Dawn Comes Early is the first book in the Last Chance Ranch series.  Margaret Brownley is clearly not writing this story with the intention of strictly adhering to reality.  In fact, this tale seems to be the result of the author saying, “What if…” and then putting her ideas into words.  Thinking of the situations in which characters find themselves is almost comical.  Cactus Joe, Marshall Morris and Eleanor Walker all portray extreme personalities that seem a little too farfetched to be encountered in ordinary life.  That being said, the charm of this book lies in its unlikely characters and unbelievable situations.  Anyone looking for a flavor of the late 1800’s mixed with quirky characters and lighthearted fun will enjoy reading Dawn Comes Early.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Thomas Nelson

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None.

Violence/Gore:  Characters threaten others with guns; characters shoot other characters, little detail; characters grab other characters; characters hit one another.

Sex/Nudity:  Character has bare bottom for medical treatment; non-married characters embrace and kiss on lips and cheeks; married characters kiss and hug.

Mature Subject Matter:

Abuse, abandonment, robbery, death of family member.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Characters drink themselves to death; a few characters mentioned as being in a drunken state.