Review: The Prospector's Only Prospect by Dani Collins

Blurb

After eight days in a cramped stagecoach, divorcée Marigold Davis already regrets her decision to come to Denver City to marry. She certainly didn’t realize she’d signed up for mosquitoes, mud, and scores of rough men eyeing her like a hot meal on a cold day. But with her life in Kansas all but incinerated, Marigold needs a husband. Even if she’s not the bride that gold prospector Virgil Gardner is expecting…

Virgil Gardner has a reputation as a grumpy hard-ass, and he’s fine with it. He’s also no fool—this is not the woman he agreed to marry. It takes a tough-as-nails woman to survive the harshness of a Rocky Mountain gold claim, and this whiskey-eyed, gentle beauty is certainly not the type. Now it’s just a matter of how quickly she’ll quit so he can find a wife who will stick. Someone who can care for the only thing he values even more than gold–his children.

But Marigold isn’t about to give in. Cramped in a one-room shack. Berry picking turned into a bear escape. Or cooking for an entire crew of bottomless pits. She’s got more grit than most. And just when Virgil starts to realize his replacement bride might be the treasure he’s been looking for, an unannounced guest arrives…to change everything.

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Review

One of the best historical fiction I have read this year. I enjoyed this book for many reasons, but mostly because of the main characters. I loved how well-developed both characters are and their growth throughout the story is remarkable, especially in the case of Virgil. He is one of the best characters I have come across in historical romance.

I liked the setting too. To be honest, I rarely read Western romance because I usually find the settings and situations to be tedious. But this book is different. It's easy to read and much to my delight, I enjoyed the story that's in the time of the Gold Rush.

The romance side of the story is well-written. It's not an instant love kind of story. Rather, Marigold and Virgil start as an employer and employee, then friends, and their relationship develops from there. Overall, it is perfect. The chemistry between the two is great and they complement each other in every way. Two people who have been hurt before and are wary of romance, find each other and decide to take a leap of faith.

The pacing was a bit slow for my taste but I loved how the story developed. Other than that, the book is great. And I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I recommend it to all historical romance fans.

P.S. I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley.