Another good one from Sandra Dallas. Cheet Richards puts his fourteen year old sister Haidie and their brother, seven year old Boots, in an orphanage when their mother died. Cheet had sold the farm and was planning to make his living as a gambler. Unfortunately the orphanage was not a good place for Haidie and Boots, so they escaped with plans to go the Denver, Colorado, where their father had gone hoping to find gold. Along the way they meet an interesting group of travelers that help them make their way. Things are not what they expected when they arrived in Denver but Haidie's "street wise" friends, and her cleverness get them through. Both humor and the cruel reality of life on the frontier are in this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc and for not requiring a positive review.

After their father left and their mother died, Haddie and Boots were left with only their older brother, Cheet.

Cheet sold their home, put his brother and sister in an orphanage, and took off with the money.

Haidie had plans, though. She was going to find her father. They were not going to stay in the orphanage. She and Boots escaped and found a man going west that would take them with him.

He was a kind man, but some of the others they met along with way definitely were not.

We travel with Haidie and Boots as they learn how to survive during this time period, and also find out about their father.

An enjoyable, uplifting read with wonderful characters. You will LOVE Haidie.

Sandra Dallas always gives us a great story.

Enjoy the ride and the fun - remember, it was the Wild West!! 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

DNF @ 53%

From the description, I thought Haidie would be older, but she is 14 in the novel. I was trying to push through the book, because a heist style revenge plot sounds fun. However, at 53% Haidie and her brother Boots are still trekking across the prairie to get to Colorado to find their dad. It also felt like nothing much had happened.

There are lots of misspellings that are intentional in the characters speech, but they were in how everybody talked so I couldn't tell if they were to portray an accent or to portray little to no education. They were just annoying and unnneccessary to me ("Hoor" instead of "whore"; "buffaler" instead of "buffalo").

All the characters also felt very one dimensional. I never felt attached to any of them and never felt like there was any growth happening either.

Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me.

Review goes live May 12

I enjoyed this story. At times I was frustrated by how the main character knew how to do everything or could pick up on things faster than you would expect. I enjoyed learning about the different characters introduced throughout the book.

Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas

Haidie Richards and her younger brother, Boots, grabbed my heart and didn't let go. When we meet them, Haidie is fourteen and her brother, Boots, is ten. Their father left them years ago and now their mother has died. Haidie's scoundrel of a brother, Cheet, sells her parents' farm, pockets the money and puts Haidie and Boots into an orphanage. Thank goodness the orphanage doesn't seem to be too horrible but it's certainly not a place where Haidie and Boots belong.

Haidie is a hard worker. She kept her parents farm going more than her brother Cheet ever did. Boots is a hard worker, too, and the siblings are loyal to each other in a way their father and older brother never were. Haidie is going to break herself and Boots out of the orphanage so they can go find their father in Colorado. Surely he never meant to leave them forever and would want them with him now that their mother is dead. For this to work, Haidie chops off her hair and presents herself as a boy since no one would want to take on a boy and a girl. Off Haidie and Boots go, with an orphanage ex worker, to make their life better.

Haidie and Boots meet some terrible people and find themselves in some deadly situations but the highlight of the story, for me, is all the good, decent people they meet. Even the two old ladies on a wagon train (not even thirty years old but to kids they seem ancient) turn out not to be the witches they seemed to the kids, at first. It's going to take a lot of help and work to get Haidie and Boots out of their numerous fixes but with the friends they have made, hope is on the horizon. I kind of hated to leave these characters and would loved to follow them around some more.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

4 great character stars

Sandra Dallas is a Colorado writer that I love to read! This one did not disappoint with great memorable characters, a Western setting, gambling, horse thieves, mining for gold, a wagon train, and a satisfying ending.

We meet Haidie and Boots right after their mother's death. Their father left years ago to make his fortune in the Colorado gold mines. Older brother Cheet sells the family farm and puts his younger siblings in an orphanage. Cheet is off to be a riverboat gambler.

It doesn’t take long for Haidie to formulate a plan to escape the orphanage and head west to find their father. She takes Boots, and they are accompanied for a while by a young woman. They decide it will be easier for Haidie to pass as a boy, so she chops off her hair and dresses as a boy.

They have quite a few adventures along the way. They meet some truly good people and some scoundrels! Haidie and Boots work hard, loading wagons, driving mules and oxen, and fighting off Indians along the way to Colorado.

In the end, they have to count on their new friends to help right a wrong in a clever game of deception.

I enjoyed this foray into the old west and rooted for these characters!

I have read many books by this author, and she doesn't disappoint, this one was a page turner.
As I was reading, I felt like I was watch a movie, and was drawn in. What an excellent job the author did of placing the right people at the right time in the right place!
The children are delightful, loved Haidie, so resourceful and yet compassionate!
We travel with Boots 10, and Haidie 14, from their escape from the orphanage to the Gold Hills of Colorado. How they get there is a real adventure, and we are there every step of the way.
If you like justice, in a round about way, we do get it here, and wow what a journey for answers, but the people put in their path, although unconventional are awesome!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

An absolute romp through the west with a 14-year-old spunky girl on a quest to find her father in Colorado. There are so many hilarious moments and sayings and misunderstandings that it is worth reading for those moments alone. Fabulous characters!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to read and review.

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.