Book Blurb
She needed a husband on short notice to save the ranch.
They needed a ring to make it official, and his best pal just happened to have a real nice one handy.
And they’re all about to get way more than they bargained for.
Meredith Fayett needed to marry someone before the week was out or she would lose her ranch. It sounded simple, so ranch hand Chance Stevens agreed to take on the job, in spite of his friend Marty’s warnings that it could only lead to trouble.
But even Marty, a loyal though opinionated sidekick, couldn’t have predicted the mayhem that ensues when his own eccentric relatives appear on the scene, dragging Chance, Marty, and Meredith into the latest skirmish in a long-running family feud.
What follows is a hilarious tangle involving an emerald ring, a fearsome aunt, a scheming suitor, and a team of runaway mules—by the end of which Chance finds that even a marriage just on paper has its complications, and that it never hurts to have a good sidekick.
If you love a good screwball romp in a homespun setting—think P.G. Wodehouse meets O. Henry—pick up A Sidekick’s Tale now and start laughing!
Mary’s Review
Chance wanted to know, of course, where they were taking us and what they were going to do with us.
“Don’t bother asking,” I told him. “They don’t like spoiling surprises with a lot of hints. We’ll find out soon enough.”
He was going to say a lot more, probably on conventional subjects such as the scientific rancher waiting for us and all the time we were wasting, but he saw that he wasn’t going to get any more information out of me than he was from my cousins, so he subsided and settled down to grind his teeth some more.
A Sidekick’s Tale is a delightful take on a well-loved trope that tosses together trigger-happy bushwhackers of relatives, a kidnapped narrator, and the author’s skill with wit and humor to create a comedy that not only entertains but lingers in the reader’s mind. This is largely due to the fact that the themes of the story don’t drown out the events and the characters but rather complement them and give the reader something of value to ponder both while they read and after they’ve finished the book and are processing the experience.
This, I’ve found, is a book to savor, and one that has insights well worth rereading. There’s a distinct sort of clarity amidst all the chaos that assures you you’re in good hands, runaway mules and formidable family members notwithstanding. You inhabit the story, and the author is adept at unique turns of phrases and a humor deeply woven into it that allows the story to take on a life of its own.
I’d recommend this for those who love witty characters, a light romance that beautifully complements the story, and skillful humor with depth.
Aunt Bertha didn’t say anything, but the light of battle flashed in her eye.
“Oh, boy!” said Lem like a kid who’s been told he’s going to the zoo.
“Oh, boy,” I echoed in the voice of one who sees the lions let out of their cages.
Content: Mentions of consigning to “the wrong side of eternity.”
Rated:
