4 1/2 stars

Life on the Wyoming prairie couldn't have been an easy one. Where the Coyotes Howl depicts the hardships and the bright spots. Life was definitely difficult during those times but the people appreciated the good times they had all the more. It was the simple things in life that could bring joy when there was so much raw brutality in your everyday living.

This book follows a woman named Ellen who moves to Wallace, Wyoming to teach school. She comes from a big city so she gives up all those luxuries and conveniences when she moves west. She isn't there long before she meets a local cowboy, Charlie Bacon and their relationship develops rather quickly. Charlie and Ellen marry and move into a small house he has built for them. They both work hard each and every day because that's what's required to survive but they don't worry over it because they're just happy to be together. Their relationship is a love match and it's just such a powerful and sweet thing to see. The two of them suffer through a great deal of loss but it brings them closer together instead of tearing them apart. They love unconditionally.

Ellen learns how to be a rancher's wife through Charlie and her friends. It doesn't take long before she is picking up on things and it's like she's always been there. The other characters in the story truly enrich it as well. They all have a hand in helping to form Ellen into the woman she becomes. Her relationships with the other women are critical to her development and they help her to understand what Charlie needs from a wife in such a challenging land.

This book is written beautifully. The descriptiveness is spot on. I felt as if I could truly see the world that they are living in - - in all its harshness and beauty. It's emotionally exhausting at times because there is a great deal of loss and grief but I know that the times weren't easy and the author is trying to show that. The pioneer and cowboy spirit can withstand a lot but everyone has a breaking point. You had to wonder when theirs would come.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration in the audiobook was absolutely wonderful. Since I had both the ebook and audiobook, I bounced between the two but I really enjoyed the time I was able to spend listening to this book. It felt atmospheric and emotional. Very well done. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the e-book and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review them both and the opinions contained within are my own.

WHERE THE COYOTES HOWL by Sandra Dallas was the first of Dallas' books I've read and it will not be the last. From the setting to the characters to the well-paced plot, I was immersed in another world to the point where I could smell the sagebrush, feel the dry heat and hot sun burning my skin. Dallas' 1916 Wyoming is vivid and brought to life by the friendships of the people who find themselves in the remote, tiny town of Wallace and the long love between rancher Charlie and wife Ellen. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel!

This novel was nothing like I had ever read in the past. It was sad, hopeful, and happy all at the same time. I think it's hard to write a book that can balance so many emotions like this one, but Sandra Dallas did that here.

The book follows Ellen, a schoolteacher in the late 19th century, as she starts anew in Wyoming. There, she meets the man who would become her husband, Charlie Bacon, as well as many new friends and interesting characters. Together, Ellen and Charlie give the reader an idea what life would have been like during this time in history in the middle of the prairie. They face heartache and harsh circumstances, all while never losing their love for one another.

I enjoyed all of the characters, the main and supporting ones. Each felt real and raw. I also appreciated how this book does not shy away from the sad parts of life, such as death and abuse. These hard topics were handled well and presented in the most believable ways. Additionally, I thought the author did a very good job of showing the reader how hard life would have been during this time and place. You gain a sense of appreciation for the time and place we live in today.

Where this story fell flat for me, however, was its slow pace. The majority of the time I was reading this, I was waiting for something exciting to happen. Then, something interesting would happen, but the next interesting thing wouldn't happen for quite a while. If the pace had been a little faster, I think that would have piqued my interest further.

Despite the novel's slow pace, I would recommend this book to readers. Not only will you learn how hard life could be during this specific time period, but you will gain a deeper appreciation for what you have and the people around you.

Sandra Dallas spins a devastating tale of a woman who moves to Wyoming and finds extraordinary love and heart-breaking loss in her latest book Where Coyotes Howl. Set in 1916, Dallas’s work is a smash of Historical Fiction and Western Romance. While I’d consider it quick and easy reading, the content itself is absolutely distressing. I can’t remember the last time I read a book filled with so much tragedy. What made it even harder was that it befalls characters I loved and wanted to have a happy end. I’m throwing in a warning that if you aren’t currently in the best of head spaces this may not be the book for you to grab. With that being said, while I shed my fair share of tears, I thought this was an excellent book. I enjoyed the many characters in the book, from our protagonists Ellen and Charlie, to secondary neighbors and friends all who played integral parts in each others lives. The vivid descriptions of beauty and desolation in Wallace Wyoming made you feel as if you, too, were there. I also took away an abundance of information (and newfound respect) for what I learned about life out west in the early 1900s.

At its core this is a love story about two people who love each other so much that they believe they can endure any obstacle or loss as long as they have each other. It’s about the willingness to compromise, learn and sacrifice without resentment and all out of love. A beautiful and tragic story, Where Coyotes Howl will move you, bring you moments of joy and yet leave you shattered. It should really come with a box of tissues. 4.5 stars

A detailed account of settling the west in Wyoming. It's the story of a small town told from the POV of a small family. It starts as Ellen, a newcomer to a developing town. They can't seem to keep a teacher for longer than a year. They either leave because they can't take the quiet, desolation, and weather or they get married and stay for the long haul. So Ellen arrives and makes a vow to stay through the year - she can do it, she won't give up.

From there, you get to know the town, the people and Ellen's life. It was a little slow to get going, at first, but then it became really easy to know which family was which in town and how they all tied together. It was nice to read how they all worked together but also didn't shy away from just how difficult it was to make it. There were lean year and hardship but the story was compelling and interesting. I found myself invested in the characters and I wanted them to succeed. Even though it broke my heart, the story moved me and I'm glad I read it! I really liked this one.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

When Ellen Webster arrived in Wallace Wyoming her first opinion was that she wouldn’t stay long but after she meets Charlie “fat back“ bacon the thought of staying forever feels like an option. She initially stays with the McGinty‘s Mr. McGinty is an abusive alcoholic who even spies on Ellen that is until Ellen is made aware of it and gets a little payback she also becomes great friends with sweet Mrs. McGinty a quiet demure woman who blames her self for her husbands abuse and although she gets letters from her daughter Mr. McGinty burns them in the oven… Of course that is until Alan gets involved. It takes a tough woman to make a life in Wyoming and Alan is tough so when Charlie ask her to marry him after a cute scene with the little negotiation Ellen says yes. There’s much more to the story and I am leaving a lot of but OMG if this isn’t the best historical western romance that I have ever read then I have never read a new historical romance. I love Sandra Dallas books but she has definitely way outdone herself with the novel Where The Coyotes Howl when I was finished with this book I wished I had 10 more books by Sandard Dallas. I didn’t even mention her best friend the ex prostitute and many other events that happen in the book that are told so expert Liam with such great talent U2 will wish you had 10 more books by the author. This as I’ve said before is my absolute all-time favorite western romance I love it so much! I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Thanks to SMP for my advanced copies of Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas which comes out on Tuesday - April 18th.

Where Coyotes Howl was beautifully written but might be the most depressing book I've ever read. This was a Little House on the Prairie book about life on the Wyoming prairie in the 1910s.

This is not a book for the faint of heart, there was a lot of death and hardships. The ending honestly shocked me! This might be one of the most realistic books about life during this time period. I loved the aspects of female friendships and the love story between Ellen and Charlie.

As sad as this book was, I really did enjoy it. If you're a fan of books about settling the west or homesteading/ranching I do recommend it. Just know there is a lot that may be upsetting with how realistic this is.

This book was sad. It was emotional. It was realistic. It was powerful. It was unexpected. It was beautiful. It was a love story with a beginning, middle, and end.

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. I loved how it was written. I loved the characters. I pretty much loved everything about this book. I was questioning the entire time what the plot of it was. And I honestly could not figure it out. But it all comes together in the epilogue. So just hold out until the end if you are wondering where the story is going because I promise, it is unexpected but worth it.

After finishing this book, I had no words. I was so emotional that I could not even pick up another book for a long time. I just had to sit and think about this one, which I never do. This book is such a realistic story about life on the frontier, and it's making me tear up just thinking about it.

