| Title | : | Calder Brand (Calder Brand #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1496727444 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781496727442 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 252 |
| Publication | : | First published February 23, 2021 |
Calder Brand (Calder Brand #1) Reviews
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Calder Brand is a spin-off of the Calder Saga, a wonderful historical romance series! The plot is well-paced and engaging, and the characters are dynamically developed. The story follows Joe Dollarhide from age sixteen to twenty-eight, so you really get to understand him and his motivations. Believing that he was left for dead during a cattle drive, Joe’s need for revenge consumes him. However, he also wants to own his own farm and have a family. He has to reconcile his need for revenge with his goals for a steady future.
Sarah is intelligent and resilient, and she is as determined as Joe. I love that both Joe and Sarah are strong in their desire to achieve their goals, even though so many obstacles stand in their way. Sarah’s life is not easy, and it’s interesting to see how she handles prejudice and the social stigma that comes with being an unwed mother during this time period.
Themes of resilience, revenge, love, and hope are woven throughout the novel, as are messages about courage and fighting for what you love. This is a strong start to what promises to be a wonderful new series, and, though Calder Brand is a spin-off of the Calder Saga, it can totally be read as a standalone. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. -
Joe Dollarride a young man hired to herd cattle from Fort Sam Houston to Dodge City.
A stampede separates joe from the other drivers. His horse broke a leg and fell on him. No one saw him under the horse and left him. He suffered broken ribs and managed to hobble to the next town.
The doctor had died and the doctor's niece( Sarah ), who had wanted to become a doctor helped Joe recover. Joe and Sarah fell for each other. After a few weeks she finds our that she is pregnant.
She and her son Blake move to Blue Moon to be a teacher for the new school. Sarah is glad to start anew.
She and Joe see one another and his is smitten again. Joe has a wife and a young son. What are their chances now of getting together.
All the events just fall into place. Joe's father -in law has a stroke. Joe's wife now wants a divorce
so she can run the ranch by herself.
Joe takes Sarah as his wife. Life is good as Joe has lots of land for breaking wild horses. Plus he has his sons and a new daughter. -
This was a sweeping story of romance, loss, survival, greed and finally happiness. It spanned many, many years but I was glad that there was a happy ending.
Joe is a young man who just wanted to be a cowboy and during his first cattle drive from Texas to Montana, he was caught in a bad situation and left for dead. When he finally escaped his circumstances, his savior's weren't necessarily good for him. Through his experiences, he gained wisdom and knowledge.
He met Sarah early on in the cattle drive and made plans to meet up with her at her final destination when he was coming through on the cattle drive. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond either of their control, that didn't happen. Their lives continued to intersect with many years in between each meeting but their feelings for one another never really faded.
It was a bit of a long read which matched the saga of the story. It was a good story, although, I didn't really feel as connected to the characters as I really wanted to be, for some reason. There was a bit of foul language and some coarse talk and one descriptive, while not too graphic, sexual encounter, and an attempted rape scene.
While I liked the story, I didn't love the story. I was given an arc copy of this book through netgalley and I willingly offer my honest review. -
Thank you good reads for my copy of Calder Brand in exchange for an honest review I just want to say it wasn't my type of book however it came in excellent condition I was very Impressed and we have a little library by a church in our neighborhood so I donated it I hope someone enjoys it I always want to keep people reading thank you!
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A lovely historical fiction saga.
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Montana 1891, then backwards 12 years. The first
half had mostly Western, the 2nd had some romance.
I would've appreciated more romance, with a better
hero.
Joe and Sarah spent much of this story apart. Joe was
abandoned for dead after a cattle stampede & sought
revenge against wealthy cattle owner, Bentean Calder,
for this. Joe was a cowboy, a cattle rustler (not by choice
the first time) & later a rancher. His mentor taught him
to 'break' wild horses by gentling rather than punishing
them. Sarah learned doctoring from her uncle the MD.
She doctored Joe (who she'd met 2 yrs prior when they
shared lunch) & removed a bullet from him. She restored
his heath. They got sexy. Months later she learned he wed
another.
IMO, Joe was just OK. Sarah now had a son. The MCs
with an atypical romance, eventually got their HEA.
My fav was Rusty the older cattle drive cook, who had
a good heart. The revenge aspect: tiresome at times. -
When I stumbled on Janet Dailey’s Calder Series many moons ago, I never dreamed I could fall in love with a family, but I did and as they say, the rest is history.
The Calder’s still are one of my most favorite families of all time to read.
Janet Dailey’s newest book Calder’s Brand tells a backstory of Joe Dollarhide as he leaves Texas on Benteen Calder’s quest to take his herd to Montana and lay claim to Big Sky country.
