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The Wylder West
To Ride a Wylder Horse
Years ago, Essie Baumgardner accepted the postmistress position in Wylder, Wyoming Territory, to protect her young daughter. But Augusta is now seventeen and caught between her two loves—rodeo riding and Clyde Hartshorn.
Although Essie longs to travel, she saves her money for Augusta’s Boston education until the striking Pierre Lacroix, his daughter, Francine, and showman Victor Douglas arrive and turn her life upside down. When she finally gets the chance to see the world, will she send Augusta to New England and abandon her post office for love?
Although Essie longs to travel, she saves her money for Augusta’s Boston education until the striking Pierre Lacroix, his daughter, Francine, and showman Victor Douglas arrive and turn her life upside down. When she finally gets the chance to see the world, will she send Augusta to New England and abandon her post office for love?
255 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 7, 2022
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 8, 2022
To Ride a Wylder Horse by Renee Johnson is a mystery book wrapped in a double romance. This book had so much going on that it could have been split into two different books. There are two love triangles, a daughter’s coming-of-age story, and a theft mystery story blended together. At the center of it all is Essie Baumgardner, the postmistress of Wylder.
Essie won my heart by the end of Chapter 1. She stands up for her Arapaho friends when a racist resident of Wylder behaves badly on the train platform. Essie shows her commitment to her Arapaho friends throughout the book and shuts down the racist attitudes which were rampant in the Old West. Her love triangle involves a Frenchman visiting Wylder and I loved the research put into this character. From the French phrases to the events of 1879 (like the World’s Fair and the building of the Statue of Liberty.) The details of her profession were also fascinating—from the transfer of mail from the stagecoach to the postmistress to the writing implements. I also loved her balance of being a single mom and an elected official.
Not to be outdone, Essie’s daughter Gus is battling for the attention of Clyde the stable boy. Gus is a tomboy who is on the edge of womanhood and the pressures to become a lady. Her rough and tumble ways won me over way before I read about her horseback riding tricks. Any girl who can ride bareback is a jewel in Wylder! Her competition is Francine the daughter of her mother’s suitor and her total opposite. Francine is naively unaware of the competition between her and Gus until the very end—sorry, no spoilers.
Overall, this book will have you turning pages as swiftly as your fingers can move. I read it in one sitting before I realized how fast I was reading. I recommend this book not only to western romance fans but also to romantic suspense and cozy mystery fans. To Ride a Wylder Horse has something for everyone.
Essie won my heart by the end of Chapter 1. She stands up for her Arapaho friends when a racist resident of Wylder behaves badly on the train platform. Essie shows her commitment to her Arapaho friends throughout the book and shuts down the racist attitudes which were rampant in the Old West. Her love triangle involves a Frenchman visiting Wylder and I loved the research put into this character. From the French phrases to the events of 1879 (like the World’s Fair and the building of the Statue of Liberty.) The details of her profession were also fascinating—from the transfer of mail from the stagecoach to the postmistress to the writing implements. I also loved her balance of being a single mom and an elected official.
Not to be outdone, Essie’s daughter Gus is battling for the attention of Clyde the stable boy. Gus is a tomboy who is on the edge of womanhood and the pressures to become a lady. Her rough and tumble ways won me over way before I read about her horseback riding tricks. Any girl who can ride bareback is a jewel in Wylder! Her competition is Francine the daughter of her mother’s suitor and her total opposite. Francine is naively unaware of the competition between her and Gus until the very end—sorry, no spoilers.
Overall, this book will have you turning pages as swiftly as your fingers can move. I read it in one sitting before I realized how fast I was reading. I recommend this book not only to western romance fans but also to romantic suspense and cozy mystery fans. To Ride a Wylder Horse has something for everyone.
October 22, 2022
To Ride a Wylder Horse draws you into the old west with its burgeoning frontier and lively characters. Esse Baumgardner, a widow, strives to raise her child by serving as the town’s postmistress. Her strength is tested when she meets a stranger unlike anyone she’s ever known. A Wild West show, store robberies, and intrigue make the story a good read. The plot twists are especially nice. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the old west.
Evelyn Timidaiski, Author
Evelyn Timidaiski, Author
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews