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My Calamity Jane

(The Lady Janies #3)

Cynthia Hand (Goodreads Author),

Brodi Ashton (Goodreads Author),

Jodi Meadows (Goodreads Author)

3.64 · Rating details · 3,497 ratings · 912 reviews

Welcome to 1876 and a rootin’-tootin’ America bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou.

JANE (a genuine hero-eene)

Calamity’s her name, and garou hunting’s her game—when she’s not starring in Wild Bill’s Traveling Show, that is. She reckons that if a girl wants to be a legend, she should just go ahead and be one.

FRANK (*wolf whistle*)
Frank “the Pistol Prince” Butler is ...more

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Hardcover, 544 pages

Published June 2nd 2020 by HarperTeen

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Community Reviews

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Average rating 3.64 ·

Rating details

· 3,497 ratings · 912 reviews

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Jan 04, 2018 Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2020-releases

I’m not into westerns or anything so I think this one wasn’t for me. It was a lot of fun and made me laugh out loud multiple times like the other 2 books, but I was just kind of bored a lot of the time. It wasn’t bad but definitely my least favourite of the series. Looking forward to the next ones though!

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Jul 28, 2016 Cynthia Hand rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Shelves: books-i-kinda-like-because-i-wrote

August 2018--Just finished a first draft! Hooray!

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Jul 02, 2020 Arini ~ Miss Casually Reading rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.75 Stars

What a hairy adventure of The Wild West proportions!

I LOVE Westerns. My knowledge of this particular period and its historical figures is limited. I probably messed up a few related terms. Regardless, I’ve always been captivated by cowboy culture and country music. My Calamity Jane gave me a slice of that awesomeness.

I didn’t get the 1876 rootin’-tootin’ America references scattered throughout this book, but it didn’t hamper my enjoyment. I wasn’t enthusiastic when I found out the stor ...more

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Jun 12, 2020 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical, hardback-own, young-adult, own

This was better than I thought. I assumed it was all about killing werewolves, which I’m against as I want to be one, but I was wrong 😉

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 ...more

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Feb 13, 2018 hillary ☾ rated it did not like it

Shelves: historical-fiction

DNF 32% | 29/06/2020

So let me tell you what’s wrong with this book.

It’s so boring and unfunny not even the audiobook works for me. Literally nothing is happening one third in and I’m not going to wait till more than halfway through like I did with My Plain Jane only to discover there will never be a plot.
I didn’t laugh once, I only rolled my eyes multiple times at how ridiculous the writing and the characters are.

At the point I reached there’s no plot alongside the romances. If I wanted to read ...more

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Aug 08, 2016 Wendy Darling marked it as to-read

Shelves: pioneer, retellings-and-inspirations, historical-fiction, 1800s, young-adult, harpercollins, western-ish, 2020-publication

Annnnd now I have a "2020 publication" shelf. o.O ...more

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Dec 15, 2016 Tweebs♥️ marked it as to-read

Shelves: me-wants-me-needs

WHAT IS THIS ???

A SEQUEL TO MY LADY JANE???

AND IT COMES OUT IN 2020???

THAT'S LITERALLY IN 3 YEARS!!

I

D
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T

A
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C
E
P
T

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BUT I'M SO HAPPY THAT I CAN OVERLOOK THIS LONG ASS WAIT.

Who am I kidding ?? How does one wait for this? ...more

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Apr 24, 2017 Wren (fablesandwren) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: physical-shelf, 05-stars

The cover was not orange and green, but I’m still really happy with this book! Western, our Lady Janies’ humor, talking dogs, were-umm, garous, and loads of history to be straightened out! Absolutely outstanding!

- - -

I'm calling this cover to be orange and green. If it's not, the rainbow will not be complete and I'll be sad.

- - -

THIS IS AMAZING OMGSH I CAN JUST NOT WAIT.

