A Dangerous Woman from Nowhere by Kris Radish
Published by Sparkpress on September 12, 2017
Genres: Fiction, Literature & Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Pages: 272
Format: ARC
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Briar Logan is a loner who has already survived a wretched childhood, near starvation, and the harsh western frontier in the 1860s. Just when she is on the brink of finally opening her heart to the possibilities of happiness, the love of her life is kidnapped by lawless gold miners–and she steels herself for what could be the greatest loss of her life. Desperate to save her husband and the solitary life they have carved out of the wilderness, Briar is forced to accept the help of a damaged young man and a notorious female horse trainer. Facing whiskey runners, gold thieves, unpredictable elements, and men who will stop at nothing to get what they want, the unlikely trio must forge an uncommon bond in order to survive. Full of lessons of love, letting go, and the real meaning of family, A Dangerous Woman From Nowhere is a timeless western adventure story about courage, change, risk, and learning how to unlock damaged hearts and live in the sweet moments of now.
As part of the BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge 2017, I was provided with several books I was to read and share, however, in reviewing my records I saw that I never posted my review. Today’s post is on one of those books, A Dangerous Woman from Nowhere by Kris Radish.
A Dangerous Woman from Nowhere is an historical novel that covers the years of the ‘gold rush’ in Colorado and then California. Ms. Radish fills the story with characters who are very easy to understand and readers can relate.
The protagonists are Briar (Mika) and young Jack, who are both raised and abused in a Colorado orphanage. Then there’s Percy, who is a woman who doesn’t fit the standard mold of a nineteenth century woman.
Briar watches her husband dragged down the street as she peeks out the window of a dark room. The story is told in present tense so readers aren’t really sure she’s happy or sad that this is happening. We learn about her and her relationship with her husband and other loved ones through flashbacks.
Radish builds the drama very well as she starts with Briar’s history of being victimized child in an orphanage, then as the kind Ute couple teach her to survive, and then finally as a mature adult believing in love and then having it destroyed. We only ever really get to know Logan through flashbacks from Briar.
Kris Radish grew up dreaming about living a Nancy Drew-like life and always held her own passion for writing very close to her heart. A former journalist, nationally syndicated columnist, magazine writer and university instructor, Radish also loves to tell stories about the times she picked night crawlers, served beer to cowboys, worked on a tomato farm and hung out of the side of a fast moving helicopter. Radish is now the bestselling author of ten novels and has captured the hearts of legions of fans with her heartwarming, real, passionate and often hilarious novels. Her stories focus on the important bonds of female friendship and celebrate the common feelings, heartaches, loves, and struggles that all women share. She loves to call her work “true fiction” because she addresses the real emotions that women live and share every day. She is also the author of three non-fiction books, writes poetry, is the mother of two young and very feisty adults, is known for her wild laugh and wilder hair, and is working on her eleventh novel and fourth non-fiction book. Radish is also co-owner of The Wine Madonna – a wine lounge in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida where she hosts book groups from around the country.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publishers and BookSparks in exchange for this post, which is my honest review and unbiased opinion.
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