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Escape West by Wagon Train #1

Ella: Escape West by Wagon Train

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It's 1846, St Louis Missouri, and when a stranger offers Ella the chance to escape a wedding to a man she loathes, she has to decide what it is she wants. Marry a wealthy man and provide a home for those she loves? Or have the courage to go west by wagon train to California and chase a dream of her own?

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 22, 2018

1025 people are currently reading
239 people want to read

About the author

Sadie Conall

11 books32 followers
This author is also published under Quinn Carno.

I’ve been writing stories since I was a child. I'll read anything, but the book has to grab me from the first page and if I can achieve that in my own stories, then I think that’s when a little bit of magic happens.

I've written two series and co-authored one book.

The first series is Madeleine, a historical American frontier series of nine books which has some paranormal for those who love Native American folklore, spirit guides and spirit animals. The first book begins in 1799 in the pacific northwest of the New World where Ryder Benedict goes to find answers to his past. This is long before the west was settled by Europeans, when tribes still fought with bows and arrows and lances and when bison herds still roamed across the great plains and numbered in their millions. In this series you'll travel to England, where Europe is a powder keg due to the ambitions of Napoleon Bonaparte. If you love adventure in the old days of fur trappers, native Americans, some paranormal with spirit guides, then you may like these books There are six books already published with Book 7 due to be published late 2024 and Book 8 and 9 in early 2025. Most of these books are big reads with 400-530 pages long, filled with love and loss, ambition and greed, jealousy and hate and ultimately revenge.
Order of the series:
When the Wolf Loves
When the Wolf Hunts
When the Wolf Bites
When the Wolf Dreams
When the Wolf Breathes
When the Leaving is Hard
Book 7
Books 8 and 9 will be coming in early 2025.
These books are in KindleUnlimited.

My second series is two books in the escape west by wagon train series. This tells the adventures of two young women escaping west to start new lives, never expecting to find love on the way.
Order of the series:
Ella
Ruby
Both these books are in Amazon Prime and KindleUnlimited.

The book I co-wrote with my friend Carena McGregor is the first book in a series called Brides Bound for Oregon. I wrote this under the name Quinn Carno to keep this series separate from my Sadie Conall books. I hope to write some books using this name in a more modern genre some day soon, meanwhile Carena will carry on the series without me, due to the workload of my own books.
These books are in KindleUnlimited.

I also hope to start work on the Archard family in 2025 once I've put Ryder and Madeleine to rest, although I'm fine with that after nine books. You first met the Archard family in Ruby and I'm planning on writing three books in this series.
Order of Series:
Scarlett
Levi
Jed

Come visit me or join my newsletter at www.sadieconall.com or write to me at sadieconallauthor@gmail.com

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5 stars
1,258 (61%)
4 stars
550 (26%)
3 stars
198 (9%)
2 stars
32 (1%)
1 star
19 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
Profile Image for Lady Tea.
1,794 reviews126 followers
January 15, 2023
Rating: 3.5 / 5 (rounded down)

Well folks, it's finally happened, my first one of the year: the disappointment that comes from expectation versus reality.

In this case...

Expectation: Historical romance

Reality: Historical fiction, with a romance that only really gets going at the 75% mark.

That means that 3/4 of something is plot-heavy and historical-details heavy rather than having any hoped-for romance really in it. One kiss, maybe, and that's it and it's all too brief.

Now, sometimes, if the characters are interesting or original or I'm just really into the story, I don't mind waiting for a romance that's more drawn out, nice and slow. It's like a fine wine, where you just can't get the full flavour of it all at once; you have to savour it.

Uh...yah.

That wasn't the case here.

All in all, don't get me wrong, it was a fine story and all that, nothing particularly wrong or bad about it, but it just wasn't what I expected or what it was marketed as in terms of being a romance. The last 1/4 just doesn't cut it and, in my case, wasn't worth the patience of getting through the first 3/4s.

So...next, I suppose.
75 reviews2 followers
October 13, 2020
Don't miss this one!

I wish the author had just kept on writing. For once I found a Western novel that is not full of Indian attacks. I felt as though I was observing this period in our history in person.
Profile Image for Lynda.
1,224 reviews34 followers
May 13, 2021
A good story weakened to 3 stars by...