*lowkey singing the songs from the musical*

...more

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Jun 26, 2020 Drewthereader20 rated it really liked it

Shelves: own-books, pre-orders, ebooks, audiobook, contemporary, new-releases, tbr-shelf, 2020-reads, hardcover

This was a really good sequel! I'm sad that this is over but Ik we will have more from these three lovley authors. RTC...
1) My lady jane 4/5 stars
2) My plain jane 5/5 stars
3) My calamity jane 4/5 stars ...more

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May 08, 2020 Lacey rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, historical-fiction, fantasy-paranormal, young-adult, romance, retellings

3.5 stars

Full disclosure: I don't like westerns. I don't watch them, and I don't read them (which is surprising considering how much I like drinking, poker, and shows/movies with guns). The only reason I even read this book was that I just happened to get my hands on an advance copy, which in hindsight is a bit unfair considering some people have been waiting for this book to come out for a couple of years. Hell, before I read this book, I couldn't have told you who Annie Oakley was or what she ...more

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Jul 28, 2016 Cindy ✩☽♔ marked it as to-read

10/10/19
I love the cover and the synopsis has me pumped!

Give me this book ASAP

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Jul 27, 2020 Rachel Kathryn Wright rated it it was amazing

With this book I only had two problems with it. One is that the pacing towards the end would often switch from everything happening all at once and then nothing happening. The other problem I had was that one of the MC’s Annie, I felt her character growth should have been shown more. I also didn’t like how the authors made her the most skilled person in the group when she had a lot of growing to do. And I just find it annoying in books and movies that when a new person joins a group they are the ...more

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Jun 18, 2020 Panda Incognito rated it it was ok

Shelves: lgbt, read-in-2020, historical-fiction, young-adult, adoption-and-foster-care

I enjoyed the first half of this book, because even though I didn't find it as funny as the previous two entries in the series, I liked Frank and Annie Oakley. I also enjoyed the amusing asides from the coauthors, and the absolutely ridiculous anachronisms that they put in on purpose. There are so many delightfully silly elements to this book, including a conversation with a dog where the dog starts quoting lines directly from Pixar's Up. (Some characters have the ability to talk to dogs for rea I enjoyed the first half of this book, because even though I didn't find it as funny as the previous two entries in the series, I liked Frank and Annie Oakley. I also enjoyed the amusing asides from the coauthors, and the absolutely ridiculous anachronisms that they put in on purpose. There are so many delightfully silly elements to this book, including a conversation with a dog where the dog starts quoting lines directly from Pixar's Up. (Some characters have the ability to talk to dogs for reasons that are explained as part of the plot.) I laughed a lot, and even though Westerns aren't my style and I don't usually go for werewolf stories, I enjoyed this absurdly silly reinterpretation of the past.

However, even though I enjoyed this book's humor and off-the-wall elements, the plot itself kept getting nuttier and nuttier. It wasn't even internally consistent sometimes, and I eventually reached the point where it would be physically and emotionally painful for me to even try to suspend disbelief. I gave up and rapidly skimmed through the last third of this convoluted melodrama, and I was glad to get to the end and return my ebook to the library. Hopefully the person who gets it next will enjoy it more than I did.

I waited years for this last book in the trilogy to release, and I wish that I could have ended on a better note, but this book fell apart a little over halfway through. I predicted several big plot twists, got tired of the sheer number of people who were secretly werewolves, and struggled with how frequently the authors derailed the story to share their didactic thoughts about issues like gun violence, Native American issues, Calamity Jane's (entirely invented) lesbian romance, and tolerance. Perhaps these asides were simply for liability, to keep people from trashing them on Twitter, but the book would have been a lot more powerful if the characters could have spoken for themselves.

For example, in one scene, before Annie even has the opportunity to process or respond to the injustices that a Native American is describing to her, the authors have already jumped in to share their thoughts on the issue. This makes her eventual response and concern for justice much less powerful, and since it clearly wasn't necessary for them to clarify anything or distinguish the character's thoughts from their own, I wished they would have just let Annie speak.

