Completely captivating. This book takes readers on one big adventure in 1863 with characters that are high spirited.

Haidie was 14 years old and Thomas, known as Boots, was a couple of years younger. They were living on a farm when their father, Manley Richards, decided to take off to search for gold. Their mother, Mary, was sick and died leaving them with their older brother, Cheet (much like a cheat). He decided to sell the farm, keep the money and abandon his two siblings, Haidie and Boots, in an orphanage.

Not long afterwards, Haidie had enough. She was taking Boots and escaping the dreadful conditions to find their Pa in Colorado. They made it to Fort Madison and headed towards the Colorado Territory where they last heard from their Pa a few years ago.

It was whirlwind for two younguns to find their way across the American Frontier. This is a time when danger was surfacing in the country with the Civil War, Indians warriors, unexpected wild animals and gunfighters. Haidie and Boots had to be ready for everything coming their way while I kept thinking it would be nearly impossible to find their Pa not knowing exactly where he was located.

The story was very well written pulling you right into the early 1860s like walking into a museum and imaging the past. I didn’t expect to learn so much from a couple of kids that were totally brave with their search and belief that their Pa was still alive and well. The reader got to know Haidie and Boots fairly well with a few others they came to trust on the journey. I kept wanting to root for them to achieve their goals. It was unforgettable.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of April 29, 2025.

Tough Luck is a wonderful piece of historical fiction about the American West in the years of the Civil War. I was entranced from the very beginning. It’s just a feel good story.
Their mother’s body is barely in the ground when Haidie’s and Boot’s older brother sells the farm and puts them in an orphanage. But Haidie has no intention of staying put and before long, they’ve escaped and are heading west, looking for their pa who left years before to look for gold in Colorado.
Haidie is such a wonderful main character! Sharp as a tack, a hard worker, brave and determined to watch over her younger brother. There’s a picture of her by the dictionary definition of spunky. On the way west, she is lucky to meet up with some kind hearted souls, even those that initially seem suspect.
Westerns aren’t a genre I seek out. But this is much more a coming of age story. It’s a reminder of how fast young people had to grow up back then. Dallas does a great job of painting a picture of life traveling the prairies as well as the conditions in the western towns. The story was entertaining and moved at a brisk pace. There’s the perfect blend of humor and warmth. The ending was fun, if a bit saccharine.
This would work well as a YA book as the book is never overly dark and doesn’t try to go too far into deep themes.
This is the second book I’ve read by Sandra Dallas and I’ve enjoyed both so much I need to seek out her other works. I recommend this for fans of Paulette Jiles.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas is a delightful read!This story tells about Boots who is ten and his sister Haidie who is fourteen.The story takes place at the time of the gold rush and their father has gone off to Colorado to find a goldmine..After their mother dies their older brother Cheet (whose name fits well) puts them in an orphanage.If you loved True Grit or the writing of Paulette Giles you will love this novel.You will laugh at their exploits.You will meet wagon train masters,card-sharks,spinster sisters(who aren’t even thirty years old).mule skinners and other western characters.There are bad guys and good guys! You will love this exciting book of western adventures!I can’t wait to read it over again!Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read this ARC!

The book read younger than I thought it would. I still enjoyed the characters. Haidie had to grow up fast, her younger brother Boots and her were dealt a bad hand in life but she really rose to the challenge and became a very strong young woman.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

Sweet little story about 14 years old Haidie and her brother boots living in 1850 Missouri. Her Ma has just did and their older brother Cheet has sold the family farm, and true to his name cheating his siblings out of their inheritance . Instead he dumps them in an orphanage while he goes off to make his fortune as a gambler. Haidie and Boots escape and head west to Colorado to find their father who left the family to strike it rich as gold-miner. Along the way they meed a colorful cast of guardian angels and scoundrels.

