Tamara Tilley

Dawn Comes Early by Margaret Brownley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


DAWN COMES EARLY was entertaining, but did not capture my attention like some of Margaret Brownley’s previous novels.

Author Kate Tenney has left Boston with her tail between her legs.  When her current novel is banned, she decides to start fresh in the open Arizona territory.  As a dime novelist, she has long romanticized the rugged West.  Now, she is going to find out first hand that the untamed West is one part charm and three parts blood, sweat, and tears.  Trying to impress the salty female land owner she now works for, Kate finds out there is more to the great outdoors than beautiful sunsets and handsome heroes. 

Obstinate and feeling as if she has nowhere to go, Kate knows her future hinges on not only learning all there is about cattle ranching, but swearing off the romantic entanglements of a certain blacksmith.  But Luke Adams seems to show up at the most unexpected times and is slowly quelling the fears of abandonment that have scared Kate from a very young age.

The back cover of this book held all the promises of a good read.  But somehow, I feel it fell a little flat.  The interactions between Kate and Luke were few and far between, and the characters didn’t really show as much depth as they could have.  I did enjoy the secondary character of Ruckus, the tough-as-leather ranch foreman that soon develops a soft spot for Kate.  His fatherly ways were sweet and gave his character some depth that I thought was lacking in some of the other key players.

Overall, I enjoyed DAWN COMES EARLY.  I just wasn’t wowed by it.




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