Love Untamed: Romances of the Old West

by JoAnn Chartier, Chris Enss

From Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate to Frank Butler and Annie Oakley and the lesser-known Mollie Walsh and Packer Jack Newman, this book reveals the stories behind some of the West's most famous, passionate, and tempestuous romances.

Genres: Nonfiction, Romance, History, Biography

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2002

Reviews

[Vonze · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of romantic tales from the old West. Some are sweet, while others are sad or doomed.

Although the tales in this book are true, the stories read like fiction, which took some getting used to at first because I expected the book to quote more sources within the stories themselves. It's clear the authors did a lot of research, I just wish more of their information was quoted. Maybe I was hoping for more of a textbook of true romance stories.

But, other than that nic-picky bit on my part, this book was great. If you love history, have an interest in the old West and like romance, you can learn a lot from this book. I don't normally read or watch many Westerns, but it was interesting to learn about the love stories of famous Western couples like Doc Holliday and "Big Nose" Kate or Frank Butler and Annie Oakley.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually read this when I moved to Oregon in 2008 and could have added my own romance about a girlfriend traveling with me 2000 miles from Illinois. The dreams, the plans, and the obstacles -- she had just reconnected with her mother, she wanted to be in her children's lives, she had a stable job and a house that would not sell. The miles separating Chicago from Gold Beach Oregon were too much, but little did I realize when I dropped her off in Cave Junction, OR four days after arriving in Gold Beach, I would never see her again...

The book is filled with historic romances and broken hearts, but entertaining.

[Meegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and quick read, this book shares the stories of women and men from America's past. The authors did their research and include a Bibliography in the back if you want to further explore the lives of these people. Some stories ended too quickly for me, so I will definitely need to learn more about the people (e.g. Annie Oakley & Frank Butler, and Ansel Easton & Adeline Mills). I also liked the structure of the story. Each section read like a story, not a biography. Definitely recommend this!

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short histories of white cisgender couples who loved, and usually married, in the Old West in the 19th century and early 20th century. Fun stories but it's not a book of great substance.

[Diane G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting stories!

[leannae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim

[Darla Ebert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining. I say "mildly" only because the stories are too short. Of course they are supposed to be short, but one is left wanting more detail.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute little book I picked up in Tombstone, AZ. Little stories about Old West Romances. Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate made it. Not every story was a feel good and some of these had some pretty wild and shady reputations. I'm an old romantic so this was fun to read.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much but was a little disappointed that it seemed more like reading a school history book. I wish the charactors had been fleshed out a little more. The authors did a good job with the facts.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book. A collection of short, interesting stories about couples in the Wild West and Alaska, their romances and heartaches. Keeping this one in my library!

[Bonnie]

Easy read, loved it!