Now & Forever Book Review

Wild at Heart Series

Book Two

SUMMARY:  Saddle up for romance and adventure with the Wilde sisters!

     Shannon Wilde is the middle sister - and the one who loves animals.  She's established her own homestead and is raising sheep for their wool.  Things are going fine . . . until Shannon gets swept over a cliff by Matthew Tucker!

     Tucker seizes every opportunity to get away from civilization, but one particular walk in the woods ends with him sprinting away from an angry grizzly and plunging into a raging river, accidentally taking Shannon Wilde with him.  Their adventure in the wilderness results in the solitary mountain man finding himself hitched to a young woman with a passel of relatives, a homestead, and a flock of sheep to care for.

     As Tucker and Shannon learns to live with each other, strange things begin to happen on Shannon's land.  Someone clearly wants to drive her off, but whoever it is apparently didn't count on Tucker.  Trying to scare Matthew Tucker just makes him mad - and trying to hurt the woman he's falling in love with sets off something even he never expected.

REVIEW:  Mary Connealy's latest novel starts off at a dead run and doesn't let up until the end.  Shannon is a fun, determined, but loving heroine.  I love how she and Tucker balance each other out but also stretch each other beyond their comfort zones. Even though Shannon and Tucker are put in a compromising situation at the beginning of the book, I like how they did not take advantage of it and do something they would regret.  After they are forced to get married, I like how they do not rush their relationship but take time to get to know each other first.  There were a few things I had figured out pretty quickly regarding the plot but I like how the author doesn't make it obvious and makes you think.
     This is the second book in the Wild at Heart series.  You will need to read the first one to understand this one completely.  It piggybacks onto the first and continues the story.  This is one of my favorite novels out this year!

This book was provided by Bethany House for review without compensation.

Mary Connealy is the author of the acclaimed Trouble in Texas and The Kincaid Brides series, as well as several other series.  She has been nominated for a Christy Award, was a finalist for a RITA Award, and is a two-time winner of the Carol Award.  She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her husband.  Learn more about Mary and her books at:

maryconnealy.com

mconnealy.blogspot.com

seekerville.blogspot.com

petticoatsandpistols.com 

Tried & True Book Review

Wild at Heart

Book One

SUMMARY:  Saddle up for a wildly fun ride with the Wilde sisters!

     Kylie Wilde is the youngest sister - and the most civilized.  Her older sisters might be happy dressing in trousers and posing as men, but Kylie has grown her hair long and wears skirts every chance she gets.  It's a risk - they are homesteading using the special exemptions they earned serving in the Civil War as "boys" - but Kylie plans to make the most of the years before she can sell her property and return to the luxuries of life back East.

     Local land agent Aaron Masterson is fascinated with Kylie from the moment her long hair falls from her cap.  But now that he knows her secret, can he in good conscience defraud the U.S. government?  And when someone tries to force Kylie off her land, does he have any hope of convincing her that marrying him and settling on the frontier is the better option for her future?

REVIEW:  Mary Connealy's latest book is unique.  The storyline of women living as men to homestead property is one I've not encountered before.  I like how she answers the questions about how they keep the townspeople from finding out.  She doesn't do it all at one time but answers them little by little throughout the story.  I also liked how Aaron tries to work out the details of Kylie's unique situation so he doesn't have to lie to the U.S. government but where the Wilde sisters keep their lands.  I also loved Sunrise, the Indian woman who helps Kylie.  She is a woman to be reckoned with who teaches Kylie a thing or two or ten about men, living in the wild, living off the land, and protecting herself.

     While I didn't have all the details figured out, I guessed quite a bit of the storyline before the events happened.  I also see the potential for future romances and storylines for Kylie's sisters, Shannon and Bailey, and some local menfolk.

     All in all, this was an enjoyable book and I look forward to reading the rest of the Wilde sisters adventures.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group and Bethany House for review without compensation.

 

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedies about cowboys.  She's the author of the acclaimed TROUBLE IN TEXAS and THE KINCAID BRIDES series, as well as several other series.  Mary has been nominated for a Christy Award, was a finalist for a RITA Award, and is a two-time winner of the Carol Award.  She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.  They have four grown daughters and a bevy of spectacular grandchildren.  Learn more about Mary and her books at maryconnealy.com, mcconnealy.blogspot.com, seekerville.blogspot.com, or petticoatsandpistols.com.

Over The Edge Book Review

The Kincaid Brides

Book 3

SUMMARY:  Seth Kincaid remembers almost everything . . . except getting married.

     Seth Kincaid survived a fire in a cave, but he hasn't been the same since.  Then he fought in the Civil War and returned to Colorado crazier than ever.

     Somewhere along the line, it appears Seth got married.  Oh, he has a lot of excuses, but his wife isn't too happy to find out Seth doesn't remember her.  Callie isn't a long-suffering woman.  When Seth disappeared, she searched, prayed and worried.  Now she's come out west to wrangle her long-lost husband.

      Seth is willing to make amends.  Callie is more interested in shooting him.  Can they rekindle their love before one of them goes over the edge?

REVIEW:  Seth is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome due to fighting in the Civil War and when he was burned as a child.  Because of this, he doesn't remember some of the events of his life, like getting married.  Callie, his wife, is furious because Seth left her one night with no explanation and with no forwarding address.  When she found out she was pregnant, Callie returned to her home and was scorned by her father.  When Callie's dad dies, she packs up her son and heads to Seth's brothers in Colorado, hoping for a place to stay and information on Seth's whereabouts.
     This was an okay book.  I liked the storyline but felt like so much background information was missing in regards to Callie and her family.  It was also a little confusing with Seth's sisters-in-laws relationships to each other.  I couldn't tell if they were mother and daughter, sisters, or step-mother and step-daughter.  Since this is the third book in the series, the background information on the brothers and their lives were touched on but not important.  It may have been helpful for me to have read the others to straighten out some of my confusion.
     I like Callie.  She is a rough and tumble woman, able to hold off three would-be stagecoach robbers by herself while waiting for help to arrive.  She was determined to keep her relationship with Seth platonic until he remembered the details of their marriage and showed that he would not up and leave again, like before.  Seth is a great character too.  Once Callie lays down the boundaries of their relationship, Seth does what he can to show her he is dependable, to overcome some of the demons he is fighting (due to the PTSS), and to remember the details about Callie and their marriage.  Both of them have obstacles to overcome and they do it.
     I would recommend this book but would suggest you read the others in the series too to have a better understanding of all the characters.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group for review without compensation.

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys.  She is the author of the acclaimed Lassoed in Texas, Montana Marriages, and Sophie's Daughters series.  Mary has been nominated for a Christy Award, was a finalist for a RITA Award, and is a two-time winner of the Carol Award.  She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero, Ivan.  They have four grown daughters and two grandchildren.  Readers can learn more about Mary and her upcoming books at:

maryconnealy.com

mconnealy.blogspot.com

seekerville.blogspot.com

petticoatsandpistols.com