Book Review: Strangers and Pilgrims (A Better Country #1) by Kristina Hall

About the Book:

Seven years can change a town …

Seven years ago, Harry Reiner left his parents’ ranch in Cantonsburg, Texas, to fight for the Confederacy. Now, he’s come home to a town filled with strangers—strangers who hate him for the side he took in the war. After a confrontation with two of the townspeople turns violent, Harry is left at the mercy of men who would rather see him dead.

Rose Kendrick knows the cost of standing against Edwin Burton, but she can’t leave a man to die in the street. Even if helping him will once again put her at odds with Burton.

As Harry and Rose struggle to belong in a land where they are strangers and pilgrims, they are pulled into a desperate battle against Burton. And Edwin Burton has never lost a fight.

| Goodreads |

My Review:

Strangers and Pilgrims by Kristina Hall
Rating: 4/5
Pages: 301
Published: April 5, 2021
Series: A Better Country

I’d heard about these a while back, but wasn’t sure if it would be something I’d enjoy… Then 2023 happened and I realized that while I still don’t consider myself a ‘western’ person, but I have been enjoying more books with western themes and settings, both Contemporary and Historical reads.

This is one of those that I knew a little about the author and some of their other books, but since I’ve only read a couple of Kristina Hall’s suspense/dystopian books, but this one was different enough that I was both excited and slightly hesitant, haha. Turns out, it didn’t take long at all for me to begin enjoying this one!

I loved meeting Rose and Harry, but also really enjoyed the addition of Doyle and Sally to their small circle! (I’m also thinking Doyle was an inspiration for Gregor’s character in V Hall’s Grace Sufficient books, ahah!)

I did think this one was a bit too long, it seemed a little stretched out and the inner-thoughts seemed to get a little redundant toward the end. That was really the only complaint I had with this one, is that while I enjoyed the story it seemed to have some ‘filler’ where scenes and dialogue seemed to either be rehashing the same idea/things or just the scenes themselves seemed a little longer than necessary. It was still a fun read, and I really enjoyed the actual ending, but the parts leading up to the ‘show-down/plan’ were the places where it seemed to lag.

The characters were fun and well written, and I really liked getting to know Rose and Harry and seeing them both grow as they worked through their past and current struggles.

Other books in the series:
(Below is a list of the other books I’ve read & reviewed for this series)

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