I enjoyed this book. As with all Sandra Dallas’ books, this one has fantastic characters! I loved Haidie! She is a go getter and a hot mess all in one. This book keeps you entertained from start to finish!

Tough Luck was such a gem. I picked it up not knowing what to expect, and now I’m a full-on fan. This book was so well done—clean, clever, and just plain fun to read. It’s got that old-school Western grit, but with a heroine who brings her own bold, irreverent voice to the table. I didn’t want to put it down.

The story follows Haidie Richards, a determined and scrappy girl who breaks out of an orphanage with her little brother, Boots, in search of their missing gold-mining father. Disguised as a boy, she heads west in 1863 with nothing but stubbornness and blind hope. What follows is part Oregon Trail, part True Grit, with a cast of oddball characters—including two fiercely independent sisters, a charming card shark, a loyal (and vicious) dog, and more than a few unsavory types. There’s mule wrangling, danger, dust, and heartbreak, but also hope and grit and a whole lot of heart.

What I loved most was how vivid the writing was. The details are so alive you can almost feel the dirt under your boots and hear the creak of wagon wheels. Haidie’s voice is strong and full of personality without feeling forced. The book hits that sweet spot where it feels adventurous and classic, but still fresh and easy to read.

Now, my only gripe—and it’s random, but it stuck with me—is the cover. I know, I know, we’re not supposed to judge, but seriously? It feels like the artist didn’t even glance at the manuscript. The girl’s hair is wrong, the horse is the wrong color, and the whole aesthetic misses the wild, rugged, slightly chaotic West that the actual story captures so well. I kept wishing the cover matched the spirit of the book, because the story inside deserves way better.

Still, five stars all the way. The storytelling is just too good. I already want to get my hands on more from this author. If they write it, I’m reading it.

I love Sandra Dallas but this is not one of my favorites-I feel like I was reading for some build up that never came.

Left in an orphanage by their father who went searching for gold, Haidie Richards and her younger brother, Boots set out to find their father who has only written 3 letters to them but with the belief he is still alive and will take care of them, they set out for Colorado Territory,

Haidie is not a patient girl so she and her brother sneak out of the orphanage and Haidie disguises herself as a boy figuring it would make the dangerous journey easier.

Haidie is a quick learner and easily handles all tasks. Boots is along with her and does everything he can to protect her.

She works hard and makes good acquaintances. The people she travelled with are two sisters that she helps and they help her, a card shark who gives her tips. She also befriends a dog that will protect her.

Upon arriving in Colorado, she looks for her father and is unable to locate him until she gets a tip where he may be. When she and Boots find him, all may not be as it seems.

5 stars

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Loved the setting, and thought Haidie was a great main character. This was an enjoyable read, and I would look at more by this author!

I always love reading novels by Sandra Dallas, and this one was another great one! The wild west setting and time period is one I find myself grabbing when I see it on the shelf. The young girl making her way in the world to keep her sibling is a tale often told, but this is one where identity plays a major role. Set in 1863 US during the US Civil War, Haidie Richards, 14, and her younger brother, Boots, 10, are trying to make their way out of the orphanage and find their father. There is tension in the novel as all the weight and pressure land on Haidie's shoulders. But as one who has read others by Dallas, she will find her way and come out on top. Wonderful dialogue. Great YA crossover desirability.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Sandra Dallas for a DRC and an ALC through NetGalley. This is my honest and all opinions are my own in this review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend
I loved the setting (Colorado mining town during the Great Depression), the characters (orphans Haide & Boots), and the adventure (how they are scrappy and survive as kids, alone). This book is great Historical Fiction with characters you really care for. It was well written and also fun, harrowing at times, and heart warming.

The narrator, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, did a great job, I had no trouble understanding who was saying what, where, when, with what expression/intension.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and author Sandra Dallas for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Tough Luck is out April 29, 2025.

Tough Luck was a book that I picked totally based on the cover, and the story won me over entirely. Following a young girl and her even younger brother on their journey to track down their absent father after tragedy strikes at home, they are met with a multitude of strangers. Some strangers become friends and some strangers have nothing but ill intent.

