The Chili Queen ⭐⭐

 The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas 

G👀dreads

Life may have been hard on Addie French, but when she meets friendless Emma Roby on a train, all her protective instincts emerge. Emma's brother is seeing her off to Nalgitas to marry a man she has never met. And Emma seems like a lost soul to Addie-someone who needs Addie's savvy and wary eye. It isn't often that Addie is drawn to anyone as a friend, but Emma seems different somehow. When Emma's prospective fails to show up at the train depot, Addie breaks all her principles to shelter the girl at her brothel, The Chili Queen. But once Emma enters Addie's life, the secrets that unfold and schemes that are hatched cause both women to question everything they thought they knew. With Sandra Dallas's trademark humor, charm, and pathos, The Chili Queen will satisfy anyone who has ever longed for happiness.

Hoopla

A bank robber, a mail-order bride, and a cathouse madam joining forces on a quest for happiness in 1880s New Mexico.

Hmmmm, What could possibly go wrong?!

Genre: Historical Fiction, Westerns, Mystery, Chick Lit 

⭐⭐

It started off okay when the mail order bride (Emma) and the madame (Addie) met on the train and Emma had no idea Addie was a hooker. Then Emma is left at the station by her mail order groom and had nowhere to go. Addie had mentioned The Chili Queen was her boarding house so she went there and Addie took her in, still unaware that The Chili Queen is a brothel and Addie is the madame. It goes downhill from there when one the regulars, the bank robber character, comes into the picture. 
I haven't ironed out my new rating system yet, but based on my sketchy outline:
Overall Enjoyment - went from 3 to 1 so I guess that would be a 2. 🎉🎉
Would I recommend it to anyone - no ➖. I can't think of anyone I know who would enjoy it.
Would I want a sequel - no ➖.
Would I want to read more from this author - no ➖.
So 2 ★★ it is.
If I use That Goodreads Reviewer's system (to be known as TGR) it's only 1.75.

Yes, I too am surprised I finished it! 

🎧Barbara McCulloh

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