This is an adventurous story set during the time of the civil war that tells the story with diversity that existed but is most often not reported in history. Flor is a Latinx outlaw who meets Grace, a trans woman in search of freedom from the pressures of society. Together they scheme against the union in stunning colored-pencil style panels.

An overall enjoyable book! I appreciate that Grace didn't end up having a lot of traditionally 'feminizing' traits added since I know many of my trans feminine friends who have square jaws and broad shoulders often feel excluded from visual narratives because of it. The story is largely fluff but sometimes that's all you want!

Writing this review, I'm gushing with happiness. This book was super fun and sweet. The style of the art was cute and in from my experience original for a graphic novel. This is own voices so it just made Grace an even more interesting character to read about. Overall I think that Melanie did a really great job and I'm excited to read more of her graphic novels and work in the future. Thank you to the publishers and author for letting me read a free copy of this via NetGalley.

A cutesy story about a trans person named Grace who's kidnapped by a Latin stage coach robber named Flor. They eventually decide to rob some rich robber barons at a cotillion who are preparing to take the Civil War even more Westward. This is only the first volume and the main plot just starts as this ends. Most of the book is prologue establishing the characters and their personalities. As a cutesy, queer, historical romance, this works. However, as a historical novel itself, people are way too accepting of both gay women and trans people for this to feel realistic. That aspect of the book feels glossed over to keep the story positive. The colored pencil art works very well for a Western.

I would read anything Melanie Gilman wanted to share. The art in this book is beautiful and the story is entertaining and tight.

I’m not a fan of westerns as a rule but this I can appreciate.

I first found Gillman’s talent in As the Crow Flies and was thankful to find another of her works.

More, please.

I was provided this graphic novel (as an advanced reader copy) by NetGalley. All views expressed in this review are my own.

I really liked this graphic novel! It's kinda funny because I've been learning about the Civil War in one of my online classes this summer, and then this book comes along with a completely interesting take on it! I don't believe there are plans for a sequel, but I would love to see more of Grace and Flor's outlandish adventures.

This follows Grace, a trans girl running away from confederate Georgia and the draft that awaits her. While on her way west, her carriage is attacked by the Ghost Hawk, a mysterious figure who has been robbing the roads west blind. When she finds out that Grace is no debutante who would help the Ghost Hawk (a latinx girl) claim a hefty ransom, the two girls team up on a quest to infiltrate and thwart the Confederate plot in New Mexico.

I liked the art style of this and the historical background that it presented (there were many historical references at the end of the graphic novel explaining various parts of the story). I liked the cute romance that develops and it was nice to see how much the two girls made each other blush before anyone made a move. It is also an important story that shows that trans people have always existed (which, again, is corroborated through the historical references in the back of the novel). If you want to read a cute and adventurous graphic novel with some deep elements and a happy ending, get your hands on this in September!

Grace & Flor FTW.!

The history lesson at the end on transgender people who thankfully weren't completely erased from history like so many were, the inclusion of speaking about two-spirit people, speaking about how there were some southerners who were against the war but still pro-slavery, all the famous Civil War spies who were women and were successful in part thanks to so much rampant sexism, all helped push this to a 5 star review.!

I need a #2 so I can continue to follow their wonderful love story.!

Stage Dreams by Melanie Gillman is a queer graphic novel with two women as the main characters. This story is something that I didn't know I was looking for but was excited to find. It was quick, it was fun and I really hope there will be a follow up. One of my favorite parts though was the beautiful colored pencil illustrations.

This book felt far too short, but it’s still really cute and fun. I am SO HERE for OV trans rep, and i am always always down for f/f romance. The whole thing was just really damn cute and hit me right in my feelings.

This book was so extremely short, I felt like I couldn’t really enjoy it fully. It almost felt like a sampler?
Anyways, what I did get to read was cute and fun, and the artwork was really nice. I definitely wish it had been longer and had more depth to it.

Stage Dreams is a short graphic novel (~100 pages) about Grace, a runaway Confederate soldier who's taking the opportunity of living as trans and pursuing the stage after she flees Georgia, and the Ghost Hawk, an outlaw robbing stagecoaches and making life harder for Confederates in the New Mexico territory in the 1860s. Together, they try to infiltrate a cotillion to get intel on Confederate activities.

Although the book has a beautiful art style--a full-color, texured colored pencil with lots of browns and pastels imitating the Southwestern sunsets--the story itself felt too much like 21st-century wish fulfillment. I don't mean the fact that there are queer and trans characters; history does have documented people living as a different gender or against stereotypical gender expression. But the characters never face any explicit discrimination; everyone who interacts with Grace accepts her as a woman without hesitation, even though the art style includes little details, like super faint stubble, that suggest she doesn't entirely "pass." The characters of color experience no racism, not even a snide comment or sideways look. Historically, queer people and people of color--especially Mexican people living in the NM territory after the Mexican-American War--didn't face easy acceptance.

