A review by lezreadalot
Cowboys and Kisses by Karin Kallmaker

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.”