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Red Rock
Rachel Hunter, a high spirited teen, is struggling to take care of her ill mother. Her mother’s illness soon forces the family to sell everything and move to a new town seeking a cure they can't afford. Along the way they stumble onto a fortune, and in financial desperation they decide to keep it. Upon arrival in Red Rock, Rachel quickly settles into their new life, with her mother finally receiving the care she needs from the town doctor. Rachel even finds herself with two suitors, one that she is very likely falling in love with, and one who annoys and irritates her at every turn. Though there is some guilt associated with the secret of their fortune, Rachel is content, until one night someone throws a rock through the Hunter family's window, threatening to take back what is theirs. Lies, deceit, and betrayal plague Rachel and her entire family as they struggle to keep their secret, and find out who is behind the devious plan. With every secret comes consequences, and Rachel will soon find out that not everything or everyone is what they seem to be.
314 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2011
2 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Kimberley Patterson
5 books117 followersHorses were one of my first loves, and writing soon followed. As a child, I spent hours writing poems, and short stories (about horses). My parents realized that I was horse-obsessed and decided to buy me one after taking riding lessons for two years. I think they hoped that all of the hard work, and hours spent mucking stalls would help me give up this expensive hobby. They were wrong. Writing is still a passion of mine, although now I primarily write fiction. My first novel, Red Rock, was published in 2010, and big surprise, there are horses in it. My second novel, The Three Month Plan was released August 2013.
Other Loves: My family, yoga, skincare and makeup, sushi, and raising money for pediatric cancer. I have two rescue dogs and would have more if there weren't zoning restrictions. I’m always trying something new, as I tend to get bored very easily. Thankfully, my love of driving around with the gas light on fuels some excitement. I love novels with happy endings, and am a hopeful romantic. My latest obsession is browsing Netflix, and I can name all 50 states in alphabetical order in under 30 seconds. Do I feel a wager coming on?
Other Loves: My family, yoga, skincare and makeup, sushi, and raising money for pediatric cancer. I have two rescue dogs and would have more if there weren't zoning restrictions. I’m always trying something new, as I tend to get bored very easily. Thankfully, my love of driving around with the gas light on fuels some excitement. I love novels with happy endings, and am a hopeful romantic. My latest obsession is browsing Netflix, and I can name all 50 states in alphabetical order in under 30 seconds. Do I feel a wager coming on?
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 5, 2011
This book wasn’t what I expected. I expected it to be a simple Western romance, with hot heroes, strong and mature heroines, all those usual sort of historical Western romance. But after reading it, I realised that it didn’t exactly meet my expectations. That isn’t entirely a bad thing either. The reason why I didn’t give it more than 3 stars was because of several things that made me didn’t fully enjoy the book. I’ll cover more later.
On its own, the writing is pretty good and the overall storyline was interesting. But I had several issues with the characters and the pace of the book. I’ll give a very brief summary of the book. (Note: There may be small spoilers) Basically, it was about this family traveling to another town in the hope of finding a doctor that could cure the heroine’s mother. Along the way, they ran across some dead travelers. After searching around, they found loads of gold. Of course, they took it, justifying that the dead couldn’t do anything with it and it could help them. At the same time, they also took their possessions, with the same reasoning. They gave them a decent burial at least. What happened next was pretty typical. They go into town. Girl meets guy. Girl doesn’t like guy but still thinks he’s handsome and all. Guy crazy about girl, wants to marry her. A lot of unnecessary detail next. Basically, they find the doctor for the mother. Girl meets another guy whom she likes a lot. That guy likes her back. Needless to say, he’s bad. A lot more unnecessary things then a HEA for girl and first guy. I won’t say anymore lest I give away too much of the plot.
Now, some problems I had was the fact that there was way too much elaboration on needless detail. As a result, it made the book seem really draggy and made me rather bored reading it. It’s like detail on how every single building looked like was given. I mean, sure its good to give description to let the reader “see” the place. But in this case, I felt that it was too much. I would have rather seen a bit more of how the characters matured and grew up throughout the book.
Let’s talk about the main character, Rachel. She’s 17. However, I felt that she was really immature in the beginning of the book and the way she thought and all made me dislike her a little. I mean, to me she acted more like 15. Ok wait, let me clarify one point. When it comes to heroines, I have a pretty high standard of them. I don’t know why, I just feel that any less is a disgrace to the female race. Sure, Rachel was strong-minded and rather independent. I did like that about her. But… Sometimes, I felt that she was rather vain, and I cannot stand that in heroines. Pretty hypocritical of me, because I am rather vain myself, though I’m trying to cut the habit! Another was the way she treated the guys. I mean, it isn’t exactly evident in her behavior, but somehow I got the impression that she has a rather self-inflated view of herself. Like, she wanted the store to be named after her. And the way she treated the two guys in her life, the main hero (whose name I simply cannot remember, James, maybe? I know it starts with J.) and Charles, the 2nd guy she met. Oh and for the hero, I’ll call him J if I have to use him in my review. Yeah, I can’t really explain it, but the way she treated J was pretty mean and the way she treated Charles was really rather flirty and all. And I just can’t stand that. Call me conservative or whatever, but I really don’t like flirty heroines. But towards the end, she did mature a bit and seemed more her age. So towards the end, my feelings toward her were pretty ambivalent. I didn’t really like her, but neither did I dislike her.
For the rest of the characters, they were alright. I just felt that more emphasis could be given on their individual characters. Like J. I didn’t really know him after reading the book. I mean, I knew a bit of what he was like, for example, he was a kind-hearted man. But I couldn’t understand him and when I can’t understand characters, I can’t empathise with them. This could also be because I’m too fussy. But well, I wanted to see more of the other characters, instead of so much needless description.
The main plot was fine, it was pretty interesting, if a bit typical. Other than the description, I don’t really have any other real problems with it. Oh, but I felt that some of the events were pretty unrealistic. For example, what were the chances of Rachel wandering off and going to the exact spot where the bag had been thrown. And how would she have spotted it? Another thing was the conclusion. I didn’t enjoy the gunfight. It felt too contrived to be real. I felt there wasn’t that intensity there should have been, especially when the men died. And I really cannot believe that Rachel’s father didn’t die. I mean, his injuries were rather serious, because of the places he was hit in. But yet, he still managed to survive all the way back to the town. How? I don’t know.
Lastly, let’s talk about the romance. It was alright. I’m pretty sure J did love Rachel. But I certainly could not feel the love on Rachel’s part. It seemed to be more of an infatuation. Like the typical signs were there, possessiveness, jealousy and such. But I couldn’t feel her love for him. When she said she loved him, I was skeptical. I think there wasn’t enough interaction between them that was good. As in, conversations where they didn’t argue. You see, most of the time, they were always quarreling. Its mostly Rachel finding fault with him. And as a result, I couldn’t really believe the love on her part.
But enough about the cons of the book. There were many things I did enjoy. I liked Rachel’s father. He was a really sweet man and the love he had for his wife was simply amazing and so, so sweet. I actually did enjoy the storyline, apart from the parts that were draggy. I did enjoy it when she was captured because it added excitement to the story. The betrayal she must have felt was also pretty good. I especially liked the part where after she knew that Charles was bad, but she wanted to protect her father, she pretended that everything was fine when he came. It may only have been a short scene, but that scene showed me that she was truly courageous. Really. It couldn’t have been easy.
