The Accidental Guardian
by Mary Connealy
Pub DateApr 03 2018
Bethany House |Bethany House Publishers
Christian



Bethany House and Netgalley have provided me with a copy of The Accidental Guardian for review:

I must say this one was a wild ride, eencompassing many emotions, definitely worth a read.


A few years after he was left as sole survivor by a group that killed his family, Trace Riley discovers the smoldering ruins of a small wagon train. The wilderness had become his home since then, and he had started a herd while serving as a self-appointed trail guardian, driving off dangerous men. While he thought those days were behind him, the latest attack proves otherwise.



Deborah Harkness rescued her younger sister and two toddlers during the attack, but now finds herself at the mercy of the man who saved them. Trace offers them the only shelter for miles around and will take them in until she is able to continue. His simple bachelor existence never anticipated kids and women entering the picture, and their arrival is both unsettling and enticing.



Deborah and Trace find themselves drawn together as they struggle to survive the winter and bring justice to the trail--and yet every day feels like it's the last.


I give The Accidental Guardian five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

The Accidental Guardian, written by Mary Connealy, is the first in the High Sierra Sweethearts series and I'm so looking forward to see where Connealy goes with book 2!
I loved the main characters, Trace & Deb, and thought they were a great match! Trace the ever keeper of the trail and Deb the keeper of keepers.
I felt like it was a western Robinson Crusoe in many ways. Some of the things that happened...wow! I can't imagine! What a group of survivors!
I can't wait to see what happens in book 2!
I received a copy of this through Interviews and Reviews website and the publisher. All thoughts and comments are my own.

I have always enjoyed books by Mary Connealy. Her quirky sense of humor always brightens my day. In “The Accidental Guardian”, the first book in the author’s latest series, the humor is still there but has taken a more subtle tone in my opinion. I sense a change of direction in her writing that includes characters with even more depth than before.

I particularly enjoyed reading about Trace and learning how his experiences and loss as a young teen shaped him into the man he had become – a man full of compassion and a determination to protect others from the heartache he had suffered. I also liked Deborah who was the perfect match for Trace. It was fun watching their relationship develop as Trace learned how to cope with both women and children for the first time.

Steady plot with enough action, danger, humor, and romance to hold my attention. As always the author has managed to blend in a message of faith and encouragement for her readers. I highly recommend “The Accidental Guardian” and look forward to “The Reluctant Warrior” to learn what happens next in the lives of these characters.

The Accidental Guardian was a delightful read of a new series by this author and I found myself ready for a new series by her. She did a great job on this one. She engaged my heart from the start and, as is her way, she kept me reading to find out what happens to each character. I felt that she did well in bringing me into the drama of wagon trains back in the days of Early American History. The amounts of snow that had to be traveled through in one part of the book was crazy and the hospitality to put people up for long visits was inspirational.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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.

I loved the romance and the story line of this book. Such a sweet, well developed romance as you watch the couple fall in love despite all odds. Filled with lovable characters and a great plot this book is a great read and ends in a very satisfying manner. Highly recommend.

This book is just delightful! I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the time period. Once again, Mary has written a lovely story that readers will fall in love with.

Truly amazing book. The characters are lively and memorable. When trials and troubles prevail will the characters overcome them and grow. A must read book

The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy is the first book in her new series High Sierra Sweethearts and it pulled me in from the first page.

The main character, Trace Riley, a victim of a wagon train massacre at a young age, finds another train massacre with four survivors - two women and two children. He rescues them and takes them to his home. Winter is setting in though and he wants to find the killers because he believes they are the same ones who killed his father and others so many years ago.

While it was interesting to see what people went through during this period of time, the relationship with Deb and Trace felt flat to me. And the ending made me feel as if the publisher forgot to put the rest of the pages in the book. It left an unsatisfied feeling. I was also amazed at how fast three men (at times only one man) could build a house. This did not seem realistic to me.

Overall, the story was interesting and the book is well written with some very tense moments. If you like historical romances set in the West, you would probably enjoy this one.

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.

Holy cow! This book was fantastic! I have been a forever fan of Mrs. Connealy’s since I read Petticoat Ranch. She is absolutely one of the best Christian Western Romance writers out there and I will forever sing her praises. When I saw she had another series releasing, I was all for jumping on that band wagon (no pun intended!)! Sitting down to read this, I had it read it less than two days, it was just that captivating.

Opening the pages to Deborah’s story, watching her try to protect her sister and the young ones was amazing. I could feel myself becoming Deborah, telling her younger sister just what to do to keep them safe. When Ms. Connealy enters Trace into the picture…..well, whew! Not only was I instantly pulled to him, his protective side in a man like him, really made me swoon through out the book! I loved that! Seeing him with Deborah, his caring way toward her, was undeniably God-filled and romantic.

