Paula L. Silici’s first Western romance, “A Way in the Wilderness,” is a riveting and compelling read. This saga of an orphaned girl and a successful rancher has every conflict and character imaginable.
Starting out as a maid for Dodge City’s infamous Black Boots Inn, seventeen-year-old Meg Finn is conned and hounded into spending a night with Nate Barris, a man she assumes will take her virginity and her self-esteem. She reluctantly accepts the assignment because of the $100 bonus the madam offers her, money that will allow Meg to finally leave her hated job at the brothel and search for her only living relative.
The night Meg spends with Barris in a darkened room has a surprising twist, leaving both Meg and Barris deeply affected by the experience.
Meg sets off in search of her uncle with a small entourage of misfits and outcasts, even picking up three orphans along the way. Ultimately, each person’s story of woe is revealed, showing the extraordinary hardship of life for those who had no money in the early days of the West. The characters are fully drawn and the reader cannot help but be moved by their unfortunate mishaps and circumstances.
Ultimately, as it should be, the story finds Meg and the Widow Barris face-to-face again, though Barris does not recognize Meg as the beauty he held in his arms and shared a heartbroken bed with. cabin in the dark of the Black. Boots Inn. She takes in the motley crew as Holly, one of Meg’s classmates, is restored to health thanks to the tender care of the local doctor, who is attracted to her blonde beauty.
The action-packed story continues, fully engaging the reader as they watch the drama unfold, revealing layer upon layer of surprising events.
For a western romance full of emotion and action, well-drawn characters, delicious and tender love scenes, “A Way in the Wilderness” is highly recommended.