All in all, I did enjoy reading the book. I finished it in about 1-2 sittings? And even though there were draggy parts, I continued reading because somehow I knew that the ending would be better. And it was, apart from the gunfight. But actually, some aspects of the gunfight was interesting. I do remember enjoying it. I can’t exactly name a part, but I know some parts of it were good and realistic. Though the ending was a little abrupt, I can more or less imagine what happened next. The beginning was also good, it really did catch my attention. Though I wouldn’t classify this as a typical Western romance, it was still an enjoyable book. The romance part wasn’t the main part of the book, it was more of the suspense and the mystery surrounding the events. It did take quite a while to build up to it, but when it finally did, the book was interesting.
This ebook was given to me by the author, Kimberley Patterson in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thanks, Ms. Patterson! :D
On its own, the writing is pretty good and the overall storyline was interesting. But I had several issues with the characters and the pace of the book. I’ll give a very brief summary of the book. (Note: There may be small spoilers) Basically, it was about this family traveling to another town in the hope of finding a doctor that could cure the heroine’s mother. Along the way, they ran across some dead travelers. After searching around, they found loads of gold. Of course, they took it, justifying that the dead couldn’t do anything with it and it could help them. At the same time, they also took their possessions, with the same reasoning. They gave them a decent burial at least. What happened next was pretty typical. They go into town. Girl meets guy. Girl doesn’t like guy but still thinks he’s handsome and all. Guy crazy about girl, wants to marry her. A lot of unnecessary detail next. Basically, they find the doctor for the mother. Girl meets another guy whom she likes a lot. That guy likes her back. Needless to say, he’s bad. A lot more unnecessary things then a HEA for girl and first guy. I won’t say anymore lest I give away too much of the plot.
Now, some problems I had was the fact that there was way too much elaboration on needless detail. As a result, it made the book seem really draggy and made me rather bored reading it. It’s like detail on how every single building looked like was given. I mean, sure its good to give description to let the reader “see” the place. But in this case, I felt that it was too much. I would have rather seen a bit more of how the characters matured and grew up throughout the book.
Let’s talk about the main character, Rachel. She’s 17. However, I felt that she was really immature in the beginning of the book and the way she thought and all made me dislike her a little. I mean, to me she acted more like 15. Ok wait, let me clarify one point. When it comes to heroines, I have a pretty high standard of them. I don’t know why, I just feel that any less is a disgrace to the female race. Sure, Rachel was strong-minded and rather independent. I did like that about her. But… Sometimes, I felt that she was rather vain, and I cannot stand that in heroines. Pretty hypocritical of me, because I am rather vain myself, though I’m trying to cut the habit! Another was the way she treated the guys. I mean, it isn’t exactly evident in her behavior, but somehow I got the impression that she has a rather self-inflated view of herself. Like, she wanted the store to be named after her. And the way she treated the two guys in her life, the main hero (whose name I simply cannot remember, James, maybe? I know it starts with J.) and Charles, the 2nd guy she met. Oh and for the hero, I’ll call him J if I have to use him in my review. Yeah, I can’t really explain it, but the way she treated J was pretty mean and the way she treated Charles was really rather flirty and all. And I just can’t stand that. Call me conservative or whatever, but I really don’t like flirty heroines. But towards the end, she did mature a bit and seemed more her age. So towards the end, my feelings toward her were pretty ambivalent. I didn’t really like her, but neither did I dislike her.
For the rest of the characters, they were alright. I just felt that more emphasis could be given on their individual characters. Like J. I didn’t really know him after reading the book. I mean, I knew a bit of what he was like, for example, he was a kind-hearted man. But I couldn’t understand him and when I can’t understand characters, I can’t empathise with them. This could also be because I’m too fussy. But well, I wanted to see more of the other characters, instead of so much needless description.
The main plot was fine, it was pretty interesting, if a bit typical. Other than the description, I don’t really have any other real problems with it. Oh, but I felt that some of the events were pretty unrealistic. For example, what were the chances of Rachel wandering off and going to the exact spot where the bag had been thrown. And how would she have spotted it? Another thing was the conclusion. I didn’t enjoy the gunfight. It felt too contrived to be real. I felt there wasn’t that intensity there should have been, especially when the men died. And I really cannot believe that Rachel’s father didn’t die. I mean, his injuries were rather serious, because of the places he was hit in. But yet, he still managed to survive all the way back to the town. How? I don’t know.
Lastly, let’s talk about the romance. It was alright. I’m pretty sure J did love Rachel. But I certainly could not feel the love on Rachel’s part. It seemed to be more of an infatuation. Like the typical signs were there, possessiveness, jealousy and such. But I couldn’t feel her love for him. When she said she loved him, I was skeptical. I think there wasn’t enough interaction between them that was good. As in, conversations where they didn’t argue. You see, most of the time, they were always quarreling. Its mostly Rachel finding fault with him. And as a result, I couldn’t really believe the love on her part.
But enough about the cons of the book. There were many things I did enjoy. I liked Rachel’s father. He was a really sweet man and the love he had for his wife was simply amazing and so, so sweet. I actually did enjoy the storyline, apart from the parts that were draggy. I did enjoy it when she was captured because it added excitement to the story. The betrayal she must have felt was also pretty good. I especially liked the part where after she knew that Charles was bad, but she wanted to protect her father, she pretended that everything was fine when he came. It may only have been a short scene, but that scene showed me that she was truly courageous. Really. It couldn’t have been easy.
All in all, I did enjoy reading the book. I finished it in about 1-2 sittings? And even though there were draggy parts, I continued reading because somehow I knew that the ending would be better. And it was, apart from the gunfight. But actually, some aspects of the gunfight was interesting. I do remember enjoying it. I can’t exactly name a part, but I know some parts of it were good and realistic. Though the ending was a little abrupt, I can more or less imagine what happened next. The beginning was also good, it really did catch my attention. Though I wouldn’t classify this as a typical Western romance, it was still an enjoyable book. The romance part wasn’t the main part of the book, it was more of the suspense and the mystery surrounding the events. It did take quite a while to build up to it, but when it finally did, the book was interesting.
This ebook was given to me by the author, Kimberley Patterson in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thanks, Ms. Patterson! :D
July 4, 2017
Since I just finished this book and can't sleep, I thought I'd jot down some notes from my phone, but plan to update this review tomorrow, er, later today, since it's 2am!
First, full disclosure - I received a free copy of this ebook from the author, she's asked for honest reviews/feedback and that's my intention.
I'm not sure if I just wasn't paying attention or didn't fully realize exactly what this book was, but it was very different from what I had perceived. This is my first ever YA western romance, and that's exactly what it sounds like. I've read a few YA books that have romance in them, but usually there is something else major going on. I'm thinking of Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series specifically. With this, it's a romance set in the wild west between a 17 year old girl and her beau James. I can't remember if it gave his age, but he's not much older, I'm thinking very early twenties. This was a little disconcerting to me, as I'm not a big fan of YA to begin with, but to have the main focus of the book be about said 17 year old girl's love life and not much else to distract, well, it's just not my cup of tea. Honestly, there's nothing wrong with how this story is presented, it's historically accurate, as back in the day (year is not given, but California Gold Rush era is my guess), 17 year old girls/women were looking to get married. So while the heroine is young, I found it not so annoying as say a 17 year old modern day high schooler pining over a vampire. Still, 17 year old girls are 17 years old, so it gave me pause.
But the pause was short-lived, as the Prologue was awesome! Action, intrigue, carriage chases, bags of gold, robbers, and even gruesome-but-realistic-for-the-time-period deaths! It sets up a lot, big bang for the buck right out of the gate. Who are these people running from? Why are they so well dressed? What do the robbers want so desperately? So many questions and such excitement at the very beginning is a great way to start a book. It makes me super excited to get to find out the answers and keep reading.
