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
When it comes to “romantic comedy with cowboys” — Mary Connealy’s tagline — NOBODY does it better! Each and every Mary Connealy book is a guaranteed good read!
I’ve loved Mary Connealy’s books sine her first one. She writes interesting stories withe many plot twists. Her characters leap from the pages straight into my heart. I find myself thinking about the characters for a long time.
Let me just say that I absolutely loved this book! It is the fast paced, action packed, comical story of, Pinkerton Agent John McCall and the no-nonsense, Penny Scott. Things have gotten bad in Dismal, Nevada, one might even say dismal. Especially after Penny and John are kidnapped and yes, I know kidnapping is no laughing matter, unless it’s in in a story penned by Ms. Connealy.
After the kidnapping and escape things start to deteriorate for John and Penny but luckily she is prepared and way more savvy than he is as they try to find their way back to town. I’m telling you there is non stop action within the pages of ,The Unexpected Champion that kept me turning pages as fast as I could. Just when I thought the author couldn’t possibly have any more surprises she totally proved me wrong. There is a forced marriage and disguises along with hijinks that had me laughing throughout this delightful book. The pairing of John and Penny is brilliant because these two are as different as day and night which added so much to this third and final book in the High Sierra Sweethearts series. Although I haven’t read the first two books in the series there was enough of the back story that I knew what had been happening with the characters in the first two books.
I received a copy from the publisher and was under no obligation to write a review. All opinions are my own.
The Accidental Guardian is my first Mary Connealy read, but it will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Accidental Guardian has everything a reader could want: action, danger, tension, romance, inner turmoil, great heroes, and evil villains. There is genuinely no way a reader could be bored by this story.
One thing that struck me as amazing is the following quote by Trace, the hero of The Accidental Guardian:
“Most men in the West treated women with almost reverent respect. There were just too few women. They were rare and precious and to be protected above all.”
WHOA! What?! I actually re-read that quote a few times. I could not believe it. This may be the exact opposite of everything I’ve ever known and been taught. I have always been taught that women are second-class citizens (or worse) in pretty much every aspect of life on nearly every continent. This has been so ingrained in me that it took me about three years of intense Bible study to realize that God truly loves the women He has created. It took a long time for me to accept this because our world does not hold women in general in high regard. So, to have Trace believe that women in his time should be treated with respect because they are rare and precious…I nearly fell out of my seat. What a beautiful way to see women! We are rare and precious. This is exactly how God sees all of His creation including His female creations. This moment in the story made me fall hard for Trace!
This novel was exceptionally cathartic for me. I didn’t realize picking this book up to review that I would face some of my deeply ingrained issues that I have as a woman in a man’s world. Of the characters, I am very much like Deborah. Deborah has worked hard her whole life and has never heard “Thank you” from a single man ever until she meets Trace. Trace comes to her rescue, so she is completely grateful to him, but plans to leave his protection as soon as possible to make a life of her own completely unhindered by any man. But, the more time she spends with Trace, the more she realizes that perhaps not all men are narcissistic, self-absorbed, and lazy. At one point, Deb realizes:
“I’ve spent too much time believing all men are like Pa, just because he was the only one I was really around in a personal way. The only one who was supposed to take care of his family that I knew. But men can work hard and be depended on to keep their word and think to the comfort of others.”
I teared up a bit when Deb came to this conclusion about men. I met my husband when I was almost 29 years old. For the 28 years prior to meeting my husband, men surrounded me. I have a father, a step-father, and four brothers. Plus, my grandfather was integral to my life before he passed away six years ago. None of the men in my life were good role models for what a man should be like and how he should treat a woman. I went through a lot of bad with boyfriends because I accepted bad behaviors thinking they were normal men behaviors. In no way am I trying to bad-mouth the men in my family. I love them very much. In their own ways, and with the best of their abilities, the men in my family have done, and continue to do, the best they can to love me. But, I have an exceptionally difficult time trusting men. Men have always been selfish. In my experience, they always put themselves first. When my husband came into my life, I didn’t know how to be around him because he is the exact opposite of all the men I have ever known. He is nice to me. He treats me like Trace describes above — like I’m precious and rare. Because my husband treats me like this everyday, I know that he is one of those rare and precious men. He is my gift from God, and I will be eternally grateful to him because now I know how to teach my daughter when it comes to how men should treat her.