If you have trigger warnings, be sure to check them before reading because this one has a lot. However, I do think you should go in blind with this one because of how unexpected and emotional it is.

Triggers Death (lots of death, especially children death), miscarriage, stillbirth, physical and sexual abuse, fire, prostitution

Sandra Dallas never fails to transport me back in time. This may be one of my favorites from her yet! Full of joy, grief, despair, and perseverance, this book gives you a glimpse of the hardships women faced in early 1900s Wyoming. It is a book that is wonderfully written by an author that is gifted in writing historical fiction featuring strong women and heavy themes.

CW: Child loss, mental illness/disability prejudice, death, prostitution/rape, language. Overall moderate - but this is a heavy novel with heavy themes.

A beautifully written, heartwarming tale based around in the lives of early settlers in the Wyoming Territory of USA. Ellen Webster takes up a teaching position in the town of Wallace. She befriends the local women some of whose lives are so much different from her own. She falls in love with handsome cowboy Charlie Bacon and attempts to make a new life on the untamed prairie. It's a hard life but with the support of her loving husband and a few good friends she thrives on the small joys of prairie life while overcoming the trials and tribulations. This is a beautiful story, written in an easy-to-read manner and gives interesting insights into what it meant to be a woman trying to keep home and raise a family in the West of the early twentieth century. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel, releasing in April 2023!

Sandra Dallas does a great job developing a sense of place and strong setting for her novels set in the American West; I had similar feelings about her other previous novel I've read, Tallgrass. She does a great job making you feel like you're on location in Wyoming in the early 20th century, and that was probably my favorite part of the novel and honestly why I requested this as an ARC.

Unfortunately the rest of the story didn't really get me invested. I like Ellen and the relationships she develops with other women in Wyoming, but I never developed a strong emotional attachment to her. She and Charlie supposedly have an all-time great love but we honestly don't see much of it beyond the fact that unlike many of the other men in this novel he never beats or is otherwise abusive to her. I know the stereotype of cowboys during this period is of them being emotionally reticent, but I didn't find their great love story particularly believable. After the halfway point the book is pretty much a series of rotating tragedies (which I'm sure is accurate to the time period) but it was hard to get emotionally invested in many of them.

If you're looking for a quick novel on life in Wyoming in the early 1900's you could certainly do worse than this; the book is readable and again provides a great sense of place. The character development and emotional relatability did leave a bit to be desired for me.

Set in the early 1920s on the High Plains of Wyoming, Sandra Dallas portrays the realistic life of a couple attempting to piece together a homestead. Nature is against them with snowy winters and hostile hot summers. The main characters are a young teacher from Iowa who falls in love with a cowboy and marries him. Their ranch is several miles from the town so making friends in the area is essential for social and tremulous times on the prairie. What makes life bearable is their love for each other. So realistic of the hardships of living in this part of the country during the early 1900s that, for me, was so heartbreaking yet I was fascinated and couldn’t put this book down. It touches on societal issues; thus be aware that there are subjects that might be hard to read. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this historical fiction; the review is my honest opinion.

When Ellen Webster takes a teaching job in Wallace, Wyoming, she has no idea how her life will change. Wallace is a far cry from the modernized city of Fort Madison, Iowa, from which she came. Wallace is brutal, barren, and poverty-stricken. Most teachers don't last a year.

But within the first year, Ellen is embracing the difficult life on the high plains, and has married a handsome, charming cowboy who loves her dearly. Ellen is a respected schoolteacher, and has become part of the community, and befriended many of the wives. Ellen is committed to her husband and this town, and intends on staying for the long haul... though it will be far from easy.

Life on the frontier is harsh and unforgiving. Tragedy after tragedy strikes Wallace and it's people, and the women must pull together to get through.

Thoughts: Wow! This is my first Dallas novel, but definitely not my last. This was absolutely stunning. It's one of the saddest books I've read, but breathtakingly beautiful. It's poignant and raw and descriptive and so incredibly moving. It evokes so many emotions, and taught me so much about life on the frontier. These people struggled so hard, and their conditions led to so many tragedies... poverty, hunger, abuse, assault, and death. So much death. But it wasn't all bad. The love between Ellen and her husband was such a palpable thing. They loved so fiercely. And the friendship and comradery between the women was so special. The women had such a sense of community and belonging, and looking out for one another. I adored this aspect.

I read along with the audiobook, which was expertly performed by Stephanie Németh-Parker. Parker did an outstanding job with this performance and it definitely enhanced my enjoyment. I highly recommend this format!

This book is not for the faint of heart, and please check TWs.

Thank you St Martin's and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies. What a gorgeous novel! I'm so grateful for the opportunity to read it.

My review will be posted on Instagram today.

I really enjoyed Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas. It takes place in the early 20th century west and follows teacher turned rancher’s wife, Ellen and her cowboy, Charlie. These two characters struggle through many hardships and challenges but through it all, they have each other. Such a beautifully sad story. I was fully immersed in reading Where Coyotes Howl. I cant wait to read more from Sandra Dallas.

When Ellen moves from Iowa in the early 1900s to take a teaching job on the Wyoming plains, the locals tell her that past teachers last only a year or less because of the harsh environment. Ellen does give up teaching but only after she meets, falls in love with and marries Charlie, a local cowboy. Ellen and Charlie try to make a go at ranching and become part of the community as they experience numerous hardships of their own as well as those of their friends and neighbors.
I have read 7 or 8 prior novels by Sandra Dallas and enjoyed them all but this is definitely my favorite. After living in Colorado and working in Wyoming, I can really appreciate how well she captures the history of this area. Wyoming’s climate, terrain and the isolated environment is harsh now so it’s hard to imagine how early settlers survived there. Dallas does an excellent job of capturing and vividly describing the experiences of her characters. Ellen’s friendships with her neighbors are special and all of their survival stories can be heart wrenching as well as heartwarming and demonstrate their reliance on each other. This story definitely taps into lots of emotions and the pace is just right.
#NetGalley, #Sandra Dallas, #St. Martin’s Press.

This book was a real tear-jerker, and I'm sure a much more accurate depiction of life on the frontier than the "Little House" books of my youth. Taking place in 1916, it tells the story of Ellen, who comes to Wyoming as a school teacher. When she falls in love with Charlie Bacon, Ellen embraces life in Wyoming with all of its challenges, beauty, and heartache.

The book doesn't exaggerate the extreme weather in Wyoming at all - and I cannot imagine living there 100 years ago! I think the women especially were heroes. This was a love story, but also a story of friendship, family, and survival.

Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas was both a heartwarming yet heartbreaking novel that was written with attention to detail. It was a character driven book that was well plotted. I particularly enjoyed the strong female characters in Where Coyotes Howl. I actually listened to the audiobook version of Where Coyotes Howl. It was performed by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker who did a fine job narrating this audiobook. She was able to easily distinguish between the various characters. Her performance made this audiobook an easy listen for me.

In the early twentieth century, Ellen Webster found herself in Wallace, Wyoming. She had responded to an advertisement that was seeking a teacher. She had been teaching and living in Iowa but was up for a challenge and a change in her life. Ellen could not have prepared herself for the type of life that she was to face in Wallace, though. It seemed that the town had had difficulty holding on to a teacher for more than the one year each teacher promised. Would Ellen be the exception to the rule or would she become another statistic like her predecessors?

When Ellen met Charlie Bacon, an honest to goodness cowboy who also happened to be quite handsome and smitten with Ellen, the two formed an easy friendship. At a box lunch church function, Charlie paid an unheard of eight dollars to purchase the box lunch Ellen had prepared. That was the start of a relationship that began as friends and ended with a beautiful marriage. Charlie had always aspired to become a rancher. Before their marriage, Charlie built Ellen and himself a small but well constructed home on the acreage he had purchased. They would begin their marriage on the prairie. The two of them shared a strong love and devotion to one another. Life on the prairie would prove to be hard and difficult and would test their limits.

