Pistols and Petticoats by saltire884
Reviewed by Bellalove72
*This story is no longer available*
*This story is no longer available*
Rating: M
Genre: Western/Drama
Characters: Edward/Bella
Summary: In a drunken gamble by her father, Bella finds her future wagered to town loner, Edward Cullen. But with stakes this high, how much will Bella lose, or will chance be on her side?
Lurking on Twitter late one night, I saw people asking saltire884 about her new fic. I didn’t know she was even writing one, so I asked her about it and she sent me the link. First of all, it’s called Pistols and Petticoats, the name alone sucked me in! The Old West and images of a gun-slinging, cowboy hat wearing, Edward, flitted through my head. She had me hook, line and sinker within the first three paragraphs! Or should I say, roped, tied and branded! I DM’d IndieFicPimp immediately, calling “dibs” on this little gem before someone else got to it first! Then I finished reading the four posted chapters, all before reading the updates of my favorite fics, still sitting in my box waiting to be read! And even though I quickly discovered, that Edward is not the Cowboy, but the Indian, saltire884 had me convinced that it was in fact a very good thing!
Pistols and Petticoats is saltire884’s first venture into being a fanfiction author; and she has blown me away! The details and descriptions she uses throughout, really make you feel like you’re in the Old West. I half expect a tumbleweed to come blowing across my laptop while reading. She’s doing a fantastic job of telling this tale and I personally can’t wait for more!
Saltire884’s characters are very refreshing. You will not find a “Shop-a-holic” Alice or a “Perfect” Rosalie here. Some of the characters are a complete opposite of what you might be used to and it’s perfect for the story and way it all fits together.
Pistols and Petticoats takes place in Deadwood Creek, Montana in 1889, where we are first introduced to Isabella, who is hiding from her “Pa”. Charlie’s character is mean and condescending, a very ill-tempered drunk who spends his days at the Deadwood Saloon, drinking and gambling. Still living at home at the age of 20, Charlie wants nothing more than to marry Isabella off to the highest bidder.
Michael Newton is the wealthiest man in town. He is ruthless and the townfolk fear him; of course this has all gone to Newton’s head, filling every ounce of his ten-gallon hat, and he’s all the nastier for it. He’s had his eye on Isabella and is tired of playing games. He intends to make her his, and demands to marry her. He’s causing somewhat of a scene in town, when town outcast, Cullen, appears to save the day.
As the son of a Comanche mother and a white father, Edward Cullen wasn’t welcomed by the townfolk as a boy, and quickly learned to steer clear of them. Edward has lived a life of solitude on his ranch, only venturing to town for supplies. His only friend is his dog, Masen. The relationship between Edward and Masen, is utterly heartwarming. Masen is definitely a character not to be missed, and plays a great role in many scenes, not only with Edward, but with other characters as well.
This Edward might not be the Cowboy of my musings, but saltire884’s description of him makes it all worthwhile!
“He was wearing tan buckskin trousers with fringe down the side and a dusty blue woven shirt. Strange white and red beads hung around the open neck of his shirt.
A hide belt around his slim hips housed a tomahawk axe and a hunting knife, which was nestled in a buckskin pouch with frayed edges. He looked every bit the savage that the townsfolk claimed him to be.”
Hello? Buckskin trousers with fringe down the side? Dusty blue woven shirt? A tomahawk axe and a hunting knife on his hips? His hips?! Call me crazy, but my CowboyWard image doesn’t hold a candle to that of ComancheWard! I’ll take buckskin trousers with fringe, over a ten-gallon hat any day! And Savage? Kill me now!
But I digress… (ComancheWard does that to me!)
So, Cullen witnesses Newton giving Isabella a hard time and intervenes. Of course, Newton’s cronies come a’running to defend the honor of their boss, and shoot at Cullen a couple of times. All the commotion ends up getting the attention of the local law.
Sherriff McCarty prides himself on upholding the law in his town, dismisses the whole debacle, telling the men to all be on their way. Isn’t that an awesome job for Emmett? The town Sherriff? I think it’s perfect!
Before Charlie can hand Isabella off to Newton, he ends up drunk and broke at the saloon with nothing to allow him to stay in the poker game, until he realizes the men at the table have interest in his daughter; and he offers her up in the game. It’s his turn to win, right? And all the men will go in, since such a grand prize is on the line. He’ll win all their money and will still have Isabella when Newton shows up. Win-Win. Accept it isn’t.
This is Edward and Bella’s story to tell. How they grow and come together with a storm brewing in the horizon. How tight they will hold on to each other when the storm hits. And in my opinion, it’s full of WIN!
So, are you curious as to what will happen next?
Find out by reading Pistols and Petticoats! You won’t be disappointed!
i agree amazing story and delicious Edward