👶👶👶 The Last Woman Standing, by Thelma Adams

I thought I would absolutely love this novel, having lived much of my life only an hour from Tombstone. Additionally, our visit this summer to this old mine town, added to my high expectations. So, although this was an enjoyable story, it left a little something to be desired.

It seemed, to me, to be more of a romance novel, under the guise of historical fiction. Josephine was portrayed as an innocent, yet feisty, young lady, discovering her sensual side rather quickly in this one-horse town. The relationship between Wyatt and Josephine was not nearly cultivated enough to ring true. It seemed far-fetched that so few insignificant encounters led to a romance that would stand the test of time. In addition, the expressions used were a bit too modern for this time-frame, and seemed more Harlequin Romance than Western Fiction, as evidenced in the introductory paragraph.

Having said all of that, who doesn’t love a good story set in the Old West? The characters were certainly colorful, and the backdrop was enchanting. Told from the viewpoint of Josephine Marcus, the story took on a unique feminine flavor, and had me intrigued at the beginning. The issue was maintaining that intrigue, which was, unfortunately, a bit fleeting.

Read 10/9/16