Joe, young, naive, and hoping to one day have a spread of his own, finds that life isn’t fair, people are greedy, ruthless, and evil, but Joe refuses to give up, refuses to die, and promises to get even with those who have done him wrong.
This was an amazing book and a great trip down memory lane.
Joe will grab your heart and make you proud, you read his story. -
***SPOILERS***
I spent a good portion of this book trying to figure out the name. Admittedly, it threw me off and wasn’t pleasant. Once I figured out that Benteen Calder was more of a minor character and the true story was between Joe and Sarah, I got into the book.
We follow a young 16 yr old Joe as he heads out to Montana as part of a cattle drive. During a big storm Joe is left for dead by none other than his employer, Benteen Calder. Joe vows to get even with him for leaving him.
Before the storm, Joe travels to town and saves Sarah from attack, while on her journey to her uncles. They fall for each other quickly and agree to meet when Joe travels through Sarah town.
Joe, after pulling himself from the brink of death, is saved by a pair of cattle thieves. Joe is forced to stay with them. Joe escapes narrowly to be found by a nice older gentleman who breaks horses in a more horse friendly way. A couple years later, Joe learns the thieves are not dead and they want to take from Calder. Joe is on board as he still wants revenge.
The heist goes down and the thieves are killed by some of Calders men. Joe is shot as well. The men recognize him and rush him to the Dr in town o love you to learn the Dr is out and Sarah is the local nurse. Sarah nurses Joe back to life and they have a brief moment of pleasure before Joe heads off to Montana.
Joe builds a life in Montana, marrying and having a child. Meanwhile, Sarah had gotten pregnant and is forced out of town. Calders wife remembers Sarah and asks her to come to Montana as the new towns teacher.
Joe and his wife divorce and Joe and Sarah reunite. They raise their son, and Joes other son visits. Joe eventually comes to terms with Calder, though never does get revenge.
Overall, I found the book utterly predictable in a bad way. You keep Joe and Sarah would end up together and they did. Nothing special. I will not be reading more in this series.
I want to thank NetGallery and Kensington Books for the copy of this book. All opinions are my own. -
A good fast paced western romance. Loved the historical time period and the Ogallala part of the setting.
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I read a few of Janet Dailey's Christmas stories so decided to try some of her other works. Graham Winton is the narrator and for the most part he does a really fine job. Once in awhile, though, he can make a guy sound like an old geezer even though he's not that old!
The story centers on Joe Dollarhide (what a name huh?) and his quest for revenge against Benteen Calder. Fortunately that theme doesn't take up the majority of the narrative. Where does a quest for revenge get you anyway? Just a whole lot of angst, unhappiness and general misery. His quest led him to make some pretty stupid decisions, but it all ends well.
The story clips along at a good pace, and I was in the mood for talk about cattle, the range and a guy getting a piece of land! -
A worthy successor to the magnificent Calder Saga! FIVE GLOWING MONTANA STARS!
WHAT A SURPRISE! When I read the blurb for this book, I couldn't believe my eyes. How could Joe Dollarhide possibly be the hero? Didn't he die on Benteen Calder's first cattle drive to Montana, when cattle "trampled him into the ground" during a stampede? That's what we were led to believe in This Calder Range. (A few spoilers ahead, but I won't reveal the ending.)
It turns out that Benteen--more concerned about rounding up his cattle than searching for a 16-year-old wrangler--just assumed he was dead. So Joe was abandoned, lying half-buried under his dead horse and barely alive. But Joe miraculously survived, and the story of his next twelve years is filled with western adventure, danger, romance, and a burning quest for revenge against Benteen Calder--the wealthy Montana rancher who'd left him to die in a muddy wash on the Kansas prairie.
Joe is determined to reach Montana, but his goal is strewn with obstacles. He digs himself out of the wash, only to be captured by three outlaws who force him to learn "the family trade"--stock rustling. Two years later, Joe is badly wounded when the rustlers attempt to raid a cattle drive. Close to death, he's taken to Ogallala, where his life is saved by Sarah Foxworth, a medically skilled young woman who hopes to become a doctor. (I loved Sarah, a strong, resilient woman who never gives up despite the grief, poverty, shame and disappointment in her life.)
Inevitably, Joe and Sarah fall in love, but she's finally accepted by a medical school in Chicago, and he's determined to build a ranch of his own in Montana. After one glorious night of passion, Joe leaves Sarah and rides north in a quest for wealth and long-awaited vengeance against the man who betrayed him. Will Joe achieve his goals? Will he and Sarah ever get back together? I'm not saying.
