Blood Oath

I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sawbones, the first book in this series, was one of my first forays into the Western genre. And I really liked it. The story was good, the theme was good, nothing felt overdone... it was just a great experience overall. It was with high hopes that I began to read this sequel... so here is my review:

After escaping danger, Laura Elliston and William Kindle are on the run -- from the Army and from every bounty hunter after Laura. But the danger isn't just from those pursuing them. Laura and Kindle can't escape their past and are haunted by their secrets and trauma. Exhausted, scared, scarred and surrounded by enemies, neither realize the greatest show more danger is yet to come.

As usual, the author maintained that awesome grittiness that I have started to associate with the Western genre. Laura and Kindle do not get it easy at all in this novel! Every time they turn, there is some struggle or the other - but that's what I like about this book series. The author does not shy away from difficult themes like the conflict between Natives and the "Westerners", and the trauma from rape. The story was powerful because of the topics it covered and I think the author did a good job of addressing them. There is a lot more romance in this novel but I think that the chemistry between Laura and Kindle worked very well, so it was a success for me! I will say that this novel is more of a filler between the first book and what is to come; while this novel was interesting, it wasn't really necessary. However, with all that being said, this is definitely a good Western book series and I cannot wait to see what happens to Laura and Kindle in the next installment!

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Finishing Sawbones, I settled in for a binge of the trilogy. Blood Oath picks up where Sawbones let off - but Melissa Lenhardt wasn't going to let up up on Catherine (now going by Laura) or Kindle. Laura is subjected to horror after horror, and comes back fighting. Kindle can't cut a break either.

Through the entire book I rooted for them, I covered my mouth in horror at what Laura endured, and Lenhardt dragged me through the ringer. The era and the setting of the book is a time of brutality, and neither Laura nor Kindle escape them unscathed. It's a different relationship with them in this book, but still powerful. The author has me hooked from beginning to end as this book is as much a rollercoaster ride as the first.

Blood Oath, a wild and adventurous sequel to Sawbones, captures the rugged west of the post civil war era. By this time the army is fighting the Indian wars and chasing fugitives through the untamed countryside. One such fugitive is Catherine Bennett, aka Laura Elliston.

Readers were left with a cliffhanger at the ending of Sawbones and Blood Oath picks up the story and takes readers on a wild adventure through Indian territory with Laura and Captain Kindle.

I think I enjoyed this one even better than the first in the series. There are many intense moments and just when you think the couple is safe, their situation changes and they are thrown into another hornet’s nest to escape from.

In this novel, we learn more about Captain show more Kindle’s past and we are given a close look at how complicated relations were between the settlers and the Indians.

True to form, Melissa Lenhardt leaves readers with another cliffhanger to be continued in the next novel. I’m looking forward to reading Badlands to see how the saga ends.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books, Redhook for allowing me to read a galley and give my honest review. show less

The West in the later part of the 19th century was full of hardships but especially for women. Blood Oath is the 2nd in the Sawbones Series by Melissa Lenhardt. Not having read Sawbones prior to Blood Oath made characters and relationships hard to understand. Catherine Bennett is a doctor who because she is female has had to hide her identity as a women in order to practice her profession. Escaping a murder charge in New York City; Catherine becomes a fugitive who faces the brutality of an uncivilized wilderness. Kindle an army officer is wounded by indians in his endeavor to rescue Catherine after a Wagon Train Massacre. Plot is full of adventure and action riddled with Indians, Bounty Hunters, Whisky Traders, violence and shocking show more events. This is a lengthy read that keeps the pages turning but ends like a TV series being held over to next season or in this case the next book. Normally the cliff hangers loose star power but this novel has too much action and heart to discount to much. "A copy of this book was provided to me by Orbit Books and author via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read and my comments here are my honest opinion," show less

Not as good as the first book I thought but still a hell of a story!