This book outlines on the rough and dangerous life of the time especially if you were a woman or girl. I loved the characters, the main character as well as the side characters that popped in along the way. This was an epic adventure and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to enjoy the audiobook from Netgalley.

This book is one to check out if you enjoy:
>Historical fiction
>Teenage protagonist
>Western
>Oregon trail vibes
>True Grit

This was a really solid story with plenty of adventure - really good pacing and lots of interesting characters. The MC - Haidie - and her younger brother set out from Illinois to find their father who left four years previously to find a gold mine in Colorado Territory.

This is set in 1863 - so there are a lot of Old West vibes as the kids are making their way across the country. And Haidie spends the majority of the book disguised as a boy which adds another layer to the story.

The audio book was really well done. The narration was excellent and the characters really came to life - I recommend the audio if you're an audiobook reader! Thank you to St Martins Press and Macmillan Audio for the physical and audio copies of this book.

This books was not even on my radar until I had the opportunity to listen to the audio from @macmillan.audio (thank you for this copy #MacAudio2025)! I love finding new books through their program.

Tough Luck is an adventure of two orphans heading west in search of their father. After Haidie and Boots’ mom died, Haidie and Boots are placed in an orphanage by their older brother. They find a way to escape and travel out west in search of their dad.

I loved their encounters and friendships made along the way. Haidie is scrappy and pretends to be a boy to find work. Her character is so fun and heartwarming. While the chapters are long, this book reads fast.

The narrator was phenomenal and sounded perfect for the time period and area. I highly recommend the audio to fully immerse yourself into this one!

Sandra Dallas's Tough Luck offers a comforting return to her signature historical fiction. Set during the Great Depression in a Colorado mining town, it follows resilient women facing hardship with community spirit. Dallas excels at creating an authentic sense of time and place, and her characters are empathetic and easy to root for.

While heartwarming, the narrative arc feels somewhat predictable, and the pacing can be slow. The challenges, though significant, sometimes lack a truly raw edge. Ultimately, Tough Luck is a solid, enjoyable novel that delivers on the promise of a Sandra Dallas book—a gentle reminder of human kindness and enduring spirit.

Many thanks to Netgalley and McMillan Audio for taking me back to a point in history where grils sometimes dressed as boys to survive I love narrator who can make a book feel like much more than just a story.

Haidie Richards is such a wonderful creation in author Sandra Dallas' novel. When her older brother Cheet leaves her and their younger brother Boots in an orphanage so he can make his way in life unencumbered by responsibilities, Haidie decides she's going to travel to Colorado Territory to find their long absent father. Their father had travelled there to make a fortune, and had been writing about his progress, then he went quiet.

Haidie disguises herself as a boy, then she and Boots begin their journey, and join a group of others headed there, too. Haidie learns how to take care of and drive mules and oxen, and gets to know two unconventional, unmarried sisters. There are many significant dangers along the way, but eventually Haidie and Boots arrive at their destination, only to find things are very different from what they expected. Haidie is not set back too much, and with the help of all the friends she and Boots have made on their journey, find a way to set things right for their family.

It's enormously fun and satisfying to watch Haidie go from strong minded, somewhat sheltered teen who cheerfully acknowledges she's a liar, to the much tougher and much wiser adolescent who must face and deal with new challenges, including avaricious people. That her ability to forge meaningful, honest connections to people is her real superpower, bolstered by intelligence and boldness, becomes abundantly clear the longer we spend time with her.

The story itself if well paced, taking us from Haidie plotting to travel west with Boots, to her satisfying take down of a criminal, with her friends' help, and the restoration of her family. I loved the time I spent with her.

I went back and forth between the book and audio, as I could not put this narrative down. Voice actor Mia Hutchinson-Shaw was Haidie, absolutely. Haidie's certainty, willingness to face things head on, and self-confidence shines through beautifully. Hutchinson-Shaw's Boots had the right mix of enthusiasm tinged with his slight fear when faced with new circumstances or dangers, ameliorated by Haidie's care. I liked the two sisters who befriend the siblings; Hutchinson-Shaw brought their tartness, adventurousness and humour to life wonderfully,.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and to Macmillan Audio for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

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.