And keep reading I did. I finished this book in two sittings. Ultimately I gave the book three stars due to some plot issues and character development I wanted to see but didn't, however the writing itself is pretty good. I believe this is Ms. Patterson's first book, and it's self published. I haven't read a ton of self published, but I have read enough to realize publishing houses usually weed out the bad stuff while self publishing means even I could publish drivel and charge for it. So far, self publishing still has a long ways to go to win me over, but I have come across a few authors I believe are worthy, Ms. Patterson being one of them. There are a few minor editing issues and like I mentioned earlier, plot and character stuff that I would like changed a bit (and they are mostly personal things, nothing wrong per se), BUT the storytelling is pretty darn good here. The story moved along pretty well (a little quickly for me, but so much better and easier to fix than moving too slow) and I didn't feel it was in a blur. I got vivid descriptions of just enough details to make me feel immersed in the old west (really, I couldn't stop thinking about taking a shower, with all the dust and blood and spittoon junk oozing everywhere, lol) but not so much I felt like I was reading a straight western (you know the ones that spend five pages describing one scene about the tough and grizzly cowboy out for revenge against the world). Even though I wasn't crazy about the characters, I still found myself wanting to keep reading, and liking the way the story unfolded. I don't know how else to put it except it didn't feel like Betty Sue's English short story she got a C on stretched out to make a book because her friends and family are too kind to tell her she has no talent and can't, in fact, write very well. Or at all. No, I think Ms. Patterson has some real talent with just a few kinks to work out.
The character issues I have we're minor. The heroine's name is Rachel Hunter (I kept picturing the Australian supermodel with Rod Stewart singing Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? in the background - not quite what this heroine is described as). She's very much a 17 year old in that she likes a boy, so that means we tell him we don't like him and get huffy when he's pestering us for attention and then get all mad when he turns his attention elsewhere and throw a fit like a child. With everything Rachel has gone thru and seen in her short life, I wanted her to be a bit more grown up. Also, Elsie's brother is mentioned, but little else about Elsie, yet she's a black servant with a white family. She works for them but eats at the table because she's family, and they talk to her as if she's family, and it mentioned early on she wasn't paid, so why does she stay, where does she sleep, is she family or servant and what does Elsie believe she is? Everyone else I pretty much like, oh, except I spot the bad guy a mile away. I think if the author could have used the love triangle a bit more to make you wonder which man was the real Slim Shady and the other an imposter, I would have liked it more.
As for plot issues, we don't get a resolution on who the people in the beginning were, how they got all the gold, why Charles thought it was his, who had the initial 'M' and a few other details. The original people in the prologue die so close to Red Rock, didn't anyone know them? I thought it was stupid for the Hunter family to show up in a carriage that someone else owned, wear their clothes and sell their stuff, and no one recognized it, save for the bad guy. If they weren't from Red Rock, maybe a little more info on where they came from would have helped. I also wish more info on Charles would have been given. Charles either knew them or stole from them, as he had the pocket watch with the 'M' engraved on it, and the stuff the Hunters found had 'M' engraved or embroidered on it. Same goes for James, the hero, more info would be nice. Also, And when they get back to town after the final showdown, what do the townspeople think of Pa Hunter and his family, knowing they stole the gold from the dead people and weren't who they really said they were. An epilogue would help, or at least the hint of a book two, if there is one.
All things considered, I read this during a slump in my reading. I've had a hard time finding something to keep my interest or that I didn't want to throw against the wall. It says a lot to me that this one did keep me entertained in my current predicament. It is not the best thing I've ever read, but I definitely think it's a whole lot better than 99% of the self published junk out there, and I hope Ms. Patterson continues on.
First, full disclosure - I received a free copy of this ebook from the author, she's asked for honest reviews/feedback and that's my intention.
I'm not sure if I just wasn't paying attention or didn't fully realize exactly what this book was, but it was very different from what I had perceived. This is my first ever YA western romance, and that's exactly what it sounds like. I've read a few YA books that have romance in them, but usually there is something else major going on. I'm thinking of Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series specifically. With this, it's a romance set in the wild west between a 17 year old girl and her beau James. I can't remember if it gave his age, but he's not much older, I'm thinking very early twenties. This was a little disconcerting to me, as I'm not a big fan of YA to begin with, but to have the main focus of the book be about said 17 year old girl's love life and not much else to distract, well, it's just not my cup of tea. Honestly, there's nothing wrong with how this story is presented, it's historically accurate, as back in the day (year is not given, but California Gold Rush era is my guess), 17 year old girls/women were looking to get married. So while the heroine is young, I found it not so annoying as say a 17 year old modern day high schooler pining over a vampire. Still, 17 year old girls are 17 years old, so it gave me pause.
But the pause was short-lived, as the Prologue was awesome! Action, intrigue, carriage chases, bags of gold, robbers, and even gruesome-but-realistic-for-the-time-period deaths! It sets up a lot, big bang for the buck right out of the gate. Who are these people running from? Why are they so well dressed? What do the robbers want so desperately? So many questions and such excitement at the very beginning is a great way to start a book. It makes me super excited to get to find out the answers and keep reading.
And keep reading I did. I finished this book in two sittings. Ultimately I gave the book three stars due to some plot issues and character development I wanted to see but didn't, however the writing itself is pretty good. I believe this is Ms. Patterson's first book, and it's self published. I haven't read a ton of self published, but I have read enough to realize publishing houses usually weed out the bad stuff while self publishing means even I could publish drivel and charge for it. So far, self publishing still has a long ways to go to win me over, but I have come across a few authors I believe are worthy, Ms. Patterson being one of them. There are a few minor editing issues and like I mentioned earlier, plot and character stuff that I would like changed a bit (and they are mostly personal things, nothing wrong per se), BUT the storytelling is pretty darn good here. The story moved along pretty well (a little quickly for me, but so much better and easier to fix than moving too slow) and I didn't feel it was in a blur. I got vivid descriptions of just enough details to make me feel immersed in the old west (really, I couldn't stop thinking about taking a shower, with all the dust and blood and spittoon junk oozing everywhere, lol) but not so much I felt like I was reading a straight western (you know the ones that spend five pages describing one scene about the tough and grizzly cowboy out for revenge against the world). Even though I wasn't crazy about the characters, I still found myself wanting to keep reading, and liking the way the story unfolded. I don't know how else to put it except it didn't feel like Betty Sue's English short story she got a C on stretched out to make a book because her friends and family are too kind to tell her she has no talent and can't, in fact, write very well. Or at all. No, I think Ms. Patterson has some real talent with just a few kinks to work out.
The character issues I have we're minor. The heroine's name is Rachel Hunter (I kept picturing the Australian supermodel with Rod Stewart singing Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? in the background - not quite what this heroine is described as). She's very much a 17 year old in that she likes a boy, so that means we tell him we don't like him and get huffy when he's pestering us for attention and then get all mad when he turns his attention elsewhere and throw a fit like a child. With everything Rachel has gone thru and seen in her short life, I wanted her to be a bit more grown up. Also, Elsie's brother is mentioned, but little else about Elsie, yet she's a black servant with a white family. She works for them but eats at the table because she's family, and they talk to her as if she's family, and it mentioned early on she wasn't paid, so why does she stay, where does she sleep, is she family or servant and what does Elsie believe she is? Everyone else I pretty much like, oh, except I spot the bad guy a mile away. I think if the author could have used the love triangle a bit more to make you wonder which man was the real Slim Shady and the other an imposter, I would have liked it more.
