I really want to unequivocally love these bonkers fantasy-Western-mystery-rom-coms. This one even has an adorable baby dragon! And more Duckers! And a lovely "darlin'"-drawling marshal named Frank who is friends-to-lovers GOLD. And it may also reveal a common theme that I wasn't expecting from the series: women recalibrating their lives after being downtrodden by sexist expectation. Twyla, who is 53 and VERY Midwestern-mom-coded, is at a different stage in her life than Mercy (from the previous book) was but both deal with challenging family dynamics that they've co-created/tolerated for too long. Since this one is written from just Twyla's point of view, we spend much of the book in her head, working all of that out. Which, you know, is fine... but not exactly what I was looking for in a bonkers fantasy-Western-mystery-rom-com. It was maybe laid on just a little thick for my liking. And I did miss getting Frank's point of view.

I mean, I'll still saddle up for the next equimaris ride into this universe, but I'll be hoping for more Tanrian adventures and mystery-rom-com shenanigans and a little less single-pov angst.