Well... that was disappointing.

First, let me say that I by no means disliked this book. On the contrary, I adored this book up until about the 80% mark. This book had everything I love, and the story was so captivating despite it being so heartbreaking. My biggest let down is the ending. I just felt like it was rushed, and I have no sense of closure from it. Maybe withholding closure for the reader was the author's intent, but I definitely don't enjoy it when authors do that. I'm not even sad about the ending, just disappointed by it. I also understand that the book is trying to imitate real life, but it's fiction. I wanted this story to have meaning; however, it feels rushed and underdone.

This was my first experience with Sandra Dallas' writing. I've seen her other books around, but I was extra excited to read this one because of the subject matter/timeframe. I love any American West/cowboy historical fiction.
First off, I loved her writing. From the get go, I couldn't put this book down. I had to keep reading through the night. The way she describes the harsh setting of Wyoming and the realities of women living during this time was so descriptive that I could almost taste the dust of the flat land. Reading through the book, you will definitely understand the reason why the book is titled the way it is (which is perfect!).
I loved Ellen and Charlie and their relationship. While it didn't take very long for them to get together (no slow burn romance here), I still enjoyed the evolution of their relationship.
BUT despite loving the writing and not being able to put it down, I couldn't rate it 5 stars. It is so sad and depressing reading about one tragedy after another. And it's like that all the way to the very end. The ending wasn't hopeful or satisfying or tied with a bow (which makes sense since it was probably the reality of Wyoming living back then), but still. I feel like I went through a roller coaster ride but there was no redemption or a sigh of relief at all. It was just Wylie Coyote falling off a cliff and then it was over. I felt a little empty and cheated when I finished. That's the main reason I can't do 5 stars. However, I would still recommend this because of the excellent writing and not being able to stop reading. But just prepare yourself for the heartache and sadness throughout the whole book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an early e-ARC for me to read and review. All opinions are of my own.

This was a well-written book that could be classified as historical fiction. I had a few quibbles with the author's choices however, the storyline was a compelling one. The characters were engaging which made this book a quick and enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This has to be one of the saddest and depressing books I’ve probably ever read. It was written well and it was an interesting setting, trying to make it as a rancher family on the plains of Wyoming but dear God it was one devastating thing after another. I just wanted one thing to go right for them… I don’t mind sad points in a book if there is purpose and hope but there was absolutely none by the end of this one.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Where Coyotes Howl begins with Ellen's arrival in Wyoming, in search of a new life away from her family in Iowa. She has been hired to serve as the local teacher after the prior teacher lasted a year, in what turns out to be a trend in the community.

Within moments, it is clear that most of Ellen's clothing and her small allocation of personal belongings that made the trek are no match for the dusty, hardscrabble life on the prairie in the early twentieth century United States.

She boards at the home of Ruth McGinty and her husband, a truly foul human whose depths of depravity only descend further with each interaction. His relatively minor atrocities in the novel's early pages include him peaking through the wooden slats of Ellen's room from outside the house. Not only is that reflective of McGinty's creepiness but also a window into the type of house they live in: there are spots between boards where the inside and outside mix. In the winter, Ellen even awakens to snow on her bed. And the McGintys have an actual home compared to those who live in the earthen shoddies. At one point when Ellen nearly finds herself living in a shoddy, she quickly retreats when a rattlesnake squirms its way through the wall into the home. That is an image that will long stick with me!

Where Coyotes Howl introduces the reader to this particular time and place where neighbors - sprinkled at relatively vast distances from each other - have to rely on each other to survive. They are an eclectic bunch - those who found their way to the community through happenstance and those from comfortable existence in the East who decided to try their hand at homesteading. Most of these experiments are unsuccessful and lead to unsavory outcomes.

Ellen finds happiness in Wyoming, quickly becoming enamored with a cowboy named Charlie, and the novel follows their trials and tribulations in this rough terrain. Ellen is a lucky one in her marriage compared to several of the couples nearby, but that doesn't protect the couple from heartbreak in the land where the cold howl of the coyote, echoing across the plains, turns Ellen's blood to ice.

