Silverado Showdown: Navigations

by Layla Hawke

The widow of an abusive husband, Elena Grainger goes to court and fights to get control of her uncle's saloon. The Silverado Dominion was formed by its originators as a pseudo version of the Old West and women aren't usually put in charge of their own property, but she proves the court-appointed guardian is corrupt. Now she must hire a man to keep order in the Dancing Keg saloon. She's clear with the man she hires that fringe benefits, such as spending time in her bed, are off the table.
But in the Silverado, a woman is at risk unless she's known as a man's property. When she narrow escapes rape from a local lout, Elena wonders if she's better off taking the best option available--the odd yet strangely likeable Wyatt Korman. Wyatt's secrets are the least of her concerns, because after her husband, the idea of having another man in her bed fills her with dread.

139 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 11, 2022

Reviews

[Jas Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silverado Showdown by Layla Hawke is another gripping, thought-provoking instalment in her Navigations Series. Set in the Silverado Dominion, the story follows Elena Grainger and Wyatt Korman, whom she hires to keep order in her saloon. The Dominion models itself on an Old West–style culture in which women are treated more as objects than equals, and safety often comes only through being “claimed” by a man. Elena is strong and fiercely self-reliant, yet even for her, circumstances push her towards the difficult realisation that she needs the protection that such a claim provides. After surviving abuse at her late husband’s hands, the idea of taking on another man in any intimate way is the last thing she wants, but she still asks Wyatt to stand in as her protector. Wyatt, meanwhile, is wrestling with a deep attraction to her while hiding a truth about who he really is.

Having read many entries in Layla Hawke’s Navigations series, I was again drawn in from the very first chapter. After reading Gem Verity, it was a pleasure to return to the Silverado Dominion and spend more time with Elena and Wyatt, who were intriguing side figures in that story. Once again, Layla Hawke handles the theme of women’s subjugation with clarity and conviction, and what stood out to me the most in this story is how she highlights the insidious ways women can be conditioned into vulnerability. The world-building across this series continues to be exceptional, and the writing is vivid, atmospheric, and beautifully crafted. I can’t recommend this book and this series highly enough!

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another installment of the Navigations Series.... I get the overall picture and that the author is building a huge world and introducing characters that I hope eventually all come together, but this one felt different to me. I've loved most of the other ones, and this one was fine, but I didn't get much of a wild west feel... not that I'm a fan of the wild west anyway, so the fault is probably with me as a reader and not a flaw of this story or the author. Still, I'm glad that I'm getting further into the series and hoping for some sort of a of huge resolution if and when all these characters come back together to build a brand new way of life...