The Wylder Rose (The Wylder West)

Jane
Lewis
Genre: 
Historical

On his way home from Wylder, Callum McPhillip comes across a woman nearly frozen to death in her carriage. He takes her and her horse home with him where he realizes she is the beauty he saw getting into a coach in Cheyenne and has been on his mind ever since. Rose is running away from her evil lover, Walker Morgan, when a snowstorm hits. Her destination is Wylder, where she will be singing in a saloon. Callum nurses her back to health and claims her for his own, although Rose is not interested in any commitments. Her ultimate goal: get to California, where Walker will never find her. Callum goes to all of her performances and walks her to her boarding house afterwards, keeping her safe. All is going well between the two of them until one blissful afternoon, when everything falls apart.

“The Wylder Rose” is a charming story revolving around a reluctant Irish lass and a determined Scotsman. The world building is realistic, and one can almost feel the cold of the snowstorm and the warmth of the fire as Ms. Lewis describes them in vibrant detail. Humor is scattered throughout this novel, breaking up scenes that might otherwise be too intense. The story does become repetitive once Rose moves to Wylder and Callum walks her back home every night. The characters’ personalities are excellently captured, and it is easy to see what their intentions and quandaries are. Certain scenes will keep readers on the edge of their seats anticipating what will happen next. A beautifully written, highly recommended story.

Belinda Wilson