Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
This story takes place in 1863 in the west. When Haidie Richards mother dies, her older brother dumps her and her younger brother at an orphanage. They decide to escape and make their way to Colorado Territory to look for their gold seeking father. Along the way, they meet a lot of interesting people and have a lot of exciting adventures. I liked the descriptions of the old west and the western towns. All of the characters were well-written and made the story a fun read. I admired Haidie's courage and spunk. A really good book if you like stories about the old west.

In the early 1860s, Haidie is in a family that is slowly falling apart. Her father, a year before, set out west to find gold. But with only 3 letters arriving, Haidie’s mom looses faith in him returning and passes away. Cheet, the older brother sets off on his own by selling the farm and putting Haidie and her brother, Boots, in an orphanage. In a few months, Haidie meets someone that helps her escape and she and Boots head off west to find her father. They join a wagon train and endear the harshest of environments to reach Colorado. But will they find their father?

This was a page turner of a read! I loved the language of the young, uneducated, Haidie. I feel it brought so much to the story. The author did a great job describing orphanages and the wagon trains of the mid 1800s, (although I’m not an expert). I also love a good ending when justice is served!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

In *Tough Luck*, 14-year-old Haidie Richards, dressed as a boy, embarks on a risky journey with her brother, Boots, to track down their gold-mining father in 1863. After fleeing an orphanage, they navigate real dangers and cross paths with all sorts of people, forming unexpected connections along the way. The characters feel alive, the details make the story come to life, and you’re right there with Haidie through every step of her journey. Her determination is inspiring, and with her newfound friends, she crafts a smart plan once she learns the truth about her father. It’s a heartfelt and gripping read. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley.

This was so much better then I was expecting as this wasn’t my usual genre but I ending up loving the Western aspect! It’s so much more than just a western though - the characters were incredible and relatable. I felt so drawn into the story and stayed up so late reading this. Will be 100% purchasing for our library!

I really enjoyed the Western element to this book, it had what was promised in the description. The concept was everything that I wanted and enjoyed getting through the story. The characters worked overall in the time-period and was glad they worked so well. Sandra Dallas has a strong concept and was able to write a story well.

This caught me off guard, While the author writes historical fiction that I'm familiar with, this was a bit different writing style. Just looked interesting by the description and cover. Will be ordering for the store for sure. Well developed characters and storyline had me reading a bit past my bedtime on more than one night. Gritty, but not heavy historical fiction that is a nice change from the prison camps and nazi genre that has over saturated the reading community lately. Give me a western with something I'm not expecting and I'm in. This fit the bill perfectly.

I've seen this book compared to True Grit, which I don't think does this book service. While there are heavier themes and some violence( travlers being killed, buffalo shot and harvested) it's mainly a cute story about found family. Haide and her younger brother Boots are dropping off in an orphanage by their eldest brother aptly named "Cheet" when their mother passes away, Haide is one of the hardest working, resourceful young women I've ever read about. She and Boots travel from Illinois to Colorado and Dallas writes with a lightness and humor which serves well in despite some of the heavier themes. You really root for these characters, most of them are so good hearted even if they are rough around the edges.

It's a short read, and definitely was good after a couple heavy fantasy novels and full of heart and humor.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and thanks to St Martin Press.

This is a rollicking, Western, part Louis L’Amour and part Mark Twain. Two orphaned children want to find out if their father is dead or alive, rich or poor. They haven’t heard from him since he head off to the Gold Rush. Interesting characters and clever story twists make this a pleasant read.