As for plot issues, we don't get a resolution on who the people in the beginning were, how they got all the gold, why Charles thought it was his, who had the initial 'M' and a few other details. The original people in the prologue die so close to Red Rock, didn't anyone know them? I thought it was stupid for the Hunter family to show up in a carriage that someone else owned, wear their clothes and sell their stuff, and no one recognized it, save for the bad guy. If they weren't from Red Rock, maybe a little more info on where they came from would have helped. I also wish more info on Charles would have been given. Charles either knew them or stole from them, as he had the pocket watch with the 'M' engraved on it, and the stuff the Hunters found had 'M' engraved or embroidered on it. Same goes for James, the hero, more info would be nice. Also, And when they get back to town after the final showdown, what do the townspeople think of Pa Hunter and his family, knowing they stole the gold from the dead people and weren't who they really said they were. An epilogue would help, or at least the hint of a book two, if there is one.
All things considered, I read this during a slump in my reading. I've had a hard time finding something to keep my interest or that I didn't want to throw against the wall. It says a lot to me that this one did keep me entertained in my current predicament. It is not the best thing I've ever read, but I definitely think it's a whole lot better than 99% of the self published junk out there, and I hope Ms. Patterson continues on.
May 23, 2012
I was excited to read a western romance book because I love a good western! In Red Rock I was expecting to find a sweet romance story. Instead I found a story full of love for family and a young girl who is trying to figure out what she wants and what love really is. I enjoyed the overall theme of the story, but I had most of the plot figured out. I like some surprises, so that was a bit of a disappointment. However, I loved the relationship between Rachel and her mother and her father. They are a close-knit family who love each other deeply and I appreciated their bond with each other. I felt disappointed with the lack of character development with Elsie, a servant who came with the Hunter family when they moved. I felt that her character was developed on the surface.
In a western I definitely expect there to be fist fights and gun fights. The action is a great element to this genre of books. I wasn't expecting the descriptive violence from some of the altercations and fights in the book. It was more descriptive than I like to read. I also had questions that were unanswered when the book ended. I thought they may have been answered during the course of the book, but they weren't. Perhaps the author did not find them pertinent to the story, but I am still wondering. There are a little more than a handful of cuss words in the book. Overall, Red Rock is a nice read for those who like westerns with romance and a little mystery.
I received this book for free. This is my honest review.
In a western I definitely expect there to be fist fights and gun fights. The action is a great element to this genre of books. I wasn't expecting the descriptive violence from some of the altercations and fights in the book. It was more descriptive than I like to read. I also had questions that were unanswered when the book ended. I thought they may have been answered during the course of the book, but they weren't. Perhaps the author did not find them pertinent to the story, but I am still wondering. There are a little more than a handful of cuss words in the book. Overall, Red Rock is a nice read for those who like westerns with romance and a little mystery.
I received this book for free. This is my honest review.
November 24, 2011
In all honesty, I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book. I was extremely intrigued by the plot summary but I haven’t really read any Westerns so I thought that if there was ever a place to start, this book would be the one to do it with! And, I was quite happily surprised when I was right in thinking this. This is a book that keeps you captured from beginning to end and even leaves you hanging and simply wanting to read more. It was such a pleasantry to be able to finish the book and while all ends are tied off, it still leaves you wishing that you could continue on with the story and so, when I finished it and felt a little at a loss, I knew that this book was a good one.
While it was a good book with a decent storyline that captivated me and kept me going, it still felt there was something missing to the book. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was but it didn’t stir in me the same feelings that some other books have but then, not every book can, can it? This could always be down to the fact that I am simply unfamiliar with the Western genre and so felt a little out of place a few times when things were being described that I couldn’t quite picture in my mind. However, despite this, it is still a book that I would recommend to others because even without this prior knowledge of the wild west, it is easy to carry on reading. The setting of the story, in other words, is not central to understanding and enjoying this novel.
The characters within this book are all so interesting and different. The main protagonist, Rachel Hunter is extremely easy to sympathise with and while, at times, you want to point her in the direction of the true man she desires, you know that as a young seventeen year old, she will always fall for the wrong person before she can ever fall for the right one. James Thompson is admiring and one of those guys that you can easily fall for and makes you envious that you don’t have a guy like him in your own life. Or at least, I felt that way! He’s well-rounded and someone you simply crave for yourself. The ‘villain’ in this novel is so well-written and interesting and you can really follow his motivations. It is also so nice to be able to understand and know why people are acting in such a horrible way instead of just for a reason that ‘they are’.
The genre of this book wasn’t just a ‘Western’ however as it was definitely a romance novel as well. Right from the start the main character is ‘whisked’ off of her feet by a lovely gentlemen but having never dated before, she turns down his offer and feels that he is ‘trying to hard’. This relationship is one of the best things about the novel and it is one of the main reasons that you continue reading because you like to see what he will try next to try and make her fall for him. It also gets interesting when another guy is pulled into the mix. The romance in this novel is so completely heart-warming that it leaves you asking yourself whether there are any men in the world that would treat a lady this way. It is just that little something else that makes this book special.
This is a wonderful book that flows well and really pulls the reader in causing them to want to read on and on and to find out more about the adventurous lives of the characters. While it has moments that drag on as you know what is coming around the corner, it deals with them so imaginatively and creatively then sometimes it does seem to be worth the wait. This is a romantic YA fiction that does everything it sets out to do and is definitely worth a read.
While it was a good book with a decent storyline that captivated me and kept me going, it still felt there was something missing to the book. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was but it didn’t stir in me the same feelings that some other books have but then, not every book can, can it? This could always be down to the fact that I am simply unfamiliar with the Western genre and so felt a little out of place a few times when things were being described that I couldn’t quite picture in my mind. However, despite this, it is still a book that I would recommend to others because even without this prior knowledge of the wild west, it is easy to carry on reading. The setting of the story, in other words, is not central to understanding and enjoying this novel.
The characters within this book are all so interesting and different. The main protagonist, Rachel Hunter is extremely easy to sympathise with and while, at times, you want to point her in the direction of the true man she desires, you know that as a young seventeen year old, she will always fall for the wrong person before she can ever fall for the right one. James Thompson is admiring and one of those guys that you can easily fall for and makes you envious that you don’t have a guy like him in your own life. Or at least, I felt that way! He’s well-rounded and someone you simply crave for yourself. The ‘villain’ in this novel is so well-written and interesting and you can really follow his motivations. It is also so nice to be able to understand and know why people are acting in such a horrible way instead of just for a reason that ‘they are’.
The genre of this book wasn’t just a ‘Western’ however as it was definitely a romance novel as well. Right from the start the main character is ‘whisked’ off of her feet by a lovely gentlemen but having never dated before, she turns down his offer and feels that he is ‘trying to hard’. This relationship is one of the best things about the novel and it is one of the main reasons that you continue reading because you like to see what he will try next to try and make her fall for him. It also gets interesting when another guy is pulled into the mix. The romance in this novel is so completely heart-warming that it leaves you asking yourself whether there are any men in the world that would treat a lady this way. It is just that little something else that makes this book special.
This is a wonderful book that flows well and really pulls the reader in causing them to want to read on and on and to find out more about the adventurous lives of the characters. While it has moments that drag on as you know what is coming around the corner, it deals with them so imaginatively and creatively then sometimes it does seem to be worth the wait. This is a romantic YA fiction that does everything it sets out to do and is definitely worth a read.
