This book wasn't what I was expecting, and I'll admit I didn't finish it. Based on the cover and description, I anticipated a literary historical fiction with complex character studies and emotional depth. Instead, I found something quite different.

The writing itself is absolutely fine - the author clearly has talent. However, I just don't think I was the intended audience for this particular story. The tone was much lighter than I expected, with more humor and adventure elements than the serious historical narrative I was looking for.

From what I read, the characters were certainly likeable, especially the protagonist's relationship with her family. The historical setting seemed well-researched, too. I can definitely see how the right reader would thoroughly enjoy this book.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a lighter touch, clever dialogue, and a faster pace, you might find this book delightful. For me, it simply wasn't what I was in the mood for at this time. Sometimes a book-reader mismatch happens, and that's perfectly okay!

I am grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to check it out.
4 stars for good writing.

Tough Luck is written from the perspective of a 14 year old girl who lost her mother, has a missing father, and had her brother drop her and another brother off at an orphanage in the 1860s. The Civil War is in the very far background of this novel, but as this is set in the West, it’s just mentioned in passing.

This is a story of perseverance, love, and friendship. Haidie believes that her father is alive and decides to go look for him in the mining towns of Colorado. She encounters, and relies on, many strangers to make her way across the west. I cannot imagine trying to make a cross-country trip now as a 14 year old, knowing that I’d have to take care of myself and a younger sibling. The heart that Haidie has and the clever ideas that she gets wrapped up in, make you not want to put this one down.

This was fun! A spitfire heroine, a cast of lovable, rugged side characters, the Wild West! I am also from Denver so seeing the history of my city was so interesting and fun. I thought it was engaging, kept my on toes, and had good characters. I do hope it went through sensitivity reading for Native Americans as I did not see that mentioned anywhere and I think given this book’s content that would be super important. I’d like to know more about that and if it is something that was done for this book and I’d also like information on the cover artist. I am rating it 3 stars until I know more information that would impact my overall view of this novel.

I received an advance reading copy (arc) of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. Author Sandra Dallas knows how to spin an entertaining tale. I thoroughly enjoyed her book, Lost Souls, and this one is even better. Starting out in the 1800s in Illinois, Dallas tells the tale of Haide Richards and her younger brother, Boots. After their mother's death and a brief stint in an orphanage, Haide and Boots head west to Colorado in search of their father. The only thing they knew was that he was searching for a gold somewhere are Georgetown. Their adventures include wagon trains, Indians, cheaters, and a slew of other characters--some good, some bad. Haide, disguised as a boy is as brave as they come and impresses just about everyone that crosses her path. She has a distinct personality, that you can't help but like as she braves not only the elements, but the people who surround her. As Haide and Boots travel from Illinois to Colorado, she not only looks after Boots, but keeps her focus on finding her wayward father. What she finds, however, is not what she expects. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes historical fiction or just a plain good story! Looking forward to Dallas's next book!

I read Where Coyotes Howl 2 years ago, I believe, and I really enjoyed that book. I went into this one thinking I'm going to really like this one, too. Although it isn't a bad book and it was a cute story, I felt it was disjointed and felt more like I should be reading an elementary school play. I felt like this lacked character development, and the chapters were so long that it was difficult to stay engaged. As I said, it was a cute story, but not one that will leave a lasting memory.

It’s 1863, 14 year old Haidie Richards and her brother make a perilous journey west to find their father who left to find gold in Colorado. Disguised as a boy, she makes the dangerous journey and meets characters upon the way.

This is an atmospheric tale of America’s West with an homage to “True Grit”. I enjoyed the cast of characters and the adventures they came across while traveling west. With a strong, all be it, young, female protagonist, she stays true to herself. This was a good quick read of Americas West in the eighteen hundreds.

