Reviewed by: BigAl
Genre: Western Romance
Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words
Availability
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Author:
Authors
contributing to this anthology are: Alison Bruce, Celia Yeary, Simone
Beaudelaire, Caroline Clemmons, Charlene Raddon, Rain Trueax, Chad Strong,
Margaret Tanner, Susan Horsnell, Carol A. Spradling, Paty Jager, Lyn Horner,
Peggy L. Henderson, Jacquie Rogers, and Cheri Kay Clifton.
Description:
Fifteen
short stories, all Western Romance, some set in the old west and some in more
contemporary times.
Appraisal:
Anthologies
like this seem to be a win for everyone.
Fans of the genre (technically I guess Western Romance is a subgenre) can pick
up the book for the stories from their favorites contributors and, in the
process of reading, discover other authors whose stories strike a chord. It’s a
win for authors for the same reason. It’s a marketing technique that exposes
them to new readers with a minimal investment, mostly in time. (Depending on
the financial arrangements, it might even turn a profit.)
If you’re a
Western Romance reader, I think you’ll find more than your money’s worth here.
While I thought some stories were better than others, none were bad. Chances
are you’ll feel the same, even if your choices of which stories are best turn
out different than mine. You should be able to find authors whose writing
style, characterization, and story lines are to your taste.
The only
concern I have with this collection is a weakness inherent in what is being
attempted. A short story has to be limited in scope, for obvious reasons, yet a
romance requires a story arc that goes from the hero and heroine meeting to an
apparent happily-ever-after ending. That’s hard to do in an average of two or
three thousand words and in some of the stories that relationship arc felt like
it culminated way too fast. However, as a collection of quick reads and a low
risk way for readers to try new authors, Rawhide
‘n Roses still fits the bill.
Format/Typo Issues:
No
significant issues.
Rating: **** Four Stars
6 comments:
Boy, do I feel like a fool! Al, I apologize for missing your email announcement of the review. I have been going through a major house remodeling project for the past month, resulting in a hit and miss check of my email.
From all the authors involved in writing Rawhide 'n Roses, thank you for your insightful review. I agree with you, it's very hard to write a satisfying romance in such a short space of words. Still, we hope readers enjoy getting a small taste of each author's style.
Thank you for your review, Al. It is very much appreciated that you took the time out to do this for us.
Hi Al,
As one of the authors in the anthology, I would like to thank you for the lovely review. I just found out about it today.
Best wishes
Margaret Tanner
Thanks for the comments, Margaret, Lacey, and Lyn.
Lyn, you probably didn't miss it. There is an issue with email subscribers not getting emails. I'm trying to track down a solution, but thus far no luck. It isn't everyone, only certain domains.
Big Al, thank your for the review. I've never been to your page before but I'll be back.
Al, while I don't wish any email glitches on you, it's a relief to know I may not have totally messed up.
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