May 13, 2012
Let me start by saying that I’ve never read a western, so I had no idea what to expect. Ordinarily I wouldn’t have picked up a book like Red Rock, but I came across it several times and the synopsis intrigued me.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Seventeen-year old Rachel Hunter and her family are forced to sell everything when her mother falls ill with what they believe is consumption. En route to find Doc Grant, a man they believe will be able to cure her; they come across an overturned carriage and find the occupants dead. Rachel finds a sack containing gold and a note, and the family believes its good fortune since they will now be able to pay for her mother’s medical treatment.
Upon arriving in Red Rock, Rachel and her family take over a General Store, and Rachel believes that things are starting to look up. She immediately meets James, the bank owner’s son, and he takes an instant liking to her. Rachel doesn’t exactly reciprocate the feelings initially. She fluctuates between being flattered by James attention and loathing his very presence.
Soon Rachel finds a second suitor, Charles, and that’s when things start to get interesting. She is instantly drawn to Charles, but James doesn’t trust him. Rachel writes off James’s warning as jealously.
As time passes strange and scary things start happening to Rachel and her family, and she knows that it has to do with the gold that they found on their way to Red Rock.
I was ambivalent towards Rachel as a main character, at first. In the beginning she seemed slightly childish, but I chalked that up to the fact that she’d never been courted by a boy and was therefore very inexperienced. Her dislike for James surprised me, since I didn’t really see how he was that much different from Charles, who she was infatuated with from their first meeting. As the book progressed though, and Rachel got a handle on her feelings, she matured and stopped being so naïve.
The mystery aspect was predictable, but there was a slight twist at the end, and I liked that as it unfolded no one was safe. I liked Rachel’s father. He was a sweet, caring man who really did want the best for his family, and was willing to do whatever it took. All I know about that period in history I learned from playing Oregon Trail, but I imagine that it was a very hard time to live in and Mr. Hunter tried to make the best of it. I liked that Rachel came to the realization on her own about Charles, and that she didn’t need to have it beaten over her head to see he was not all he seemed.
While the book was a bit slow at times, I read it in a couple of sittings and was anxious to get to the end because I really wanted to know what happened. I wish that there had been about ten more pages, just so I knew for sure that James and Mr. Hunter made it back to Red Rock safely – I like closure.
Red Rock was a fun and fast read with entertaining characters and an easy to follow plot. I look forward to reading more from Kimberly Patterson.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Seventeen-year old Rachel Hunter and her family are forced to sell everything when her mother falls ill with what they believe is consumption. En route to find Doc Grant, a man they believe will be able to cure her; they come across an overturned carriage and find the occupants dead. Rachel finds a sack containing gold and a note, and the family believes its good fortune since they will now be able to pay for her mother’s medical treatment.
Upon arriving in Red Rock, Rachel and her family take over a General Store, and Rachel believes that things are starting to look up. She immediately meets James, the bank owner’s son, and he takes an instant liking to her. Rachel doesn’t exactly reciprocate the feelings initially. She fluctuates between being flattered by James attention and loathing his very presence.
Soon Rachel finds a second suitor, Charles, and that’s when things start to get interesting. She is instantly drawn to Charles, but James doesn’t trust him. Rachel writes off James’s warning as jealously.
As time passes strange and scary things start happening to Rachel and her family, and she knows that it has to do with the gold that they found on their way to Red Rock.
I was ambivalent towards Rachel as a main character, at first. In the beginning she seemed slightly childish, but I chalked that up to the fact that she’d never been courted by a boy and was therefore very inexperienced. Her dislike for James surprised me, since I didn’t really see how he was that much different from Charles, who she was infatuated with from their first meeting. As the book progressed though, and Rachel got a handle on her feelings, she matured and stopped being so naïve.
The mystery aspect was predictable, but there was a slight twist at the end, and I liked that as it unfolded no one was safe. I liked Rachel’s father. He was a sweet, caring man who really did want the best for his family, and was willing to do whatever it took. All I know about that period in history I learned from playing Oregon Trail, but I imagine that it was a very hard time to live in and Mr. Hunter tried to make the best of it. I liked that Rachel came to the realization on her own about Charles, and that she didn’t need to have it beaten over her head to see he was not all he seemed.
While the book was a bit slow at times, I read it in a couple of sittings and was anxious to get to the end because I really wanted to know what happened. I wish that there had been about ten more pages, just so I knew for sure that James and Mr. Hunter made it back to Red Rock safely – I like closure.
Red Rock was a fun and fast read with entertaining characters and an easy to follow plot. I look forward to reading more from Kimberly Patterson.
September 2, 2016
After travelling for three weeks with her ailing mother, Red Rock for Rachel signifies a new life with hope and a fresh start. but things soon go awry as a chance finding makes her the target of a sinister plot
Since reading the summary, I was all pumped out to meet hot cowboys with agendas and devious plans, deceit and betrayal at every turn. Maybe I had much higher expectations that I should have had, but I really felt let down by the book.
The Good
For starters, I love the author's narrative style. It is simple, cohesive and fluent. It has a certain charm to it that I can't deny. The prologue really excited me, and I was like..this is gonna be good!
And then came the cowboys! They were everything I wanted, with the added benefit of them speaking in a southern twang in my head (I don't know if they should, but damn if it wasn't hot!.) Needless to say, I was swooning.
But that was probably when things started going downhill. I know I would have liked this book, really liked it, had not the summary promised me something greater.
Things which could have been better
For the major part of the book it was a high-school romance about boy-meets-girl. Boy likes girl, Girl misunderstands, slut comes into play and so on. I kept waiting for a mystery note or a scandalous letter to arrive. but it was only when I had completed over 60% that something happened. But by that time, I had lost interest.
Even then, the 'mystery' part started coming in such successive waves that it really couldn't build the suspense.
A book cannot have one part totally romance, and the other action. it has to be blend of these two, a perfect mix such that the reader gets both in successive doses that only serves to whet their appetites. The book, however, failed to deliver on that front.
Now, onto the characters...
Rachel...you naïve girl! Since the start, it was obvious Mr. Charles spelled T-R-O-U-B-L-E with a big blinking neon sign. And the way she cannot make up her mind is grating on my nerves.
Actually none of the character were particularly appealing. No one was consistent.
Is James a jerk or is he a softie? Is Rachel tough or naive? Is Mr. Hunter a good father or not. There are plenty of contradictions in each of the characters.
Conclusion
Red Rock had many good aspects, the author's narrative style being one of my favourites. But as far the other aspects of this story are concerned, I really could not get myself to like them.
Since reading the summary, I was all pumped out to meet hot cowboys with agendas and devious plans, deceit and betrayal at every turn. Maybe I had much higher expectations that I should have had, but I really felt let down by the book.
The Good
For starters, I love the author's narrative style. It is simple, cohesive and fluent. It has a certain charm to it that I can't deny. The prologue really excited me, and I was like..this is gonna be good!
And then came the cowboys! They were everything I wanted, with the added benefit of them speaking in a southern twang in my head (I don't know if they should, but damn if it wasn't hot!.) Needless to say, I was swooning.
But that was probably when things started going downhill. I know I would have liked this book, really liked it, had not the summary promised me something greater.
Things which could have been better
For the major part of the book it was a high-school romance about boy-meets-girl. Boy likes girl, Girl misunderstands, slut comes into play and so on. I kept waiting for a mystery note or a scandalous letter to arrive. but it was only when I had completed over 60% that something happened. But by that time, I had lost interest.