Ellen gave up her teaching position when she married Charlie even though many wanted her to continue teaching their children. As a rancher’s wife, it would have reflected poorly on Charlie if she had continued to teach. It would have been looked on by others as if Charlie could not support his new wife. Ellen quickly learned how to perform all the tasks she was expected to perform. In addition, Ellen formed strong bonds with the other women that lived nearby on the prairie. Everyone that lived on the prairie learned very quickly that they looked out for one another.

Living on the prairie, brought many hardships. The winters were harsh with dangerously cold temperatures, blinding blizzards and a season that seemed to last far longer than expected. In the summer, the extreme heat was excessive and made ordinary chores almost impossible to carry out. Ellen and Charlie were made to face many challenges and even tragedies over the years they lived as husband and wife. They were often strapped for money which made obtaining the necessities they required very difficult at times. Food was often scarce and potatoes became their staple food. The love that Ellen and Charlie shared more than often helped them endure all the pain, grief and suffering that they were confronted with.

Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas touched upon domestic violence, loyalty, friendship, child abuse, alcoholism, prostitution, marriage, hardships, isolation, loneliness, harsh and extreme weather conditions, love and suicide. I really enjoyed the strong, determined and supportive women characters that Sandra Dallas rendered in her book. Sandra Dallas proved to be a masterful storyteller who brilliantly told the story of these courageous women who had lived on the prairie of Wyoming during those times. Her research was impeccable throughout this well written historical novel. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Where Coyotes Howl and highly recommend it. Publication is set for April 18, 2023.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I ended up with both an ARC and an ALC of this book. This is the story of a couple and survival in Wyoming in 1916. I found it intriguing and also really disheartening. I have no doubt that Dallas described life as it was, but what an emotionally devastating story. The story of Ellen and Charlie is a love story, but also a story of loss and grieving. Through them and the secondary characters, the reader will read about death (mostly children), mental and physical abuse, miscarriage, starvation, loneliness and suicide and isolation due to weather. Did I tear up? Yes. Don't read if you're already in a dark place in your life.

Not everything about this book is dark. Ellen and Charlie are really good people. Ellen befriends even the prostitutes in town and is a very loyal friend. Charlie is a kind and loving man, husband and father. The love between husband and wife is very real and touching, but if you need an HEA to be satisfied, go find another book.

For the audiobook, the narration by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker was superb.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies. All thoughts are my own.

Know that Dallas doesn't pull any punches in this atmospheric and wonderful love story between Charlie and Ellen. It's the early 1900s and she's the new school teacher in a small Wyoming town and when she meets Charlie, a cowboy who wants to be a rancher, she falls hard. So hard that she moves with him to a small house on the prairie- miles from neighbors but she finds a special friend in Gladys and support at the big ranch. And she keeps close with Ruth, her former landlady whose husband is, well awful. Ellen and Charlie have a tight budget and a tough life but all seems good and romantic until one night there's a tragedy. Ellen rebounds and their life goes on with joy but know that nothing is certain on the prairie. This gets grim in spots but sadly it's also a realistic portrayal of life in these circumstances. It soars on the atmospherics and the storytelling is terrific. It became a real page turner for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great historical fiction.

This story was so profoundly sad but so well written. Set in the early 1900s in Wyoming, it is the story of the struggles and challenges of first settlers on the prairie. A schoolteacher, Ellen, comes new to town from Iowa and falls in love with a cowboy, Charlie. After they marry, they strive to make a life on the prairie as ranchers, dealing with joys and many many hardships. Making friends, not being judgmental, and supporting others around them is essential to their survival. Not everyone who comes to Wallace Wyoming survives, and many leave, unable to live in such a desolate area where coyotes howl. But Ellen and Charlie are resilient and have such tenacity and such love that helps them to stay. But besides joy, they experience tragedy. I was hooked from the first page until the last. Every time Charlie and Ellen are knocked down, they seem to get back up and continue on. But be warned, this is heart wrenching. There are some unexpected twists in this very realistic account of the courage of those who chose to forge their destiny in a new land on the prairie. Again, well-written. The author takes you there and makes you feel one with the characters. This was a time in history that I was not familiar with, and I find it interesting to hear about the trials realistically and see the courage of early pioneers and not have it glossed over with a pollyanna theme. I recommend this book.