The Accidental Guardian ~ Review with Giveaway

The Accidental Guardian
High Sierra Sweethearts #1
By Mary Connealy

This book launches a new series by author Mary Connealy and if you're wondering where this new series will be taking you, let me tell you. You'll be taking a wagon train west but when an attack strands you along with Deb and Gwen Harkness and their two young charges on a little-used trail near the High Sierras your very future is in doubt. With little hope of surviving in this vast and empty wilderness, almost anyone would be a welcome sight.

When Trace Riley comes upon the scene of a wagon train attack he is reminded of his own experience years before. Expecting another total massacre he is shocked to find not one survivor but four and one of them is a witness to the evilness wrought by these men.

With winter soon to be upon them, Trace has no choice but to offer these survivors the shelter of his cabin for the foreseeable future. And with the help of his men make his home into a refuge to them all through the long winter months before them.

But providing refuge is just the beginning. Trace is determined to bring these brutal cowards to justice and the sooner the better...

This is a well-developed story that takes several people who couldn't be more different and yet were broken in a similar way through their experiences. I'm interested to see where this series will go from here - one can tell from the series name that it will take place again in the Sierras and hopefully feature one of the other characters. Trace and Deb are both very focused on their own goals and often can't or won't see another point of view so this book is a growing opportunity for both of them. For those who enjoy historical romance with the rugged living of the Westward expansion, this is one you'll want to read.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher via JustRead Book Tours with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

About the Book:

Title: The Accidental Guardian

Series: High Sierra Sweethearts, Book 1

Author: Mary Connealy

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Release Date: April 3, 2018

Genre: Historical Romance / Western

+To Read: Goodreads 

She's the only witness to a wagon train attack. 

Keeping her safe, though, 

means his world is about to be turned 

upside down.

When Trace Riley finds the smoldering ruins of a small wagon train, he recognizes an attack by the same group who left him as sole survivor years ago. Living off the wilderness since then, he's finally carved out a home and started a herd--while serving as a self-appointed guardian of the trail. He'd hoped the days of driving off dangerous men were over, but the latest attack shows otherwise.

Deborah Harkness saved her younger sister and two toddlers during the attack and now finds herself at the mercy of her rescuer. Trace becomes an accidental guardian when he offers the only shelter for miles around and agrees to take them in until they can safely continue their journey. His simple bachelor existence never anticipated kids and women in the picture and their arrival is unsettling--yet enticing. 

Trace and Deborah find themselves drawing ever closer as they work together to bring justice to the trail and help the group survive the winter--but every day closer to spring means a day closer to leaving the mountains forever.

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The next book in the series, THE RELUCTANT WARRIOR 
will be released later this year in October 2018!

About the Author:

Mary Connealy writes "romantic comedies with cowboys" and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has more than half a million books in print. She is the author of the popular series Wild at Heart, Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie's Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.

CONNECT WITH MARY: 

Website,  Facebook,  Twitter,  Instagram

You can also find Mary at these sites: 

Seekerville and Petticoats and Pistols

Giveaway:

(1) Winner will win: 

The Cimarron Legacy by Mary Connealy (all 3 print books)

The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy (print)

(US/Canada Mailing Addresses Only) 

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