In October I was the lucky winner of a book: a western/romance/adventure/time-travel
slash Science Fiction (the time-travel part with its sci-fi jargon gave it that feel for me).
The novel, published on September 19, 2023 by Wordcrafter Press is written by the
multi-talented Kaye Lynne Booth of Writing To Be Read Website.
In all honesty, this is not the type of novel I usually read. But, hey, I won it, and I
was gonna do good by it. I’m no pendeja!
In the prelude to reading it, I learned a few things about this author:
Kaye Lynne is a published author of short fiction and poetry,
who holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with an
emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting,
and an M.A. in publishing. Wow!
I’d be a pendeja for sure, not to read it…
And surprise, surprise! I enjoyed it tremendously.
But don’t stop there. This gorgeous book is available at all the wonderful
places where you go looking for books.
About This Book:
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly,
and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning
back.
In 1887, LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere
to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed
her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his
drug-stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with
him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running
from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either
when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
My Review:
The Rock Star & The Outlaw by Kaye Lynne Booth is 368 pages of good writing, and
for someone like me to say this is cheating as based on the description of this book
alone, I wouldn’t have picked it up as it’s different from what I usually choose to read.
But I gave the book with the attractive cover and its Western and science fiction
feel the benefit of the doubt a go as I’d been hearing very good things about it on
WordPress.
And by golly, this pendeja was pleasantly surprised at how much she enjoyed this
fast, action-packed story. And now I gotta tell you about it.
At the start, in the table of contents, we’re pleasantly surprised by a playlist of
songs, and we learn that the chapters are titled after those songs.
Wow–the digital book I purchased leads you right into each song on the list. This
alone is a gem of a prize and whether you like this kind of music or not, I’m pretty
sure you will enjoy time-traveling to the tune of the songs on this list.
It must have been something amazing to choose just the right songs: an eclectic
mixture of rock, country, oldies, and pop to go with the chapters. Bowing… Thanks,
Ms. Booth! I’ll be returning to the playlist many times.
The crux of the book–the story. Impressive! First, I’ll just mention Monique,
Amaryllis’s best friend. Monique is portrayed as an old gnarled psychic.
She isn’t old but looks that way due to Werners Syndrome. All the way until
the end of the story, I found this minor character notable for the times we’re
living in today. So, I give the author points for that.
Also, I appreciate the research that must have been needed for this story, as
the timeline flitted from 1887 and 2025.
The protagonists: In 1887, LeRoy McAllister is an illiterate farm boy turned outlaw
to save his father’s farm. In 2025, he’s a fish out of water, and as can be expected,
illiterate to the signs of life in the present he travels to. But LeRoy is a gentleman
in the real sense. I liked him more than I liked his counterpart, the musician; his
beautiful thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, the famous Amaryllis Sanchez.
I felt sorry for her.
But again, I give the author points for showing us an icon of 2025: as if thrills are
what we humans are here for in this life! Amaryllis is fiction that reads like non-fiction.
May that girl wisen up soon!
This is my assessment of the protagonists–all I’ll say about this book. And wish
to encourage you to read it as it has a heart-wrenching ending you will want to be
privy to. It encapsulates life as we know it today. So, please people, live your best life.
The Rock Star & The Outlaw is a wonderful read and I give it a 5-star rating.
Thank you, Ms. Booth.
Submitted my review to
Amazon, Goodreads,
and Barnes & Noble.
Because Reviews Matter!
Thank you for reading.
Happy December, everyone.
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Sounds like a very interesting book
Very interesting, Sadje. It’s quite the book. It dropped Spanish words like pendeja often: thus the reference I made in my review.
Thanks for reading. I bless you.
You’re most welcome
Selma, thank you so much for the lovely review. 🙂 I’m pleased that you enjoyed the story. 🙂
You wrote a good story, lady. Keep up the good work.
Congrats winner! 🎉 You’re a winner in so many ways! 😊 Another fine review from Ms. Selma. 👏🏻
I count my blessings. Thanks for appreciating this. Stay lovely.
I count you as a blessing. 🌷You’re welcome and thank you, sweet Selma!
Good for you, trying out a new genre!! 🙂
I know. 🤭 glad I dove in.
This certainly sounds like a wild ride of a tale, Selma!
It took me on a wild ride, I tell you. Head still spinning. 😵can’t find my bearings… I’m spinning 😵💫 in a good way XO
Great review, Selma. It piqued my interest
Get ready to be amazed.