FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book, and I ended up listening along with the audio too. These are my honest thoughts.

The children in this story were delightful! I love a story that features prodigies, and the talents these particular kiddos had were lovely and well written.

I adored the use of dime novels in this story. So creative!

The “grizzled gnome” was amazing, as was Dead-Eye Dan.

There were plot twists galore, which pleased this reader’s heart. I also enjoyed the adventure of it all. It was quite a great romp!

Leading lady, Charlotte Atherton, had a wonderful heart for children, and I love that her mama-bear mode was well on display. This personality trait made Charlotte so relatable.

The narrator of the audio version, Barbara McCulloh, did a marvelous job! She was delightful at voices, particularly that of the little girl. I’m looking forward to listening to more of the books she’s narrated.

The only disappointments were the two profane words and one expletive in the early chapters. I’d never heard such vulgar language in a Karen Witemeyer book before. I was quite shocked. If it weren't for those three words, this book would have hit my favorites list, because it was a fun adventure of a western.

Content: two profane words, one expletive.