Even then, the 'mystery' part started coming in such successive waves that it really couldn't build the suspense.
A book cannot have one part totally romance, and the other action. it has to be blend of these two, a perfect mix such that the reader gets both in successive doses that only serves to whet their appetites. The book, however, failed to deliver on that front.
Now, onto the characters...
Rachel...you naïve girl! Since the start, it was obvious Mr. Charles spelled T-R-O-U-B-L-E with a big blinking neon sign. And the way she cannot make up her mind is grating on my nerves.
Actually none of the character were particularly appealing. No one was consistent.
Is James a jerk or is he a softie? Is Rachel tough or naive? Is Mr. Hunter a good father or not. There are plenty of contradictions in each of the characters.
Conclusion
Red Rock had many good aspects, the author's narrative style being one of my favourites. But as far the other aspects of this story are concerned, I really could not get myself to like them.
September 6, 2012
I enjoyed reading this book and found it to be a very quick read, I managed to finish it in a single day. I have to admit that I did get caught up in Rachel's story, albeit a tad predictable but sometimes I like that in a good book, and didn't want to put it down once I had gotten half way through. I don't read many western romances and after reading Red Rock, I think that maybe this is a genre that I should explore a little more.
We join Rachel on her covered wagon journey accompanied by her father, ailing mother and servant girl, leaving behind their home and everything they knew in the hopes that their destination, a new town some distance away and home to a renowned doctor, would bring a last-chance cure for Rachel's mother. Along the way, they chance upon an overturned carriage, a murdered couple and their unclaimed wealth. Good citizens as they are, Rachel and her father bury the strangers and swap their meager wagon and belongings for those of the deceased. (Sounds a little grim, yes, but considering what life was like in those days, I can understand the actions.) Starting a promising new life in their new town, all the while keeping their recent actions a secret from their townsfolk, Rachel is faced with two handsome devils, a saloon girl out to expose her secret and the everyday simperings of a hot tempered, stubborn, boy-crushing teenager. What pray tell shall happen? *gasp*
I thought Rachel's attitude and behavior changes after coming into money and trying to establish herself in a new town, was very realistic. At times she did act childish and made some pretty dumb choices but she was only 16, and the back-story seemed to imply that she had had a somewhat simple if not sheltered childhood.
I like that the author didn't have to go too in depth with each additional characters' back story. It all flowed really well and didn't seem to lose pace once the action really started picking up. My only peeve was in a couple places some phrases were written too repetitively.
We join Rachel on her covered wagon journey accompanied by her father, ailing mother and servant girl, leaving behind their home and everything they knew in the hopes that their destination, a new town some distance away and home to a renowned doctor, would bring a last-chance cure for Rachel's mother. Along the way, they chance upon an overturned carriage, a murdered couple and their unclaimed wealth. Good citizens as they are, Rachel and her father bury the strangers and swap their meager wagon and belongings for those of the deceased. (Sounds a little grim, yes, but considering what life was like in those days, I can understand the actions.) Starting a promising new life in their new town, all the while keeping their recent actions a secret from their townsfolk, Rachel is faced with two handsome devils, a saloon girl out to expose her secret and the everyday simperings of a hot tempered, stubborn, boy-crushing teenager. What pray tell shall happen? *gasp*
I thought Rachel's attitude and behavior changes after coming into money and trying to establish herself in a new town, was very realistic. At times she did act childish and made some pretty dumb choices but she was only 16, and the back-story seemed to imply that she had had a somewhat simple if not sheltered childhood.
I like that the author didn't have to go too in depth with each additional characters' back story. It all flowed really well and didn't seem to lose pace once the action really started picking up. My only peeve was in a couple places some phrases were written too repetitively.
October 24, 2011
I came to this book with an open mind, I'm not too familiar with this type of genre but i was surprised because this book pretty much grabbed my attention from the beginning. The storyline was well put together and rather gruesome at times, I really felt this was a 'Good Read'!
Racheal Hunter, along with her mother and father set off to a town called 'Red Rock' because her mother is slowly dying of an illness(that is unknown). On the way the Hunters' stumbles upon a family that has been murdered and left for dead, it seems like a robbery but nothing was stolen. But what they do find is a stash of money and a note. The Hunters' finally believe that their life is turning for the better, they can open the store that her mother and father dream of, and are able to get the help they need to get her mom back to health. The Hunters' try to keep the secret about the money from the people of Red Rock but what they don't know is that someone knows their secret and will do anything to get back what's theirs....
Pros: Attention grabbing, great romance, mysterious, great action, and a page turner.
Cons: Confusing at times, way to descriptive when it wasn't needed, and some parts dragged for too long.
If your willing to try something new i suggest you read Red Rock, its truly a new twist on YA/Western and will leave you wanting more till the end. -Not too sure if there will be a sequel for this one, I surely hope so :)
Racheal Hunter, along with her mother and father set off to a town called 'Red Rock' because her mother is slowly dying of an illness(that is unknown). On the way the Hunters' stumbles upon a family that has been murdered and left for dead, it seems like a robbery but nothing was stolen. But what they do find is a stash of money and a note. The Hunters' finally believe that their life is turning for the better, they can open the store that her mother and father dream of, and are able to get the help they need to get her mom back to health. The Hunters' try to keep the secret about the money from the people of Red Rock but what they don't know is that someone knows their secret and will do anything to get back what's theirs....
Pros: Attention grabbing, great romance, mysterious, great action, and a page turner.
Cons: Confusing at times, way to descriptive when it wasn't needed, and some parts dragged for too long.
If your willing to try something new i suggest you read Red Rock, its truly a new twist on YA/Western and will leave you wanting more till the end. -Not too sure if there will be a sequel for this one, I surely hope so :)
November 28, 2011
It’s the Wild West era. Everything moves at a slow pace. It is here that we read about a family traveling to a city for 3 weeks in a horse drawn carriage so they can see a famous doctor who will hopefully cure their ailing wife and mother.
Along the way, they come across a family that has been murdered. A member of the family leaves a note telling that if something happens to them, there is some gold and money in the carriage. The currency is found and the amount will help them to pay the doctor and start a new life.
Red Rock has many opportunities available to them. Their dream is to open a general store so they can make a better life for themselves.
Their daughter is 17 and has never been to a big city. She is mesmerized by the many buildings and the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
She also has not been ‘courted’ by any man. She has not had any man interested in her. Within a weeks' time, she finds 2 men interested in her. It does not occur to her that not all can be trustworthy or ‘gentlemanly’. This is where Rachel, the daughter, reminds me of Calamity Jane, since trouble seems to follow her. It is in these parts of the book that is quite amusing to me.
I did not know what to expect of a Western book since this is not my usual genre. I do read romance but haven’t tried a Western one. This is a pleasant one to start with.
May 25, 2012
The Hunter Family are looking for a new life in Red Rock as they travel to there from their previous home. Bill, Emma, Rachel, and Miss Elsie happen upon an overturned carriage with two men and a woman murdered. Rachel finds a burlap sack filled with money, gold nuggets, and a note from carriage owners. Billy and Emma decide to take the money, gold nuggets, trunks of clothes, and the carriage leaving covered wagon and the bodies buried behind. Emma is very sick which is why the Hunter Family left everything behind to seek the town of Red Rock's famous Doctor Grant. Billy and Rachel meet up with the banker Mr. Thompson about opening an account and purchasing the general store too. They also meet the banker's son James, who shows them around town. James is attracted to Rachel who feels brings the worst out of her when he's around. Rachel is only seventeen and hasn't had much experience with gentlemen callers. Rachel hopes that Doctor Grant can make her momma feel better. Then Rachel meets Mr. Charles Hartsy while working in the store and isinstantly smitten with him. Someone is trying to blackmail Rachel's family about the gold nuggets and money they found. Will Emma get better? Can Rachel trust James? What about Charles Hartsy? Who is blackmailing Rachel's family? Your answers await you in Red Rock.
