Barbara L. (Barbllm) reviewed on 4/28/2013 + 241 more book reviews

Ive never read a book by Mary Connealy before, and after slogging through this western romance, I probably wont read another.

The book begins by introducing us to Sophie, a widow with four daughters. She hides out in a small run-down shack to avoid the man who killed her husband, Cliff. When another man rides past her shack and over a cliff (!) she and her daughters rescue him. Turns out, hes Clay, Cliffs identical twin brother. Theres a thing called willing suspension of disbelief. It doesnt work her. In the span of 48 hours, Clay who fell off a cliff and survived rides into town. Why isnt he bedridden with broken bones or a concussion? And how, in the span of only a few days, can Sophie give up her independence for a marriage of convenience to Clay? Clay buys back the family ranch in order to move Sophie and her daughters there, but then the vigilantes who killed Cliff return.

The characters are flawed and unlikable. The daughters are capable when under Sophies direction but otherwise are whiny and simpleminded. Clay is very naïve when it comes to marriage and dealing with women. Considering that hes well-traveled, it seems strange that he doesnt understand the first thing about women. Sophie vacillates from being dependent on Clays kindness and strength to being independent and wanting to take care of her daughters alone. The Christianity in this book isnt subtle, and Ive read other books that do a much better job at showing (rather than telling) the message that Connealy seems to be trying to get across. For fans of this author only.

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