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Karin Kallmaker

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Cowboys and Kisses: Frontier Love Story Where the Women Save Themselves Kindle Edition

by Karin Kallmaker (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 270 ratings

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A one-way stage ticket to the frontier leaves a young woman penniless and alone in Long Grass, Wyoming. With no other hope than to survive another day, she takes up the only profession open to her. Years later she encounters a one-of-a-kind cowboy she can love, and her first taste of pleasure - and happiness.

Cowboys, however, are born to wander, and their kisses are as brief as the lives of young women without family or means. Accepting that her days will be numbered too few, Darlin' escapes into her scribblings where her dreams of freedom can soar over the limitless prairie.

When she recognizes her own truth and a chance for love in the longing gaze of a townswoman, will she finally find kisses that she can trust?

Two determined women in a hostile world save themselves — and each other — in a lyric, sensual love story as only Karin Kallmaker can tell.

From the Publisher

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Editorial Reviews

Review

I Heart SapphFic Historical Fiction Book of the YEAR!

"Cowboys and Kisses - Top Ten Sapphic, Frontier, and Western Romances!
It's an astonishing story, beautifully told. And Darlin's voice is enchanting. The close first-person narration works like a charm - she feels like a living, breathing person. Somebody with grit and heart. It's impossible not to cheer Darlin' on. Never has a fictional character's Happily Ever After delighted me more." - Lou at Lou Morgan's Reviews

"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! . . .It also shows that passionate interludes can set someone's heart on fire but love is the only thing that will keep the blaze going." - The Lesbian Review

"A fine balance between romance and reality . . . intimate scenes are beautifully appropriate for the period." - Lez Review Books

From the Author

This story is dedicated to the historic women who lived such large, bold, and vivid lives that history couldn't completely erase them.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09VQ6DQ4C
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Romance and Chocolate Ink (March 31, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 31, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1871 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 186 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #592,295 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2,650 in Women's Historical Fiction
- #3,538 in Lesbian Romance
- #12,248 in Western & Frontier Romance

Customer Reviews:
4.5 270 ratings

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Karin Kallmaker

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Ice cream. TimTams. Coffee. Tells tales about women who are the heroes of their own lives. Love IS the universal story. More about that and all my books at https://kallmaker.com.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

270 global ratings

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abezon

Very angsty but really good

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2024

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Yet another great book from Karin Kallmaker. This short novel starts off sad, gets a little hopeful, plunges into the Pit of Despair and finally emerges blinking into the sun and hope. Be sure to have at least a half box of Kleenex for the third act.

Story is written in a tight first-person. I generally prefer third-person narration but Kallmaker writes 1-P very well. A short read and worth every minute.

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J.Ham

The Wild West working for women

Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2023

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I’ll start by saying that I am so glad I live NOW, rather than any time in the past. While it feels like parts of our country are trying to turn back the clock in truly horrifying ways, it’s still better than it was. And I love that Kallmaker shows us how hard it was and still gives us hope that sometimes people found themselves and each other in spite of it all.

Darlin’ was sent out west by her family when they couldn’t live with her truth and she found she couldn’t lie. She quickly realizes she doesn’t have any options and we meet her when she works in a brothel. One day, a cow”boy” shows up at the brothel and Darlin’ captures her interest with her knowledge of Shakespeare….and of her gender. So begins what feels like it will be the story, but, no, Kallmaker switches it up on us and uses the cowgirl as an awakening of sorts - not of sexuality, but of what Darlin’ is able and willing to do to stay alive.

The real love story unfolds with “Hazel”/Violet and is lovely in its immediacy, its pining, its realization. I loved seeing how this unfolded and the ability of Violet to manipulate her situation to make it work for them. It was beautiful storytelling.

One person found this helpful

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Judith Rodda

A not to be missed love story.

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2022

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I have had the pleasure of reading Karin's two classic novels, Touchwood and Painted Moon. So, I am not surprised that she has continued to write such touching novels. This is a beautifully written novel about women and the many hardships they endured in the 1800's. To love another woman during those times was practically a death sentence. Although this may be fiction, I have no doubt it is deeply anchored in reality. Thank you, Karin, for another lovely book.

One person found this helpful

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J-Dog

Can't wait to read again. And again.

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2022

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I love historical f/f romances, which are pretty rare, much to my chagrin, so when I saw that Karin Kallmaker's latest release was set in my favorite time period, I immediately purchased it. I was so drawn in by the story that I tore through it on a Friday and then spent weekend rereading it, slowly this time, so that I could take my time and savor the story as it truly deserved. That reading this gave me great pleasure will not surprise anyone who is familiar with Ms. Kallmaker's work, however, what I did not anticipate was that I would be so moved by how she illuminated the realities that most women endured in this time period. It was impossible to not feel my heart ache for plight of the main characters and yet so, so satisfying and cathartic to see that they were allowed to have their happy ending.