I had no idea when I picked up this book that I was getting a therapy session. LOL! I was expecting a great Western Romance, but never did I imagine I would confront such issues from my past. What a remarkable novel! If you are looking for a great read filled with adventure, danger, and romance, then this book is for you. If you are looking for a novel that will hold a mirror up and allow you to perhaps confront a personal issue or two, then this is definitely the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I very much look forward to book 2 in this series, The Reluctant Warrior.
I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the author and Just Read Tours via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
The ACCIDENTAL GUARDIAN is book one in the High Sierra Sweethearts series by Mary Connealy. Mary has done an outstanding job on this story. This isn’t one of her stories that had you laughing out loud in it. This is a story that is captivating. This story is full of hope, love, heartache, pain, endurance and much more. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
There was some darkness in this story. There was also humor, hope, bravery, a sweet romance and a happy ever after.
Page turner.
Action packed on the first page. The first book in the High Sierra Sweethearts starts off in true Mary Connealy fashion.
Though the action stayed steady, I found the romance between Deborah Harkness and Trace Riley a little lacking. For some reason Deb and Trace didn’t connect for me.
With that being said, I did enjoy the interaction Trace and his men had between Deb, Gwen, and the two little ones. Not being around women and children much, the men were uncomfortable, and it make for some funny scenes.
A lot of the conflict takes place in the last third of the book and Mary sets it up for the next book in the series. I look forward to reading more in this series.
Connealy delivers a swoon worthy romance with a ruggedly handsome cowboy that’s skittish around women. Trace is no match for the spunky Deb, who’s had to prove herself in a man’s world of journalism. Their romance is a slow burn leading to a raging fire.
Recommend to readers who enjoy inspirational, historical fiction.
I borrowed a copy from my local library. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
While this includes a couple of intense and heart-breaking segments, overall it is a sweet read of two lonely people recognizing the value in each other. I enjoyed the cast of characters, particularly Wolf, and I look forward to spending more time with everyone in the second book in this series.
The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy is the beginning of her High Sierra Sweethearts series and it looks to be a good series. Connealy has a nice style of writing and kept my interest throughout the entire book. I was hooked from the beginning as the action starts right up and continues through the story, always keeping the reader wondering how in the world will things work out now. The characters are realistic and relatable and there’s lots of edge of the seat action with thieving, murdering outlaws, merciless kidnappers, hungry bears, and of course, there is romance too. Deborah is bent on heading West to start up and run her own newspaper but there might be some surprises along the way to delay her dream. As Deborah and Trace begin to know each other more, would she learn that not all men are mean and selfish like her father? And perhaps Trace’s heart would begin to heal too. The Accidental Guardian is a captivating tale of family and faith, courage and love. I am looking forward to reading more books from this author and lovers of Western romance will not want to miss this series.
I won a copy of the book in a contest and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
So good! Funny, intense, no one would expect John McCall and Penny Scott to wind up together! Penny is a master in the wilderness and she lives that out in every way – including dressing in pants (which for the time was nearly unthinkable). John, a Pinkerton agent and a master of disguises! Their relationship is full of surprises and danger! A returning villain continues to try to foil them and makes for a great suspenseful read! Have fun! You’ll love it!
It had all the elements a great Historical Western Romance should have. Sweet romance, wagon trains, the old west, Indians, outlaws, a hero, and adventure. I absolutely loved it! A must read for lovers of Historical Western Romance.
I love Mary Connealy’s writing style! I was immediately drawn into the story and it was nonstop from there. I loved the characters- strong Deb with her determination to take the burdens from others, motherly Gwen who nurtured everyone around her, Trace’s protective nature and curiosity, and the cowhands at his ranch who would do anything for the ladies and children. The pace of the book was steady, with plenty of action and adventure as Trace and Deb race against a swiftly approaching winter to track down the killers while preparing the ranch before getting snowed in. I loved their sincerity and gratitude for each other, and the way they so perfectly brought light and joy to each other’s life. Their innocence with romance was endearing and made their special moments together sweeter. I’m so excited for this new series from one of my favorite authors!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
3.5 stars if I could do increments of 0.5.
I’ve read some novellas written by Mary Connealy and have enjoyed them but this is the first full-length novel I have read by the author. The premise of the book is interesting and probably something that happened often during this historical time period.
The characters Trace and Deb are lovable. Trace is a man hardened by the harsh weather of the west but with a tender and thoughtful side to him. He needs to learn the difference between justice and vengeance to move ahead in the emotional tangle he finds himself. Deb is capable and work-oriented but also loving and compassionate. She needs to learn to let go of her carefully laid-out plans and her insecurity to find peace and joy in her current circumstances. Their relationship is innocent, inexperienced, and sweet as they navigate uncharted waters. The thread of faith is strong throughout the book. There is also a thread of suspense which adds action to the plot.
The story is easy to read and fun. It seems to have a different vibe and pace from the author’s novellas though. Anyone who enjoys a western romance set during mid-1800s would enjoy this novel.
I received a copy of this book from Baker Publishing Group though Interviews and Reviews and was under no obligation to post a review. All comments and opinions are solely my own and subjective.
When I saw this book was by Mary Connealy I snapped it right up. I will say that it does have a slower pace but it does give the reader time to get to know the people in the story. I liked this book although I can’t say that I would rate it as a favorite.
Trace had quite the rough start as a young man, He had been left with few resources all on his own. But at least his father had taught him some things that helped him survive. He was used to being alone for many years until he ended up meeting Utah and Adam and they now were friends who worked for and with him. He has no experience being around women so it was sweet to see how shy he could be especially around Deb. I also liked the the cover for this book and it showed kind of a tenderness.
Deb and Gwen were used to working hard and getting little if any credit or money for it. Their father was more than happy to preen before his community, while they worked their butts off. Deb ran the printing press, gathered the news and took care of the accounts. Gwen ran the household and neither got even any thanks for it. Deb was tired of it, being a servant to a thankless man and she was yearning to build something for herself and her sister.
Black and Wolf were good non-human additions as well as the human characters, Maddie Sue and Ronnie (the young children).
The title of this book had the meaning that I originally guessed at, that he became an accidental guardian to Deb, her sister Gwen and the two little ones. But as I read it also became clear that he was the unofficial, accidental guardian for those in the traveling wagons. He wanted to protect them from what he had experienced and he also had a score to settle. He called it justice but he knew it was also mixed with revenge. He wanted the murdering and looting to stop.
I also liked that there were several different creative ways the phrase “a voice crying in the wilderness” was used.
Great read and a new series for mary.
The thing I like about Mary Connealy is how easy her books are to read. The characters are very realistic and relatable. They feel authentic. That’s something I often struggle with in books. Sometimes I read and I think that the situation could never happen in real life. That doesn’t happen in The Accidental Guardian. Deborah and Trace feel like real people who I had the pleasure of being introduced to.
This book is humorous at times, sad at others. I feel like this author found the perfect balance between the character’s triumphs and losses. There were plenty of things to smile about but also times for fear or sadness. I suppose like the Bible says, there’s a time to cry and a time to dance…or something to that effect.
Readability aside, there were a few things I can’t help but mention. Once again I hit the snag of an insta-attraction situation—which surprisingly would have bothered me much less had there been less resistance from Deborah. I found her downright stubborn up until a certain point. Which is all good and fine until she goes from one extreme to the other. From much resistance to an instant willingness to accept a proposal felt very out of character. I mean, the author sold it. The characters still felt authentic, but I felt cheated of a knock-your-socks-off romance.
Let’s talk the next snag. Wedding night awkwardness. Vulgar? No. Inappropriate? No. Awkward? Yes. I mean, I get it. Two people with no idea what to do on their wedding night are going to be awkward. But, I’m not sure that it really lent anything to the story for me.
Overall, the characters are what sell this story to me. Trace is just perfect and swoonworthy. Deborah is, well, if I weren’t married, I would wish I were Deborah. Did I mention that Trace is perfect?
This book wasn’t perfect. It had a few flaws but honestly, I’m really interested to see where the story picks up at with The Reluctant Warrior. Perhaps it will continue with Deborah’s sister, Gwen? /crosses fingers
This book was provided to me by JustRead Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.
The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy
My rating is 4.5 Stars
Giving enough details to expose the evil nature of the men who attacked the wagon trains, the women’s escape and then the pursuit of the outlaws, yet not so many as to give me nightmares, author Mary Connealy weaves a riveting Western adventure in The Accidental Guardian.
Trace is a fascinating character. Orphaned as a young teen in the massacre of a wagon train, he had to learn how to survive in the wilderness alone. He rescued a colt from wolves and adopted an orphaned half-dog, half-wolf shortly after he himself was left alone in the wilderness. The way he taught himself to do some things was slightly surreal but described so it did not seem unrealistic. He ended up having skills mostly attributed to Native Americans.
