I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was from a new author for me and I do say I did enjoy the story. We have a texas ranger search for the man that harmed his sister. He bursts in on an wedding and everything goes from there. We have Kate who is finally now putting her foot down and refuses to wed her almost husband due to trust issues. I do wish that Kate wouldn't have gotten so wishy washy in the middle of the book. She just gave up fighting for what she wanted and that drove me crazy.

Cowboy Charm School by Margaret Browning is a 2019 Sourcebooks Casablanca publication.

A refreshing romance mingled with a healthy dose of humor-

Texas Ranger, Brett Tucker is on a manhunt for the infamous criminal Frank Foster. He’s sure he has found his man, but he may have to stop a wedding in order to capture him. But won’t the bride-to-be feel relieved once she learns the truth about her future husband?

Well, Brett found Frank Foster, just not the right one. If that weren’t bad enough, he’s disrupted a perfectly innocent couple’s special day- AND caused the once happy couple to call the wedding off for good!

Kate Denver should be furious with Brett Tucker for ruining her wedding, but deep down she feels he might have done her a favor. Still, Brett feels terrible and hopes he can help Kate and Frank reunite, while he looks for right ‘Frank Foster’. To that end, he begins tutoring Frank on the proper way to court a lady- especially one as special as Kate. The only problem is, Brett may be falling for her himself.

While this story is primarily a romance, there is also a mystery to solve, with a bit of danger tossed into the mix. However, the humor is what gives this story most of its charm. I loved Brett’s advice to Frank, which is so sweet and romantic. Kate’s book and sweets shop is a delightful backdrop and having Kate and her aunt run the shop is a nice touch.

The author also does an amazing job with the characterizations and her writing is very descriptive, as well, giving the reader plenty to visualize.

I have not read many western historical romances in the past few years and only recently stumbled across a few authors who are writing within this historical romance sub-genre and am thrilled to have discovered them.

This is a book literally anyone can enjoy- even young adults and teens. The romance is sweet and refreshingly clean, and while the story is obviously very light- it is entertaining and fun. I turned the last page with a big smile on my face, reminding me that I need to read more sweet, old fashioned stories that make me laugh and lift my spirits.

4 stars

Bride-to-be Kate Denver is appalled by her fiancé's over-the-top reaction to the innocent mistake and calls off the wedding—for good. Guilt-ridden, Brett's desperate to get them back on track. But the more time he spends with Kate, the harder he falls...and the more he yearns to prove that he's her true match in every way.
This was a quick and cute read that I really enjoyed. I liked both main characters a lot. I look forward to reading more from this author.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

I loved this story, definitely didn’t see a few of the twists coming. Very sweet, I wish there was a recipe for the sweets in the book.

I'm usually not into historical novels, but this one caught me since the first chapter. This historical romance with a touch of mystery is the perfect page-turner. It has everything to keep you glued to its pages: outlaws that could be anyone in the little town of Haywire, a love triangle, and lots and lots of candies. The dialogues are lively and the characters have a background and well-built personalities.

Cowboy Charm School had a cute premise when a Texas Ranger, Brett, is trying to teach courting skills to a man, Frank, who owns a saddle and leather shop who just happens to be the bridegroom whose wedding Brett interrupted thinking he was a wanted man. The bride, Kate, calls off the wedding after fights break out. From that point on Frank is trying to win her back to marry him, Brett is lovesick and doesn’t know it and Kate is torn on whether she and Frank are meant to be even with their history since they were children.

Book and Sweet Shop is an interesting combination for a business and Kate and her Aunt Letty run it. I loved all the sayings that were around the store and on the slips of paper Kate puts in each bag of candy she sells. She tries to match the sayings to the person receiving it. The candy names and flavors were interesting to read and gave me a chuckle or two. Kate loves all animals and she is always nursing one back to health and has a menagerie. Frank is allergic to fur and dander and gets hives and sneezes whenever he’s around animals. He’s also very jealous of any man he thinks pays any attention to Kate and she doesn’t take kindly to since she gives him no reason to be jealous.

There are a lot of twists and turns to the story but it got old fast that Frank is so inept at love and courting. I cringed every time Brett had to trip over his words to say what Frank wanted to hear and not what Brett really wanted to say as himself. Brett and Kate definitely felt something between them but neither one was brave enough to tackle it or were they? The story didn’t always run smoothly and was sometimes choppy. The descriptions of the land and the town were vivid in their telling and made me feel that I was there. There was nice closure and a couple of happily-ever-afters thanks to the epilogue that takes place a year later.