I got really frustrated with instances like this, and as the book got more and more unbearably absurd, it also revealed itself to be yet another thinly veiled parable about tolerance. I'm all for books having important thematic messages, but it's like this entire story just existed to celebrate how woke the authors are. It was incredibly tiresome, and this turned into less of a silly romp and more of a PSA broadcast. I tuned in for a laugh-out-loud, historically inaccurate adventure, not "Tolerance with Werewolves: Social Justice 101," but that was what I got.

So, yeah, I did not like this. It reads like the authors had a deal for a third book, didn't know what to write, made it up in a game of writing-telephone, and passed it off to their publisher without a second glance. I know that's not the case, but this is so poorly developed and preachy, and falls apart so thoroughly in the build-up to the climax, that I cannot ever recommend this book. I did like this fictional version of Annie Oakley tremendously, and liked Frank a lot too, so I can't say that I regret reading it, but I will always sigh over this book as a deep disappointment. ...more

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May 01, 2020 Meagan ✊🏼 Blacklivesmatter ✊🏼Blacktranslivesmatter marked it as to-read

Can't wait for this! I hope this isn't the last one and they continue the series 😝 ...more

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Dec 15, 2020 Alexa rated it really liked it

Shelves: listened-on-audio, flights-of-fantasy-2020, read-in-2020

That was a lot of fun! I definitely enjoyed reading another spin on a famous Jane (this time, Miss Calamity Jane herself) written by the Lady Janies. Must admit to not being as familiar with her story (or Frank Butler or Annie Oakley), so everything felt really new and interesting. Definitely laughed a lot and had fun spotting pop culture references along the way!

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Jun 06, 2020 Diana added it

Shelves: dnfed

I loved "My Lady Jane". Funny, irreverent. Amazing story and characters.

"My plain Jane" bored me to no end. I didn't DNF it because of how much I loved the first one, and because I kept thinking that maybe I wasn't on the right frame of mind for the story.

So "My Calamity Jane" was supposed to be my tie breaker: if I did enjoy it I wouls continue with the series. If not, I would assume "My Lady Jane" was a fluke and keep thst one as a lovely unique book.
I DNF'ed at page 80. I didn't like the nar ...more

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Oct 10, 2019 Christy added it

YALL WE HAVE A COVER. Check out all the details and preorder here!

...more

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Jun 26, 2020 Karen’s Library rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal, historical-fiction

The Lady Janies deliver once again as they mess with history to give us a happy ending to the Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley, Frank Butler, and Wild Bill Hickok stories.

This was a fun, rollicking tale of the Wild West and Deadwood, and werewolves. (Werewolves?!) Yes werewolves, dear reader.

I really enjoyed book 3 in their Janey series and can’t wait to see what they do with the Marys!

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Aug 20, 2020 Sahitya rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-and-scifi, romance-and-or-relationships, young-adult, 4-star, lgbtqiap, 2020-read, historical-fiction, suspence-mystery-crime-thriller

I had such a fun time with the previous two books in this series that I’ve been quite eager for this one to release, even though I know nothing about the historical figures this story is based on. And while I did have access to the audiobook, I kept putting it off without even realizing that it was perfect for one of my readathon prompts. Glad I finally figured that out in time, because this book couldn’t have been read at a better time.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about this I had such a fun time with the previous two books in this series that I’ve been quite eager for this one to release, even though I know nothing about the historical figures this story is based on. And while I did have access to the audiobook, I kept putting it off without even realizing that it was perfect for one of my readathon prompts. Glad I finally figured that out in time, because this book couldn’t have been read at a better time.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about this series is “pure fun”. And at a time when I need some lightheartedness in my life, this was a delight to listen to. The plot is wacky, but I’m assuming atleast some parts of it are based on real incidents involving the characters during the 19th century. And as always, I thoroughly enjoyed the authors breaking the fourth wall to engage with us readers directly. I’ve really found it to be such an interesting way to satirize the story. And I can’t not mention how effectively the authors include some current pop culture stuff in, and one of those Marie Kondo moments really made me giggle endlessly.