A writer sets the characters and good writer develops the characters so that the reader knows them. Can believe that a character would behave not only in a typical fashion but just might do something not so "typical". But when the writer has a character, especially a lead character, do something that doesn't fit...the story is weakened. Sometimes ruined.

Twice in this book Ella is written to do something just does NOT fit her character. It wasn't the abrupt action each time that needed to be "fixed". What is needed is something that Ella does or says early in the book that would make you believe she just might do exactly what the author wants to happen.

For some readers, this isn't big deal. For others like me, it is. Loss of one star for each time Ella was caused to do somewhat she, as written, wouldn't even think of doing.
Profile Image for Rebecca Matthews.
12 reviews
March 28, 2021
Mediocre

Mixed up name of one of the characters in the beginning. Very good plot line. Not as predictable as many
154 reviews
September 5, 2020
Proofreading would make this 5 stars

This book's main character, Ella, is a strong, independent, sand resourceful woman. When life on her family's ranch becomes impossible, she make a snap decision. Throughout her 6 month journey west her strength, mental and physical, are put to the test, and even hard to figure out Merrok admires her, and becomes like a month to her fire. So much can happen on an arduous trail for 6 months.

This is a clean read, full of adventure, and a pleasure to read
2 reviews
September 30, 2021
What a read!!l

Loved every book there is something for everyone. They are not all girlie romance there is a lot of fighting with knives guns and bows and arrows to keep us men happy. Enough romance for the ladies

2,617 reviews16 followers
May 28, 2021
Marrok and Ella

This is a love on the wagon trail story written by Sadie Conall. This tale starts back on the ranch that Ella grew up on. Her father and mother both deceased now and with only her aunt and Jasper the farm hand to help her. Her uncle is a scoundrel and since he inherited half of the ranch he is brokering the marriage of his niece to a terrible man that is very wealthy. Ella wants no part of it, but sees no way out. Aunt Martha’s son is in Independence readying wagons to take his family to California and is sending Marrok to bring his aunt so she can go with his family. Marrok helps Etta out of her awful engagement. Etta ends up on the wagon train headed west with her aunt, cousin and family. Trials and error happen on their way, but Marrok and Etta find love in spite of all. You will enjoy discovering how they find their happily ever after.
841 reviews7 followers
August 21, 2021
Escaping West in a Wagon Train!

I started reading this book right after it came out. I got a bit confused in the beginning of the book and put it down. Yesterday, I picked it up and started again and this time the story clicked for me. Ella was a young woman whose father had arranged marriage with a much older man for her. She was not about to marry the mean old man and she went to Independence, Missouri, joined a wagon train, and headed west before the man could locate her.

I enjoyed the book, the descriptions of the trip, and the descriptions of the people involved. And, finally, there were descriptions of Indians who were not trying to kill all the people in the wagon train. They actually were helpful and saved Ella from kidnapping and no telling what else from unsavory men. Read this book to get the details.
176 reviews
May 23, 2021
Enjoyable Read

This book deserved a 5 star rating other than some troublesome details. I found a few editing errors, and I'm confused with the location of St Louis as described in book. I've traveled to St Louis and didn't recognize that description. This makes one concerned about other details of the book. Nevertheless, I was totally engaged with the characters and storyline for the entirety of my reading. I loved the vivid descriptions including the well developed individuals. I highly recommend.
Profile Image for Susan Hall.
104 reviews
May 21, 2021
Awesome

What an excellent writer! Editing is well done. Sadie Conall weaves a terrific tale that is rich in the descriptions of scenery, and life traveling to their final destination. She's able to depict falling in love, battles for freedom in a beautiful and enchanting way without smut or gore so many writers resort to. It's descriptive and exciting. Her talent as a writer really shines in this book. I'm so pleased to have found it.
27 reviews
November 21, 2019
A very good book

The heroine needs saving from her uncle (brother of her father) and a greedy neighbor. The hero was on her farm to get her aunt (mother 's sister) and take her by wagon train to California. Therefore the hero and heroine with a small entourage travel west. You have to read this book to find how it comes to a happy ending.
57 reviews3 followers
November 21, 2020
Strong charactet

I didn't care for the beginning of the story. It seemed rushed as if the author wanted to get to the real story. Emma's character was such that as she went through her struggles, you wanted to comfort and encourage her to keep going. I would love to read more about the life she made with Marrok.
75 reviews2 followers
December 18, 2020
Very intriguing, I felt like I was Ella, travelling west!