Where Coyotes Howl creates a vibrant community of colorful characters, and has an active plot moving them forward to their eventual outcomes that, in retrospect, seem fatalistically predetermined. But as a reader, I didn't want to look away.

Where Coyotes Howl was an amazing book, I honestly didn’t want to put it down. I was drawn in from the very beginning. The characters were relatable and real. The love that was felt by the main characters was endearing and made me love this book even more. This book isn’t without sadness however, after all what life isn’t? The way the author wrote it made you feel like you were right there, life back then wasn’t easy and living on the land was tough; but throughout the book you see the love, courage, will power and endurance to continue despite the major challenges faced by people. A heartbreaking story of what it was like to live in Wyoming in the early 1900’s.

I found a few small typos and grammatical errors here and there within the book.

Thank you to Net Gallery and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Where The Coyotes Howl

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advance readers copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

I have read a couple of Sandra Dallas’s books and enjoyed them immensely, she really is a great story teller. Her newest book is no different, in “Where Coyotes Howl” We follow Ellen who has decided somewhat on a whim to accept a teaching job in a very small town in Wyoming in 1916, not long after arriving Ellen meets Charlie- a cowboy who has had a lifetime of hurt in his short life. They fall in love, and what follows has to be one of the most gripping and heartbreaking love stories that I have ever read. Dallas does a great job depicting life on a ranch on the plains for women and the struggles they faced as well as showing how couples really do need to work as a team. The character development was amazing, I so wanted a happy ending for every single one of them, however I think this book had more tragedies than triumphs, which is why I knocked it down to a 4 star book. I highly recommend this book for fans of historical fiction-especially if you are wanting a time period that isn’t as popular. This book will be published on April 18th 2023

This is just a sweet story. Ordinary people living and working in a hearse environment. It shows how difficult life was in that age. And you really like the characters b

Sandra Dallas did it again with an excellent account of the hardships endured on the plains. Ever since Little House on the Prairie, I have been an fan of historical fiction novels and this is one of my favorites.
Ellen moves to start a new life as a school teacher where she meets Charlie, a good-looking cowboy. They're soon married and start their life together building their own ranch. This books brings you through the things this little family must go through to survive. There is love, loss, anger, crazy weather, and more. #NetGalley #SandraDallas #Wherethecoyoteshowl #historicalfiction

There is something about Sandra Dallas’s writing that draws me in every single time!
Sandra Dallas has a remarkable way of crafting a picture of a place and time in history with rich engaging characters leading you through a remarkable story. In this case, the story tells the tale of Ellen & Charlie whose love takes them through incredible joys and losses, while they attempt to settle into the harsh, often punishing life on a ranch farm in Wyoming. Not knowing anything about ranch farming or Wyoming, I, the reader had the amazing treat of being taken on a journey with this couple through all the hardships, strengths and deep love that got them through it. The reader feels like she is walking alongside the strong female lead character, routing for her, crying for her and cheering her as she navigates through life’s joys and challenges. Sandra Dallas does not ever promise a happy ending, but merely tells a tale, exactly as it should be. This story, this couple will stay with me a long time after I’ve closed the last page of this little gem of a book. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for an honest review! This may be my favorite read this year (so far) and I will certainly recommend it to others.

Wyoming, 1916. Twenty-three-year-old Ellen Webster accepts a teaching job in the small town of Wallace, Wyoming. She quickly catches the eye of Charlie Bacon, a cowboy ten years her senior. After a whirlwind courtship, they marry at the end of the school year after Charlie buys some land and builds a house for his bride.

Although the life of a ranch wife isn't easy, Ellen enjoys it. She gets to know the women who live on the neighboring ranches, each of whom has her own story and struggles. Ranch women support each other no matter what, and through this support, friendships blossom. Charlie and Ellen experience their own triumphs and tragedies, and love each other through it all. Their devotion to each other is noticed by all who know them.

