Caffeinated Reviewer

As far as the eye can see is a vast, empty horizon. Evie Teale has finally accepted that her husband won't be coming home. To make ends meet she runs a temporary stage station. But though she is diligent and careful, Evie must prepare for the day when the passengers no longer come and she must protect her children in an untamed country where's it's far easier to die than to live.

Miles away, another solitary soul battles for survival. Conagher is a lean, dark-eyed drifter who is not about to let a gang of rustlers push him around. While searching the isolated canyons for missing cattle, he finds notes tied to tumbleweeds rolling with the wind. The bleak, spare words echo Conagher's own whispered prayers for companionship. Who is this mysterious woman on the other side of the wind? Conagher only hopes he can stay alive long enough to find her

It’s the third Wednesday of the month and that means Sophia Rose is stopping by for a visit. Today she is sharing an audiobook review of Conagher by Louis L’Amour. Grab a cup of iced coffee and saddle up!

Sophia Rose’s Review

Some might believe that a Louis L’Amour story is all gritty men, gunfighter action, and tough plots in well-drawn western or adventure setting.  And, to an extent, they would be right because those elements are very much present.  But, sprinkled through his stories is romance to one degree or another.  L’Amour wrote his women as courageous and capable as his men and once in a while he gives them a prominent role and a pioneer romance.  Conagher is one of those stories.

Evie Teale comes west from Ohio with her husband and his children.  She wasn’t in favor of chucking their old life and the trappings of civilization, but this is their chance.  She bites her tongue on criticizing the simple one-room cabin with the dirt floor sitting out on a wide-open dry land far from anyone.  Instead, while Jacob goes to buy cattle, she and the children get busy making something of their lean circumstances.  Meanwhile, Jacob becomes one of the lone men claimed by the hard western prairie and his family doesn’t know what has become of him.  Evie worries over how they are going to survive as they adapt to living on the western frontier.  From hostile Apaches, feeding the stagecoach passengers and staff, encountering a would-be gunfighter, harsh winter, rustlers, and one hard-bitten cowboy who makes her curious and not give up on the chance of love.

Conagher is a man who doesn’t suffer fools, back down, and does a hard day’s work for a hard day’s pay.  He’s never known home or family and has spent his life drifting from job to job and place to place.  But, what gets him twitchy are the romantic and poetic notes tied to tumble weeds by some lonely woman to the north.  He’s no woman’s idea of a knight in shining armor, but he sure wishes he could be.

The narration switches back and forth between Evie and Con.  Both their sides of the story are exciting in their own way.  Evie’s is about survival and learning she’s tougher than she thought she was as she faces everything thrown at her.  Conagher’s side has the fistfights, range battles, and lonely cowboy ponderings that keep leading him back to the Teale place and Evie.  I liked both characters and it was easy to root for them to find their way to each other while beating the troubles that faced them separately.

The western setting and situation was well drawn and I enjoyed the colorful characters that peopled the story.  A lot of the characters, but particularly those who did bad things, weren’t all one or the other.  And, yes, there is some gritty ‘shoot ’em up’ action.

Jason Culp did the narration and I’ve enjoyed his work on previous L’Amour books.  He does a great job though he gets a tad nasally and breathy with female voices.  He narrates the quiet, sweeping moments and the intense fight scenes equally well and I’m happy to pick up more of his work.

All in all, I was well pleased to have a strong heroine to pair the hero and some great western setting and action.

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

Related Posts

• By Louis L’Amour
• Same Genre