Last month I reviewed Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner, book one of the Western historical Blood Rose trilogy. I finally had time to finish book two, Open Country, and wow, it did not disappoint. Pieces of Sky was a five star read for me and I did not expect to love Open Country just as much, if not more. I’ll get into my thoughts below after the synopsis. This review will be spoiler free. 

Synopsis: 

How do you forgive a brother’s betrayal? How far do you go to protect the family you love? Hank and Molly find out in OPEN COUNTRY, Book II of the 1870s family saga, the Blood Rose Trilogy.

Molly McFarlane is as desperate as a woman can get. Forced to flee with her late sister’s children, she must provide for her wards while outrunning the relentless tracker the children’s vicious stepfather has set on their trail. Out of money and with no other options, she marries a man badly injured in a train derailment, assuming when he dies, the railroad settlement will provide the money they need to keep moving West.

But there is one small problem. The man doesn’t die.

Hank Wilkins doesn’t recall the accident he barely survived-and he certainly doesn’t remember marrying Molly. But as he slowly recovers at the Wilkins ranch in New Mexico Territory, the idea of a real marriage takes hold…until his memory returns, and that fragile trust is shattered, and the tracker follows Molly to the ranch. Then things really start to unravel.

My Thoughts:

Open Country picks up a few years after Pieces of Sky with the middle Wilkins brother, Hank, and his wife, Molly. The two have a very interesting relationship because Hank has no memory of his wife. This is perfectly fine with Molly because if Hank did remember her, he would realize that their marriage is a sham. 

I’ve read and enjoyed many romances but I think Kaki Warner has written my favorites; the fact that they’re historical fiction (my favorite genre) is a major bonus. Her characters are flawed and realistic so their stories are never smooth or fluffy. It was obvious that Hank and Molly were going to end up staying together but their journey to that point definitely wasn’t easy or predictable. 

I would say that this book is primarily a romance but the rest of the storyline is just as strong. Like Pieces of Sky, Open Country has plenty of drama and high stakes moments. This book is also really funny and as I stated in my review of Pieces of Sky,  I usually don’t find books funny. However, Warner’s writing and the sense of humor she gives her characters is perfect. Also, if you’re like me and love Brady and Jessica from book one, you’ll be happy to know that they’re in this book quite often. I hate when I’m reading a series and love the characters in one book but then they never show up again in later books. 

It makes for a boring review but I loved everything about Open Country. The setting, the characters and the writing were all exactly what I wanted. I’m really excited to start the last book in the trilogy, Chasing the Sun. 

Final Thoughts:

I never would have thought that the Western fiction genre would become one of my favorites but here we are. If you’re wanting to try this genre out or just read a really good historical fiction romance, I can’t recommend this series enough. Do these books sound like ones you’d enjoy? Thanks for reading and have a great day!