Jo Nordegren and her sisters have lived on Hope Mountain their whole lives, having only each other for company once their grandparents have passed on. They know nothing of the real world, except that their grandmother was terribly afraid of it and told them it was full of sickness and death. Now, Dave Warden and his family have appeared on their mountain, and the sisters must decide how to handle these strangers from below.

This book was just not for me. I found the characters to be unbelievable and bordering on preposterous. Jo and her sisters did not ring true as women who'd lived sheltered from real life their whole lives; their naivete felt forced, convenient to the plot in some sections, yet oddly missing in other situations. The most interesting character for me was Wax Mosby - the hired gun whose men ran the Wardens off their ranch and into the mountains. His determination to finish out the job, while not crossing his own pre-determined lines regardless of his ruthless boss, and begin a new life for himself was intriguing, and I wish he hadn't disappeared from the storyline halfway through the book.

So, while I found the idea of this book interesting, and I am curious to know how Wax extricates himself from his situation, I do not foresee myself reading the rest of this series. I have read other works by this author, however, and I would likely pick up something else of hers in the future.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publishers, in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Jo has lived her entire life on Hope Mountain. She's never been off the mountain, never been to a town, never seen any other people but her own family - her two sisters, parents (missing since she was small, and presumed deceased), and grandparents (both deceased for many years). Jo and her two sisters live in a house, raise their chickens, forage for and plant vegetables, and hunt for their meat.

Jo and her sisters have been taught to be fearful of the outside world. Their grandmother was a germaphobe. She insisted that when the grandfather return from town, he live away from them for two weeks before he could rejoin them. Before grandmother died, she taught the girls that other people were infested with deadly diseases. Jo's sister Ursula is especially fearful.

Dave grew up on his parent's ranch on the lower slopes of Hope Mountain. As a youngster he and his brother Mitch would climb the mountain exploring. Now Dave has made a trail up the mountain and is set to homestead. This brings him, and his 6 cowhands, into Jo and her sister's life.

Jo is naturally curious and it doesn't take long for her and Dave to meet. Both are fascinated with one another. Dave can't believe that 3 women are living alone up on the mountain. When Dave's parents are forced from their ranch, they join Dave (along with their 6 cowhands and about 1000 cattle) up in the mountain. Dave's father is injured, and Jo and her sister Ilsa nurse him. But when illness comes, Ursula is terrified.

I have read a lot of Mary Connealy books, and enjoyed them all. This one is a bit different, and I have mixed feelings about it. I really like the idea of having the girls grow up in isolation. I just couldn't reconcile this with the way they acted (and spoke). Being alone from early teen years would stunt anyone's development. They couldn't read, so how did they get an advanced vocabulary?

I found this story to be less a love story between two characters and more a family drama. A lot of the story is dealing with illness of various family members, getting situated in a new environment, and the fears that the sisters, especially Ursula, have to deal with. When your entire life shifts so dramatically, I'm skeptical that you would immediately want to marry. I am looking forward to the continuing of this story.

This book is amazing. You will not want to put it down. It made me laugh throughout at the things someone who grew up away from society would not know.

This book brings so much adventure to a small mountain family. The plot is simple, but engaging. I literally was surprised when I turned the last page of the book. I’m sure there will be a sequel.

'It was too perfect, a holy moment, as if they were closer to God up here. They were filled with the peace of the place.'

I never, ever miss a Mary Connealy book. No way, no how. She has been a favorite since the first book of hers I picked up. And nothing has changed since then. When I first saw the cover for this book, I fell in love with it. In fact, the covers for her last two series' have been wonderfully done.

Connealy introduces us to the Nordegren sisters, Danish by blood, living alone in the Colorado mountains in a little hide away valley. They have been taught to fear the outside world, that it would bring sickness and death to them. So they've stayed put and lived off the land and their wits. Until one day, Jo (Josephine) tries to sneak into a camp of a few cowboys and their herd, hankering after a tin cup. David Warden, a rancher, catches her and hangs onto her till he can find out whether she is a real thief or not. Then his mother and father hurry into the camp, with a thousand head of cattle behind them, and someone has shot his father. Just so happens Jo's sister Ilsa is well versed in healing. So thusly these two families meet. What happens next is all Mary Connealy. She can weave a tale of the old West like no other. I've always loved her cowboy comedies and I will never tire of them. There is a lot of good stuff in here, too, and she describes it all well: the pristine snowy winter of the Colorado mountains, how well these folks can track in the snow, how these sisters each have great strengths and talents, and on I could go. But just read it. I highly recommend this book. I can't wait for the next Nordegren sister's story!

*My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a complimentary copy of this book through Net Galley. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I LOVED this book! I pretty much love everything Mary Connealy writes, and this story is no exception. Jo and her sisters have grown up on the mountain, and has had no contact with the outside world, When a group of men come up near her home on the mountain, she can't help but be curious, especially about the tall man in charge. Dave isn't sure what to think about this wild woman he catches, but he is certain he doesn't want her to get away. A beautifully written story that also had me laughing! Great reading!

The first few chapters of this book was delightful! I found myself chuckling and smiling at the funny scenes. Definitely a 5 star for that part of the book. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the other parts. It just fell flat for me.
So disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley and Bethany House for the ARC. This is my honest review.


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Mary Connealy has a knack for developing memorable characters that readers fall in love with. Her new book, Aiming for Love is no exception. I loved the curious, unspoiled, naive Josephine Nordegren and how she interacts with rancher, David Warden. They are an unlikely duo, but Mary has a way of taking two opposite characters and helping them to find common ground. This is a book you won't be able to put down. I truly enjoyed it.

~This book was provided for free, but I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review. The pleasure was all mine. (2019)

The cover of Aiming for Love by Mary Connealy captured my attention, and I couldn't wait to read the story inside. I'm really glad I did. Connealy created conflict between three sisters who don't know any better and the Warden's. The external and internal conflict was different than anything I have ever seen before. And that says a lot because I read a lot. The conflict was driven majority by the characters who have never learned the proper way to interact with other humans. They were completely cut off from everyone else. I was fascinated with Jo 's story, and I'm really curious about Ursula's story. She has major issues to work through. The romance between Jo and David was going on nicely and believable, but than Connealy wrote that they had their perfect happily-ever-after ending. Since this is a three-book series, I would have liked to see their relationship stretch a little more. Maybe be married in the second book or even the third book. Overall, Aiming for Love is a wonderful story on helping others when they need if even if you don't honestly know them. A delight to spend a couple of hours with.

I received a complimentary copy of Aiming Love by Mary Connealy from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

This book was Classic Mary Connealy and I thoroughly enjoyed it! She writes humorous western love stories and this left me wanting even more! It was nice to read #1 in the series and not have to try and remember who was who or what happened in the previous book. That is my only dislike of her writing when she does a series. But this being first it was all new characters and stories and it was great! A fun weekend read!