As you read this story, it makes you see the struggles of people trying to live a better life. My remorse is the sad history of the Indian tribes that were here before the the thousands of settlers took their territory to make lives for themselves, very good read!
10 reviews
November 16, 2022
Wagon train adventure

wonderful story of a brave young woman who decides to leave everything she knows and the ranch she loves to Join a wagon train and go to California. She had little choice as her parents died and she was left with a ranch that was in disrepair. Interesting characters and adventure await her. Also a love interest.
859 reviews2 followers
September 27, 2019
Wagon Train West

Ella is book one of the series by Sadie Conall. It's a good book written with some drama and a bit of mystery. The romance has some heat without being to descriptive. I loved it.
9 reviews
November 26, 2019
I really enjoyed this book!

This book was different than the other books that I read. There was never a dull moment. I wish the book could of continued a little longer. I wanted to see what happened to Ruby.
689 reviews1 follower
March 31, 2020
Ella's escape

First book by this author that I have read. Good writing, interesting storyline and fantastic characters. The book shows some of the hardships of life on the prairie and on a wagon train further west.
10 reviews
July 29, 2020
Excellent story

I enjoyed this book so much. Finished it in two days. Kept my interest all the way to the last word. I like books with happy endings as this one had. I want to read more by this author.
64 reviews
July 31, 2020
I enjoyed reading this book after I got into it!

I could hardly put it down. I enjoy reading about the pioneers who struggled with leaving their homes to begin a new life in the West and how things turn out for them.
7 reviews
September 25, 2020
Great Characters

This is well written and captivating novel of traveling West on a wagon train. The characters were complex and fleshed out nicely. A warm romance and excellent descriptions of the era round out the book well.
155 reviews1 follower
October 20, 2020
Good read!

Ella and Morock the main characters in the story were written well.


. The story will broaden your knowledge of the American Indians plight as the wagon trains moved westward.






Profile Image for Mary G.
54 reviews4 followers
December 6, 2020
Marvelous!

The history of the pioneers who settled the nation is hard to believe. What it took for them to make their journeys shows such fortitude and determination. We need to remember and be thankful for them. Terrific Author!
357 reviews1 follower
December 9, 2020
The love of our vast land.

What a touching story. So much love , adventure, and family. Just the history of those times were awesome to read , then turned into a love story. Very well done.😂😍🤔🤗
1,427 reviews3 followers
April 16, 2021
The trip of a lifetime!

So well written, I felt like I was travelling along with Ella. Sadie, the Author knows how to grab your attention. So looking forward to reading the other story that's available.
Profile Image for Vicktoria .
150 reviews
May 21, 2021
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. The first half moved pretty slow but once the wagon train started, the book smoothly sailed. The pacing was good and many side characters were likable. 4/5
280 reviews
June 17, 2021
Marruk

Wagons ho! A young woman has to decide between joining a wagon train or marry the sum her uncle has pledged her to.the cross country adventures mixed with a budding romance lead her to make interesting choices.
1 review
July 29, 2021
A Great Adventure

I throughly enjoyed going back to the 1840’s and appreciating the struggles of starting a new life going West. It was a fun read getting to know the characters and taking the journey by wagon train.
4 reviews
August 24, 2021
A heartwarming eye opener

I'm always up for a romantic, historic novel that sheds light on life as it was. The more I learn, the more I realize the wrongs done to our indigenous forebears.
Profile Image for Patsy D Forsberg-young.
15 reviews
November 6, 2021
Ella, escape west by Wagon Train

I thorough enjoyed this book. It kept you wanting to read. You can’t read fast enough. It’s a story of love, romance and intrigue. I felt as if I was right there with the characters. A real feel good book.
77 reviews
December 21, 2021
Finally a book that just tells the story of people who chose to go out west. It is the story of the people on the wagon train. Such descriptive and interesting writing about nearly every character. To me a good book entertains and leaves you wanting more. This book did all of that!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews

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