Book Review: The Strange Courtship of Kathleen O’Dwyer by Robert Temple

“James, we are your last hope. But you are not ours.”

Robert Temple, The Strange Courtship of Kathleen O’Dwyer

Happy publication day!

Review:

It’s been so long since I’ve read a western that I’d forgotten how exciting they can be. Even though I haven’t read a bunch of books in this genre, I’ve never read one with a female protagonist. For this reason, I was particularly curious.

School teacher Kathleen O’Dwyer sets off on a wagon train heading to New Mexico but later ends up traveling with a mountaineer named James Colter. Though ambivalent of his character, Kathleen finds herself drawn to him. Together they go forth on a number of adventures from the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains. Along the way, they encounter a mix of people, such as fellow travelers, Native American tribesmen, and missionaries.

The book has a lot of action (and occasionally violence), however, there is also a more character-driven side to it. The latter was my favorite part of the story. I liked Kathleen even though I couldn’t personally relate much to her. Well-written and keeping a good pace, The Strange Courtship of Kathleen O’Dwyer is a nice read. Unfortunately, the ending is awfully abrupt despite the satisfying conclusion. I did a double-take when I reached the acknowledgments page. It’s an otherwise rich story for being under 250 pages. I enjoyed it.

A huge thanks to the author for reaching out and sending me a free digital ARC to read and review!

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Kathleen’s character development.
• The dynamic between Colter and Kathleen, especially in Part 3.
• The fast-paced action.

What I didn’t like:

• As I mentioned, the abrupt ending. I think there would have been a benefit in an epilogue.
• A couple of moments were bloodier than I like to read.

Afterthoughts:

This was a nice change of pace from what I’ve been reading lately. I haven’t read many Western set books at all, but the ones I have read I remember enjoying immensely. This sounds terrible, but it never occurred to me to seek out a female protagonist in this setting.

Where to buy the book: