The Last Woman Standing: A Novel

After reading this book I was actually really happy with my kindle first selection for this month. I understand where some of the reviewers are coming from when suggesting looking into Josephine Marcus from a factual standpoint, but I would argue against that. This book is listed as historical fiction. The author was nothing more than inspired by parts of the story of Josephine Marcus, and by no means replicated the story exactly. Nor should she have been obligated to. This is a work of fiction, a story to be told by the author for the enjoyment of others not fact checking. If a reader is reading this for historical accuracy, maybe look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a quick and enjoyable read I completely recommend this book. I was able to finish this book with two children and only reading during nap times. I've tried to outline some of my thoughts about the better, and not so great qualities, without giving away spoilers of this book bellow.1. The main character is relate able as the story portrays her. She grows throughout the story but is human and has set backs. She knows what she wants but doesn't always take the best road. Sometimes she falls, but she regains composure and sometimes its not by her own accord but through the help of others.2. I like that the story is told from first person view. It doesn't stray, you never get a look into other characters minds or motivations, so you're as uncertain as the heroine in your trust of certain characters.3. The first chapter is a little difficult to get through, which is why I only ranked the book 4 out of 5 stars. In fact for the first ten percent of the book I wasn't entirely sure I was going to finish. The story line didn't actually hook me until it transitioned to being told from her younger selfs perspective. I'm never a huge fan of the start at the end and look back, you know the ending before the story. Even this particular story where we already know that she ends up with Wyatt Earp. I felt like the story starting at the end before starting at the beginning allowed for small side notes that took away from the story line. She would be explaining a circumstance and inject a comment about a revelation she had about that moment later in life. In most cases this didn't add to the story, it was just an additional comment that deterred the story for a moment.4. The book is a bit sexual. At some points its a coming to age tale of the sexuality of a young woman that knows she's beautiful. Others it seems a bit excessive to bring up at points. This is the part of the character that I thought fluctuated the most. It wasn't a clear point a to point b transition , but constant transitions between competing sexual preferences.Overall I found this to be a compelling read if you can get past the beginning, and my dislike of the beginning may only be a personal preference. I would recommend it to another reader, and I'm quite pleased that I read it myself.

I'm not sure how to describe the way this book is written. The word "lackadaisical" comes to mind, but that's not quite right. The story started out rather glumly and wasn't very encouraging as a beginning. I've had this book for quite some time and always looked forward to reading it. Now that I was finally reading it, was it going to be this dragging disappointment? I kept reading and forgot about setting it aside because in spite of its sort of casual style, it was interesting. In the end, and it ended rather abruptly, all I wanted was more.Sadie/Josie is a young Jewish woman who wants more from life than what is offered by her closed and controlled religion. Her mother is very religious and forces the family to adhere to all the rules. Sadie and her mother don't get along very well. Her father is a gentle man who lets his wife rule the house. He loves Sadie very much. Her sister Henrietta can do no wrong in the mother's eyes.Along comes Johnny and Sadie becomes Josie with a diamond ring on her finger and a promise of marriage when they get settled in Tombstone. Her mother cuts her off as if she were dead and goes through the Jewish rituals as if she had actually died. Her father slips her a note and some money. Josie is a beauty, and when she steps down off the Stagecoach, every man in town is looking at her. So she looks back, and her eyes snag on Wyatt Earp. As Johnny shows his true colors, Wyatt looks even better. Sadie and Wyatt don't have an easy time of it as Tombstone lives up to its rough and rowdy reputation. What a story the author dishes up in her own style. Recommended.

First, I actually read this book from beginning to end. I have not had much luck finding good Kindle First books, especially after reading glorious write-ups from reviewers, who appear to me as not having read what they are writing about. At least I have read every page of this book and will try to give a realistic opinion.I would recommend that before you consider this book, google Josephine Earp and read the Wikipedia article about her and other books written about her. It is hard to separate fact from fiction, especially since Josephine herself worked hard at maintaining a fictional history, hiding her not-so-stellar past for her entire life, even suing those who might make a movie or write a book about what she really was. Having a little background from a google search will help you understand the characters. Based on research, Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp aka Sadie Mansfield left San Francisco in December, 1874, at the age of 14 for Prescott Arizona where she was a "sporting lady" or prostitute. While there she met Yavapai County Sheriff, Johnny Behan. Johnny's wife filed for divorce in 1875 complaining that Behan "openly and notoriously visited houses of ill-fame and prostitution at said town of Prescott." After the divorce, "Sadie" becomes Behan's common-law wife. In 1881, she leaves Behan for the Deputy Sheriff in Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, whom she lived with for the rest of his life. However, in real life, Josephine, aka Sadie, spins the story that she did not come to Arizona until 1879, when she was 19. She vehemently hides her true past.It does not come as a surprise to me that the real Josephine lived her life with two well-known men in law enforcement. She definitely wanted to be viewed as a respectable woman, despite her original profession. Perhaps, she yearned for the respectability that society gives law enforcement to rub off onto herself through her association with men of the law.But who is the Josephine here? This book is told in the first person by Josephine Marcus. It is told as the real Josephine would want people to believe about herself, not about who she really was. It takes great skill for an author to tell a story in the first person and most of the time, it doesn't work. But I don't degrade this author because the book is advertised as historical fiction and the real Josephine was great at making up stories and passing them off as fact. So, it seems appropriate to read this from the first-person point of view.From a technical perspective, the writing is simple and it appears to be aimed at a reader who reads at a teen/young adult level. The writing is well done. But the first-person writing just sits there leaving the story flat, with no depth. So I would give the author a technical score of 4 to 4 1/2 stars for the quality of the voice of her writing. But not a 5 as there is no character development. Everyone seems so shallow and not well-rounded. No one has a complex personality.Generally, a book will grab you because of its great character development or its engaging plot. If there is no character development, that doesn't necessarily mean it is a bad book. You can have a great, suspenseful plot.Gong! Leave the stage. Failure! The plot just plods along. No excitement. No Suspense. It is just too sanitized. Josephine comes off as a very naïve, innocent, young adult who happens to be a virgin, wants to stay a virgin until someone puts a ring on her finger. Yet, as innocent and naïve as she is presented, she left her Jewish parents in San Francisco to live with a man, Johnny Behan, who she doesn't really know, and won't marry her. Meanwhile, she finds herself attracted to another man, Wyatt Earp. The conflict within herself and between the two men could have been developed but No! The plot puts you to sleep. LITERALLY!!! I fell asleep and my Kindle slipped from my fingers and found itself on the floor. Come on! If you are going to fictionalize something, give it some oomph! The plot rates a 1. Not good.My overall rating is 3 because the author does write well but doesn't seem to be able to tell a story well. Overall, the book is OK. I have read a lot of FREE books better than this and a few paid books that were worse but my overall impression after reaching the last page is meh... Very forgettable.I believe I made a bad choice for my free monthly Kindle First as a Prime member. I hate to make a negative suggestion but I suggest that you look more closely at the other Kindle First picks before thinking about picking up this one.

Reading this book took me back to my younger days of reading stories about the Old West. Like most young girls of my era, it never occurred to me to notice a real lack in the genre - books written from the female perspective, It was so nice to read an historical novel written about a truly interesting woman in the Old West. Thelma Adams has woven together the available facts about Josie Earp to create a very entertaining novel.

This novel takes the form of a Memoir, purportedly written by Josephine Marcus, the de facto wife of Wyatt Earp, the famous lawman who took part in the infamous ‘Gunfight at the OK Corral’. It is however important to remember that this is a work of fiction.This novel is a steamy romance full of cowboys, drunkards, prostitutes and other rowdy characters. But although well written in a rollicking, readable fashion, the story does drag at times, because our heroine can only ‘observe’ and relies a lot on ‘here-say’, because the action all takes place elsewhere. She gives an ‘indoors’ version of events, whereas the real drama takes place ‘outdoors’.I found the book ‘interesting’, but not ‘riveting’. It has however made me want to rewatch ‘Tombstone’, the 1993 movie starring Kurt Russell and the late Val Kilmer. I wonder how that retelling compares, as it depicts events from the Mens’ angle.

I like the start, the swift fire way of the writing. The story's interest petered out halfway through. I did finish it but not enthusiastically

I was so surprised and pleasantly pleased with this book....I actually had a hard time putting it done.....very good story and the author had you wondering what was next......I love that in a story!I would highly recommend this book.

I truly enjoyed the characters and history of this book. My knowledge of this time was limited, but I learned a lot and hope to read more on this period of history. Well written with a good flow throughout the novel.