Mrs. Connealy has created yet another keeper for my shelf! She has taken a story of intriguing suspense, wrapped it up with her trade mark swoon-worthy cowboys and sassy heroines, and dished her readers an unforgettable laugh out loud, love story. This book is perfect for that rainy day, or long drive for a summer trip. Don’t wait to get this one. Go grab it up now! It’s 5 star worthy and so much more! Well done, Mrs. Connealy! Well done!!! I am highly anticipating the release of book 2, The Reluctant Warrior.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

Let me start by saying that I would never want to experience what Deb experienced in this book. Seeing the wickedness of others during the dangerous attack and it’s aftermath is not something I could stomach. BUT…..if it meant that Trace would be rescuing me, well that makes it a hard decision! I have to tell you, I pictured Scott Eastwood as Trace the entire time, and I’m sure that enhanced the swoon factor. (Mary Connealy – keep this in mind if this book gets to the big screen!) Trace had a lot of scars, and as a result had some revenge on his mind. Truth be told, who could blame the guy? I’m sure we would all feel the same. But things get a little different when Deb comes around, and seeing the two of them try to stuff down their feelings kept me turning the pages. I love to read stories in which the characters have their own stuff to deal with before they can even think about a relationship. They try to mask their feelings and pretend like nothing is happening. Then all of a sudden WHAM. There’s a swoony kiss, or declaration of love, or that aha moment where the characters realize they just can’t fight it anymore. **sigh**

The secondary characters were wonderful. To see Utah and Adam react to Deb, Gwen and the children was actually quite comical. But deep down those boys wanted to help out, and they worked hard to provide shelter and keep everyone safe. I am so excited that Gwen gets a story next. You really do get to know her quite a bit in this story, but I wanted more. Her dedication to Deb and her motherly instincts towards the kids were so sweet. She is just one of those characters you can’t help but adore!

I welcome you to be transported back in time. A time where wagon trails were dangerous, the stakes are high, the scenery is breathtaking, and the cooking was amazing. Mary Connealy managed to not only make me feel as if I was there with the characters, but I could smell the food they were cooking. In fact, a few times when they described what they were making, I wanted to change our dinner plans! I encourage you to read this book, and the one that comes out later this year. In fact, just read all of Mary Connealy’s books! You’ll love them all.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Confession: I totally didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book. I hadn’t read anything by this author before, I was really unsure how I would feel about a book with a western style hero. I was riveted, enthralled and captured by this book. I was there in the wagon train, racing to save the children with Deborah. I was riding along side of Trace coming upon a present moment that mirrored his past. And I was there when healing and love began to take place.

This book is one of those that no matter what words I choose to use to express the enjoyment they won’t be enough. It left me in a stupor of awe and wonder. I was taken to this book and placed into the pages, I became the characters and with that was able to feel more than just the pages between my fingers, I felt the story on my heart.

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 on Among the Reads

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.

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)

My Thoughts:

This is a great first book to a new series. There aren't as many laugh out loud moments that I have come to know in a Mary Connealy novel. I love books with kids in them and there is an adorable little girl in the book who assists in creating some cute moments.

Trace Riley is a perfect hero, and the cast of characters that Ms. Connealy adds to the story round it out well.


My Bottom Line:

This latest book by Mary Connealy is a sweet and lighthearted read. It sets up the next book in the series perfectly. The characters are real and engaging. I found myself thinking about them long after I closed the book.

I enjoyed this first novel in the beginning of a new series. The characters were likable and I appreciated their honesty toward each other. Deb and Trace opened up about themselves and their backgrounds as they got to know each other. I enjoyed their interactions and the sweet nature of their growing attraction and relationship.

This book very definitely sets the reader up to jump right into the next book in the series by the events that occur at the end of the book. It was not a cliffhanger. It simply made me look forward to seeing how future relationships could develop. I am definitely anticipating the next story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. 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 voice of one crying in the wilderness.”
The Accidental Guardian is a story of justice vs. revenge. This is a story of learning from the past vs. letting the past dictate your future.
“A chill colder than Lake Tahoe took root in his backbone. Men lay dead, and the fire in his belly for vengeance roared to life. He’d get justice for these poor folks.”
The Accidental Guardian is the first novel in the brand new High Sierra Sweethearts series by Mary Connealy. This is my first read by this author, but it certainly won’t be my last! Beginning with the gorgeous cover, this cowboy story drew me. I enjoyed the author’s writing style as she seamlessly wove one scene into the next often using a single word or thought to move us right from one character’s point of view into a different character’s point of view.
These characters struggle with letting go of the past and while certain events may have shaped their lives, they must learn that those things don’t have to control them.
“She was strong enough and it burned in her, the desire to prove to the whole world—even a world that would never know—that she had always been the one in charge.”
The children Maggie Sue and Robbie are just precious, and I am looking forward to finding out what happens to them in book two.
“The little girl’s laughter helped settle Deb’s stomach. She glanced at Trace and said, “There’s still laughter in the world.”
There were several hilarious scenes as three bachelors adjust to having women and children in their home. Trace has had very little experience with women and he is pretty sure he’s lost his mind when he decides to help them. My favorite character is this book is Trace. I loved his interactions with his “friends.”
“Leaning low so he wouldn’t be overheard, he rubbed Black’s shoulder and said to his friends, “These four aren’t the only ones who need help.”
I did feel that the romance between the two main characters was a little rushed and not quite believable. The story conflict seemed to resolve too easily. However, this book ends with a cliff-hanger, so there is more to come for Trace, Deb, Gwen, Adam, and Utah. I can’t wait! This story is a sweet, clean romance with adventure, gun-slinging cowboys, a horse named Black, and a dog named Wolf, what more could you want?
“She thought maybe she saw his lips move. As if he were talking to someone. His horse? His dog? An imaginary friend? Oh, fine. She’d stumbled on the only help in sight, and he was a madman.”