This is a true gem of a book. TOUGH LUCK is a fabulous romp through the American West of the Civil War era. Our protagonist, Haitie, is a young teen searching for her missing father. She travels from the Midwest to Colorado by wagon train, horseback and hiking. She’s heard her father has a gold mine in Colorado and she believes he wants to be reunited with his children. Her younger brother is by her side as they confront all manner of novelties: unmarried spinsters, women of poor repute, animals, and crooked, crooked men. She is filled with gumption and a practiced liar herself. She has a solution for every pickle she finds herself in and each is a delight to read. I read this book in one day because I just couldn’t put it down. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I love a western historical fiction. 🌾 Haide and her brother Boots escape from an orphanage to head west. They hope to find their dad who left them in search of gold in Colorado. Along the way they encounter quite the cast of both lovable and despicable characters that help move the story along. It’s relatively fast paced and filled with action. ⛺️🐴 It very much reminded me of the TV show 1886 and Hell on Wheels. The twist at the end had me grinning and I kicked myself for not realizing it sooner. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

Tough Luck is an exciting story of a marvelous persistence girl by Sandra Dallas. One that I thoroughly enjoyed. After her mother dies, Haidie and her brother, Boots, decide to travel to Colorado to find her father who went gold mining. Along the way an eccentric family of sorts is created. They are all needed for what is planned.

Such unique, richly well-developed characters in a story that has you wishing that you could have been a part of this group and their journey. A top yarn full of vibrant wild west life.

Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas

Follow the adventures of Haidie and her brother, Boots, as they travel to Colorado in search of their fortune seeking father. Sandra Dallas’s historical novel TOUGH LUCK, set in 1863, offers a harrowing and at times humorous look at a young girl’s journey west to find her father. Along the way Haidie and Boots meet a colorful cast of characters, face many challenges and make some true friends. Face paced and filled with surprises this story will entertain any reader.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tough Luck is set in the 1860s when two young children travel out West to try to find their father who left four years earlier to find gold in Colorado Territory. After their mother died, the family farm was left to the oldest son. He was a gambler who didn't know how to work a farm so he sold it and sent his sister and brother to an orphanage. Haidie is 14 and her brother Boots is 10 when they are sent to the orphanage. Haidie spends her time studying her surroundings to try to find a way to escape the orphanage and head west to find their dad. Even though the family had only gotten three letters from him in 4 years, Haidie is convinced that he had found gold and would be so happy to see them. Once they escape, their adventure begins. Haidie is smart enough to chop off her hair and pretend to be a boy since they don't know what kind of people they'll run into. She wants to earn their passage by working with the mules on a wagon train and knows that no one will let a girl do that kind of work. After they work their way to Colorado, there are still problems in finding their father. The people that they met on the wagon train were a real diverse group and they were often in danger from Indians and from the harsh weather. But Haidie was a tough young girl and she managed to get through it all plus helping her brother who she treated more like a son than a brother.

I really enjoyed the characters - especially Haidie and found their adventures on their way west to be interesting and often scary. Haidie and Boots made friends who cared about them in every part of their journey...friends who helped them out of bad circumstances and really cared about them. Will Haidie and Boots find their father? Will he be rich and live in a fine house? Or is it all wishful thinking on their part? All I can tell you is that the ending was very satisfactory but not in the way Haidie envisioned it.

I normally don't like Westerns. I didn't like True Grit and wasn't sure if I'd like Tough Luck but the characters are what made this book so special. The characters were so well written that I could picture them on their adventure. Haidie is a character that I won't soon forget. She was feisty and outspoken and as she said, she lied all of the time, but she was a hard worker and made some good friends while she was trying to find her father. Even if you don't normally like Western novels, you need to give this one a try!