5 people found this helpful

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Hayde

An incredible story!

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2023

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What did I just read? what an AMAZING book! I haven't enjoyed a book this much for such a long time since the first words of the first pages I was completely hooked, the characters the story everything was just so fabulous. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to searching out and reading something else by this author. 5⭐️

One person found this helpful

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T.L.N.

Well done!

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2022

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A very pleasant surprise! Well written, good dialog, excellent scene setting. I do wish it was longer, but I wish that with every story I like.

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Ps58

A time period glamorizes for the male ego, it's truth for women much more unliveable, a truth told.

Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2022

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My heart ached for the very raw truth so seldom spoke about in the history of the western life. Men dictated its telling story and often who got to live. Women unwed or of low background had little choice in life. The double edged bigotry told of the whore who provides the for the needs of men but is treated as cattle is rarely told truthfully. Violet and Darlin had their own cages, one of sin the other of piety both ment to live as men deemed fitting. This story made my heart ache for the truth is was for women in a time when they had no voice. The madame who cared so little foe the children she made money off of was no better then the preacher who condemned them from the pulpit but offered none of God's grace. Oh I know this is just a "story" but slivers of truth eventually make it from our past. I found a profound sadness for all the stories of courage and love never told because a man's ego was not involved. I am grateful for a story that gives light to courageous women who live their truth and tells of those who could not survive the cruelty. I felt this story grasp my heart and yearn for a better world.

9 people found this helpful

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Jen77ia

Hard to put down

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2022

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I hadn't read a historical romance in a while but re-discovered my love for them with this book. A true showing of what life was like for women during this time period, it really pulled me in from the very beginning with all of the great detail and emotion. I even had a hard time deciding just who I wanted the main character to end up with. Another Kallmaker classic that any lesbian romance fan should want to read.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Rach LH

I could not put this book down

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2022

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Cowboys and kisses is a steamy, dreamy historical romance. It tells the story of Darlin’ a young woman who’s only way to survive is to sell her body.

This book caught hold of me and kept me. It made my eyes sting, my chest hurt and my temperature soar.

Darlin’ is a character that will steal your heart. She’s capable and resilient and even when she breaks she’s strong enough to know that she couldn’t of taken any other path.

Although this is Darlin’s story it’s also about 2 other women, and while they’re all on different paths they share similar pasts. It’s only circumstances that mean that their current lives are very different. But the one thing they do have in common is their love for women and it’s beautiful.

This is a romance so it has a happy ending but be prepared to be broken before you reach it.

I highly recommend this book, even if you’re not a fan of historical romance you can appreciate the struggles of strong women trying to survive in a world where being themselves is a sin.

Amazon Customer

Cowboys and Kisses

Reviewed in Australia on January 14, 2024

Verified Purchase

Oh what a wonderful story full of discovery and love. I highly recommend Karin Kallmakers. I enjoyed the way the main character “Darlin” grew from a shy young woman to be a strongly put together woman.
Well done Karin.

Deb Hall

Unexpected

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 23, 2023

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Not my usual book type but I really did enjoy it. I tend to lean towards the more modern times but I enjoyed my time on the frontier. Such a page turner that had me hooked from start to finish

One person found this helpful

queer_aussie_reviews

4 stars

Reviewed in Australia on August 16, 2023

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I love a well-written historical novel. Make it sapphic, and even better. Karin Kallmaker’s, Cowboys and Kisses is a look into the struggle women faced in the American West during the nineteenth century, and she has written it as masterfully as expected.

Darlin, is a young woman who is forced to work in a bordello. She is one of the oldest workers there, and her life is hard. The men she entertains are rough, and she has nothing to look forward to. Writing is her only escape from the harsh realities of her life, and she pours her heart and soul into her words.
Despite the challenges she faces, Darlin remains resilient and determined to make a better life for herself. It is through her interactions with two women - Connor and Violet - that Darlin begins to see her worth as a human being. Connor is a wandering ‘cowboy’ who helps Darlin realize her potential, while Violet, the town preacher's sister-in-law, is drawn to Darlin's intelligence and her apathy towards others.

Kallmaker uses first-person narration, and it adds depth and complexity to this story of survival and hope. It isn’t always easy to read, but her portrayal of the sapphic relationship between the two main characters is both poignant and authentic. This book is a true masterpiece, and it is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who reads it.

Weoley

Wild West

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 25, 2022

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This was a very moving and well written romance that surprised me at every turn of the page. Karin Kallmaker has always captured my heart and mind with her writing. There is always someone’s story to tell and she tells those stories with a love and respect of the characters. Touchwood was the first lesbian novel I read and none of the subsequent novels I have since read have ever disappointed. Cowboys and Kisses is right up there as one of her very best, in my humble opinion.

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