Inventions of the Heart ~ Review

Inventions of the Heart
The Lumber Baron’s Daughters #2
By Mary Connealy

The Stiles sisters have managed to elude their stepfather and his plans for their futures. But with Laura married and on her way home with her new husband, Michelle and Jilly know that he will redouble his efforts to bend them to his will. Edgar will lose any chance of controlling their late father's lumber empire if they marry men of their choosing.

The Two Harts Ranch has become their place of refuge, and Michelle could see Zane Hart as a potential husband. And his ranch offers her a chance to put her inventive skills to good use. And the fact gold has been discovered in a hidden section of his ranch is just tempting her, not with its promise of wealth, but for the challenge it presents.

Zane Hart has been content with his life as a rancher, but Michelle Stiles has a way of disrupting everything. Her mind is constantly planning, looking at ways to make improvements. And with drought threatening Zane's cattle, she has the perfect solution.

When an attack threatens everything, Michelle and Jilly are ready to again run. If they do the right thing and testify against the man who attacked them, their identities and location will surely get back to their stepfather. And the trouble he'll send their way could prove deadly for anyone who stands in Edgar's way! 

Inventions of the Heart (IOTH) is the second book in the Lumber Baron's Daughters series, and you need to read the first book (Elements of the Heart) before reading this book. Yes, you can read and enjoy IOTH, but you will be left in the dark as to what has already happened. This is a book about family and expectations. Michelle, Jilly, and Laura were raised and trained to be smarter than everyone else, and they had the expectations of running an empire placed upon their shoulders at a young age. The three are not that old - twenty-five years is still a ways off, so I can see that the future set before them is more than a little daunting. This is a good book, and one I would recommend. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Her heart seeks safety. 
But will trouble find her even here?

After her sister’s marriage, Michelle Stiles is left hiding at Two Harts Ranch with the handsome but stubborn Zane Hart. She’s managed to stay one step ahead of her stepfather and his devious plans, but if he finds her, she will no longer be safe.

Zane has problems of his own. Having discovered a gold mine on his property, he must figure out how to harvest it without kicking off a gold rush. Michelle, educated and trained to run her father’s business, wants to manage all aspects of the mine, but Zane thinks, for a person so smart, she can have some misguided ideas. Running the mining operation will be a dangerous job, and he can’t risk putting her in harm’s way.

But danger finds Michelle anyway when she’s suddenly attacked. If they go to the sheriff, they’ll reveal her location, but if they do nothing . . . their troubles have only just begun.