support system and she has spunk. Feels like a western and I do like a western. There is cattle rustling, horse sale and cowboys. Oh I do love cowboys! Add in a villain or two to stir things up. I enjoyed the book! Thanks for the opportunity to read this one.
This book was such a fun read. It has romance and suspense in the perfect combination! The characters were wonderful. The plot moved quickly and steadily. This was my first book from Caroline Clemmons but I will look for more books by this author, especially those set in Wildcat Ridge!
I really enjoyed the setting in Wildcat Ridge and the idea of the town being run by women. It was a fun twist that I've never come across before in western romance. The language spoken by the characters made it feel true to the times. The sweet, clean romance between Thad and Buster got pretty good near the end, but in the beginning, I felt like their relationship just sprang up out of nowhere - one minute they met and each thought the other was good looking, and the next they were kissing. A little more development between them would have made it seem more natural. There were several conflicts throughout the novel, which did keep it interesting, but I felt like the author would build up momentum to get to the climax and then it would disappointingly disintegrate with lack of details and the ease with which it was overcome. Another thing I noticed was the names - everybody had very unique or uncommon names and it got old for me. Overall, a great light-hearted read with plenty going on.
What a fun and wonderful story by this author. I loved everything about this story. I love the characters in this second book of The Widows of Wildcat Ridge. This series so far in just two books is fabulous and I can’t wait to read the other books. I loved this storyline where a woman is running a ranch and that alone is very different in this historical story. Then she wears overhauls instead of dresses like the other women in Wildcat Ridge. But to her that is the wardrobe to be working on a ranch. I loved the hero also a guy in search of 4 stolen horses from his boss who was beaten to death. He goes in search of these horses and finds them at this woman’s ranch. He has to get a job there first to be able to identify them and then find his ex-bosses’ killer. But he see’s Blessing or as she goes by Buster and he fall’s hard for her at first sight. Just another dilemma
I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.
This was a book that I wanted so badly to fall in love with. It took me a bit to get into the story but after a few chapters I was in love with Blessing (or Buster as she prefers to be called) and Thad especially but also the other characters in the book. This is the first book that I've read by Caroline Clemmons and I love her writing style! She brings you deep into the characters and you feel like you are there with them, going through what they're going through, and feeling what they're feeling.
I was feeling frustrated and wasn't sure if I was even going to finish the book but I am so glad that I stuck it out. The story is wonderful and it's refreshing to read a romance that focuses on a strong female lead. The little bit of action and suspense really kept the story interesting and the ending was completely sigh worthy. It truly is a wonderful book!
This is the second book in the Widows of Wildcat Ridge and just as wonderful as the first book. Caroline Clemmons continues the story of strong women working hard to make a living after the mine blast took the life of their husbands and others.. Blessing is one of them. I love a heroine that is strong and has an opinion of the way things are to be and works towards making it happen and this is Blessing. Thad Is a good man, honest and loyal and works hard to make sure everyone is safe from harm. Caroline Clemmons wrote a good storyline for this couple and their journey to their HEA and I enjoyed it immensely. Looking forward to book 3 in this well written series. JudyE
Not bad. I haven't read the first book in the series, but had no trouble following along. The story was fine and moved along quickly. The various conflicts lacked a bit of interest. Everything seemed to be given the same level of importance, not much stood out in terms of emotions or dramatic happenings. The love story didn't evince an emotional connection. There was some physical chemistry, but I wasn't quite sure why they liked each other and the timing was fast. It also read like the author is used to writing more sensual content. Parts of it were briefly uncomfortable to read even if technically "clean" and not actually descriptive. I liked the premise and the characters were fairly engaging.
This is a fun story with strong women, suspense and romance. I enjoyed the story, even though at times things did not flow really well. The relationship between Buster and That is sweet, but I wish it had been developed more. They were good together, but things seemed to happen too quickly. This story is part of a series and is the second book. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, but did not feel lost. However, it alluded to the main characters from the first book and I found myself wanting to know more about their story. Overall, it was a nice quick read.