I’ve only read one other book by Brownley and it also had a wedding gone wrong. I look forward to reading more of her books.

Cowboy Charm School as a title for a Western Romance definitely conjures up some interesting images, but it fits the story perfectly. If you’re in the mood for some sugary-sweet romance with a hint of the Western Frontier lifestyle, complete with quirky characters, Wild West robberies, and a handsome Texas Ranger, you have certainly come to the right place.

The author has crafted a unique story that will leave you laughing and falling in love with so many characters, including a dog that can’t seem to mend his naughty ways. Texas Ranger Brett Tucker crashes a wedding in the first chapter. What follows next is pure entertainment, with a hefty dose of romance, mystery, more candy than you can shake a stick at, and a hilarious yet charming scenario throughout the story that reminded me of Cyrano de Bergerac.

Frank and Kate love each other because of a shared past, but are they in love? Is their crashed wedding a good thing or a bad thing? Does Brett Tucker really need to go to Kate’s candy shop so frequently? Why does Brett coach Frank on how to win Kate’s heart when she was already willing to marry him before Brett showed up? Will Kate ever master her uncle’s special candy recipe and get the clever designs in the center just right? Read Cowboy Charm School to find out the answers to all these questions and more, but don’t be surprised if you can’t put the book down, unless it’s to satisfy that sudden craving for some taffy, caramels, chocolate bonbons, and peppermint sticks.

Margaret Brownley sets this delightful story in a town called Haywire, Texas, with inhabitants that will capture your heart and tickle your funny bone. That scene between Frank and Brett in the Feedbag Cafe still has me laughing out loud and will have you laughing as well, I’m sure of it. The author has a knack for setting the scene just so and writing great dialogue that will draw you in and make you think you are standing inside that candy store with those other townspeople watching Harvey demonstrate one of his outlandish inventions or maybe watching Frank battle his allergies to animals or curb his jealousy by whistling like a frantic tea kettle. This story is filled with so many of these great scenes that you won’t want it to end!

In addition to the mystery of the robberies, the romance, and the funny scenes, Cowboy Charm School touches on an unfortunately timeless issue: bullying. Little Dusty just wants to be liked and invited to play baseball with the other boys, but he is picked on and left out instead. You will enjoy reading how Kate handles the situation brilliantly and diplomatically, all with a tray of special candy and a simple plan to redirect those boys’ focus from bullying to inclusion and friendship.

I look forward to the next in the Haywire Brides series.

Hilarious! This is my first historical western romantic comedy and I had so much fun reading Cowboy Charm School. It's also my first book by Margaret Brownley, but will definitely not be the last.

From the first scene at the chapel to the Happily-Ever-After Epilogue, this book thoroughly entertains. With engaging characters from the small town of Haywire coming to life in the pages of the book, Cowboy Charm School is just the thing we need to take our minds off the harsh realities of life even for just a few hours. Frank is a bumbling hoot, Aunt Letty is a lovable meddler, Dusty just makes you want to hug him, and Ringo is a star.

The slow build-up of attraction between the hero Texas Ranger Brett Tucker and the heroine Kate Denver is as sweet as the candies she makes in her store. Kate is creative, kind, caring, and has a backbone of steel. Brett, with his earnest desire to seeing to Kate's safety and happiness even if it means letting her go, is the perfect hero during these times when women are hurting and needing the assurance that there are still a lot of good guys out there. He's why we read romance.

Original story with loads of humor, delectable candy concoctions, a little bit of mystery, and a whole lotta love - Cowboy Charm School is a five-star read for me. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

A great combination of romance, humor, history and even a little bit of a mystery!

This is the first book I've read by this author but I've featured her books on my blog many times in the past. I wasn't aware of what I was missing until I read this book. Another book I just couldn't put down and wanted to know what was going to happen next for Kate. Was Frank Foster going to win her heart again or was it lost to Texas Ranger Brett Tucker?

This is set in a small Texas town (heck I think they were all small back in the late 1800s) where Kate is running the family business, a candy store that also happens to sell dime novels, much to the horror of some town residents (they think the books are risque). The descriptions of her sweets were very tempting. I loved that she befriended a young boy that was being bullied and actually helped turn that situation around.

