Rollicking Wild West Adventure and Romance from Bestselling Author Mary Connealy

Dare Riker is a doctor who saves lives, but someone seems determined to end his. It may have something to do with the traitors he dealt with during the Civil War, or it might be related to the recent incident with Flint Greer and the ranch. Whoever the culprit is, he or she seems really fired up, and Dare can’t let his guard down for a moment, which is a challenge, since right now he’s trying to win the heart of the recently widowed Glynna.

Glynna Greer came west as a mail-order bride and ended up in a bad situation. Now her husband, Flint, is dead, and she’s determined to care for her son and daughter on her own. She wants to believe Dare Riker is as decent as he seems, but she’s terrified to lock herself into another marriage. She plans to support her small family by opening a diner–never mind that cooking is not her greatest talent. The men in Broken Wheel, Texas, are so desperate for home cooking that they seem willing to overlook dried-out beef and blackened biscuits.

Glynna can’t help but notice that danger follows Dare wherever he goes. There’s the avalanche. And then the fire. But things really get out of hand when someone plunges a knife from Glynna’s diner into Dare’s back. Are Flint’s cronies still plotting revenge? Is Glynna’s son engaged in a misguided attempt to protect his mother? Is a shadowy outsider still enraged over past injustices? And can Dare survive long enough to convince Glynna to take another chance on love?

Fired Up by Mary Connealy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, now I understand–this is the second in the series! That is probably why I struggled to connect. Sorry to start a review that way, but I did not find this book overly engaging, and part of the problem is that I did not read the first book. The author has written a sequel, and in order to fully embrace the story, the reader must read the first book. Otherwise, you will probably struggle just like me.

As far as historical romances go, this was par for the course. I was unimpressed with the fact that the gospel message was only minimally in this story. I would have preferred a bit of a stronger message. I can certainly be glad that there was no profanity or sex scenes. If you are looking for a clean romance, look no further.

Was there anything I liked? Yes, I was intrigued by the struggle Dare had with the evident calling God placed on his life. I think every Christian can relate to struggling against God’s will from time to time, but if we are living as we should, there is no doubt that God will use circumstances and people to steer us in the right direction. I was not a fan of any other characters, I have to admit.

The mystery in the novel was not too involving for me. Since I was unable to connect with the characters, I struggled. I wish I had more pleasant things to say about this book, but it was just not for me. On a more positive note, I was never bored in the reading of the book, and the author certainly was excellent. I would be willing to give some of her other books a try, but this one just didn’t grab my attention. Please understand that this is only my opinion, and I am possibly in a minority.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

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Mary Connealy writes fun and lively “romantic comedy with cowboys” for the inspirational market. She is the author of the successful Kincaid Brides, Lassoed in Texas, Montana Marriages, and Sophie’s Daughters series, and she has been a finalist for a Rita and Christy Award and a two time winner of the Carol Award. She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her husband, Ivan, and has four grown daughters.

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