Having read many books by Sandra Dallas, I consider myself a fan and really enjoy her historical fiction settings in the American West. She returns to Denver and area mining towns in this book and also incorporates a westward wagon train. The main character is Haitie, a fourteen year old girl who runs away from an orphanage with her younger brother to make her way to Colorado to find her gold-seeking father. To protect herself and better her chances to find work, Haitie disguises herself as a boy with mixed results. The young people have many adventures and encounter lots of dangers both on the trail and once they arrive in Colorado but develop many allies who protect them and even help them swindle some swindlers. Overall, the book is very predictable and even “corny” but I appreciate western historical fiction for being different from the usual major wartime themes. And for readers who appreciate “clean” language and wholesome themes, this book comes highly recommended. I don’t really like predictability and corniness but am rating this book up to encourage readers to discover Sandra Dallas and her exploration of American Western history.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

I love stories that take me back to a different time when the people were as hardcore as the hardships they suffered. In this western historical fiction, two siblings end up traveling by wagon train to try to find their father who left their family in 1863. Haidie dresses as a boy alongside her younger brother, Boots, so that they can find work to make their trip. They meet lots of interesting people along the way (some good and some bad) and have tons of adventures.

I did a combination of e-book and audiobook for this one. The narration by Mia Hutchison-Shaw was excellent, whether she was voicing the rich banker or a scallywag, it always seemed to fit. The story was very entertaining.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the copies. All thoughts are my own.

What a tale of the Wild West! I loved the simplicity of this story and the characters were unforgettable. I’d love to read a follow up and see what happens with them all. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

This one was not really was I expected. Based on the blurb, I thought I was in for something deep and emotional, but it actually felt way more lighthearted than that. Almost like a YA western with a bit of heart and humor thrown in. Haidie and her little brother Boots had me invested in their wild adventure. Disguises, shady card sharks, feisty dogs, spinster sisters. What more could you want?? I would call it a "cozy western". That fits. It’s fast, fun, and not too heavy. Perfect for a weekend listen or if you're in the mood for something kinda different!

I devoured this book in one day and loved every second of it. It reminded me of my childhood reads of Caddie Woodlawn and Little House on the Prairie. It is a real treat!

Haidie and Boots are two of three children left behind in Illinois upon the death of their mother in 1863. The Civil War is ongoing and Haidie's father, Manley Richards, has been gone several years to Colorado to make his fortune. Cheet, Haidie and Boots' older brother, sells the family farm and puts Haidie and Boots in an orphanage and goes off to make his life as a gambler. Haidie, a precocious 14 year old girl, decides that she and Boots are going to journey west and find their Pa. What ensues is the adventure of a lifetime with an ex-nun who helps them get out of the orphanage.
Disguised as a boy, Haidie and Boots sign on with a freighter, a kind man named Jake, who gets them to Omaha. Jake and Teresa (the ex-nun) pass them along to a trail scout, Ben, who gets them to Denver. The personalities of the wagon train are brilliant but the two that take the cake are "old-maid" sisters who decided to join their brother out west and are determined to do it themselves. Corny, another gambler, becomes a treasured partner and they all do their parts to get Haidie and Boots to Denver safely.

I loved every description, adventure and found myself laughing out loud as well as biting my finger nails. I can't recommend it enough!

I don't normally read westerns but I really like historical fiction so I thought I would give Tough Luck a try. I'm glad I did. Haidie Richards is fourteen years old when her mother dies and her older brother leaves her and younger brother Boots in an orphanage. Haidie was not happy about their circumstances and sure that her father was still alive and living in Colorado. Brother and sister escaped the orphanage and set out for Colorado, changing her looks so that she could pass for a boy. This all occurred during the Civil War, so that meant traveling by mules, horses and oxen.

Haidie and Boots were very enterprising and hard workers which helped endear them to others along the route. They made some very interesting friends along the way, some who showed up later to add support. From wagon trains to Indian attacks, Haidie held her own and showed what a girl could do if only people thought she was a boy.

I really loved how all these people came into the children's lives. It was a good read even for someone who doesn't normally read westerns.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A heartfelt thank you to the author, @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio, for the generous gift of the e-book and audiobook #MacAudio2025!

This novel is an absolute gem.

