In the spring of 1877, Bridget—sixteen years old and already disillusioned after caring for her alcoholic father—is orphaned while crossing the Kansas prairie. She arrives penniless in Dodge City, and, thanks to the allure of her bright red hair and country-girl beauty, is soon recruited to work at the Buffalo Queen, the only brothel in town run by women. Bridget takes to brothel life instantly, appreciating the good food, good pay, and good friendships she forms with her fellow 'sporting women,' even catching the eye of the town's Sheriff's Deputy, who offers the Queen protection and security. Then, Spartan Lee—the most legendary (and only) female gunfighter in the region—rides into town, and Bridget falls in love.
Steeped in Western-genre tropes, the first 50 pages of Cravens’ novel will satisfy anyone looking for an easy read, but the book is so much more ... Cravens peppers the novel with enough foreshadowing that an astute reader could figure out the big reveal quickly. But it’s just as much fun to willfully ignore the clues and hang on for dear life.
A funny, sharp, subversive marvel: a queer Western that feels both fresh and timeless. With gunfights, gambling, mysterious strangers riding into town, criminal gangs and highway robbery, it has all the trappings of a classic Western. The plot takes off about two-thirds of the way through, and it delivers plenty of heart-pumping action and adventure ... A complicated and moving portrait of a young queer woman determined to take up space in a world trying to render her invisible.
...combines classic Western tropes with a fresh perspective and fine writing ... The author’s familiarity with the Western genre comes through in her setting and characterizations. Featuring gunslingers, gamblers, outlaws, madams and brothel workers, this story is fast-paced, racing to an explosive conclusion. Lesbian romance plays a definitive role, with complex characters whose motivations and desires are integral to the plot.