Enjoyable read, with themes of found family, adventure and forgiveness told by a brave spunky girl. If Hallmark wrote westerns this could be one complete with unrealistic happy ending. The scenes of peril are few and relatively mild.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Haidie's father left for the Colorado goldfields years ago, so when their mother dies, her older brother sends Haidie and her younger brother Boots to an orphanage so he can leave to become a riverboat gambler. Tough luck, kids. Haidie and Boots are sure their dad is rich somewhere in Colorado, so Haidie plots for the two of them to escape and head west to find him.
This is a wild and imaginative Western adventure that has been rightfully compared to True Grit. Haidie is a marvelous character, strong, clever and with her own distinct sense of personal morality. The other characters are equally original and vibrant, and they all carry along the racing plot. This is a very fast, extremely enjoyable read. Some of Dallas's works can get quite dark, but while this one does have hardship, it is all light. This is all about overcoming adversity with hope, intelligence, compassion and teamwork. Very clever and loads of fun. Highly, highly recommended.

3.75 or 4

This was a fun book full of adventures and shenanigans, but one that also remained pretty surface-level as far as its themes and emotional impact go.

I enjoyed following Haidie’s POV, though it did very much read juvenile, given that she is 14/15 throughout the story.

The stakes never felt particularly high. I was always pretty confident that things were going to work out for Haidie and Boots. That’s not a bad thing, necessarily. I really had a lot of fun reading this! I just would say to not go in expecting a lot of tension.

I enjoy Westerns that center female characters, and I would definitely read more from the author!

Thanks to SMP for giving me access to this arc!

I thought the book was mostly lighthearted and simple, not real complicated or deep. It was just ok in my opinion.

It was a look at wagon trails, thievery and gambling while migrating west, but I don’t have much of a point of reference to tell you if it was accurately portrayed or not. I will say the characters Haidie encounters felt sort of stupid and naive, or again, maybe simple is the best word. Maybe it was meant to be more of a kind of fun, YA wild-west adventure story, and if so, I think it did that successfully. It just wasn’t really my speed of book.

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

I have read many Sandra Dallas books, and they all have been 5 stars, unfortunately this one is coming in with 4, mainly due to the ending. It seemed rushed, almost like let’s get over this. Up to that point I enjoyed Boots and Haidie’s adventures, the author gave good explanations of traveling on horseback, running into bad guys, retrieving their horse after being stolen, many situations were done well.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story, it just wasn’t one of my favorites. It certainly will not keep me from reading more, I love westerns and tales of wagon trail travel which Dallas does the research and makes you feel like you were there.
I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my unbiased review. Comes in with four stars.

I appreciate Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas. I enjoyed the book. Haidie Richards and her brother Boots are left in an orphanage after the death of their mother. Their father has left their farm and headed to Colorado to find his fortune in the gold fields. He hasn't been seen or heard from in several years. After their father sells the farm, the younger kids run away and head to Colorado to find their father. Haidie dresses like a boy for the trip. They join a wagon train heading west, have many adventures, and make some friends along the way who help them find out what happened to their father.

I have not read many books in this setting but I am so glad I tried something new.
We follow 14 year old Haidie and her little brother Boots. They begin their trek from Illinois to Colorado in 1863 with the hopes of finding their missing father.
The characters were all so peculiar and vibrant. The author made you feel as if you were on the adventures along side them, escaping the orphanage and traveling the trail. The only part I had a slight issue with was the ending. It felt a tad bit contrived. But honestly I enjoyed the characters so much that it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas is about how a young woman named Haidie Richards and her brother Boots make a trecherous journey West in 1863 after the death of their mother and then abandoned by their father for his search for gold in Colorado. Haidie and her younger brother are then put to work in an orphanage. Since being abandoned by their father they have only received three letters from him and Haidie is determined to escape and go in search of him. She thinks he has struck gold out in Colorado. So she sets off with her brother for a dangerous journey west. Along the way on their journey she meets a group of colorful characters who she ends up needing by her side when she learns the truth about her father.

I loved every bit of this story, a homage to "True Grit". Haidie Richards was a smart, strong, resourceful young woman who actually hailed from Smoak, Illinois which is actually my home state. I was rooting for her from the very beginning! I loved the descriptive writing, the humor and the colorful characters. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did! Happy reading y'all!
A huge thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and the author Sandra Dallas for allowing me to read this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early read. In a nod to True Grit, the author's latest historic novel is set in Colorado in the 1860s. The gripping tale uniquely captures the burgeoning American West, as a brother and sister follow their father to the hopeful land of gold mining. A winner!

