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.

When I started to read Tough Luck, I was immediately swept into the plight of Haidie Richards and her little brother, Boots, who are unceremoniously dumped in an orphanage by their appropriately named older brother, Cheet. Their mother has died, and their father, who left for the promise of gold in the West 4 years ago, has not been heard of for quite some time. Haidie and Boots run away from the orphanage, and they set out to find their father. The adventures and friendships they find on their way west are the stuff of legends, and make for a highly entertaining read.

Haidie is a wonderful character, smart and principled, even though she calls herself a good liar. As the narrator, Haidie tells a fantastic story, with a whole cast of interesting characters, both helpful and dishonest. The book has some great, strong female characters, none of whom are fools and each is capable of holding their own when it comes to the menfolk. The friendships Haidie and Boots make along the way all come through in the end, with a caper that was the high point of the entire novel. Such a fun way to end this book.

This novel will especially appeal to fans of Outlawed by Anna North or other Western novels with strong, independent female characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas. The opinions in this review are my own.

The cover and book description of this story made it a must read for me. I loved the show 1883 so I knew I'd enjoy this book. Tough Luck, follows 14 year old Haidie Richards and her little brother, Boots, as they set off west in search of their father. I loved how brave and fierce Haidie's character was throughout the book. I wish there was a bit more character development though. I really enjoyed this story and devoured it in one day. The story did feel unrealistic and far fetched for the time period.

Overall, this is a quick and fun read especially on audio!

Sandra Dallas is an author that you read for a well researched storyline, good character development, and her writing…her writing. While my favorites are still Tallgrass and New Mercies, Tough Luck is right up there. This is the tale of a young girl and her little brother traveling from Illinois to Denver in 1863 to find her father; he went prospecting and never came back, her mother dies. Kind of a western but mostly an adventure. Great, funny, and tough characters.

Tough Luck took me back into the gold mining days, with the Civil War still going on. Haidie lives with her mother and two brothers, Boots and Cheet. When their mother dies, Cheet quickly sells the farm and puts his siblings in a nearby orphanage so that he can go riverboat gambling. Meanwhile, their father has been away gold mining in Colorado, but lately there have been no letters from him, so Cheet believes he has died.

Haidie and Boots have no intention of staying in the orphanage and manage to slip away, with Haidie dressing as a boy. They embark on a journey to find their father. The people who help them along the way end up being some of the best characters in the story. Of course, they also meet a few bad folks along the way and have an incident with angry Indians. As they get closer to Colorado, Haidie grows up, proving her strength and resilience.

I enjoyed this story from beginning to end and will certainly read whatever Sandra Dallas writes in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review and recommend this to other readers.

"Tough Luck" is a western novel full of found family, hardship, and some 'tough luck' for our protagonists, Haidie and Boots Richardson. Ma Richardson has barely graced her own burial plot when the oldest of the Richardson children, a son aptly named Cheet, sells the family farm and casts his younger siblings into an orphanage so that he can pursue riverboat gambling. Haidie is determined to reunite her younger brother Boots and herself with their father, who went west in search of gold several years before. With a little sly thinking, a lot of luck, and healthy dose of determination, Haidie and Boots make their way West in search of their father.

This book is full of all the good old western tropes - there are bandits, thieves, hardships on the trail. There are also kind strangers, wagon train living, and a young girl masquerading as a boy to be able to make her way across the US to reunite her family. Sandra Dallas writes historical fiction so effortlessly, and credibly, that you can feel the dirt of the trail sticking to you and smell the campfires as you read her novels. 'Tough Luck' is another western winner.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I received this arc from NetGalley and St Martin’s Press. This book was such a fun read! I loved all of the different characters that were introduced through Haidie and Boots’ journey to find their father. This story opens with the heroine Haidie and her brothers Boots and Cheet trying to figure out what the future holds for them now that their mother has passed. Their father went out west to find gold several years ago, but he has never returned and has also stopped sending letters with updates on his progress. The oldest brother Cheet decides that it is in his best interests to sell the family farm and place Haidie and Boots in an orphanage so that he can become a riverboat gambler. However, Haidie soon decides growing up in an orphanage is not what’s best for her or her younger brother. So she develops a plan to go west to Colorado to find their father. Haidie disguises herself as a young boy, and she and Boots escape the orphanage. First they join a freighter named Jake who uses his mule team to carry goods from one town to the next, then they join a wagon train with a man named Ben who is meant to be the scout for the train. Along the way Haidie and Boots have many adventures from catching a couple of robbers to hunting buffalo out west. They also meet a lot of different people on their journey; some that prove to be allies and others that prove to be enemies. This book has Oregon Trail vibes which makes it a very fun read. If you are looking for a fun historical fiction filled with adventure, then be sure to grab your copy on April 29th!

Obsessed. The western you didn't now you needed. Found family, coming of age, SO good. It gave Oregon trail but better.

I have loved Sandra Dallas's books in the past and this one is just as good as the others, but maybe just not quite my thing. It was a stretch to see if I'd stay interested in a western. I loved the main character. She was spunky as could be; clever and witty. She and the secondary characters really made the story. They were all vividly done. The plot at times dragged for me simply because of the western quality but that's no commentary on the author or book as it just wasnt my thing at times.

Sandra Dallas has written some of my favorite characters. Her newest novel has added to that list! I fell almost instantly in love with Haidie. She’s sassy, has grit, and loves her people fiercely. Yes, this is a historical fiction but there’s much more to it than that. I experienced adventure, some suspense, and the found family aspect was the cherry on top. If I would have had the time, I could have easily finished this in one sitting.

Fourteen-year-old Haidie and her younger brother, Boots, are unceremoniously dumped off at the local orphanage by their older brother, Cheet. Big brother wants to hit it big in the gambling world without being saddled with two youngsters. Fortunately, Haidie has a plan up her sleeve: head west with Boots to find their long lost father.

I really enjoyed the first 4/5’s of this exciting novel. Reading about the wagon train kept me very intrigued. That part of the book was an absolute 5 star read for me. Unfortunately, I thought the ending dragged on just a little too long, and was a bit too implausible. I still would recommend this book, though, especially for people interested in the Wild West.

I didn't realize I had already read and adored one of this author's books. Little SoulsI can say that I adored this one also! It was different but still magical.

As you can see by the book's description, Tough Luck is about a brother and sister who make their way across the country to find their Dad, who disappeared four years ago, to strike gold in Colorado. They face some hardships on their way West but make many new friends along the way.


The writing is tight, the plot is refreshing, the dialogue is delightful, and the characters are...well, true characters. I had a lot of chuckles during this voyage West and my heart in my throat during the rougher times.

Haidie Richards made such a good scoundrel that you sometimes forget that she is not really a boy but a nearly grown (for that era) woman. The side characters were wonderfully quirky and lent a lot to the story.


This will be a perfect read for those who like historical fiction, quirky characters, HEA's, and a good scam job! The ending may confuse you a bit as it did me, but it all works out for the best.

I'm on my way now to buy myself several more of Ms. Dallas's other books. Hmmm, now which one should I buy first?

*ARC supplied by the publisher St. Martin's Press/ Macmillan Publishers, the author, and NetGalley.