The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy

MY REVIEW

Occasionally I like a good wild west sort of book, and I am so happy I came across this one because it features all that plus a good dash of humor. The Accidental Guardian was my first Mary Connealy read and I enjoyed the experience. I was laughing out loud in places when Trace, a hardy outdoorsman, got all jittery around his new charges. What a great character Trace is. You will fall in love with him immediately. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but this is a tender story too. Adventure meets emotional journey for all the characters. Life was not easy in those days, and especially not for those trekking across the land to find a new home. Deborah is a resourceful and feisty young lady with too much responsibility for others resting on her shoulders. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, could not put it down. I giggled in a few places along the way, as well as felt like I was right there on the trail with these characters. I do wonder however if it really is possible to build a house out of logs that quickly? Nevertheless, I look forward to the next book (see the next book cover below: The Reluctant Warrior). These covers are gorgeous.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

ABOUT THE BOOK

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

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

Working to survive the winter and finally bring justice to the trail, Trace and Deborah find themselves drawn together–yet every day approaches the moment she’ll leave forever.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary Connealy is the bestselling author of romantic comedy with cowboys. She is a Carol Award winner and a Rita and Christy and IRCC Award Finalist.

Melony Teague is a freelance writer who believes everyone has a story to tell and each story is unique and sometimes wilder than fiction. She loves to uncover the good news in society and writes human interest and community pieces. As co-author of As the Ink Flows, she loves to inspire and motivate others through her written words. In her spare time, she reviews books and interviews authors. These reviews can be found right here on her website. She also teaches seniors in her local community to write their own personal story. Melony Teague was born in South Africa and immigrated to Canada. She now lives in Toronto with her husband and their two children and two cats. Check out her recent publications here.