When it comes to romance, Frank Foster has no idea how to woo a woman. Brett Tucker feels it is his obligation to teach Frank how to woo since he broke up their wedding. This reminded me a little bit of My Fair Lady and the basic story line. It is obvious that Frank has his work cut out for him especially since he is allergic to animals and Kate loves animals. I enjoyed the interaction between Brett and Frank and found it quite humorous. Plus Frank has this jealous streak a mile wide, that causes some issues for all involved.

The mystery portion of this book is who was in the gang that kept robbing towns and how did they keep eluding law enforcement. I was quite surprised by the reveal when it was discovered but it made sense. However, before getting to that point a few people were in jeopardy because the outlaws thought they knew more than they really did, so of course they wanted to make sure the citizens didn't reveal their identity.

This is one of my favorite lines in the book: "Heck, she hadn't just sneaked her way in; she'd practically burrowed a hole right through him all the way to his heart. And he had no right feeling this way."

Cowboy Charm School is a delightful read from start to finish.
Ms. Brownley does an incredible job describing the action taking place throughout the novel. The opening scene grabbed my attention right away and set the tone for the entire book. I don’t want to ruin the scene for you, dear reader, but there is an interrupted wedding, a case of mistaken identity, a jealous groom, a fire, and a fist fight, all within the first 4 pages! Other great scenes include taffy pulling between the two main characters, Brett and Kate, and a scene where a calf is rescued from a precarious position. The taffy pulling scene reminded me of my childhood, making taffy with my family at Christmas every year (with a lot less flirty banter!); while the scene with the calf was just hilarious, physical comedy.
In addition to some great scenes, I am smitten with the language in Cowboy Charm School. Kate uses “fudge” like a curse word. Brett explains how romancing a woman is similar to fishing. One passage I really love is Kate’s description of her courage as a child:

her rough-and-tumble ways had been little more than bravado. She was like the sweet nougats her aunt made, with the hard crusts and soft centers.

I seriously identify with that description of soft and sweet underneath the hard crust! I found myself chuckling on more than one occasion throughout the book due to the great word selection.
The characters in Cowboy Charm School are well-developed and amusing. Kate attempts to re-create her uncle’s most challenging candy recipe result in more failures than successes. She also rescues animals and people in danger on a regular basis. The fortunes Kate writes for her customers at the candy shop are always spot on. Brett is the fearless Texas Ranger in Haywire to find the criminals. Brett is very clever, following the clues to the bad guys. He’s also a great foil to Kate, bantering back and forth, discussing multiple topics. The secondary characters round out the town. From Kate’s Aunt Letty, a force to be reckoned with, to the little kids who frequent her candy shop, Ms. Brownley does a fascinating job layering the different characters into the town of Haywire.
If you are one of those readers always looking for the title drop, Cowboy Charm School does not disappoint. The title is a lot more obvious by the end of the novel. And I feel like I should have figured that clue out a lot sooner!
If you like historical romance with some witty banter, a side of mystery, and great writing, I highly recommend Cowboy Charm School. I’m looking forward to reading more books set in the town of Haywire.

Brett Tucker is doing his darnedest to display altruistic behavior. Brett is a Texas Ranger and manages to interrupt a wedding as he has just caught his man, Frank Foster. However, it is the wrong Frank Foster! The wedding is nearly ruined and Brett approaches the bride to offer his apologies. The problem is, Frank, the groom, has an insane jealous streak and immediately chaos ensues and a fight breaks up. Bride-to-be Kate Denver has had enough of Frank and his jealous behavior and ultimate calls the wedding off.

Brett feels incredibly bad. So, he is determined to do whatever it takes to bring this couple back together. I immediately thought of the Cyrano de Bergerac tale. Brett soon discovers that Frank is far from the romantic type as he begins coaching him. After all, he suggests to Brett that a tire jack would serve as the perfect make-up gift to Kate. Meanwhile, Brett is still looking for the criminal he tried to find at the outset and continues on in that endeavor as well. Brett soon discovers that a match should truly be made - and that perhaps he should be the man in Kate's life. What does Kate have to say about things? Determinedly she resists Frank's attempts at a reconciliation. Does her letting Frank go for good have anything to do with her growing feelings towards Brett?

