Reviews

Cowboys and Kisses by Karin Kallmaker

kittybd's review

adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

lezreadalot's review against another edition

4.0

The path to heaven trod by the holy was not for me, but in her arms I felt as if I could find another way there.

Lovely! This was so romantic and I ached for it. A historical f/f frontier romance with a main character (who we only know as Darlin') who was driven from her home at a young age and compelled into the only profession that would have her. Life as a prostitute is hard, but things start looking up when she meets two different women: a wandering cowboy and the devout sister-in-law of a preacher. They both bring different things into her life, teach her different lessons, show her that there are different paths possible for her. I loved the ways she and Connor bonded, and the legitimate joy she got from that. I equally loved Violet's sweetness and hesitancy, and how she unfailingly saw Darlin' for the person she is. The language in here was just beautiful; each relationship and the feelings they evoked for our protagonist were wonderfully expressed. I had my nit-picks here and there, but I really couldn't get over how lovely the writing was. There was squalor and pain in this little western town, but so much beauty and hope in the self-discovery. The only way I could have loved this more would be if it were poly. Lovely stuff; can't wait to read from Kallmaker again.

Content warnings:

Spoiler

discussion of rape, abortion, coerced prostitution, death

“There is nothing of sin in your kisses, or else they are all sin.”

ebartsch85's review

4.0

I'll be thinking about this book for a while. There were moments when I swore I hated this book because it made me think about things that aren't very pleasant, but once I completed the book I am glad that I read it. I am not a historical romance reader, but this actually kept my attention the whole time. Usually, I get so bored that I give up, but there wasn't time for that in this book. I would say that it is different than most romance novels I read, and it leans more towards women's fiction than romance.

jamietherebelliousreader's review

4.0

“Choosing life can’t ever be wrong. It’s what you do with the life.”

4 stars. What a beautifully written and gripping story. This was my first time reading anything by Kallmaker and I’m glad that I have a few other books by her to read because this was wonderful. It’s not easy to read especially giving the time and the things the characters had to put up with just to survive but it is a satisfying read by the ending.

I loved the main character, Darlin’ and how she goes through this beautiful story of love and self discovery. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I will say I was happy with her choice and how this ended. I’m so impressed with how much Kallmaker was able to pack into this novella. Everything feels fleshed out and it’s romantic and emotional at times. Highly recommend.

vixdag's review

emotional hopeful medium-paced

4.0

pandon's review

5.0

The wild wild West is often romanticized, but stories are seldom told from the viewpoint of abandoned, unwanted women and what they have to do to survive. The main character is Darlin’ sent West, at the age of 13, to save her family from embarrassment. What she has to do to survive is this story. When it seems there is no more hope, a lifeline is thrown to her, unexpected and surprising. Karin Kallmaker knows how to tell a story that covers all the emotions.

judeinthestars's review

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

4.0

At seventeen, Darlin’ – the only name the people of Long Grass, Wyoming, know to call her – is already one of the oldest women working at Cherry’s bordello. When she arrived in town after her parents shunned her, it was the only work she could get. Three years later, she’s under no illusion that she could ever get out and has accepted that her life will be short. Her only respite is in the stories she writes, until two very different women open doors to unexpected possibilities.

This is a very interesting book, as much for the story as because of who wrote it. There’s not a single second of doubt that this is a Kallmaker book. Her style is everywhere. Yet it’s grittier, harsher. Even though there’s no violence on the page, it’s everywhere. While that’s not something I’ve come to expect from this author, she writes it just as well as she writes romance.

At the end of the book, Karin Kallmaker explains: “When I wrote the novella version in 2007, the reality of how brutal and unforgiving conditions were for females without the protection of man or marriage were foremost in my mind”. In this longer version, she decided to give readers the happy-ever-after we need to heal from all the reality she’s instilled in the story itself, the depiction of the era.

Told in first person, Cowboys and Kisses combines the freshness of the young woman Darlin’ still is and the fortitude mixed with endurance of one who has lived through more than her years. It’s bittersweet and the HEA brings hope for more than the MCs.

motaki's review

emotional medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood and Abortion

Minor: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Homophobia, and Infidelity