I like this series. Strong women fighting to survive. Blessing is true blessing for all the widows and the orphan of her community. Loved her personality strong level headed intelligent women who takes no nonsense from anyone but also respect the people around her. What liked most is she gave Thad a fair chance and wasn't unnecessarily stubborn she listened when he spoke and solve matters on the spot. A fairly good read I really enjoyed reading and would recommend this book.
Blessing is the second book in this series and it is wonderful! Buster was taught how to run a horse ranch by her father and his foreman. When she became the boss she has support from everyone, but she wanted to be in on the ranching. A lot of surprises, mystery and turning the pages. Great writing! I was given this book for advanced reading, but I loved it so much I had to buy it. I can't wait for book three in this series.
Blessing is a fabulous addition to The Widows of Wildcat Ridge series. This second installment is a sweet historical romance that involves mystery and suspense for Blessing / Buster and Thad. It was fun trying to figure what would happen next. It is an easy read that kept me intrigued and interested throughout. I am giving Blessing five stars. I cannot wait to read the next book from The Widows of Wildcat Ridge. Great read!
I chose to read and review this book. This author is still new to me. I enjoyed this one even if I haven't read the first one in this series. Everything is well written. I enjoyed the strong leading lady in this one. I liked how the main characters meet and interact together. It is a sweet one full of love, care, strength, and much more that will keep you reading until the end. I can't wait to read the next one. I recommend it.
Thad and Buster/Blessing each felt they liked what they saw when they first met. They just didn't realize it yet. 100 horses to sell, rustled cattle to find, some not so sociable cowboys all make up to a very exciting and loving story. This book was a joy to read. Now waiting for the next installment. You'll love it too.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I really liked Buster and her strong, generous disposition. But much of the story felt choppy and jumped around without connecting details. I also feel like Buster and Thad's relationship started completely out of the blue and didn't have a lot of substance as it built. This is the first book I've read by this author, and I'm not planning to read more.
Entertaining story in this new series. Blessing (Buster) and Thad are working together on her place after the dead of her father. There’re people who want this place, can they prevent that? Will their working together bring them to each other? There’re some fun side characters in this story. Looking forward to read more in this series.
What an exciting book, a heroine that defies conventional dress and ladies way, a hero looking to avenge a friend, can they find love along the way, must read to find how everything works out.
This is book two in the Widows of Wildcat Ridge series. Wildcat Ridge suffered a mine explosion that took out most of the men of the town of Wildcat Ridge. One man owns most of the town and told the ladies they had to marry and their new husbands take over their deceased husbands businesses or he was going.to come in and destroy the town and move it to his new mining town. Blessing was single and didn't live in town but her father had contracted with the Army to buy his horses. Her father was in town the day of the mine explosion and died and the Army would not buy horses from a woman so Blessing, who went by the Nick name Buster, decided to have a horse auction and give half of the money to the women of Wildcat Ridge to help them stay. The women also decided to also advertise for husbands at the same time hoping the horse auction would bring bachelors into town. A really good story full of mystery, romance, murder, mended hearts etc. Plan on reading the entire series.
This is a very promising series. Blessing is running what had been her father's ranch, but four horses leads Thad King to her ranch not only does he capture the horses be captures Blessings heart as well.
This is one author that I can pick up any of her books and know that I am going to be pleased. She wrote this one with a strong female named Buster and Buster thought she was tough till she met her match. Caroline hit this one out of the park!
This is a thoroughly delightful tale of a young woman left to fill her father's shoes, from one of my favorite western romance authors. Caroline Clemmons never fails to delight with her books, and this one is no exception.
After an unforeseen accident takes Blessing's father, along with a lot of other men from their small community, she is left to stand on own and fill her father's shoes. No easy task for a woman in that time. But she dons her trusty overalls and boots and gets at it the way her daddy taught her to. Then comes along new hand Thad, and sparks fly for Blessing for the first time. That and trouble comes too.
It's a rousing western romance tale that has all the elements that you want in one. Enjoy. It's a 5 star delight from one of my favorite authors.