Review: "Winds of Wyoming" by Becky Lyles

Reviewed by Rachel Rea

THE BOOK:

Fresh out of a Pennsylvania penitentiary armed with a marketing degree, Kate Neilson heads to Wyoming anticipating an anonymous new beginning as a guest-ranch employee.

A typical twenty-five-year-old woman might be looking to lasso a cowboy, but her only desire is to get on with life on the outside—despite her growing interest in the ranch owner. When she discovers a violent ex-lover followed her west, she fears the past she hoped to hide will imprison her once again.

What I Loved

This book is unlike what I normally read, but that intriguing cover and getting to know Becky Lyles via Twitter put it on my to-read list even before she offered to send me a copy (thanks, Becky!). From then on, it was all Kate.

Kate is...Kate. She's not a whole lot like me, so I wasn't sure how we would get along at first, but she had quite the story to tell. She's independent. She has a sensible head on her shoulders. And she very much has a past...

I really liked the put-you-there-ness in this book. Wyoming really is a beautiful place if it is as the author describes (now I want to go there and I was never much of a Western person before!).

Lastly, the villainy. Ew, there were definitely some shady characters in this book! I almost would have preferred not to have their point-of-views included because I couldn't stand them, but that attests to talent, doesn't it? Even so, I liked how the ending was happy (no spoilers!), even if all the ends weren't tied up in a neat little bow.

What I Didn't Like As Much

Winds of Wyoming is a book for older readers. Kate spent time in prison and there's mention of her former life that made me cringe. Even so, I think the author did a good job of portraying this without going into too much detail.

Plus, that made this story of redemption and renewal that much sweeter.

About the Author

Debut novelist Rebecca Carey Lyles grew up in Wyoming. Currently, she and her husband, Steve, live in the neighboring state of Idaho. She enjoys the creativity and beauty that abound throughout her adopted state as well as opportunities to hike, camp and cross-country ski in the midst of God’s grandeur.