I have to say that I am, in theory, a fan of Mary Connealy. Her books feature strong women with minds of their own and tough men with tender hearts–both of whom love God. Though the stories generally follow the same basic story line (unlikely match–attracted to each other–end up married), they each are unique in their own way. And every single one of her books has captivated me–they make me laugh out loud and keep me glued to the story and, of course, point the reader towards a relationship with God.
I have noticed lately that the books are becoming a little heavy on the romance, though. I love a good love story, especially one framed in historical fiction with a great adventure attached. However, even if they are a far cry from even tame secular novels, I wouldn’t recommend that young girls read these books.
In Too Deep, the sequel to Out of Control (the story of the oldest Kincaid brother), is characteristic of Connealy’s writing. The book, set in Rawhide, TX, after the Civil War, features three cowboy brothers–tough, great with guns, and protective of each other and their ladies, even if the youngest is a little bit crazy. Of course, we have the ladies–gals with minds of their own who may seem vulnerable, but are tougher than they look. We have a bad guy, out to get the ladies. And don’t forget the brewing romance.
Ethan Kincaid, the middle Kincaid brother, and Audra Gilliland get married mostly out of convenience. Audra’s husband has died, and everyone knows that a woman can’t survive alone in the wild west! Not to mention the fact that her no-good, dead husband has stolen a fortune from someone who is out to get it back from Audra, one way or another. Though the fortune is never found, the bad guys are brought to justice, Audra & Ethan find that they love each other after all, and Audra finds that she is stronger and braver than she thinks. And, through it all, they find that God is faithful.
The story is captivating, the characters are well-developed, and it left me wanting to read the next book in the series. After all, the youngest brother, Seth, needs to find his bride now! However, the references to pulling each other close and loving each other “passionately, deeply” might be a little too much for younger readers–even though that’s as far as the imagery goes.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.