Cowboy Charm School is a warm and delightfully sweet love story. There was so much humor in this story. There were Frank's allergies, Brett's attempts and Kate's responses - and all of these made this quite the pleasurable read. I thoroughly loved the characters in this story, even Frank. The story takes place in Texas in the late 1800s and Kate was a candy maker, which I thought was an admirable profession for a woman to have during those days. She also was an animal lover, which I really enjoyed. This engaging story captured my heart and I was able to read it in one sitting. This is the first in the Haywire Bride series and I am looking forward to the next story.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Texas Ranger Brett Tucker accidentally derails a wedding,
he's determined to bring the estranged couple back together...
but he never dreamed he'd start falling for the bride!

Texas Ranger Brett Tucker hates to break up a wedding, but the groom―notorious criminal Frank Foster―is a danger to any woman. So he busts into the church, guns blazing...only to find he has the wrong man.

STOP THAT WEDDING!

Bride-to-be Kate Denver is appalled by her fiancé's over-the-top reaction to the innocent mistake and calls off the wedding―for good. Guilt-ridden, Brett's desperate to get them back on track. But the more time he spends with Kate, the harder he falls...and the more he yearns to prove that he's her true match in every way.

This was a very good story. But it would have been much better without the implied swearing throughout the book. I was very disappointed in that aspect. I have read other books by this author and this was not in the book. I feel as Christians we should not "swear like a trooper" as was stated in the last of the book. For this reason I will lower my rating.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

This charming historical romance is guaranteed to entertain you with a Texas-style retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac that takes place in the small Texas town of Haywire in 1885. With tongue-in-cheek humor the author weaves a delightful story filled with colorful characters including a bumbling Texas Ranger, Brett Tucker, who gathers clues he hopes will lead him to the outlaw who broke his sister’s heart. In the guise of helping Frank Foster woo reluctant bride Kate Denver whose wedding he disrupted, Brett finds himself torn between his honor and his growing feelings for businesswoman Kate. In Haywire, Kate and her Aunt Letty are the proprietors of a candy shop and learning about the art of candy making was my favorite part of this sweet story. The plot kept me guessing while the romance melted my heart and the candy satisfied my sweet tooth without the calories. What more could a reader ask for? I read an early copy of this book provided by Sourcebooks, Inc. through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

What a cute read!

I loved Brett! He is such a stand-up guy. He feels horrible for ruining Kate's wedding and is doing everything in his power to help her groom-to-be Frank win back Kate's favor. He plays Cyrano to Frank's Christian and it's sweet and SO romantic. Soon Brett realizes the words professed and the gifts he suggests are stemmed from his own feelings for the lovely Kate.

The storyline had a nice flow, the characters were delightful and the mystery that brought Brett to Haywire is exciting! I’m not a big fan of historical romance but I really enjoyed the book.

This was my first by Brownley - it was enjoyable, but not one I'll read again. While the premise was unique and memorable, I was uncomfortable with the patronizing and condescending way Frank was presented.

I had fun with Cowboy Charm School, the situation is laugh out loud worthy, the characters lively and believable and the adventure is just beginning in The Haywire Brides series. It’s always fun for me to get started on a new Margaret Brownley series because I never, ever know what to expect or what I’ll learn along the way.

Brett makes one heck of a mistake when he steps in to stop a wedding only to discover he’s got the wrong man in his sights. Yet his action does provide the needed push to get Kate to really look at why she’s willing to marry Frank when there is no great romantic love between them. And it opens her eyes to the well meaning Brett who is trying his best to put two people back together when one doesn’t want to go back to what was. Not when the handsome lawman is churning up more feelings for Kate than Frank ever did or could.

Cowboy Charm School gives us some truly laugh out loud moments, a tender love story, a fumbling attempt at teaching his rival for Kate’s attention how to win back his almost bride, a bit of a mystery, some danger and two people finding out what really matters and who is exactly the right match. I completely enjoyed my time in this world and am definitely keeping an eye out for the next story in The Haywire Brides series. I would not hesitate to recommend this story to any reader who loves Western Historical Romance, and enjoys the ironic twists that fate can all too often provide.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley plus I purchased a copy.

This was a wonderful book. I so thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were fantastic. The book had my favorite dual POV. The plot was original and flowed so well that before I was ready for it, it was over. I love Brett and Kate's story.

