I’ve always been fan of a good western, and mix western and romance and I’m hooked. Recently, I got the chance to read Threads West: An American Saga. It’s book one in a new series of six books from Reid Lance Rosenthal. They say you write what you know, and in that case… I would say the Rosenthal has lived and loved the American West!
USA Book News National Best Book Awards … Threads West is a WINNER in the Fiction & Literature: Western category and FINALIST in the Fiction & Literature: Romance category.
The romance of America, her people, her spirit, and the West.The ongoing story of us. This first book and namesake of the six-novel series is being compared by reviewers and authors to Lonesome Dove and Centennial. The tale bursts with the adventure, romance and promise of historical America and the West. The epic saga of Threads West begins in 1855 with the first of four richly-textured, complex generations of unforgettable characters. The separate lives of these driven men and independent women are drawn to a common destiny that beckons seductively from the wild and remote flanks of the American West. They are swept into the dangerous currents of the far-distant frontier by the mysterious rivers of fate, the power of the land and the American spirit. Their turbulent journeys are heartbreaking quests intertwined with romance and adversity, passions and pathos, despair and triumph. This is not only their story. It is our story. It is Threads West, An American Saga.
Threads West has gotten rave reviews, and it’s easy to see why. Rosenthal is an incredible talented writer, effortlessly creating a picture in your mind of the characters and the places. There is everything a classic western needs: trains, saloons, wagons, guns, cowboys, horses, and more. It reminded me at times of one of my favorite shows in years past, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Threads West definitely has a genuine western feel, and characters that draw you in. Being the first of a six-part series, I expected there to be some loose ends at the end, and I was right. It leaves you wanting more, but being the first in the series, I’m sure that was the author’s intention.
I only really found one issue with this novel. I know that sex is a staple in most secular romance novels, but it is still something I can do without most of the time. I’ve always felt that to create the romance without those type of scenes is harder and more effective. That being said, I do appreciate it when authors at least write the sex scenes in a gentle way. In Threads West, however, I felt that the sex was kind of just thrown in and came off feeling rather harsh. It may have been the author’s intention to show the harshness and unmerciful feel of the old American west, but it definitely was not my cup of tea.
Apart from this issue, I really enjoyed the book, and the addictive storyline will keep readers coming back for more throughout the six-part series.