Official Review: Quail Creek Ranch by Mike Shellenbergar

[ritah]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Quail Creek Ranch" by Mike Shellenbergar.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Raised in South Texas, Diego Ryan grew up on a family ranch. After school, he opted to join the Union Army during the American Civil War. He later became a Texas Ranger and joined the effort to liberate Mexico from the king of Spain. Diego, also known as Dee, was thus awarded a land grant as compensation for his participation in the Mexican-American War. His story further continues when he attempts to settle in the said land grant located in New Mexico.

They say, ‘‘All good boys go to heaven but bad boys bring heaven to you.'' Myriam Barnard, daughter of a local rancher, never expected to meet a man such as Diego. She never anticipated meeting a man who wore his firearms like he wore his Mexican spurs and who was always prepared for battle. But fate had it planned, and their future was sealed. This is the beginning of where western meets romance. The two must fight against all odds stacked against their favor in an attempt to settle and live a prosperous life in a world where law exists but only favors the influential, such as Emmitt Gould and his men.

Quail Creek Ranch by Mike Shellenbergar is a work of fiction with a nice blend of romance and western history. The narrative is set in the wild frontier of the Wild West. It takes readers on a journey through the scope of the two main characters and their close friends—some old, some new—as they work together to ensure the safety of the Quail Creek Ranch.

Author Mike Shellenbergar expertly brought each character to life. He not only did a great job creating a setting and atmosphere reminiscent of the time but also made the characters extremely believable in connection to the setting. Although I appreciated the author’s vivid descriptions that often transported me to the characters’ world, I felt that he gave too much time and importance in describing so many characters, including those with supporting roles, which was not necessary. On top of that, some of the characters, whose attributes were described in detail, appeared only once. This, in my opinion, interrupted the flow of the novel and slowed down the pace considerably.

On the flip side, I enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters and their interest in each other. It was nice to see how Dee's attributes of strength, spirit, and resilience drew Myriam toward him more and more. But he wasn't the only strong spirit. Myriam, a teacher having graduated from Stephens College in Missouri, doesn't easily shy away either. This is seen in the narrative by her bravery when addressing her male counterparts.

The ending was quite interesting as well—it reminded me of the harsh reality of how things functioned in societies back then when survival was for the fittest. All in all, this was a captivating, well-written novel. I would highly recommend it to readers who appreciate thrilling historical adventures and will not hesitate to nuzzle in the romantic facets within its pages. The sexual scenes were subtle and fit perfectly with the characters and narrative. In addition, the book appeared to be professionally edited; I only counted a little less than a handful of errors.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. This is due to the excessive description of minor characters, which slowed the pace of the novel.

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Quail Creek Ranch
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[Nwaogazie Goodness]

It's the law of nature though, only the fittest survives. No matter how subtle it may be now, in almost every area of life, you'll have to work hard to get whatever you want.
Great review you've got!

[FEislandqueen13]

I also find it frustrating when an author gives so much time and attention to a minor character that only appears for one page and is never mentioned again. I haven't read a western fiction for some time , so I have high expectations for this book. Great review!

[Elvis Best]

The blend of romance in this book sounds very interesting to me. I enjoyed reading your review. Good job!

[Priyanka2304]

I have read this book, even I found the characters were dragged unnecessarily. Thanks for the review.

[Dayodiola]

Nice review

[Chinelookeke]

The story looks interesting and so it wouldn't be bad if I check it out. I love romance novels. Thanks for the nice review.

[NDeMeer]

Sounds like a beautiful romance novel! Definitely one I'd be interested in reading. Thanks for the great review!

[Ledy]

I love romance novels .Guess I should try this out!!

[Ms_Rita30]

Watching characters overcome the huddles they come across in either a book or a movie is my most interesting part of any romance story. I wonder how Dee and Myriam overcame theirs. Excellent review @ritah!

[Reneemccorry]

Although the description of multiple characters does put me off, the storyline has piqued my interest. I am adding this one to my list.

[JeanyJean]

Thank you for the good review. I wouldn't read this book. Seems the author based alot of his effort dragging character development and talking of a minor character who makes one appearance and disappears

[naomilupton_98]

Thank you for your efforts to writing a good review! I myself enjoy a good western, so I'll be sure to check this one out.

[Zainabreadsnow]

I love your detail on the ending of the book. It has made me want to give this a read. Thank you for such a good review!

[Ify_Reviewer]

They say, ‘‘All good boys go to heaven but bad boys bring heaven to you.'' This made me laugh out loud. Nice review.