There were scenes in this book that were hilarious. I had to stop reading as I was laughing so hard. A warning, if you have a weak blander, wear Depends!!!! The scene with Brett and Frank in the restaurant. Then Frank and Katie at the buffalo wallow!!!! Just hilarious!!!!! OMGosh. This is worthy of repeat readings.

I can't wait for more of this series!!! If you love cowboys, historicals or just a great escape reading, then you will definitely want to read this one.

A sweet romance set in a small Texas town in the 1880s, Cowboy Charm School begins with Texas Ranger Brett Tucker racing into a church to stop the wedding of wanted outlaw Frank Foster.

Problem is, it’s the wrong Frank Foster… and things don’t improve much for Tucker as he does his best to repair the damage done, trying to get Frank back together with his outraged would-be bride, Kate. It’s a hilarious and at times poignant comedy of errors as candy-maker Kate has to step back and take a hard look at her life, wondering if she’s doing the right thing or just taking the easy path.

This felt so real and charming, from all the little details about candymaking in the late nineteenth century which the author has obviously researched thoroughly. Brett’s slow realisation he was falling for Kate himself, and his ever more desperate efforts to do the right thing despite Frank’s utter cluelessness, were absolutely charming; he was a hero worthy of the name, a true man of honour, and Kate was a wonderful match for him, with her sass and determination.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, with some genuine nuggets of historical information - I never heard of ‘orphan trains’ before this, and was fascinated to read up on them - I’ll be looking for more in the Haywire, Texas series in the future! Five stars.

Margaret Brownley starts off a brand-new series of humorous historical westerns with Cowboy Charm School, the first book in the Haywire Brides saga.

From the back blurb: Texas Ranger Brett Tucker hates to break up a wedding, but the groom—notorious criminal Frank Foster—is a danger to any woman. So he busts into the church, guns blazing…only to find he has the wrong man.

Bride-to-be Kate Denver is appalled by her fiancé’s over-the-top reaction to the innocent mistake and calls off the wedding—for good. Guilt-ridden, Brett’s desperate to get them back on track. But the more time he spends with Kate, the harder he falls…and the more he yearns to prove that he’s her true match in every way.

AAR staffers Lisa Fernandes and Maggie Boyd are here to share their thoughts on this comedic tale.

Lisa: This one did give me the giggles, right from the moment when the preacher gasped at Brett’s ruining Frank and Kate‘s wedding. “You shot Jesus!”

Maggie: I found the opening scene cute too. It set the right tone for the novel, which was overall light, frothy and a bit of a laugh.

Lisa: Frothy really is a perfect way to describe the book! How did you feel about Brett? I liked his quirks, liked his gentlemanliness combined with his dedication to the law. His attempts at turning Frank into a decent suitor were terribly charming, too, as was his close attention to Kate. I’d almost read a whole book about them Mutt and Jeffing it up!

Maggie: I liked Brett, but it frightened me a bit that he had a badge and a gun! He seemed a smidge quick on the draw in the beginning,

Decapitating an image of Jesus in the church and then shooting the window of the confectionery while trying to apprehend a suspect. I thought he was an excellent suitor, though. Someone who really paid attention to his love interest, who showed genuine delight in her as a person, and who was romantic to boot. I loved the whole thing with learning her favorite color, the flowers and the goat!

Lisa: I was actually waiting for the book to make jokes about his lack of competence, but then he took an abrupt level-up in badass towards the end. I liked parts of Kate’s character, but she really did spend too much time as a damsel in distress, constantly doing things that required Brett to rescue her. She’s supposed to be strong and independent, yet she’s constantly being held at gunpoint! Still, I liked the way the author detailed Kate’s past as a wagon train orphan, and how hard it was when she lost her mother. As a sidenote, her friendship with little Dusty was adorable. How about you?

Maggie: I liked Kate; I thought she was perfect for this novel in that she was impetuous, generous-natured and light-hearted. I think, though, that I would have liked her a bit more if it wasn’t for the anachronism of how she treated Frank. They were literally at the altar when she dumped him and that wasn’t the only time she treated him with a bit of callousness. I didn’t like her response to his allergies or her general unacceptance of him for who he was. He seemed to genuinely care about her; I just about swooned when I read that he made a long journey to be sure she was being treated well after they had both left the orphan train. Yet she seemed almost indifferent to his feelings.