May 11, 2012
I am going to tell you the truth, I didn't want to read this book. I thought it sounded interesting and someone told me that I need to read it, but the cover just kind of repelled me. I'm glad I decided to go ahead and read it anyway. It's not perfect, but it's very entertaining.
What I didn't love was that there were errors in editing or typos (in the Kindle Edition), they were minor so they weren't overly distracting. The other thing was the predictability of everything, I knew how this was going to end fairly early on, the plot twists weren't surprising, I just felt that it was about time we got there.
I did like the writing style, it's very easy to read, it flows really well. The characters were well-developed, we didn't seem to focus on things that weren't important to the story which is nice. It's been a long time since I've read a story set in the old west, but this didn't feel like the Clint Eastwood kind of old west. It was dangerous, but toned down for the young adult, girly, audience. I think this is worth the read, it reads so quickly and the story is enjoyable. It has romance, a little action, and a little mystery. Don't be apprehensive like I was, go ahead and give it a try!
What I didn't love was that there were errors in editing or typos (in the Kindle Edition), they were minor so they weren't overly distracting. The other thing was the predictability of everything, I knew how this was going to end fairly early on, the plot twists weren't surprising, I just felt that it was about time we got there.
I did like the writing style, it's very easy to read, it flows really well. The characters were well-developed, we didn't seem to focus on things that weren't important to the story which is nice. It's been a long time since I've read a story set in the old west, but this didn't feel like the Clint Eastwood kind of old west. It was dangerous, but toned down for the young adult, girly, audience. I think this is worth the read, it reads so quickly and the story is enjoyable. It has romance, a little action, and a little mystery. Don't be apprehensive like I was, go ahead and give it a try!
May 25, 2012
I normally don't read western romance novels, but after reading the description, I decided to give it a shot.
We follow the journey of Rachel Hunter and her family. They have been forced to sell just about everything and make the three week to Red Rock to hopefully find a cure for her mother's illness and a fresh start. Along their journey they stumble onto an overturned carriage, and a note about a secret compartment filled with gold. The family decides to keep it a secret.
Upon arriving in the town of Red Rock, the family finds that their dreams are coming true. The family has made friends with several people in the town and Rachel finds she has caught the attention of two men in town. But some of the townspeople are not what they seem.
Rachel's your typical teenager wanting the good looking man instead of the overconfident one. While she struggles to come to terms on what is going on with her family, she also discovers what and who is most important to her.
Kimberley Patterson's writing is very fluid, packed with action, and bits of romance too. I can't wait until her next book comes out!
We follow the journey of Rachel Hunter and her family. They have been forced to sell just about everything and make the three week to Red Rock to hopefully find a cure for her mother's illness and a fresh start. Along their journey they stumble onto an overturned carriage, and a note about a secret compartment filled with gold. The family decides to keep it a secret.
Upon arriving in the town of Red Rock, the family finds that their dreams are coming true. The family has made friends with several people in the town and Rachel finds she has caught the attention of two men in town. But some of the townspeople are not what they seem.
Rachel's your typical teenager wanting the good looking man instead of the overconfident one. While she struggles to come to terms on what is going on with her family, she also discovers what and who is most important to her.
Kimberley Patterson's writing is very fluid, packed with action, and bits of romance too. I can't wait until her next book comes out!
April 12, 2012
I think what I liked most about this book was how very typical a teen Rachel is. By that I mean she was young, innocent, and inexperienced, which meant she was more likely to fall for the pretty face than the guy she butted heads with - even if the pretty face wasn't the best choice. Patterson didn't make the obvious choice for her heroine, but the realistic one. And yeah, as a reader, we all knew who she should pick, but I like that we were taken on the journey as she discovered it for herself.
Patterson gives all of her characters full life, and love them or hate them, you can't call them one dimensional. It was interesting watching from Rachel's POV how they dealt with the guilt of their sudden fortune, and acclimating to life in a new town with two suitors, where she's never had even one.
Lovers of romance, lovers of westerns, lovers of mysteries will all be equally pleased with the storyline presented in Red Rock. I recommend you give this one a try.
Patterson gives all of her characters full life, and love them or hate them, you can't call them one dimensional. It was interesting watching from Rachel's POV how they dealt with the guilt of their sudden fortune, and acclimating to life in a new town with two suitors, where she's never had even one.
Lovers of romance, lovers of westerns, lovers of mysteries will all be equally pleased with the storyline presented in Red Rock. I recommend you give this one a try.
May 25, 2012
I have never read a western romance before so was eager to give this a try. I liked the narrative style and lost myself in the town of Red Rock. I loved the attention to detail, and the consistency of the dialogue kept me wrapped in the story world. The story was good but it was really slow going for me. I wasn't really convinced by Rachel's desire to push Jamie away. I know she had a preconceived idea about the kind of man that she would marry, but her treatment of him seemed a little harsh at times.
This is a well written book, and if you fancy a little romance set in the wild west then this is the book for you.
This is a well written book, and if you fancy a little romance set in the wild west then this is the book for you.
November 2, 2017
Red Rock is exactly what it promotes itself to be and much more. Think Lonesome Dove meets Young Guns meets Little House on the Prairie and you'd wind up somewhere in Patterson's world. The author's attention to details help bring this western romance to life. It is epic and real and an enjoyable read, I finished it in one afternoon, unable to put it down. Though at times the events seem predictable or abrupt, it was a lovely uniquely modern re-imagining of this neglected genre. Hope we see more of Patterson's lively, quick-paced and compelling storytelling!
December 2, 2011
Thank you for the book I won through the Goodreads giveaways. This is a light romance set in the old west. A teenage girl moves to town with her parents and experiences tragedy, triumph and romance. The characters are likeable and the story moves along nicely.
August 26, 2012
I haven't read a western novel before so that was nice change. It's a fun read. Thanks to Kimberley Patterson for the opportunity.
December 20, 2011
The Run Down: Rachel's family are traveling across Arizona to a new town called Red Rock and a new life. Her mother is dying of what the doctors assume is consumption. Rachel, her parents, and their servant Elsie are traveling toward the town in hopes that a highly esteemed doctor will be able to save her mother from certain death. Along the way they come across what today would be considered a crime scene. An abadoned carriage surrounded by dead bodies leads the family to discover a fortune in money and gold. Deciding to take the gold and most of the dead family's possessions, Rachel and her family continue on to Red Rock, with the hopes that the newly found money will mean an even greater life for them. But the people who had killed the first family have other ideas, and don't plan to stop until they've gotten their money back. In the midst of all of the danger and mystery surrounding Rachel and her family, she is relentlessly pursued by two men who seem willing to do just about anything to have her. Will Rachel choose James, who is infuriatingly annoying but relentless in his pursuit? Or will she choose the perfect golden-boy Charles, who oozes charm and personality?
What I liked about this book: I liked this book for its gritty details pertaining to live in the Wild West. Even though this is a young adult book, Ms Patterson does not skimp on all the bloody action you would expect from a Western. Complete with gunfights, this book is never short on moments that leave you on the edge of your seat.