I think the humor of the story really comes through in the audiobook. The narrator Sophie Amoss is hilarious and her different tones and accents are pitch perfect, bringing so much life to this story. And however wild a story about the Wild West, gunslingers and werewolves might seem, there was unbelievable depth and emotion here which I really appreciated. The pace was steady throughout, never letting us get bored and I really found it hard to put down.

The characters are a very enjoyable bunch and I found it so easy to get invested in their lives. Jane loves living life on her own terms and has come a long way from the tragedies of her childhood, but sometimes the sadness still lingers and she gets to explore it more when her life takes an unexpected turn. Annie wants to support her family, but her idea to do that is to be impulsive and go on an adventure - she really talks too much but I was awed by her supreme confidence in her abilities and never backing down in the face of unfavorable odds. Frank is the third of their trio, a kind and compassionate young man who loves his show business, his adorable dog George and his whole family. And the leader of this group is Bill, the popular gunslinger and a father figure to all of them - I never thought I would fall in love with a typical old gun toting hero of a western.

We also have an ensemble of side characters, some good and some bad, some mysterious and others just going along with the flow. Amongst all this are some adorable romances, beautiful friendships, necessary second chances, and so many heartfelt moments. And I loved that we have an amazing sapphic couple who are just adorable. And the epilogue with everybody was just perfect.

It’s easy to dismiss this series as just fun, which it unmistakably is - but it also explores so many important and relevant themes. Found family always has a special place in my heart and the bonds that the characters form with each other in this are beautiful and it emphasizes that sharing blood doesn’t make one a family, choosing to love, support and respect one another does. Another major point I felt this book was trying to make was about stereotypes - how harmful it can be if you stereotype/discriminate a whole group of people based on just the actions of a few instead of giving every person an equal chance to live their lives on their own terms and judge them based on their individual character.

And the last point was about the cult of personality; how a single person with enough power or charisma can harm scores of people, especially when they are supported by other folks who love the proximity to power; and how this personality cult can then be used to incite mobs, deny justice, and gaslight the ones who are trying to bring the truth to light - if all of this seems very similar, it’s because it’s the America we are currently living in.

In the end, I had such an amazing time listening to this audiobook. If you’ve already read the previous books in the series, then I hope you’ll continue with this as well. If you are new though, but would love to read a satirical series about historical figures with supernatural elements, and lot of hilarity and hijinks - then this is perfect for you. And do give the audiobooks a try because they really bring out the laughs.
...more

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Jun 17, 2020 Caidyn (he/him/his) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult-fiction, alternate-universes, queer-reads, humor

CW: parental death, prejudice against a group of people, and mentions of treatment of Native Americans per the time

If this is the last book in the Janies series, I will riot. I need more of the historical fiction alternative universes that these writers create! They are always such fun and full of pop culture nods and anything else.

Unlike the past two books, I didn't know anything about Calamity Jane and just the era in general. I was worried that I wouldn't get into this one as much, but I shou ...more

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Jul 08, 2020 Andrea rated it it was ok

Shelves: humor, young-adult, paranormal, historical-fiction

Ok. So. This is awkward.

I absolutely love the first book in the series, it was one of the funniest things ever. But then, the rest of the series just couldn't live up to it for me.

I liked the concept. And the story. And the humor (all the asides and nods from the authors).

But I did find it a bit convenient and predictable most of the time, and I ended up skimming quite a bit. I also didn't feel the token diversity characters really fit in (view spoiler) ...more

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Sep 08, 2016 Tink Magoo is bad at reviews marked it as is-this-ever-coming-out

I am squealing like a pig over here. A remake of Calamity Jane you say?! That's my favourite film - well that and Goonies! ...more

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Jun 05, 2020 Fizah(Books tales by me) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-read

Actual Rating 3.5
I waited for 2 years for this book. From 5 to 3.5 stars, this series is going downhill for me. I don’t know if there’ll be more books in this series. I just want this series to end now.

I REALLY loved My Lady Jane, it was HILARIOUS. My Plain Jane had paranormal elements which are not my cup of tea, still, I ended up loving it.

