A Matter of Heart (Lone Star Brides, #3)

A Matter of Heart by Tracie Peterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jessica Atherton, born into a life of privilege and wealth, has not had to work hard like her mother and father did when they first set up ranching. Spoiled Jess somehow comes round to understanding how self-centered she really was for she has lost all her friends. Trying to break free of her old ways, Jess finds that it's not that easy.



Predictable...

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A Moment in Time (Lone Star Brides #2)

A Moment in Time by Tracie Peterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The second book of the series, Lone Star Brides, picks ups with Marty Wythe and Alice Chesterfield becoming closer as economic troubles force them to lose their beautiful home and move into the local orphanage to help. Alice takes a job in a local diner to earn a small income but is threatened once again by Mr. Smith. As things worsen, against Marty's wishes, she and Alice move back to Texas to reunite with Jake, who had left to work as a ranch-hand. Marty fears for Jake's life as her late husband had died from his injuries on the ranch she had sold to her brother and her faith is stretched to the breaking point when he is injured. Alice learns to love the beauty of Texas and starts to have feeling for a new character, neighboring rancher, Robert.

I didn't enjoy book #2 as I did the first in the series. Certain aspects was dragged out too long to make it not work well. I do look forward to book #3 to see if it is an improvement.

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Stuck Together

Stuck Together by Mary Connealy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stuck Together ends the Trouble in Texas series, another historical romantic comedy by Mary Connealy. The budding romance between Tina Cahill and "Invincible" Vince Yates heats up like their Texas surroundings as does the quick courtship between Jonas Cahill and Vince's new to town stepsister, Melissa. But with all the sparks flying, real gunshots ring out threatening the little town's Regulators and those they love. With trouble at his door and an abandoned mother showing symptons of dementia to shelter, Invincible Vince puts his love life on the back burner.

Mary Connealy always makes me giggle throughout her books - her main characters are always good guys and gals with hilarious quirks and thoughts. In this series, I believe my favorite was the first: Swept Away.

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A Sensible Arrangement

A Sensible Arrangement by Tracie Peterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When an ex-Texas rancher, now wealthy Denver, Colorado banker, Jake Wythe advertises for a Lone Star bride, widower and sharpshooter Marty Dandridge takes up the challenge to put behind her a million memories of her rancher husband being gored to death by a bull. Marty knows the arrangement is a marriage of convenience and is fine with that as she can't imagine loving another man. Marty can no longer make sense of a loving God and turns from her faith. The banking industry will soon be dealt a blow as the economy collapses and silver prices fall. The Wythe's may soon lose their fancy home, "fancy" friends, and servants. Even worse, the many city's orphanages could possibly turn the children out into the streets if things became worse.

A nice easy, inspirational read with historical details thrown in...

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Fired Up

Fired Up by Mary Connealy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book two in the Trouble in Texas series starts off fast. Glynna and her two children are smack dab in the middle of moving from the ranch that her ex-husband had stolen from Luke Stone. As she and Luke's Regulator friends travel through the narrow cut, boulders avalanche down from the hill, narrowly missing them but Doc Dare Riker suffers from a deep gash to his back. When they finally arrive in town, Glynna decides to open a diner in one of the empty storefronts and surprising does an amazing business, even if she can't cook and burns everything she makes. Dare in the meantime has healed from the rockslide incident but encounters more things that threaten his life - his home is torched while he's sleeping and Dare is leery of Glynna's cooking although it sends many men with upset stomachs to his doctoring business. The tension is strong between Glynna and Dare, as she and her children do not want another man in their life that could possibly hurt them again but she can't help being drawn to the honest, heroic doctor.

Themes are forgiveness, faith in what God has called you to do, honesty, and loyalty. You'll giggle at some of the antics including Glynna's cooking skills. The third book in the series will involve Regulator/lawyer, Vince Yates and new-to-town Tina Cahill, Jonas's sister.

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The Longest Ride

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We can't get enough stories on love and relationships from super writer Nicholas Sparks. In his latest novel, two couples' courtships - one nearing its ending, one just beginning - are the love stories that Sparks explores. Ira, a widower, had one last mission to complete before joining Ruth, his beloved wife, forever, but fails when the car he is driving plunges over the side of a hill. Ira begins to see visions of Ruth, encouraging him to stay alive, and as he slips in and out of consciousness, Ira reviews their tender relationship over the previous decades. At the same time a young couple, Sophia, a college student and Luke, a bull rider and rancher, are being drawn into a relationship and suffer from expectations and immaturity. As the story nears its conclusion and both love stories unfold, the connection is finally revealed.

Written from different viewpoints, the characters' vulnerability and passion show through across a span of over 90 years.

Soon to made into a movie....

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Swept Away

Swept Away by Mary Connealy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mary Connealy is known for writing her female characters full of grit and determination - definite factors needed in the Old West and pioneering days. In Swept Away, Ruthy MacNeil is that strong personality that can handle a gun and a horse, quite easily at that! Used to working hard from sunup to sundown, when she falls in with rancher and ex-regulator Luke Stone, who is bent on recovering his ranch, Ruthy doesn't even blink. I'm looking forward to the second book in the series, Trouble in Texas to continue this engaging, sometimes-hilarious, historical romance.

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A Place to Belong

A Place to Belong by Lauraine Snelling
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book three in the Wild West Wind series wraps up the story of Cassie Lockwood and her return to the Engstrom ranch in South Dakota. Cassie is maturing and eagerly learning the hard ways of ranching by Mavis Engstrom and her sons, Lucas and Ransom. Her shooting skills are returning as the strength in her damaged arm mends and Cassie looks forward to the next shooting match where hopefully a win will earn money for the ranch. Accepting a marriage proposal from Lucas will ensure her stay on the rich Dakota land that she wants to call home, but Cassie still isn't sure of her feelings for the younger of the two Engstrom brothers.

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Dawn Comes Early

Dawn Comes Early by Margaret Brownley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Certainly if you can write a potboiler about ranching there should be no problem living the real deal - right? College-educated Bostonian Kate Tenney is about to find out that ranching in Arizona territory is not all romance and roses. Determined to be the heiress that toughened Eleanor Walker needs to inherit her ranch, Kate will outlast the other applicants - even if means signing the dotted line to never marry. No big deal, her past life experiences have taught her never to trust men - any men. Unfortunately for her and Mrs. Walker, blacksmith Luke Adams and local hombre, Cactus Joe might have a say in the matter.

I love Brownley's characters, especially faith filled ranch hand Ruckus and Luke's aunts - Bessie and Lula-Belle. These two ladies are a hoot and when Bessie decides it's time to make her husband's toes curl with passion - don't be surprised to find yourself laughing out loud!

Next book in the series The Brides of Last Chance Ranch: Waiting for Morning

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An Outlaw's Christmas

An Outlaw's Christmas by Linda Lael Miller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A light little historical romance from Linda Lael Miller on yet another grandson of matriarch Angus McKettrick. This time Sawyer McKettrick is riding into town from the station to take over the position of town Marshall and contemplating the snow squalling around him when a gunshot enters his shoulder. Unconscious but resolutely hanging onto the saddle Sawyer soon drops from his horse into the snow that surrounds a tiny schoolhouse. Inside Piper St. James, the schoolmarm is ready to brave the storm outside to fill her meager supply of water when she trips over his body. Somehow dragging him into the warm building, Piper is now left to clean and bandage the stranger's wounds alone until the storm abets. Tongues will wag when the town harpies hear that Blue River's unmarried teacher has a man in the schoolhouse.

I usually don't read Miller's romances but I do enjoy her Christmas series - great reads for those who love her McKettrick series.

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Whispers in the Wind by Lauraine Snelling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book 2 of the Wild West Wind series by Snelling continues the story of Cassie Lockwood and her rag/tag family from the Wild West show searching for her father's ranch in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The second book picks up where Cassie had just found her ranch already owned and occupied by the Engstrom family, close friends and partners of her deceased father. Trying to find a way to fit in, as she really does own the deed to a share of the Bar E Ranch, Cassie is warmly welcomed by Mavis Engstrom, her daughter Gretchen and younger son Lucas, but not so much by Ransom, the eldest son. Cassie's Wild West family, no shirkers of hard work, jump in to help where they can on the ranch before the worst of winter arrives. However, Cassie feels responsible for them, and worries incessantly over the money it will take to feed and clothe them and feed their troupe of animals as well. Can Cassie trust in the Lord to answer her many needs?