I also really liked James. He was my favorite character by far as he seemed to have more substance than most of the others. Almost every word out of his mouth was humorous, and I particularly enjoyed the way he baited and tormented Rachel as if they were two kids on the playground. When it comes to the love triangle element in this book, I was rooting for him all the way.
I also liked the way the book started. There is action right out of the gate, as we are shown what happens to the first family in possession of the money and the gold. Foreshadowing perhaps? Full of action and suspense, the very first few pages set the tone for the rest of the book nicely
What I didn't like about this book: I'm sorry to say that I was not always fond of Rachel. I had to keep reminding myself that she is only 17, otherwise I would have been tempted to throw my Kindle across the room. She is extremely juvenile and vain to point of being annoying, mostly for the first half of the book. I particularly hated the way she treated James. If I were him I'd have dumped her like a bad habit. Her reaction to him was confusing as well as infuriating. One minute she is going on about how much she doesn't want him, and the next she is using another man to make him jealous and becoming jealous when she sees him with other women. When she interrupts him on a dinner date, the very same dinner date for which she turned him down, I just about gave up on the heroine. Luckily, she started to mellow out toward the end and I was able to like her just a bit more.
Another problem I had with this book was the character Charles. I was excited about the idea of a love triangle going into this book, but was disappointed to find that Charles was a pretty flat character. I was immediately suspicious of him as he was a little TOO perfect and too good to be true. When it become clear that Charles was up to no good I was not surprised, and from then on it became pretty obvious who Rachel would end up with. When it comes to a love triangle, I prefer a little bit more push and pull; I like to be left wondering for a while who the heroine will choose.
One other thing about this book is that the beginning sort of drags. It seems to me that it takes forever to get to the good stuff, and you're almost halfway through before things really start moving. Once I passed about 55% I was gripped and couldn't put it down. However, I feel the second half of the book totally makes up for the slow beginning. When Rachel is kidnapped by villian who will not stop until he gets his his money back, the story reaces a very thrilling climax and soars to a great finish.
Let's talk about love scenes: For the most part this book is limited to kisses and a bit of innocent touching. Since this is YA, of course I was not expecting much on that front. I liked that Rachel and James had chemistry in physical attraction, even though they were constantly bickering. There is one very sweet scene that starts with a kiss and ends with James lowering the strap of Rachel's nightgown over her shoulder. From there we flash forward to where the two are lying in bed and left to draw our own conclusions. It is hinted that something, just not IT, happened in that bed. You get to make up your own mind about just what it is.
Overall: This book was an enjoyable read. There were things I liked and things I didn't like, but I will say that I would read more from Kimberly Patterson. I have not read a Western in a long time, but after reading this one I am beginning to remember what I used to love about them.
June 17, 2012
A family (father, mother, teenage daughter, and servant) in a wagon moves west so that the mother can consult and be healed by a famous doctor there. Along the way they come across an overturned carriage, its murdered occupants – a young husband and wife - and a cache of gold. They bury the bodies and take the gold, carriage and clothing to supplement their belongings and continue on their way to the next town and final destination – Red Rock.
Once there, the family gets the mother to the doctor to begin treatment, makes themselves and their intentions of settling in Red Rock known to the banker and his son, and purchases the only (and currently abandoned) mercantile in town. The story then revolves around the relationship with the daughter and the banker’s son, getting the mother well, establishing a successful business, and trying to survive the actions of the young couple’s murderer who is looking for the gold.
This was not my cup of tea. I thought the main character, the daughter, acted mature for the most part and then would lapse uncharacteristically into the most immature actions and dialogues or unrealistic actions. I just didn’t believe that this character would do or say the things described. I didn’t feel the other characters were well developed. We never find out who the young couple was or their story. Perspective is first person for the most part but does switch at times.
I didn’t get a good understanding of the setting either. Characters walked or rode for hours all over the place but I never got a sense of where anything was. However, the author had some very nice passages regarding horses. She beautifully described their movements with an exceptional eye to detail. This same attention was given to how people moved and positioned as well.
Once there, the family gets the mother to the doctor to begin treatment, makes themselves and their intentions of settling in Red Rock known to the banker and his son, and purchases the only (and currently abandoned) mercantile in town. The story then revolves around the relationship with the daughter and the banker’s son, getting the mother well, establishing a successful business, and trying to survive the actions of the young couple’s murderer who is looking for the gold.
This was not my cup of tea. I thought the main character, the daughter, acted mature for the most part and then would lapse uncharacteristically into the most immature actions and dialogues or unrealistic actions. I just didn’t believe that this character would do or say the things described. I didn’t feel the other characters were well developed. We never find out who the young couple was or their story. Perspective is first person for the most part but does switch at times.
I didn’t get a good understanding of the setting either. Characters walked or rode for hours all over the place but I never got a sense of where anything was. However, the author had some very nice passages regarding horses. She beautifully described their movements with an exceptional eye to detail. This same attention was given to how people moved and positioned as well.
May 15, 2012
It was a quick read, which means I must have been enjoying it somewhat or that it was well enough written for it to be so.
*If you haven't read this book there are a few spoilers.
I didn't enjoy the main character Rachael, mostly because I found her immature and annoying. I kept wondering how either James or Charles could possibly be interested in her and assumed that she must be extremely pretty because she had the personality of a rock.
It did drag a bit and had a few over described parts. And the ending I really didn't like. I was disappointed that so many people died. And surprised that so many would go to rescue Rachael when her family had taken gold, money, a carriage etc that didn't belong to them. I guess I found that unbelievable. And made the ending hard to swallow. The very last couple of pages seemed ridiculous to me that they'd be flirting and talking about how much they loved each other when her father and the man she loved were bleeding to death. I know I'd be frantic to save them, not be jibber jabbering and smooching. Because of that I gave it 3 stars.
It wasn't terrible, it was interesting, and quick to read. I had hope but in the end was a little disappointed.
I'd still say it was worth reading. If you like western romances I'd say why not...
*If you haven't read this book there are a few spoilers.
I didn't enjoy the main character Rachael, mostly because I found her immature and annoying. I kept wondering how either James or Charles could possibly be interested in her and assumed that she must be extremely pretty because she had the personality of a rock.
It did drag a bit and had a few over described parts. And the ending I really didn't like. I was disappointed that so many people died. And surprised that so many would go to rescue Rachael when her family had taken gold, money, a carriage etc that didn't belong to them. I guess I found that unbelievable. And made the ending hard to swallow. The very last couple of pages seemed ridiculous to me that they'd be flirting and talking about how much they loved each other when her father and the man she loved were bleeding to death. I know I'd be frantic to save them, not be jibber jabbering and smooching. Because of that I gave it 3 stars.
It wasn't terrible, it was interesting, and quick to read. I had hope but in the end was a little disappointed.
I'd still say it was worth reading. If you like western romances I'd say why not...
August 29, 2013
This book started out pretty well. It got exciting. Then it did not seem to be going anywhere and I got a bit bored. Then it became all too predictable. I could see the plot coming a mile away.
There were a couple of surprises near the end. But the good guys seemed to be awfully stupid. I had several good suggestions for them but they did not take any of them.
I thought the end could have been more satisfying and a little more explanation about WHY this all happened would have gone a long way to improve the story.
Overall, it is a pleasant story with just a little graphic violence.
There were a couple of surprises near the end. But the good guys seemed to be awfully stupid. I had several good suggestions for them but they did not take any of them.
I thought the end could have been more satisfying and a little more explanation about WHY this all happened would have gone a long way to improve the story.
Overall, it is a pleasant story with just a little graphic violence.
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