As a big fan of the old Calder Saga, I enjoyed returning to some of the familiar places and characters in that beloved series. But this new book has a gripping plot and memorable characters of its own, and it's all wrapped up in the descriptive prose, immersive scenery, and realistic dialogue that make Janet Dailey's books so special. I loved Joe Dollarhide's rags-to-riches saga, with its second chance romance, secret baby, and a heartwarming conclusion with an astonishing twist I never saw coming! I can't wait for the next book in this exciting new series. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! -
Calder Brand
Janet Dailey
February 23, 2021
Joe Dollarhide was 16 years old when he left his Texas home to join the Calder Cattle Company to bring a large herd of cattle up to Nebraska. It was a first job for him. He had learned hard work by helping his folks run the farm. Today he will find that being a wrangler’s helper would be beyond difficult. By the end of the day when he ate his beans and biscuits for supper and laid his bedroll out on the hard ground, he realized what a tough road he had chosen. Joe wanted to learn the trade of cowboy. He yearned to save his money, buy land and raise his own cattle or horses there. It wouldn’t be an easy path but this was his way. Herding longhorn cattle was frightening. He didn’t let on to the other men of his fear. When storms threatened or high winds threatened the journey all were forced to continue. It was the job he accepted.
The first section of Dailey’s book was Joe’s history with Benteen Calder, boss. When he asked one of his men to do something, the reply was “yes sir”, no questions. This book is historical fiction, not my favorite type of read, however as I continued to grasp what Joe and the other men faced, it was clear that transporting animals from one place to another was a lengthy, strenuous voyage. In the next part Joe meets Sarah, a tough beautiful woman on her way via train, to work with her uncle, a physician. She had hopes to eventually join medical school to follow his path.
Calder Brand by Janet Dailey will be published by Kensington Books on February 23, 2021. I am grateful for their consideration in allowing me to read and review Dailey’s latest ARC.
I have read other books by Janet Dailey, none of them being historical. This one I became involved in and really enjoyed. It is part 1 of The Calder Brand series. I plan to follow up with part 2. Her writing is interesting and appears accurate. It has romance as well as documentary styles within. I encourage readers to give this one a try. If you have read Daily’s work it will prove to be another great read. -
The book is a western, and from what appears to be a spin off of a larger series. irst book read in this series. I have not previously read about the Calders. I received this from Netgalley - thank you. The book takes off from the beginning and does a good job following Joe and Sarah. The relationship develops and is interesting to see the interactions. Joe Dollarhide is nearly 16 when readers meet him on a cattle drive from Texas headed to Montana. He is left for dead after a freak thunderstorm and vows vengeance against Bentsen Calder, who made the decision not to check more thoroughly for him. He falls into bad company later and is shot. Taken to aspiring doctor Sarah Foxworth in Ogallala, Nebraska, he recovers and falls in love. However, the course of true love never does run smoothly, and Joe and Sarah are separated by circumstances. The plot was well thought out and developed, and kept me engaged the entire time. The timeline was what I enjoyed most. Because this book followed Joe from 16 to 28 years old, nothing about the plot was rushed. Not usually a Western book reader and this was engaging and well laid out. I enjoyed Joe's time learning the training of the stallions and the gentle nature approach versus the breaking. Nice book to read during these troubling times. I did enjoy it and want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to provide an honest review of this ARC.
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Janet Dailey brings us the story of Joe Dollarhide and his journey as he looks back remembering all the events that brought him to this moment as he contemplates going out in the snow to exact his revenge. He is reminded of how not only luck and fate had played a role in his life, but also hard work, heartbreak, and perseverance. We are taken back to the beginning of his journey when he left his family's farm in Texas to join the cattle drive with Chase Benteen Calder and the adventures it brought him. When they stop in Dodge City, Joe meets Sarah as he tries to save her from some unwanted attention which ends up bringing him too much attention. When they part, Joe promises to look her up once they arrive in Ogallala.
As the story progresses, we get to see what happens to both of these characters once they leave each other still thinking that one day they will meet again. They each have dreams of success where Joe will have a spread surrounded by family and Sarah will be a doctor. Life, circumstances, misunderstandings, and choices get in the way.
I enjoyed reading about their adventures. Janet Dailey has a way to keep you engaged and wanting to see what happens next. I enjoyed reading this story and look forward to the next adventure.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for this privilege. -
Joe Dollarhide has dreams of owning his own ranch someday, but to do that he needs money and experience. He joins a cattle drive for Benteen Calder from Texas to Montana. After a stampede leaves Joe lost and severely injured, Benteen orders his crew to abandon the search leaving Joe for dead.