This was quite a story. The orphans, a young girl named Haidie and an even younger boy, Boots, her little brother embark on a journey to find their father who left to find gold in Denver. Haidie finds it beneficial to pretend to be a boy while traveling. The ethics and bravery of the girl are extraordinary. She could also lie well and that helped her and her brother escape the orphanage her gambler older brother put them in after taking the money for the farm sale after their mother died. The two never gave up on her idea to search for their father traveling by mule train and wagon train across many states from Illinois to Denver. The story takes place in the gold rush era and travel was by horse, wagon train, and mule train to go hundreds of miles taking the chance of being killed by unfriendly Indians, conditions or robbers, and killers.
The characters were delightful from the colorful and strong people on the wagon trains to the unscrupulous ones trying to cheat others. The beginning was slow but hang in it gets better. It becomes heartwarming with exceptional characters and many surprising events.
I do recommend this book and hope you'll give it a chance. The dialog was taken from the era and level of education of the people. The story shows great endurance.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press NY. for this arc for my honest review.

This was my first Sandra Dallas and what an adventurous romp through the Wild West it was.Haidies travels to Colorado to find her errant father was an absolute delight to read.
Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC

Great historical fiction. It depicts much of the westward movement and the people that bravely made the journey. The main character is a 14-year old girl who’s bringing her brother along as they attempt to locate the their miner father. Robberies, fights, and odd alliances take place and recurring characters make the story a fun read.

The story of Haidie as she travels West to find her father was full of adventure and kept my attention. The many experiences and adventures she has made me eager to keep turning the pages. At times the story seemed a little far fetched and situations and solutions seemed too convenient for a perilous journey across the country. I enjoyed the ending and loved all of the many characters she meets along her way, especially Corny and Jake.

A couple years ago I picked up one of Sandra Dallas’s books and since then I have read nearly everything she’s written. I love her ability to nearly immediately drop the reader in another historical time and place with cinematic verisimilitude. I love the way she brings the American West alive in the frontier era. And most especially I love the way she writes the inner lives and thoughts of feisty women.

In Tough Luck, the main character Haidie is no exception. She’s a clever teen girl navigating a world that underestimates her. While she lacks formal education, you can see she’s smart as a whip and she saves herself and her brother from a dreary life in an orphanage just by means of her wits and “being good at plans.”

Characterization through dialogue is a strength of Dallas’s and Haidie’s westbound travels by wagon give plenty of opportunity to meet a cast of new characters. As she and her younger brother go west in search of their father, lots of adventure, some misfortune, and plenty of hijinks ensue. The characters are lovable and wise.

I read this book in one day, and have already imagined who I’d cast in the movie. 🍿 It’s another great Sandra Dallas book, and I’m grateful to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance digital copy for review.

4 ⭐️

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley!

This book gave me the same vibes as the historical fiction books I loved to read as a kid. Haidie runs away from an orphanage with her younger brother to find their Pa, who moved out west to look for gold. She has to disguise herself as a boy to make it safely across the planes. Along the way they run into so many colorful characters and have to deal with a lot of mishaps. Quite entertaining and written in a way that makes you feel you’re right there with them.

"Tough Luck" by Sandra Dallas is a wonderful, attention-grabbing book about a young girl who, after being placed in an orphanage by her gambling older brother days after her mother's death, breaks out with her younger brother Boots and, pretending to be a boy, sets off across the Wild West in hopes of finding their long-lost father. With the help of some very helpful, very questionable characters, they find that they have more family than they originally thought. This book was the perfect mix of adventure and comfort, grit and cozy, and overall, a fantastic read. Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this beautiful book, and thank you Sandra Dallas for writing it!

Historical fiction at its finest, perhaps a little unbelievable and unrealistic, but I still enjoyed it and would recommend others to read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another wonderful novel from Dallas that transports the reader into the struggles and hardships of the Wild West. Amazing read!

Half of the story is the journey to Colorado, and the other half is in Colorado. The story takes a few surprising turns. There are misadventures and misunderstandings. The ending was fun and humorous. The whole story had moments like that. This is a great blend of historical fiction and western.

This western is very different from what I usually read. I found this to be a very interesting story that kept me coming back to read more. Really like the characters. Good job Sandra Dallas. I highly recommend this book.

This was a well done story following a pair of orphans as they travel across the country, hoping to fine their father. I was captivated and could not put this book down, from the beginning. The only part of the book I didn’t enjoy was the ending. I thought it was abrupt and I had questions that weren’t answered.