I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Michelle Rene, and Amberjack Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

This is an excellent historical western, with Calamity Jane playing a supporting roll as she helps smallpox victims and the motherless children of one of the victims, Jimmy and Hour, as they struggle to survive in the town of Deadwood as they wait to see if their dad will live - or die. You will love Jimmy before the first chapter closes, and Hour is a flower of a special kind - she too will win your heart early on in this novel. This is a book I am pleased to recommend to friends and family, and one I hope Michelle Rene will be back soon with more like this....

Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read an advance copy of Hour Glass.
This book tells the story of Calamity Jane and the friends she met along the way. I laughed and cried as I read the beautifully written words of 12 year old Jimmy as he recalls the life and death of his dear friend. This is the the kind of book that when you weren't reading it, you were thinking about the people fondly and were looking forward to meeting them again.

FIVE STARS for this lovely book about the famous Calamity Jane and her perpetual cussing!

It was well-written, well-paced, and the dialogues where well-balanced.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Yee hah!

This was a VERY fun read - totally believable and excellent dialogue which drew you in the novel as if a lasso had been tied around your neck and tugged sharply. This is a ride of a novel from start to finish - excuse the Wild West analogies but it’s essential I swear!- and Calamity Jane seen through the eyes of a 12 year old boy is a rare treat. I felt very honoured to be in their company and felt very much involved with the story line.

The author’s writing style fits the story and themes very well, pace, fun, humour and apt description are wonderfully drawn. Deadwood comes to life off the page, I could almost smell horses and see the glint of gold in my eyes as I read. Dust sprinkled out the side of my kindle...

Deadwood is a real life town that has a wealth of history I knew little about but this nvoel was areal eye opener and a brilliant way of finding the town and seeing its unique history. Ah Jimmy! you’re a fine character indeed as is Jane, but it’s you I will remember most. Tell the others to mind their language though will you? I know this is the Wild West, but still!

Will there be more? I hope so. I’ve the horses saddled up and raring to go

This book was brilliantly written, I could not put it down. The portrayal of Jane was vivid and colorful, and the other characters were equally enchanting. I found myself laughing, crying and at times cringing, but above all, I felt a connection with each of these characters that lasted long after I read the last page. The story of Jimmy, Hour, Jane and the rest of the characters were so captivating that I can't really say which one I liked best. Each person had their own set of issues to work through, and each one had their own kind of tragedy that bonded them all together in one amazing story! I highly recommend this book, it's a beautiful story that will keep you entertained from cover to cover!

This is a charming and heartwarming historical fiction book. It centers around the infamous and colorful Calamity Jane and a host of other characters in the town of Deadwood during the wild west period. This wonderful cast of characters come together to take care of a brother and sister (Jimmy and Hour Glass) who lose their father to smallpox. The author really brings this story to life, as she tells the story through the eyes of 12-year old Jimmy. High recommended! Thank you to NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. -- 4.5 Stars

All heart, Hour Glass was such a surprise! This delightful, yet poignant, bildungsroman is right up there with True Grit. Our narrator, a twelve-year-old Jimmy Glass, leads the way through the grime and grit of the dying age of the Old West. His maturity is astounding, but still so believable, and Rene doesn't falter on the setting and all its dirty details.

I usually am rather unsure of books where the main character meets and interacts with a well-known historical figure. Sometimes it works, but more often than not it just feels forced, placed, and predictable. But, what would feel like a misstep in other fictionalized works, succeeds here because of the setting of the American frontier and the fully developed characterizations. Rene strikes exactly the right tone and pace for this setting and for the historical figure of Calamity Jane. Her existence in this book is strikingly seamless and whole. Not only did I want to learn more about the real-life Jane, but I found this book hard to put down because of Jimmy.