Sarah has travelled to Montana to live with her uncle, hoping to become a doctor like him. In a chance reunion with the man who once rescued her, she nurses Joe back to health and falls in love with him. But Joe knows as a poor outlaw he'll only hold her back from her dreams, so he leaves to pursue his own fortune. But years later when Joe owns a ranch of his own with his wife and young son, Sarah shows up in his town with a boy that looks suspiciously just like him.
Western romance at its finest. I liked the part where Joe learns to gentle wild horses and turns his dreams into a thriving horse ranch. This is a spinoff of her earlier Calder series, but as I've never read those before I can say it reads as a stand alone. I look forward to the rest of the series, possibly featuring Joe's competitive sons?
Thank you to Janet Dailey and Kensington books for the opportunity to read this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. -
Though I wonder about the need for expanding the Calder Saga with other series set in the various eras of the original books (yes, I see this as the beginning of a series or series that will also intersect with Webb and Chase), I have to admit that, like the New Americana series, it is good to see the classic Janet Dailey return.
Joe Dollarhide is nearly 16 when readers meet him on a cattle drive from Texas headed to Montana. He is left for dead after a freak thunderstorm and vows vengeance against Bentsen Calder, who made the decision not to check more thoroughly for him. He falls into bad company later and is shot. Taken to aspiring doctor Sarah Foxworth in Ogallala, Nebraska, he recovers and falls in love. However, the course of true love never does run smoothly, and Joe and Sarah are separated by circumstances.
In true Dailey fashion, we get not only romance but an historical setting as well that will remind readers why the Calder novels are still beloved nearly 40 years after THIS CALDER SKY (still the best of the entire saga, in my opinion), was first published.
I received an eARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley, for which I thank them. All opinions are mine. -
Joe Dollarhide wants to be like his boss on the cattle drive north to Montana. When he’s been left for dead that turns his admiration into revenge. On a stop in Dodge City Joe comes to the rescue of a young woman. Sarah Foxworth is on her way to live with her great uncle a doctor. Her dream is to become a doctor. When Joe and Sarah meet sparks fly and they can’t stop thinking about each other. Their lives will intertwine bringing them together several times. Revenge and love just make these two people wear a Calder Brand.
Janet Dailey brings the reader back to her Calder series by going back to the beginning of the family in Montana. A cowhand on the Benteen Calder cattle drive will be followed through the years of wanting revenge. He won’t be able to forget the young woman he saves along the way. Danger and near-death experiences play a key role in how this cowboy’s life will change along the way. A young woman will face trails and death of her dream. An emotionally charged story of wanting revenge for years and finding an soul deep love and the beginning of a dynasties. Calder Brand keeps the reader on the edge of their seat wondering if these two characters will be reunited again and if their love will survive the revenge and struggle of live in the 1800s Montana. Janet Dailey’s Calder Brand brings back a much-loved series but with the twist of starting at the beginning of a trip to start the Calder family saga. Who’s next to come against the the formidable Calder first patriarch or the next generation of the Calder Brand books. Janet Dailey is always a great and wonderful read and will have you wanting to get to know the entire Calder family. -
Historical western romance.
This was good. I’m not usually a big fan of westerns but the library had a ‘try a different genre’ challenge and this was in new books shelf so I went for it.
The characters were engaging. There was plenty of action. I could really see this one as a Saturday matinee movie like they had back in the day.
The theme of letting past mistakes go was interesting with the way the male main character clung to his grudges while others forgave him. I kind of expected something much bigger to come from all of that but instead it just folded in quietly.
I really admired the inner strength of the female main character and was surprised by her choice to give in to temptation when her goals were so close. The author really emphasized the difference in consequences for a man and woman making the same choice, interesting how it still applies today. I work with teen parents and the bulk of the burden still falls on the girl.
The ending was light and sweet. Things worked out well enough.
Violence. Sex. Some language. -
The story follows Joe Dollarhide signing up for a cattle drive for Benton Calder, during the drive Joe is thrown during a stampede given up for dead he is rescued and plans on revenge against Calder for leaving him to die. After he is healed he settles in with rustlers even though he knows it, it is wrong, and when he is shot he is taken to a town where he is seen by a woman who has wanted to become a doctor and has taken over from her deceased uncle. Sarah and he have a special bond and when later she finds she is pregnant she also realizes she cannot go to medical school. She hears that Joe has married and will raise the child on her own. She meets a man who knows Joe and wants to tell him of the child but she refuses. Later she is offered a teaching job in the town nearby where Joe lives now and where he is raising his child by himself since his wife passed. A good story with much going on. Good characters. I received this book from Netgalley.com