An intoxicating and gripping tale set in the wild west of 1863. I enjoyed following along on Haidie and Boots’ journey as they searched for their father and the consequences of that search. The cast of characters were colorful and engaging.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion

While I read and enjoyed an advance copy of Little Souls by Sandra Dallas awhile back, and was interested to start Tough Luck, the book was only a three-star read for me. The book starts in 1863 Illinois, where after the death of Haidie and Boots Richards’ mother, their brother Cheet having inherited the farm, sells it. He relegates Haidie, age 14, and the younger Boots to board art the Smoak, Illinois Good Shepherd Home for Foundlings and Orphans.
There they meet Teresa, a pretty nun who’d gotten “”in the family way” and eventually are taken on by a Jacob Crowfoot, freighter going to Omaha. The siblings (Haidie masquerading as a boy) hope to go on to Denver and Georgetown area where their father had gone to seek his fortune. They are sure he has made great success as a gold miner.

There are many perils along the way including Indians, thieves and so on. A lot of plot points to draw the reader in, in short. Eventually they are taken on by a scout for 14 Conestogas going on to Colorado. They meet the Misses Arvilla and Lizzie and become great friends.

This is in many ways a well-crafted book but it simply did not draw me in like others by the author.. my thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel. I love Sandra Dallas but this book wasn't my favorite. It was very juvenile with the main character being 14. The plot and twist of events was not realistic making it more immature. The characters all intertwined together to pull the story together. It just wasn't for me. I did enjoy the pioneer/western setting and there was definitely a variety of characters and obstacles along the journey to Colorado.

A powerful, atmospheric and engaging page turner with strong characters. I was hooked from the start and loved the ending. Will be looking for other Sandra Dallas books.

It's 1863 and Haidie Richards has just learned from her older 19 year old brother he has sold their farm. Believing that his father is dead and his mother just having died, it was his decision to sell the farm. Haidie argues believing their father is still alive out West panning for gold,, This leaves Haidiie and her younger brother Boots as orphans. They are both put in an orphanage as their older brother sets out to lead a life as a gambler with the money from the farm. But feisty 14 year old Haidie will have none of that and disguises herself as a boy., joining a wagon train as they set out West to Denver in search of their father. We find our protagonist is both strong, reliant and courageous able to take care of her brother Boots as they journey to Denver. This is a well written novel along with a sense of humor which makes the story enjoyable. For me this is one more favorite in a list of books written by Sandra Dallas. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC n exchange for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed many of Sandra Dallas’ books and this one of the adventures of Haidie and Boots headed to Colorado was good. I enjoyed the descriptions of the trail and liked the characters. It came off as a little YA so I did not rate it as highly as some of her other works. Thank you Netgally for the ARC,

I was hesitant on the offer from St, Martins Press through NetGalley, but growing up watching Little house on the Prairie, along with many Cowboy/Indian movies and shows this book had my interest!

Pa left town a couple years back to go to Denver to strike it rich! Pa would write every once in a while, but it stopped. Ma has now passed away leaving Cheet, Haidie, and Boot orphaned. Cheet doesn't care, sells the ranch dirt cheap, and takes his siblings to an orphan to dump them.

Haidie and Boots escape the orphanage looking for a wagon train going to Denver. Knowing nobody is going to help a girl, Haidie gets a haircut and dresses as a boy. Not much luck being kids, but they finally get a start, with Jake Crawfoot. He gets them started and once he finds them a secure and trusting train, they are all in it. They do what needs to be done, no matter what the work is. Haidie has concerns about her dad, but has to keep everything on the positive for Boots. They have your typical adventures as you see in the movies, tough towns, drunks, thieves, Indians, that's what the Native Americans were called in the day, bad guys, but plenty of good people. Can only really think of a couple characters I wasn't fond of, but that was the point. But I loved the majority of them, they each their ways of life