Blessing (The Widows of Wildcat Ridge Series Book 2)

Blessing, or Buster, her preferred name, inherits her father’s ranch. She has one hundred horses the Army has agreed to buy from her father, but the quartermaster refuses to do business with a woman. Buster decides to have a horse auction, giving the town’s widows and children half the proceeds. The money will prevent the evil Mortimer Crane from evicting these widows. Thaddeus King is on the trail of a horse thief leading him to Wildcat Ridge and the Rafter O Ranch. He finds it impossible to believe Buster or her father could be horse thieves, but the stolen horses are there. Someone is also rustling some of Buster’s cattle. Could it be the same culprit? 

Set in an old Western mining town, authenticity is the name of the game and Ms. Clemmons delivers in “Blessing”! This hot, dusty, little town filled with desperate widows and children sets the scene for the story. The desperation is palpable as the women prepare for the auction and one gets to see the depth in both the main and secondary characters. However, some questions arise in this novel which are never answered. Mortimer Crane causes some problems before the auction, shows up at the dance, and then is never seen or heard from again, while he should be lurking somewhere, ready to cause trouble. There is talk of developing the hot springs, and the connecting road is built, but then the storyline is dropped. “Blessing” is an impressive sequel to “Priscilla”, a wonderful stand-alone novel, a quick and enjoyable read.

Belinda Wilson