This is a cute short story that’s a good example of Vivian Vaughan’s talent. I received this book for free at Amazon a few months ago and I remembered it when I saw the cover on my Kindle because I really like it. Covers are a huge reason I’m attracted to books and that was the reason I downloaded this freebie. Actually, quite a view of this author’s reissues have beautiful covers.
I enjoy reading short stories or novellas to get to know an author’s style before purchasing full size novels. I especially like them when they’re free and collect them in order to find new-to-me-authors. This time, that habit was a success. Not only did I find a new-to-me-author, but one that writes western historicals that I crave, which are also very reasonably priced.
A WISH TO BUILD A DREAM ON takes place during a cattle drive. I love these kinds of stories because they give the author a chance to elaborate on male camaraderie. In this particular story the cowboys are expected to act respectable around a lady, which could be a problem when they’re used to having their male bonding time without women present.
Andie Dushane gets mistaken as a man by her name alone, which gives her a chance to take a job as the chuck wagon cook for a cattle drive. Reese Catlin is on a tight schedule, otherwise he would have thrown her off the drive once he realized he was hoodwinked by Angie’s young son and her uncle. Innocently enough, the young boy and Andie’s uncle are hoping to get Andie a husband, especially if it’s Reese Catlin.
This little story has a lot of personality. I laughed out-loud at the cowboys’ antics once they think Reese is sweet on Andie. For a short story, the characters were well fleshed out. Of course, this could easily have been a longer story, making it into a novel, or possibly foreshadowing for future stories about each of the cowboys. I haven’t investigated further to see if that’s going to happen. If this was a longer story then I might have missed this little gem. I picked it out to read in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep. Short was its advantage in catching my attention. Short with a beautiful cover made me pick it over the hundreds of others I could have read instead.
The only quibble I had with the story is that I think it would have been better without the sex scene at the end. It wasn’t explicit and there was only one, but the story didn’t need it. It just didn’t set right with me the way it played out. I would have been just as happy to have been left in the dark. Maybe some believe that sex has to be in a story to make it a romance. In my opinion, there are gems that really don’t need it and this is one of those books.
Originally published in 1997 as part of the anthology CHERISHED LOVE, you’ll recognize this story as the type of western romance that many of us still crave. This story is a great throwback to an era of romance novels I miss and has easily stood the test of time, making it fun for anyone to read today.
If you love western historicals, then I suggest that you mosey on over to your favorite digital provider and download a Vivian Vaughan story to try for yourself. I’m excited about all the choices, so let me know which ones you love so I can get them too.
Thanks to the publisher and author for this freebie to convince me to try more. It worked.
Review by Dorine, courtesy of The Zest Quest. Book received Free from Amazon as a promotion by the author or publisher.
A Wish to Build A Dream On by Vivian Vaughan
Category: Western Historical
Publisher: Diversion Books (February 24, 2015)
Rated 4 out of 5
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