Cavalcade

Vetted Series, Book 2

By: K'Anne Meinel

Narrated by: Amy Deuchler

Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

Molly didn't know what kind of life to expect when she fell in love with Erin Herriot - her schoolmate, her best friend, and a woman. She had been grateful for Erin's friendship when the bank swindled her after selling her parents' farm and she was invited to live on Erin's parents' farm.   

After making the difficult decision to live life as ‘man and wife,' Molly gladly accepted the challenges before them. Together, they made the decision to sell Erin's farm and embark on the journey of a lifetime...on the Oregon Trail. Erin couldn't give Molly children; however, she could love her forever.  

But leaving the area where they had both grown up and where everyone knew the women was the only way they could be together without questions about the true nature of their relationship.   

Come along on their adventure as two women cross the country, adopt a family, and begin a life that neither had imagined possible growing up in the mid-1800s.

©2018 K'Anne Meinel (P)2019 K'Anne Meinel

Keeps you hooked!

I wasn’t sure about this one in the beginning, it was a little harder to draw me in, but once it did I was hooked. It’s a great story of a family traveling the Oregon trail. (Made me want to go back and play the computer game!) The characters were interesting and the story was easy to follow. The narration was good, the many different characters were easily distinguished. With most audio books there is still a little background noise, this one did not have as much as most, but listening through earbuds or a car stereo it was noticeable. Overall it was a great listen!

Terrific story

I loved this book! The story is very well written and facts researched. The journey of Erin and Molly is a joy to experience and Amy Deuchler did a great job with the narration. Whether it’s the challenges two women face in an unusual position for their time, adjusting to a new family, or the dangers of the trail, the story moves with such detail you really picture it as heads west.

Lovely voice reading a wonderful book!

This book is set in the mid - 1800s. It's about two women who choose to travel west so that they can live their lives together as spouses in a time when two women could not have that kind of relationship. They had been friends since childhood and became lovers as adults. The descriptions of the travels and the lands and all the encounters along the way were phenomenal. It made me feel like I was right there with them. They were an excellent team and you could feel the love and intensity of the relationship together. I haven't read many historical romances before and this is my first foray into audiobooks. I loved listening to the sensuous voice reading to me. It also allowed me to enjoy this book while I was doing other things. I have never listened to any of this author's books before. I did not want this book to end and can't wait to listen to the sequel!

Enjoyable

I enjoyed listening to this book and enjoyed the story. I was happy with the book and would listen to more by this author or narrator..I provided this review in exchange for a complimentary copy of the audiobook from the author, narrator, or publisher.

A tough journey to a brighter future

A great little story about the trials and tribulations of traveling out in the old West to forge a life in a new home. Molly and Erin really get put through the wringer in their drive to start up a new life in Oregon. I enjoyed the day to day life and the challenges that they encounter in their journey. I liked just hearing the descriptions of their travel and the surrounding areas, it did well to take me to the time period. There is a lot to be liked here from romance to battles against nature and man, and the generally great relationships forged in the book. I haven't read the first book but thought this one did well to pull me in and let me follow it. The narration by Amy Deuchler was quite good and thought she did great with all the characters and pacing. I look forward to the continuing story of Molly and Erin.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this review voluntarily.

Excellent!

I loved Cavalcade. I love the setting in the old west or should I say new west? Basically uncharted territory. Molly and Erin are fabulous. You think your life is tough today? Read this book and find out how tough life really was. I can’t wait for the rest of the series on audio. Amy Deuchler did an excellent job with the narration.

Excellent book

I just finished this book and I have to say that I loved it. It had me from the start and didn't let go, totally sad that the end of the book had to come. But I am looking forward to the rest of the books in the series. The portrayal of what Erin had to go through to pass as being a man was fabulous and had it's moments of stress. You got the sense of how she had to be "stoic" almost all the time and that also took it's toll on her and on Molly. How the two of them managed to keep their marriage strong and loving in a time when most married couples didn't act like that. And with the added stress of being on the Oregon Trail and having 5 curious children. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read or listen to a great story.

Wonderful story

I am really coming to love lesbian historical romances, and K’Anne Meinel has played an important part of that. Including this book.

I do have to intersperse them with more contemporary books, as even the imagined and relatively positive stories deal with keeping one’s love for the “same” sex hidden, and the fear of discovery. But making a life alongside these obstacles is a worthy story to tell.

The main characters, and the children they adopt, get into a lot of adventures, and this is very enjoyable reading. I am immediately going to start the next audiobook in the series.

Amy Deuchler did a superb job with the voices, and the narration as a whole.

Head west young " Man "

Story going to Oregon with a family that they rescued. A couple of love and understanding of nature.

Oregon trail

it was a good storyline, I love the transgender aspect of it. it was heartwarming when they adopted the children. I definitely want to more about Tabetha. I love the fairness and equality the 2 women instilled in their children.

A good tale spoiled by factual inaccuracies

I love stories based around historical facts, especially when they depict strong women, and do not mind at all if the reimagined part is updated for modern tastes. I am sure there were women who passed as men amongst the pioneers who settled the American West. However, when a story is based, as this is, around well known historic, geographic, agricultural and scientific facts, it pays to get them right. When factual accuracy is ignored, the departure from reality spreads doubt over the validity of the whole tale. This significantly spoiled my enjoyment of this audiobook.

In book 2 of K' Anne Meinel's trilogy, the author's failure to stick to facts is a real shame. It seems that she simply did not spend sufficient time on research to convincingly depict animal behaviour, historic farming and ranching practices in Ohio and Oregon and pioneering in C19th US, especially travelling the Oregon trail. Many depictions of the Oregon trail rely on descriptions that lack detail and seem straight out of a trail guide. This lack of believability compounded my inability to believe wholeheartedly in this story.

This lack of attention to factual detail is compounded by some hasty, clumsy writing, that relies on cliches at times. There are many loose ends, omissions and holes in plot. The narrator, however, does well at reading the text.

K' Anne Meinel's epic trilogy could and should be an American, lesbian classic. It is a sad testament to lack of attention to detail that it falls short of this ideal. It is, nevertheless, an enjoyable listen, just don't believe many of the facts you will hear.

What an adventure!

The journey of Erin and Molly from Ohio to Oregon, adopting five children on the way, is breathtaking, despite being slightly repetitive at times. K’Anne Meinel’s Cavalcade feels like a yellowed postcard of pioneers brought to life. The landscapes the family rides through were so vividly described I felt like I was actually seeing them.

Wow, what an epic journey

This was my first ever audio book, the author gave me a free voucher code in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled at first to be honest and I think listening in bed like I often read in bed is not viable with this format. I kept dropping off to sleep and having to back track. The narrator had a very soothing and even voice which didn't always work for me and the story here is not one filled with action, adventure or steamy scenes.

I would describe this book as being a really detailed, well researched tale about the wagon train to Oregon. The two women characters felt a bit contrived to me but I'm pretty sure this actually happened to some folks back then. I did really enjoy it in the end and if you're a fan of a good long read then this will make you happy too. I will probably buy the sequel to find out what happens.