About the Book
After their father’s death, the four Darlyn sisters discover the family farm is mortgaged to the hilt. With an unscrupulous creditor proposing indecent solutions to their uncertain future, the girls leave their childhood home—and childhood itself—behind. Soon an unexpected hero finds himself saddled with the slew of sisters and their surprising skills. But only one thing’s for sure: the sharpshooter named Beatrix hits the mark of his lonely heart. Plagued by past failures and forced to make their own way, find out what happens as the Dangerous Darlyns take to the road in Trails & Targets!
This book was released in November 2014
This is a well loved library book that was used for the review
My Review
“Trails & Targets” by Kelly Eileen Hake is the first book in her 'Dangerous Darlyns' series. I have to say that I have been looking forward to reading this book for sometime, for I had to ask my library to purchase the book. I have to wonder if this book was just overly amped up in my own mind with expectations or if this book is just the beginning of better books to come as this was a set up for future books. I enjoyed the book, please don't get me wrong, it just wasn't all that I was expecting.
I am going to base this review on the assumption that this is a set up for the future Darlyn books, for honestly there is a tad bit of trouble going on that I could see being used as even bigger trouble in the future books, but in this book it wasn't enough to keep the story really moving or to keep it all that interesting. What I did find that kept the story moving along, was the issues that both Grey and Bea had to deal with. Both are dealing with some pretty big things but at the same time those challenges are no where even close to being similar. One is trying to run away while the other is embracing those things with open arms.
I would like to issue my warnings first, not that I found these to be a problem, but I know a few people might find these things to be big issues, so I would like to put them out there for all to make their own decision. Really if it wasn't for a recent discussion with a friend, I wouldn't have even thought twice about these things for they really didn't seem out of place at all, and if I wouldn't have thought twice about it then I wouldn't be writing about them now. But since everyone has different levels of comfort in regards to these things, I figure I would just put them out there so others can make up their own mind.
I am not a person who has problems with swearing with in a book when it is used sparingly or appropriately. The only swear word that stuck out in my mind was “h. e. double hockey stick”. At times it is used to describe the place below heaven, at other times it is used as a swear word, but it worked with the person who used it. I really didn't have an issue at all with it, and really it wasn't used much at all. I found nothing wrong but I know that there are some out there would be bothered by the use even once, hence the mention.
The other thing that some might find bothersome, is the thoughts of one of the characters, for this shows how truly deep the attraction goes. There are no verbal words or actions that shows even a hint of this deep attraction, but the thoughts sure do. I didn't find that anything really crossed the line from being what they were to something vulgar and dirty, but just a deep deep attraction. I found it to be interesting considering the character and what they were feeling about even having the attraction in the first place, and how they always seem to pull back on their own before any line was crossed.
The positive aspects of the story. As I said I am going to assume this story is the set up for the rest of the series, with that being the case I think there are somethings that are left out or gone into with a little too much detail, that of course will come into play in the future books.
We meet the Darlyn sisters and I have to say that they all had me interested in their special talents which are eluded to in the beginning of the book. I was drawn for different reasons to each of the girls for there is more to them than just the special talents that they hold. This book is about Beatrix, who is the oldest Darlyn sister and the heart of the family. Beatrix is a woman with a smile readily on her face regardless what she is facing, and she is facing some whooper problems. Her heart is so big and warm that she almost seems false until she is pushed too far, then she shows her human emotions regardless how she tried to hide the feelings.
Grey is a man who has some ghost of his own that he is trying to out run for he doesn't want to deal with those skeletons, though buffalo skeletons he can deal with. This is a man who is hard to describe for frankly there are some changes that happen throughout the story which is why I am not sure I should really go into too much about him. I have to say that this man is completely human with all of his faults, and strengths. I enjoyed getting to know Grey through the story.
The antagonist of the story, and I wonder if not the whole series story-line, shows their true colors pretty early on, and made no friends what so ever with this reader. Anyone reading this book will recognize the antagonist without any problems what so ever, for this character causes problems almost from the get go and keeps up their slimy antics which does get even slimier as the story goes along. I have to wonder what this antagonist is going to do next that is for sure, for bullies don't like what happened to this character that is for sure.
I thought the book moved a bit slow but then again it might be setting something up for the future books. I have learned to give the first book of a series a wide range of what is good or not for those first books could be setting something wonderful up. I tried to skip ahead several chapters (something I normally do when a book is slow) only to find myself lost, which is a good thing for that meant that there is information almost all the way through the book. I didn't find it hard to put the book down, but I didn't have an issue with picking it back up either.
I am looking forward to the next book “Slings & Arrows” that will hopeful be out sometime soon, though there doesn't seem to be a release date as of this posting. I hope we don't have to wait too long though.
