Trace Riley has been self-appointed guardian of the trail ever since his own wagon was attacked. When he finds the ruins of a wagon train, he offers shelter to survivor Deborah Harkness and the children she saved. Trace and Deborah grow close working to bring justice to the trail, but what will happen when the attackers return to silence the only witness?
The Accidental Guardian
By maryconnealy
Romantic without sex
It had a lot of action in it, sort of cowboys and Indians and a wagon train out West. Some twists and turns in the plot which made you kind of hang on hoping for a better outcome. I enjoyed this book very much!
This was a really cute story.I really enjoyed it,
I thought this was a good book, a great story that could have easily happened
Helps understanding the hard times of the frontier
It was just okay
I really don’t understand the negativity of some of the reviews on this book. Maybe I’m not as intelligent as these nay-sayers, but I enjoyed this book and found it to be very good. I liked the characters and found them to be well rounded and the story well written. I have never been disappointed with Mary Connealy’s books and can’t wait to read the next one.
Though this story seemed to leave you hanging about the children’s fate, you can bet Ms. Connealy has their story well in hand. Trace Riley is a true hero. He saved Deb, Gwen and the children for certain. Being the only ones left after their wagon train was attacked, they had no way of knowing where to go and how to survive out on the plains alone.
Trace was in their shoes when he was a little boy and therefore had no interaction between himself and women. I understand his being a little awkward when talking to Deb as well as being a bit immature. You try bringing yourself up to adulthood without an example to show you the way.
I do not feel like this story was written for middle school age children. You have to remember that the women were very young and Trace didn’t have the upbringing the women had. Thinking about all that was done for Deb, Gwen and the children, all three men were heroes in my book and that is why I truly like this story.
If you enjoy clean, Christian, historical romance, you will enjoy this story as much as I did. Pick up a copy and see for yourself. Enjoy!!
I absolutely adore Mary Connealy’s westerns. They’re funny, they’re heartfelt, and they’re action-packed.
Deb Harkness and her sister Gwen survive a wagon train massacre with two children they were helping care for. Trace Riley is the sole survivor of a massacre ten years prior, and he takes the women and children to his ranch to care for them through the winter.
One of the things I loved about Deb and Gwen was watching how they take the children underneath their wing. They also think of the other victims’ families and not just themselves. I think that’s a really good message for Christians, to remember others suffer as well. And they make sure to notify the children’s remaining family: Maddie Sue’s father and Ronnie’s uncle. To me that shows they understand the importance of family. While some would do that to get the wards off their hands, Deb and Gwen do it because they understand the importance of the children being with family.
Trace Riley has been alone for the past ten years after losing his Pa in the wagon train massacre. I think it’s sweet he formed a family with Wolf and Black. But what he doesn’t seem to see is that he’s also formed a family with Utah and Adam, his ranch hands. And they adopt Deb, Gwen, Maddie Sue, and Ronnie into the family quickly. It’s really sweet to see how respectful they are toward the women and children, showing Deb that not every man is like her father.
It really made me think about the important role fathers play in their children’s lives, especially their daughters. I love when books make me think. Not only did this book have a good message about biological families but also about those which aren’t formed by blood.
This book also has a good arc about the difference between vengeance and justice. The spiritual element about leaving vengeance to God is an important part of the novel.
Overall, this was a really good book, and I highly recommend it!
1.5 Stars
The language and voices are good for the time period. It is clean (you know something happens, but it’s behind closed doors), there is some kissing.
It was the slowest book I have read in a long time. It seriously talked about climbing onto a horse for 6 pages (I counted). This book could have been cut in half. It is also very predictable, I’m not sure why I finished it.