Book Review: Spinster's Folly

I was a little hesitant to pick up this book because it's the fourth in a series, (The Owen Family Saga) but I've been reading a lot of historicals lately and this one looked promising.  Marsha Ward is known for her attention to detail and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could read this as a stand alone and really get into the characters even though I hadn't read the previous three books in the series.

It's the story of a family in the Colorado territory, trying to make a go of it,  The oldest daughter, Marie, is afraid she will never get married because there aren't a whole lot of suitable young men for her to consider.  There's a neighboring farmer's son, whom her father chooses, a cowhand who is sweet, but not of her class, and a sophisticated man from town who professes his love.  Marie's choice takes her in unexpected directions and down a path of danger.  It really is a riveting story that takes you back to the time period.

I think Ms. Ward did a wonderful job on her descriptions and on making the characters come to life.  There were a few instances where our heroine seemed a bit naive and I guessed the ending pretty accurately, but I really enjoyed the journey.  It was a quick afternoon read and it immersed me in the lives of this family.  I wasn't sure I liked westerns per se, but Spinster's Folly showed me that I really can like a western--especially one as well-written as this one.

Here is the back copy:

Marie Owen yearns for a loving husband, but Colorado Territory is long on rough characters and short on fitting suitors, so a future of spinsterhood seems more likely than wedded bliss. Her best friend says cowboy Bill Henry is a likely candidate, but Marie knows her class-conscious father would not allow such a pairing. When she challenges her father to find her a suitable husband before she becomes a spinster, he arranges a match with a neighbor's son. Then Marie discovers Tom Morgan would be an unloving, abusive mate and his mother holds a grudge against the Owen family. Marie's mounting despair at the prospect of being trapped in such a dismal marriage drives her into the arms of a sweet-talking predator, landing her in unimaginable dangers. This fourth book in the Owen Family saga is infused with potent heart and intense grit.