My Calamity Jane’s story focuses on woofs/garou/werewolves. I am not much enthusiastic about them either, but interestingly I liked them in this book. I lov ...more

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Jun 03, 2020 Tiffany rated it it was ok

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 16, 2020 Elyse (ElyseReadsandSpeaks) rated it liked it

This was really cute and clever and I do like the incorporation of werewolves, but I just can't get into western anything no matter how hard I try so this was just 3 stars for me personally. DO NOT LET MY RATING TURN YOU AWAY. Seriously - if you're into westerns and you've enjoyed My Lady Jane and/or My Plain Jane, you'll probably love this one. I think this one had a better overall story than My Plain Jane and there were some narrator parts that I definitely giggled at. Of the three, My Lady Ja ...more

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Aug 05, 2020 Katie Hanna rated it liked it

Somehow, I didn't realize this book would be about werewolves. Either I didn't read the synopsis carefully enough, or ... *hides face* idk ...

I don't like werewolf stories, you see. I just don't like them. It's not that I object to "humans turning into animals" plotlines, I just don't enjoy the particular trappings of werewolf myths (the moon, bloodlust, thralldom, alpha wolves etc, etc, etc).

So even though the writing is just about as good as the previous book (My Plain Jane, which I ADORED), ...more

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Jun 12, 2020 Chelsea rated it it was ok

DNF (did not finish) @ 30%-ish due to disingenuous lesbian romance storyline

Slow beginning, but fairly ejoyable writing for the most part (up to where I read) and had some wit like the first book in the series, My Lady Jane (which I loved). This novel is an alternative history where Wild Bill, Calamity Jane, and Annie Oakley join forces to not only show off their shooting prowess, but to hunt werewolves on the sly.

However, I stopped reading due to the lesbian romance storyline of Calamity Jane. ...more

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Jul 21, 2020 Amy rated it it was ok

Shelves: what-might-have-been, needs-an-editor, paranormal-and-urban-fantasy, love-the-look, meh, western

I love Annie Oakley, the real-life person. And as my poor neighbors' eardrums can probably attest, I also love belting out the musical. So, what happens when you mix one of my childhood heroes (sorry, heroines) with WEREOLVES (my obsession last year) and one of my favorite series?

Nothing, apparently.

Or more specifically, you get months of me forcing myself through this book because I wanted to love it so badly. I even bought myself a copy when it came out. And now I'm wondering if maybe I shou ...more

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Jul 05, 2020 Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) rated it liked it

3.5 stars

In 1876, America was full of gunslingers, outlaws…. and werewolves.

Thankfully, there’s Wild Bill’s Traveling Show featuring Wild Bill Hickok and his adopted kids Calamity Jane and Frank Butler. They’re already legends in their own right, known for their quick draws, but what the general public doesn’t know is that they also hunt werewolves.

Annie Oakley arrives looking for a job, captures the heart of Frank, and is more than okay with hunting werewolves in her spare time.
When a hunt goes ...more

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Aug 07, 2018 sage elizabeth marked it as to-read

Shelves: 20-for-2020

1.) My Lady Jane ★★★★★
2.) My Plain Jane ★★★★★

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Challenge Corner: My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand -> Starting July 15th, 2020	6	2	Jul 23, 2020 03:39PM
Goodreads Librari...: Multiple Pages	2	15	Jul 11, 2020 08:29PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: My Calamity Jane (The Lady Janies #3) by Cynthia Hand, Brodie Ashton, & Jodi Meadows - Starting June 15th, 2020	13	21	Jun 20, 2020 12:26AM

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About Cynthia Hand

Cynthia Hand

9,433 followers

Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the UNEARTHLY trilogy, THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, MY LADY JANE, MY PLAIN JANE, and MY CALAMITY JANE (with fellow authors Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows), THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE, THE HOW AND THE WHY and the upcoming novels WITH YOU ALL THE WAY and MY CONTRARY MARY (also with Ashton and Meadows). Befo ...more