Sandra Dallas offers readers just the right combination of romance and female friendship against the backdrop of early 20th century Wyoming ranching.

Life in Wyoming in the 1920s is hardscrabble. There's neither electricity, washing machines, nor any of the "modern" conveniences people in the big cities have. There are a few who brave to scratch out a life dry-farming and ranching in this frontier. This is the life depicted by Sandra Dallas in Where Coyotes Howl.

Ellen moves to Wyoming to teach and falls in love with the cowboy, Charlie Bacon. Their's in a true love match. After they marry, they start their own little ranch and have big dreams for their home and family. But drought and death make life hard in this vast land. Follow their story as they struggle to find their way, to help friends and neighbors, to keep their love fresh and alive.

The setting is 1916 on the Wyoming prairie. It's the story of Ellen Webster, a spinster who moves to this harsh land to accept a temporary teaching position at a one room school. Her pupils love her and so do the townspeople. Then a local cowboy entered her life, she fell in love and got married. This is the story of their struggles and sorrows as they build a house, befriend their neighbors and ultimately face the decision whether to stay or move back east. .

I have read other books by Sandra Dallas and enjoyed them, so I was excited to read her newest book. This was a HARD book to read. I loved the characters, I loved the town. But not one happy thing happens in this book. The story was powerful and kept me turning pages, but as one horrible thing after another happened, I got more and more depressed. I can't remember the last time I've cried so much in a book. I wish there had been a glimmer of hope somewhere in the book. It was just so heartbreaking. I know that was the reality of life back then, but it was just a bit too much sadness for me to handle. I know a lot of people will love this book, but it just was too much for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Sandra Dallas, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written work. I read it in less than a day! It flowed well and I could imagine each scene. The writing was so descriptive! Such a great read.

I received a widget for this book as I had read, enjoyed and reviewed another book by this author.

I have to say … I couldn’t put this down but damn it was depressing. There were very few joyous moments and plenty of heartache.

Would I recommend this? Yes. As sad as it was, it was still a good read.

3.5/5

Where Coyotes Howl is quite possibly the most depressing book I’ve read. I kept hoping for some light at the end of the tunnel, but it was doom and gloom until the end. The writing was done well, but this isn’t a book I’d recommend. I’m left sad and hopeless after finishing the book. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advance copy of the book.

I loved this story! I’m from the South and am working a travel healthcare contract in Jackson WY. We’ve driven all over WY while here. It’s such a beautiful state and it’s full of history. I loved reading about the early settling of the towns, getting a history lesson while falling in love with Charlie and Ellen. This was as much a history lesson as it was a love story. Ellen is a school teacher who decides to teach in a small Wyoming prairie town where life is hard, especially for women. Charlie Bacon is a cowboy quelling on a local ranch. He falls for Ellen and they marry and stay their lives together. Their life is wonderful and hard and sweet and heartbreaking. They face trials and hardships throughout their marriage. Ellen makes friends and loses them.

This book was so well written. I identified with Ellen. I felt for her and for the other women on the frontier. It was super interesting to see how they survived, how they lived, how they died. Definitely recommend!

This was one of the best books I have read in quite a while. I have not written professional reviews in quite a while, as life has gotten in the way, but I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read.

When the new teacher comes to the small community the towns people were quite taken with her and proud to welcome her to the school. Everyone wanted to get a look at her so they made excuses to meet her. She was signed up for only a year and the last teacher had left right after her year because she couldn't handle the rough terrain and cold weather. The school house was small and she lived at the local boarding house. The owner of the house was a sweet lady with a very odd husband who was much less friendly. Cowboys were always around and helpful to her chores of taking wood into the school for warmth. This was a hard land and she missed her family but loved the children.
When you read Sandra Dallas you totally feel you're in the story and have the same feelings as the character. It's a wonderful book and I highly recommend it and all her books.