Set in 1863, it follows Haidie and her brother, Boots, as they bravely escape from an orphanage, driven by the belief that their father is alive somewhere in the Colorado Territory. Their journey from Illinois is filled with challenges, and Haidie, disguising herself as a boy, learns the art of managing mules and the importance of forging a supportive community. Upon reaching Colorado, she uncovers the truth about their father and hatches a clever plan for revenge that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Haidie is a remarkable character—strong, determined, and resourceful. Alongside her brother, she encounters a vibrant cast of characters on the trail, each adding depth to their adventure with a mix of support and deception. The writing is beautifully evocative, capturing the grit and resilience of life on the trail in the 1800s, all through Haidie's insightful perspective.

The book is replete with powerful female characters who refuse to be sidelined. Each woman is capable and compelling, proving that they can hold their own in a world dominated by men. The friendships that Haidie and Boots cultivate during their travels shine brightly, culminating in a thrilling caper that serves as the novel’s exhilarating high point.

The narrator did a superb job of bringing the characters to life with her tone and accents.

If you appreciate Western novels featuring strong, independent female characters, this book is an absolute must-read. Mark your calendars for its release on April 29, 2025—you won't want to miss it!

It’s 1863, the Civil War is raging across North and South, and Mary Haidie Richards has been snookered. Her pa has gone out West to seek his fortune in gold and her Ma has died unexpectedly. True to his name, her older brother Cheet sells the farm to gamble on a riverboat. He's nineteen, and he can dispose of it any way he wants to. She is fourteen and a girl and has no rights. Tough luck.

One thing about Haidie is she is a liar. She doesn't do it to be ornery or because she is wicked. She lies because it is to her benefit, and (it might be to yours, too, if you'd like to try it!). She may be a liar, but when she give her word, she keeps it. Another thing about Haidie is she can be a sneak thief if she wants to be. Finally, Haidie is good at plans. So when Cheet dumps Haidie and her younger brother Boots at the Good Shepherd Home, she forms one: They're going to be the best damn orphans they ever had. Then they're going to run off and find their pa.

Haidie comes from a family of cheats. Her brother does. And her grandpap did, too. And she herself is awful good at it. The best scammers look just like somebody’s brother. And as Haidie’s brother Cheet once said, only a fool loses, when he can win by cheating. They are all confederates in this crime. Cards are also a family calling, and when Haidie’s pa discovers the Hangover Mine, he wins five thousand dollars on it and deposits the money and the deed at the bank for safekeeping.

But the next morning when Pa goes to get the money and the deed, the banker Mr. Thacker says he's never seen him in his life. Pa shows him the receipt, and the banker replies that it wasn't one of his or his signature, either. Desperate, Pa says the banker could keep the money if he'd just give Pa back the deed. But the banker claims he'd won it off a fellow in a poker game. Then the banker smiles at Pa and says, Tough luck! But when the dust stirred up by Mr. Thacker’s carriage settles and the curtain is pushed back, who will have the final call for “Tough luck”?!!

Of insolents and incorrigibles, Sandra Dallas’ Tough Luck is grandiloquent!

Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas is a historical fiction novel. The novel focuses on a journey out west in the 1860s by two youngsters. The novel features various characters (both good and bad) and the rigours of a wagon train journey. Haidie (disguised as a boy) and her younger brother Boots take the journey to find their father.

After their mother dies, Haidie and Boots are left by their older brother and put into an orphanage. However, Haidie is certain her father is alive, so they plan to escape and head toward Denver. First they hide and eventually fall in with a mule driver who offers them a ride. Interesting things happen to them, but they survive. Later they join a wagon train with a variety of characters. Along the way they find people who help them and people who take advantage of the youngsters. However, Haidie does not lose faith and continues to search.

The novel highlights the strength of Haidie and Boots and their determination to find their father. Also there is a wicked twist at the end that really shows the lengths people will go to in order to gain wealth. The novel is well written and contains some great characters and descriptions of the people and the journey. It certainly shows the rough and toughness of the early towns in the west. Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas is a good read.