Courting Calamity is a collection of four historical novellas about four women who ran into a whole lot of trouble. Amanda Barratt, Gabrielle Meyer, Jennifer Uhlarik, and Kathleen Y’Barbo take us back in time to vary different scenarios, but in each, the female was (in) some sort of trouble.

The first three stories were highly entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed them. The fourth did not belong in this collection. It was overly graphic and tragic (and definitely needs a trigger warning) and while based on a true event, it was like reading a history book with a devastating ending. One I couldn’t even read. Frankly, it ruined the whole collection for me because it was not the type of story I wanted to read when I chose to pick up this book.

Last story aside, the other three are definitely worth reading. The humor that shows through the difficult situations the women find themselves in keeps the stories light. And the men in those three stories are fantastic heroes.

So I do recommend the first three-fourths of Courting Calamity, but if you chose to read “Echoes of the Heart,” be prepared to read a tragedy that felt more akin to Romeo and Juliet that a happily ever after historical romance.

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I received this book free from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing in order to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”