A sweet book about faith and trust and fitting in. I'm looking forward to number three in the Wild West Wind series.

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Over the Edge

Over the Edge by Mary Connealy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another comical, historical romance about the Kinkade brothers - The Kinkade Brides #3, Over the Edge is just a hoot as was the first and second. This time the main character is youngest bro #3 Seth, the on-the-edge, blue-eyed civil war veteran, who has horrendous nightmares of the war and the accident in the caves. Because of this Seth has lost big chunks of time, including the fact that at some point he had gotten married. The book opens with Seth's Texan wife riding into town in the stagecoach, with their child, trying to hold off several robbers with her Colt in her left hand and a Winchester in her right. Tough as Texas, Callie has come to claim help from Seth and his brothers. Little does she know what she is letting herself in for with joining the Kinkade clan.

As I've said before, Mary Connealy makes me giggle with her ornery characters, their thoughts, and sayings. I hate to set this series down - I might have to reread them.

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The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Pioneer Woman – Black Heels to Tractor Wheels
The Pioneer Woman Cooks
The Pioneer Woman Cooks – Food from my Frontier

All by Ree Drummond

Two delicious cookbooks and a delicious, story about how Ree met her cowboy and married him – the Marlborough Man. All three books will make you giggle out loud as she describes her life before Marlborough Man, during the courtship and marriage, and through the birth of her first child. Ree, brought up in a upper-class neighborhood beside a golf course, also tells of hilarious differences in their lives. Recipes like: homemade Pico De Gallo, Maple Pecan Scones, Spicy Pulled Pork, Olive Cheese Bread, and Chicken Pot Pie will make your mouth water. One favorite: Knock You Naked Brownies, (yes, naked, page 260 of Food from my Frontier) Ree says for the record that she has no clue as to the origin of the recipe name – but that’s probably just as well!

Warning - Be prepared to copy oodles of recipes and giggle like a schoolgirl.


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Cowboy Christmas

Cowboy Christmas by Mary Connealy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Annette Talbot is a missionary back East with a voice like a songbird. When the low-life thieving Leveques take over the troupe, Annette is on the verge of being forced to singing bawdy songs and wearing clothing not fit for a lady. So Annette makes a run for her father's ranch in Wyoming - but it's been six years since she's even talked with her father. The Leveques know a money making scheme when they see one and off to Wyoming they follow - Claude Leveque wants his songbird and a card-dealing, gambling shack to boot.

Connealy's writing is a hoot, only two excerpts of many that make me giggle...

His beloved mother used guilt like she was pulling a Colt revolver. And the woman had become the fastest draw in Wyoming.

..."Ma was wounded and she's still very fragile and ailing. She needs peace and quiet.' Ruby Walker came charging out of some room upstairs. A door slammed hard and her feet thudded on the floor. She came down the stairs with the delicate finesse of a stampeding herd of longhorns skidded to a halt right beside beside Annette. Guard dog number two had arrived. And not looked wounded at all.


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Chasing the Sun

Set in the 1863, Texas has taken sides during the War Between the States. For those settlers that fought for the Union, their lands and holdings were confiscated and given to supporters and helpers of the Confederacy. Hannah Dandridge and her family, formerly of Vicksburg, have settled on a ranch that once belonged to the Barnett family. When young, injured Union fighter William Barnett returns home alone, he finds Hannah, her younger brother and sister, and some of his ranch hands struggling to keep things running. Although William wants his land back, he can't help but admire the strength and faith of the Dandridge family, but is also afraid to admit that he had fought in Vicksburg, the same town that Hannah lost her brother and now possibly - her father. When outside forces again threaten the safety of all in the little homestead, Hannah and William try to work through their differences....