BUT, then again, sometimes I don't want everything to be tragic and contain the discrimination that we all know was there. Sometimes, we just want two girls who meet by happenstance, infiltrate a Confederate cotillion, and literally ride off into the sunset together. If you want a fantastical historical fiction romance with a stunning art style, then this one is for you.

I really enjoyed this cute, queer Western romance from Gillman. It's in the same style as the previously published As the Crow Flies, and the art style is very well done as always and really suits the telling of the story.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I've only read one western before and it also included a woman who isn't your normal woman of the 1800s, a lot like Flor, but I liked this one waaaay more. Flor was so cool and actually badass, no one had to tell me she was. Then Grace was such a nice character. I loved having a story about a trans woman in this era. And then their adorable romantic tension. So cute!

I just wish there was more, honestly. I would've like to see even maybe one more scene developing their relationship.

Overall, really liked it and cool rep!

I enjoyed this fun Wild West romp featuring a trans woman running from the Civil War and her kidnapper turned partner! The story itself is just delightful, but just as amazing are all the notes Gillman has at the end of the story, noting their historical research on the places and time period! Highly suggested for any YA graphic novel collection.

**I received a copy of this for an honest review **

I loved this graphic novel I thought that the romance was really cute. It is about a trans woman and an outlaw, there is kidnapping and a heist, overall a lot of fun to read. The whole atmosphere and way that the characters treated each other was amazing. I liked seeing a trans person in a historical context, in a western and thought that this GN was really well done!

This book was both a great adventure and a great romance, with a distinctive art style. I wished the story had gone on longer, but I did really enjoy it.

This was a cute queer graphic novel that I was just starting to really get into, when the story ended. This was a very quick read with a diverse set of main characters (a female POC and trans woman) set in New Mexico Territory in the 1800s. I think this was my first ever western graphic novel, and of course it's a queer western graphic novel, which was great. I actually really liked that the parent figure in this story was actually really supportive--that was quite touching to see. I really enjoyed reading the annotations at the end of the comic, which gave more information and a deeper backstory to the time period and location of Stage Dreams, particularly illuminating the fact that there are records (albeit, only a few) of trans people from that period of history.

That said, the artwork of this graphic novel wasn't to my tastes. I really didn't like it but I can appreciate how it does fit the western style of the story. Like I said, I was really only starting to get into the story right when it ended, so that was a little disappointing. I thought their adventure was only just getting started! Still, it was an enjoyable fast read.

"To our queer and trans ancestors. For too many
of your stories were lost, but we remember you."
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This is the dedication of this delightful graphic novel and it surely delivered a fun, fast-paced story with great queer and trans representation in a western adventure setting.
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On the way to escaping her old life, Grace encounters an outlaw infamously called "Ghost Hawk" and she is "kidnapped" for ransom. Upon learning of Grace's story, Ghost Hawk - Flor, really - realizes that they're better team mates to thwart a Confederate plot in the New Mexico Territory and they decide to crash a Confederate gala to steal important items.
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I know very little about western stories, US history, and the like, but I absolutely loved the representation of minorities in this comic. The tone is light, but it doesn't gloss over the heavy, real-life themes that queer and PoC's have had to go through in the past. Instead, it draws interest into these it, and injects a positive and hopeful message for readers of today. I take it that this is intended for young readers (which is great!) but it is still v enjoyable for adults, especially ones who are looking for well-handled representation of trans lead characters in media.

The soft, color-pencil artwork is amazing and the paneling was just right to convey the story clearly. I especially loved the spreads of the desert landscape and the parts that didn't need speech balloon/narration, just the dynamics of the scene in the panels was enough.
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I guess what I appreciate most were the notes after the story. I already loved the novel, but to know that the creator took time to portray the setting as accurate as possible made it even more awesome to me.

*The eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

A beautifully illustrated story that is equal parts exciting and romantic. I loved seeing queer women in love in a historical setting.

I read a few reviews for this graphic novel across the blogosphere and was interested in it, especially because I’m always on the lookout for new discoveries. And I don’t think I’ve ever read a western, so I decided to give it a try.

As it’s just 100 pages long, I didn’t expect a lot of plot or character development, just something fun - and it totally delivered on that aspect. Grace is a trans southern belle running from her family because she doesn’t wanna fight in the war and has dreams of her own, while Flor is the stylish queer Latinx outlaw who robs stagecoaches and wants to save money for a secure future. Though Flor kidnaps Grace, they eventually settle on a plan to work together and what follows is a cute adventure of their own where they discover some truths about themselves and develop feelings in the process. This story is hella cute and sweet, and so full of acceptance that it made me very happy. The art style is also very unique, and while I didn’t know anything about how colored pencil art would work for a graphic novel, it’s perfect here. The color palette and style feel very appropriate for the dry New Mexico setting, while also giving out a cutesy vibe. And I especially loved the cotillion gowns.

Finally, I just wanna say that if you love westerns or queer graphic novels, you should definitely check this one out because it’ll leave you with a big smile on your face. Just go into it without any expectations and ready to have a rollicking time.