Crinoline Cowboys is a collection of 4 novellas about Georgia women who head to Crinoline Creek, Texas. Even though the stories have the same setting, they’re not connected much. A minor character in one story shows up again in another, but besides that, there isn’t any continuity. One story mentions eating at the cafe, and then the next says there is no cafe. It would’ve been nice if the stories were a bit more connected, but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the collection.
Other than that, this is a nice collection. My favorite story was A Cowboy of Her Own, but Bea Mine is a close second. The only story I wasn’t too crazy about was Love’s Cooking at the Cowboy Cafe. But every novella collection has stories I love and stories I don’t, so I suppose it’s to be expected. I’ve shared my thoughts about the individual stories below.
A Cowboy of Her Own by Patty Smith Hall
This story was really good and hooked me from the beginning. Carter’s relationship with his little sister Cassie is endearing, especially when he decides to ask Madalyn Turner to teach her to be a lady. Madalyn’s group of orphans are precocious youngsters that added some extra humor to the story. I’d love to see more stories about them in the future. Carter’s burgeoning friendship with Madalyn is well developed. There’s an interesting plot twist at the end, and I wish we saw more of the action. But overall, this was a good story.
Josephine’s Dream by Cynthia Hickey
This story was okay. Josephine comes to Crinoline Creek in answer to an ad for a nanny/housekeeper, but she lied about her qualifications. Patrick, a widower with four children, decides to keep her on anyway and challenges her to learn what she needs to know about cooking and keeping house. Josephine’s character is relatable, especially since she’s hardworking and determined to learn. But this story wasn’t as good as A Cowboy of Her Own.
Love’s Cooking at the Cowboy Cafe by Marilyn Turk
This story was just stale to me. Sarah Beth Taylor comes off as a spoiled brat, and Emery Wright is a lovesick puppy who just follows her around the entire time. The only conflict was whether or not she’d get her cafe up and running, and then there’s a bandit thrown in at the end.
Bea Mine by Kathleen Y’Barbo
This story was funny and entertaining. Gil Hollis fills in for his sheriff brother, and finds himself tasked with arresting Bea Wilson when she comes to town. But she doesn’t make it easy. The misunderstanding between the two of them causes some humorous moments, especially since the reader knows that Gil and Bea have met before, even if they don’t remember it.
Crinoline Cowboys releases on November 1. You can pre-order it by clicking the book cover.
If you love books set in Texas, check out my review for More than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer or its sequel More than Words Can Say. You can also check out my review for The Widow of Rose Hill by Michelle Shocklee, featured in my post Just Read: Civil War Books.