He knew that his anger towards those who had killed his father and his desire for justice was wrong and he struggled with a terrible image of himself because of it. He knew that “vengeance is mine, says the Lord”, but his flesh cried out to right the wrongs that had been done.
Wolf was probably my favorite character. He hardly tame, or so Trace thought. Then Deb, Gwen and the children showed up and all of a sudden, Wolf was docile and protective of them. In some ways, he was the real hero of the story, but you’ll have to read the book to find out why I say that.
This appears to be a series in which each book tells a complete story, yet leaves hints of future stories to be told of secondary characters. I have a hunch that the next book will be about Gwen and . . .
This review was originally posted at AmongTheReads.net
You can read a brief exerpt at AmongTheReads.net
I would like to thank Celebrate Lit, Netgalley for giving me this copy of The Accidental Guardian. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
I just need to vent. Really, really need to vent. I have literally just finished a, in my opinion, pretty interesting review of this book. It was gold people, gold! I did my custom message to go out to Facebook and Twitter, I did all the little scheduling stuffs, and I hit the big schedule button. And it takes me to the login screen. No biggies right? WRONG! I come back to NO review. Nothing. Zero, zip, all those interesting words out the window. Words hard people. Words hard. I’ll never recapture the feel of that amazing review. I’m a once in a lifetime kinda girl and as an emotional reviewer (and writer) there is no well thought out plot points and paragraph outlines, it’s just words everywhere as I pray they become cohesive to a reader. That once-in-a-lifetime most excellent review will never be experienced. Why? Because Word Press, the Old Folks Home (sorry Ma :D) internet, or my computer are not feeling the love tonight. Perhaps all three but I ain’t feeling the love. Let’s see what thoughts we can salvage and make into a less-than review of this book that I have already struggled to review.
The first thing you have to keep in mind is that I am an emotional reviewer. I’m a finish the book and turn around to immediately write the review while I’m still steeped in those feels. Postponing a review for me is like letting those emotions drift away and I lose that connection to what I’ve read. I’ve sat on this review for days (and now an extra hour thanks WP) because I just couldn’t find the words. Hindsight being amazing and all I realized that while I really enjoyed the story I just couldn’t connect with it. Let me explain. I have a couple of writing tricks/elements/traps/whathaveyou that drive me over the edge. Insta-love and wishy-washy characters. Let me spoiler this book for a moment with you. Follow along please! Trace rescues Deb, Gwen and the children after a wagon train massacre and takes them to his semi-functional ranch. It’s fall which means that snow is a thing that will happen in copious quantities. Deb is absolutely certain that she is going on to the city come spring and will own her own newspaper and will never work for/answer to another man as long as she lives. Done! Trace convinces her to give it the winter to see if they ‘suit’ as a potential couple. Now then they are off running around looking for bad guys and whatnot and he proposes and she says yes. First, she says she thought about what he said regarding owning a newspaper and changed her mind in a matter of days. Yes, they have met, changed mindsets, fallen in love and gotten married in a matter of days! Her turnabout is really a big deal and I feel like it was a cheater cop-out to not share that inner turmoil with me. I also feel like, while circumstances frequently necessitated quickie marriages of convince in this time-period and in these situations you don’t do insta-marriage on top of insta-love.
Couple that with the fact that I almost feel like Lassie was channeled all over the place in this book. Wolf (the dog), the horse all shades of Lassie. Heck every single farmhand could track at any time, any where, any conditions, any everything. They were like tracking machines, nothing could hold them back. Deb in this little tracker community of insta-love-marriage but I settled into a story that I just held me captive. Connealy has this something (sorry, remember words hard) that takes ordinary words and just makes them reach into your soul and hold you captive. She takes ginormous pet peeves of mine and carries me kicking and screaming through a story that still captivates my imagination. She hands me too perfect characters and still makes me believe they are real. She sets me down in sketchy homesteads that leak heat and gather snow and keeps me grounded in those moments. I want to kick and scream and tell her that insta-love is a trap to move a story along and it’s only successful maybe 3.92% (give or take on the Fizzy scale) of the time. I want to tell her that wishy-washy major decision off screen characters are weak and ridiculous. I also want to tell her that she has a writing style that is endearing and despite all the things that I can’t embrace I can still embrace this book. It held me into tn with gentleness and grace. And despite all the kicking and screaming I am ready for the next book in this series to be available now.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Just Read, NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.