California Skies, by Kayla Bashe
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Release Date: January 13, 2016

Rating: 4 out of 5

Buy Link: Publisher

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Blurb:

Bandits came looking for the legendary emeralds belonging to Maggie’s family, killing her older brother and scarring her face. She can’t change the past, but finding the jewels will help her injured sister recover. In need of reliable muscle, she goes to an old friend of her brother’s: tough-as-nails nonbinary bounty hunter California Talbot.

While Maggie expected hard roads and violence, given the tragedy that provoked the journey, she wasn’t expecting the bar fights, snakes, and bandits to be the easy part—and the difficult part to be a growing attraction to someone who’d probably never look twice at her mutilated face.

My Review:

This was a gorgeous novella, set in the old West but with writing that made it feel almost magical! Kayla has a brilliant way with words, and she transformed a story about adventure and revenge into a love story with hidden treasure and vicious enemies, like something out of the books of Maggie, the main character.

I also think Kayla did an excellent job with the character of California Talbot, the non-binary bounty hunter who will make you regret it if you say anything bad about their dresses. California is at once fierce and vulnerable, a dangerous figure who wants more than anything to be loved.

“You can pay me in words, cause in my whole life no one’s ever spoken words like yours.” Not to someone like me.

A very sweet romance about two characters who don’t fit into society, and their quest to avenge Maggie’s family and defeat the gang who killed her brother. Extremely enjoyable!