I didn’t want to give this book low stars just because it wasn’t my vibe. It was well written and a decent story line, but I personally struggled to get in to it. I didn’t hate but it also wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook. When Haddie's mother dies and her older brother sells their farm pockets the money. He put's Haddie and their younger brother in an orphanage from which they escape. Haddie pretends to be a boy and off they go to Denver to find their father. Lots of lies, fun, pretending, and harrowing situations. The story was enjoyable. The reader, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw was great.

This was such a good audio. This narrator made this book feel like much more than just a story. She brought it and the characters to life.

This book was a delight to read. A light hearted story with some intense scenes along the way. I enjoyed it very much.

When Haidie, Cheet, and Boots, ma dies their lives go awry. Cheet is the oldest. He decided to sell the farm, not that it was worth a lot, and take the money for himself. Their pa had left for Colorado to become a gold miner and Cheet thought he was in charge of everything. In many ways he was. He put his sister and younger brother in an orphanage. Haidie and Boots didn't belong there. They had a pa and wanted to go find him. So they escaped and took off on an adventure that would take them across the country. Through indian territories. Through lots of ups and downs. They didn't know who to trust but did get lucky and found a train of wagons to help them.

What these two kids went through was tough but they were certainly resilient. Both were hard workers and got along with others. Everyone thought Haidie was a boy. She had cut her hair off short so as to not be recognized. Haidie certainly could do a lot of work that most boys her age would not have been able to do. She was not afraid of much either. She could shoot a gun and that helped when they were attacked by indians.

You get to know these children and will love them. They work hard to get to Colorado and have plenty of hardships along the way. Traveling the land with strangers took a lot of guts but they really didn't have a lot of choices.

Parts of this book will have you gritting your teeth. Will they make it. Will they find their pa and if they do will he take them in. He had loved his family. He had been a good pa. But was he still even alive. Haidie would not stop until she had her family back. And Boots would go wherever Haidie went. He trusted his sister.

This was a fun story. It had just enough to keep me wondering what would happen next and a lot of heart and soul. And boy was Haidie smart. I thought she was maybe one of the strongest children ever. Of course for that era she had to be...

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Haidie Richards has all the grit you could desire for a 14-year-old girl in 1863. With her little brother, Boots, she journeys by wagon from Illinois to Colorado, seeking her elusive father. All the Western character types you can imagine are present in this adventuresome tale—stereotypes firmly in place—but the period detail and the building action compensate for the pervasive tropes and the occasional man calling people “pilgrim.” Sandra Dallas’ fans will be sure to enjoy this book.

The audio was narrated by the lively Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, and her performance increased my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Audio in exchange for my honest review.

This was a delightful and refreshing read! I have a western background and I loved the feel of this book from page one! The main characters plot was endearing. I found myself right next to young Haiti en route to find her father in the gold mines of Colorado. I do not want to give any spoilers, but I will say this book kept me guessing and I enjoyed the ride. I can’t even say who my favorite character was because I loved them all!!

TOUGH LUCK
Sandra Dallas, Author
Historical Fiction

Follow Haidie and her brother after their mother’s death passes away and they escape from the prison that is called an orphanage. Following that they head to the western territory where their father is supposed to be running a successful gold mine.

This era is of particular interest to me. The ups and downs of gold mining is a fascinating subject. Filled with con men and outlaws. Add in Sandra Dallas’s form of bringing any era to life you get a 5 out of 5 stars from me.

I loved the western setting of course. The premise was super interesting to me. I was really into the audiobook in the beginning. Then I struggled later on. Think it’s just me- because I lost focus, zoned out and don’t even know what happened by the end even though I listened to the whole thing. I am in need of an audiobook break- because I don’t believe this was a bad audio or story, it was me. I did a Bookstagram review of this and have the link of it down below.

I loved all of the great characters in this story! We traveled with Hadie and Boots across the prairie where they met up with all kinds of characters and all kinds of situations. Many of those characters pulled through at the end to right a wrong for the family. 5 stars. The narrator was easy to listen to and made the story enjoyable.

TOUGH LUCK is a feel-good, coming-of-age adventure.

Haidie was barely a teenager when she and her younger brother embarked on a trip across the American West in search of their father. It was 1863, right in the middle of the Civil War. Violent skirmishes between settlers and Native Americans were also a serious issue during this time. I expected a dark undercurrent, but instead hope led the way.

I loved Haidie’s bravery and devotion to her brother. While the pair faced challenges along the way, we only touched on these darker aspects of life in the Wild West.

This book isn’t marketed as YA, but it’s well suited to a younger audience.

The audiobook is well done. Mia Hutchinson-Shaw does a great job of immersing us in Haidie’s world.

*Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook download!*

I'm not usually a huge western fan but Sandra Dallas has made me a convert. Tough Luck is a humorously told story of strength and tenacity centering around a girl and her brother heading west to find the father who abandoned them. Along the way they face many adventures and encounter a multitude of both benign and unsavory characters. Mia Hutchinson-Shaw does a fabulous job narrating and pacing the story effectively. Readers will fall in the love with the protagonist and applaud the humor and satisfying ending.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy provided for an honest review.

This story is told in first person by Haidie, a fourteen-year-old girl living in Illinois in 1863 whose father went to Colorado four years ago for the gold rush and her mother just passed away. Haidie’s older brother sold the farm and left her and their little brother, Boots, at an orphanage. Haidie devises a plan to escape and travel to Colorado to find their Pa with Boots in tow. The story follows their misadventures along the way via wagon trail with Haidie dressed as a boy to find various odd jobs to earn their keep.

The characters in the novel were colorful and eccentric. The story was fun and entertaining almost in a tall tale of the west way. This is my second novel by this author, and I found myself procrastinating reading this one because I cried through the last. And now I’m kicking myself for not reading this one sooner because I laughed through Haidie’s adventures and her wonder at the new world around her.

Main character Haidie was a courageous young girl, determined and sharp as a whip. The kids meet many people who want to help them and many a swindler and con artist out for themselves. Shady folks who turn out to not be so shady and seemingly kind folks who will steal the horse right out from under you. Maybe a bit farfetched at times, but it all worked for me. It reminded me of watching old John Wayne westerns with my dad growing up, which is appropriate because I read that it was an homage to True Grit.

The audiobook is narrated by Mia-Hutchinson-Shaw. This was my first listen by this narrator, and I enjoyed her portrayal of Hadie and her adventures. If you’re an audiobook listener, I would recommend this format.

Recommended to readers who enjoy tales of the wild west and frontier historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I listened to the audiobook. I thought the narrator did a great job “playing the part” of Haidie. Sometimes the voice of Corny came across a little… flamboyant, but it seemed to fit the character. I think his voice really influenced how I felt about him.

I liked many of the characters and generally enjoyed going on this adventure with Haidie and Boots and plan to read more books by this author.

I LOVED this book. The writing captivated me immediately and I was completely immersed in this story about the travel west. The characters were vivid and jumped off the page (and mostly into my heart). Haidie is now one of my all time favorite characters. Her voice was unique and I was just soaking in this amazing storytelling. It was a wild and interesting and fun ride and I was not ready for it to end. I haven't read many westerns, but now I need more!

Note: The audiobook narration was perfect and really immersed me into the story to help me love it even more.

Many thanks to my friends at @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the free #gifted copies of this book. #partner

Saddle your horses! This western was a HOOT of a good time!

Haidie Richardson and her younger brother headed out west to gold mining territory in search of their Pa, and their adventure was an action-packed homage to True Grit that had me kicking up my boots.

At only 14 years old, Haidie was a force to be reckoned with! Smart, sassy, scrappy... I loved watching her outwit full grown men as she navigated territories typically dominated by males. Haddie was full of tenacity and clever earning her place along the wagon train. But it was her devotion to her brother and fervent hope in finding her father that most endeared her to me.

“I’ve never met a man I admired as much as you. “ –Corny

This was a vividly depicted, fast-paced tale. I enjoyed the sense of adventure alongside the looming danger. The secondary cast of characters delighted as well. From gamblers to preachers to spinsters... the whole gang added to the fun. And the ending! Perhaps a bit unlikely. Yet, I whooped in enjoyment.

🎧Narrator Mia Hutcheson-Shaw delivers an engaging, high-energy performance that had me hooked from the start. She well depicted Haidie’s fierceness while giving each of the side characters nuance and distinction. A gold nugget of an audiobook performance!

🤠 For my friends who like westerns with scrappy young heroines.

TOUGH LUCK by Sandra Dallas (Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, Narrator)

🎧 Thanks, @Macmillan.audio, for the audiobook review copy. #macaudio2025 (Available 29 Apr 25) 8 hours, 18 minutes

Well, tarnation. Pull up a seat in the dirt around this campfire and let me tell you a story about a scrappy young girl and her journey across the wild west in 1863. A known liar and card sharp, 14-year-old Haidie is determined to bring herself and her 10-year-old brother to find their Paw in Colorado after their Maw dies. On the way, they run into scoundrels, thieves, and women of ill repute, but also draw in their fair share of kind-hearted and helpful souls.

While not marketed as “Young Adult” fiction, this felt a bit like it (in a good way), as Haidie navigates life through hard work and luck. It’s an easy, fun western with engaging characters and a happy ending. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

I wasn't a big fan of the narration, as it felt "campy" in its delivery. That could have just been how the dialogue was written.

Sandra Dallas never disappoints! Another fabulous read that I truly enjoyed. I listened to and read this story, the transition was seamless and the narrator did a fantastic job. Highly recommend to anyone enjoying a strong female lead in a frontier setting.

I read this book earlier and was able to download the audio version thanks to NetGalley.
It’s another really good book about a young girl and her brother going to Colorado to find their father who may or may not have abandoned their family to go and find gold.

Perhaps it’s a bit hard to believe that teenagers were able to do the things they do, but it was a different time and I really didn’t care because it’s such a good adventure story with good characters that are well developed and a good story.

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.

Haidie’s father went west in search of gold in the 1860’s. They haven’t heard from him in years. Once their mother passes, Haidie and her younger brother Boots are placed in an orphanage. But with dreams of reconnecting with their Pa, they make a break for it. Disguised as a boy, Haidie will learn about dangers of travel, people, the wild, trusting folks and taking care of her brother.

Their journey is both perilous and wonderful. I haven’t read a ton of books from the 1800’s and this one was such a neat perspective. Haidie was a self-proclaimed liar who would do what she had to do to keep her brother safe. She lied all the time, but it didn’t make her unlikable. I found myself cheering her on the entire book.

The audio was beautifully performed by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw.

Thank you Macmillan audio for the gifted alc.


4.5/5

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 listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator was very good. Voice inflections and accents were well done and did not distract from the story.