Times were so unsettled in Texas in the 1860s, not only were the Confederates and Yankees fighting, but the Native American tribes were unsettled - hope and faith were the only things keeping people looking forward to another day - to fall in love, raise their families, and work and run their homesteads...

In Too Deep

In Too Deep by Mary Connealy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book 2 in the Kincade Bride series picks up right where one ended. Whereas book 1 focused on the sparring and lively exchange between Rafe Kincade and Julia Gulliland, book 2 moves on to the relationship between the always smiling middle brother, Ethan and the newly widowed Audra Gulliland (Julia's young stepmother) and her two children. Poor Ethan and Audra are railroaded into marriage by who of course, but Rafe, but both are determined to be good parents for the little ones. The youngest brother, Seth, is fleshed out more and you feel very deeply for what he has been through at such a young age. In the background still lurking are the dangerous, deep caves and the bad guys looking to recover their money from Audra's late husband. Some of the conversations and thoughts, especially by the brothers, are hilarious and the men, who are really heroes, must face their own deep-seated fears to protect their family.



Please read book 1, Out of Control, to really understand the characters. In Too Deep begins with a bang and without knowing a bit of the background could make it hard to get off on the right foot! A few new characters are also brought into the book.



Book 3, Over the Edge, is released in August and will focus on Seth, the youngest brother, who was so deeply hurt in the cave and wandered for years, before coming home.



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Wildflower Bride

Wildflower Bride by Mary Connealy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Mary Connealy writes about feisty, stubborn women, romance, and suspense. Even though I didn't read the first two books in the series, I had no trouble picking this one up and understanding the characters. The feisty woman is Glowing Sun, raised by the Flathead Indians, after her white family died. That same small tribe is almost wiped out after a band of thieves and cattle rustlers invade the village. The romantic lead character, Wade Sawyers, who heard the gunfire and rushed to her aid, has fallen for this strong female. When Wade finds out that his estranged father is at death's door, he and Glowing Sun reluctantly return to the ranch only to discover that the outlaws are closer than he thinks.



The play between the two main characters are laugh-out-loud funny and you find yourself rooting for Wade as Glowing Sun, now known as her Christian name of Abby, pulls a knife on him multiple times.



Montana Marriages series:

1. Montana Rose

2. The Husband Tree

3. Wildflower Bride



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Out of Control

Out of Control by Mary Connealy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I don't know how Mary Connealy does it - but her books always make me giggle. The thoughts and dialog between the main characters are quite witty.



Rafe Kinkade has everything under control, especially since that fateful day when he and his two brothers were lost and hurt in the deep cave that runs under his Colorado ranch. When he forces himself to return to scene to make peace with his guilt, he hears screams echoing out of the hole and ends up saving a feisty, young woman named Julia Gilliland who had been looking for fossils. The story continues with Rafe and his brother Ethan returning Julia to her rundown cabin and family, hidden on the mountain. As Rafe and Julia spar with each other, you can see the sparks begin to ignite and more caving happening in their future.



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Doctor in Petticoats

Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What do you get when you cross one strong-willed, tough, ornery woman with a shell-shocked frightened doctor? Sparks are flying between Beth, a woman who knows how to handle a gun, and war-torn Alex, who has thrown his doctor's bag away forever, after what he's seen and been through. Alex realizes that only Beth can stabilize his thoughts and give him courage, so he proposes an idea, and pops the question! Will Beth agree to marry him out of pity? Will Alex ever practice doctoring again? A humorous, tale of strong women and strong faith.



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Head in the Clouds

Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Stubborn, funny, and spunky Adelaide Proctor, in her hurry to obtain a married life, quits her job and sets her hopes on the wrong man - a traveling salesman. When she finds out he is already married, Adelaide grabs a governess job and adventure on a sheep ranch in Texas. She soon falls in love with the tiny, blond girl named Bella, who refuses to speak and the British owner of the ranch, Bella's guardian, Gideon. However, Adelaide discovers that Bella's life is in danger and will do anything to protect her and Gideon, including chasing the bad guy on her beloved mare, Sheba. A sweet, funny novel, written so well to elicit tears and giggles - highly recommended!!

Karen Witemeyer has also written a Tailor-Made Bride...



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