Lisa: I also felt like the premise for Kate and Frank’s break-up was a little weak (it basically breaks down to ‘He was going to have his way with you! In a church!’). The jealousy stuff made a lot more sense and sometimes I rooted for him (“She can change a wagon wheel in record time” is an amusing compliment! A woman’s prowess with a hammer CAN BE who she is!). But it was clear he was never a threat to the burgeoning relationship between Kate and Brett and that their love was more friendly than anything. Yet I liked the strength of their childhood bond. As for Kate and Brett, I loved the slow-burn of the relationship; that taffy pulling scene was so much fun. But ultimately the difference between Kate marrying Brett or Frank was the difference between excitement and stability, wasn’t it? How did you feel about the two central relationships of the book?

Maggie: That’s a tough question to answer. I liked Brett and Kate as a couple; I enjoyed watching them fall in love and like I mentioned before, I appreciated the romantic way Brett approached the relationship. I was confused by Frank and Kate’s relationship. Frank seemed to really know Kate, to get her inside and out even if he didn’t catch the details like what her favorite color was. She didn’t seem nearly as into him; I know she was upset over his jealousy issues but that seemed to outweigh years of friendship for her and I found that a bit petty. Overall, I felt the difference in the relationships was Kate’s response to the men in them: she and Frank didn’t work because she didn’t love him. She and Brett worked because she fell in love with him. It wasn’t so much a question of excitement over stability as it was a question of love over indifference, IMO.

Lisa: Back to Frank – Lord, I felt pity for him, and I really liked him – and I felt total sympathy for his allergies. As you pointed out above, I feel like the author was kind of using them to point up Brett’s strength in relation to that, which is a little ridiculous; as a fellow allergy sufferer, I am not ‘less of a person’ because dust makes my head blow up like a cotton ball. I, too, found Kate’s total lack of pity for him in that department to be ridiculous.

Maggie: In some ways I liked Frank more than I liked Kate. He seemed like a nice guy out of his element in the courtship arena. He struck me as hardworking (he had his own shop), loyal (he stuck with Kate even when she was less than kind to him) and earnest (his feelings toward her were displayed by his actions and his willingness to change to make her happy.) As a fellow allergy sufferer, I found his allergies endearing.

Lisa: I really hope he shows up as a hero further down the line in the series! What about our cast of supporting characters? I didn’t really like pushy, hectoring Aunt Letty much, though her feud with the local seamstress was fun. I thought Connie was decent and I loved Hoot Owl Pete. Little Dusty, too! How about you?

Maggie: I liked the secondary characters although I think I have more empathy for Aunt Letty than you did. I understood where she was coming from in terms of wanting her niece married, since that was a very common attitude in that time period.

Lisa: That’s a great point; I guess her pushiness never translated properly for me into concern. As a sidenote, I thought it was interesting the way the author celebrated the importance of confectionery work in a town. As someone who knows something about pastry arts, I found myself nodding my head in agreement. Her research really showed there!

Maggie: This book made me hungry for candy! I did love the descriptions of the treats and the details about the shop. I felt, though, that it perhaps didn’t depict the financial situation of the times very accurately. Both books and candy were luxury items and were typically available only in large cities. That a midsize town could support a confectionery/bookstore seemed rather surprising to me. I suppose if would have been possible if the main customers for such items had been the railroad or stage coach passengers but the text didn’t seem to reflect that.

Lisa: Maybe if it were a bakery it’d make more sense, since people definitely want bread and need cakes for celebrations. Interestingly, the author points out the flaw you mentioned; normally a general store would sell candy in a town roughly Haywire’s size. So, what’s your final grade? I thought this was a fine sweet, light comedy, but some of its flaws were pretty hard to ignore. So it’s roughly a B for me.

Maggie: I noted the author’s explanation but didn’t find it very convincing. I think it was the sense that the people in town seemed more affluent than what you read about in a typical Western. That’s part of what makes this a B for me as well. I loved the courtship of Brett and Kate, liked the lighthearted tone of the tale, appreciated the author’s nod to the underground railroad and enjoyed the mystery of the Ghost Riders but I felt the historicity was a bit weak and didn’t enjoy the love triangle, which brought the overall grade down to a B.