Mary Connealy provides yet another page-turning adventure in her latest release Braced for Love.

As far as the plot goes, Connealy does not disappoint. The premise of the novel, three half-brothers who didn’t know the others existed, grabbed my attention from the beginning. And there’s plenty of action. That’s one thing I love about Connealy’s books: there’s an adventure in every story.

I had a hard time connecting with the characters, though. Kevin’s frustration was understandable, especially considering he’d spent most of his life thinking his father was dead. Then there’s the attempt on his life. But I never found myself really relating to him during the book. And while I thought Winona is a good fit for him, I had a hard connecting with her too. This didn’t keep me from enjoying the story but it did make it too easy to move on to another story when I finished.

I had a similar problem with some of the supporting characters, but I did have a couple of favorites. Falcon for one. I found him intriguing, and I hope the mystery surrounding him is solved in the next book. And Andy, Kevin’s youngest half-brother, is a character I couldn’t help but love. I also like Molly, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of her as the series continues.

The romance felt a bit rushed to me, but to be honest, it took me a moment to realize it had been rushed. So much happens in a short amount of time. And because of this, I think I forgive the rushed romance.

Overall, Braced for Love gives readers an adventure that will keep them turning pages.


(Review will go live on the blog on March 12.)

I absolutely loved this book that is book 1 in a new trilogy. Brothers Wyatt, Kevin and Falcon didn’t know about the others. After their father passes they realize he was married more than once. Now others decide if the brothers are out of the picture the land is up for grabs and try to get rid of them. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next 2 books. This one is about Kevin and Wyatts half sisters best friend Winona and all the hardships they face while fighting for their lives.

I could barely put this book down! I was drawn into the story. Characters with flaws and gifts, complement one another as they find themselves in a dangerous adventure. Kevin receives word that his long (thought) dead father left an inheritance for him in Wyoming. He leaves Kansas with his younger sister and brother. Her hopes to find a new, better life without the tarnished reputation they left behind. A surprise awaits; he is only one of 3 brothers to inherit. Falcon, Kevin, and Wyatt did not know each other existed. Danger abounds as there are several attempts on each of their lives.

Kevin is drawn to Win from almost the first second he sees her. Win is desperate to not go home to her father. Each have terrible secrets that they are afraid will make the other see them differently.

My only negative is that there is less inspirational, Christian content than is in many of Mary's books. She still incorporates faith into the story, but it isn't as central.

I highly recommend you join Kevin and Win on this heart-racing adventure. People who like excitement and westerns will love this story. This is the first book in Mary's three book series, Brothers in Arms. I can hardly wait for the 2nd book!

Thank you to Net Galley and Bethany House for a free digital copy to review.

This was a fantastic book -- I inhaled it in 24 hours around life -- and I can't wait to read the other books in this series. The set up is incredible. A no-account dad with families scattered across the country steal a ranch from one set of kids to share with two other sons. On the way to claim his inheritance, one of the sons is almost killed. And the book is off to the races. It's a fantastic marriage of convenience adventure with all the elements I've come to love from a Mary Connealy book. It left me wondering why it's been awhile since I've read one of her books. A great read for those who love cowboy romances with great characters and a setting that feels like a character.

Left with little back in Missouri, Kevin Hunt takes his younger siblings on a journey to Wyoming when he receives news that he's inheriting part of a ranch. The catch is that the ranch is also being given to a half brother he never knew existed. Turns out, Kevin's supposedly dead father led a secret and scandalous life.

But danger seems to track Kevin along the way, and he wonders if his half brother, Wyatt, is behind the attacks. Finally arriving at the ranch, everyone is at each other's throats and the only one willing to stand in between is Winona Hawkins, a nearby schoolmarm.

Despite being a long-time friend to Wyatt, Winona can't help but be drawn to the earnest, kind Kevin--and that puts her in the cross hairs of somebody's dangerous plot. Will they all be able to put aside their differences long enough to keep anyone from getting truly hurt?

Another good book by Ms. Connealy. This is the story of three brothers who didn't know each other existed. It seems their father married three different women. Then proceeded to either leave them or fake his death. Then he actually did die and left a ranch to split between them. But it seems to ranch had actually belonged to his wife. Well it seems in the old days when a woman married, all her property became her husbands. So here are three brothers inheriting property that Wyatt thinks is all his and his sisters. While on the way to the ranch in Wyoming Kevin and his brother and sister are ambushed. If not for his quick thinking, they would be dead. As the story unfolds, more attempts on Kevin's life are made.

I recommend this book because it is a light read with a little mystery, a little romance, and a little comedy all in one. I was given this book by Bethany House Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

I used to love Connelly's historical rom coms, but lately they've really just been historical romances with a hint of mystery. Thankfully this one keyed up the romance a little bit more than the last one I read.

I did enjoy the overall storyline and how the brothers were brought together. I also liked that it was a marriage of convenience. But even for a marriage of convenience this moved too fast for me especially in regards to (off screen) intimacy.

The book takes place over a very short period of time and was just too rushed for me. The suspense/mystery parts were good but I wanted more time for things to develop.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I recently discovered Mary Connealy and both my husband and I enjoy her books. We listened to an audio version on a long car ride and didn't want the trip to end before the story. Her latest series Brothers in Arms is just as fantastic. The characters are complex, the plot is intriguing and the romance is sweet. Read Braced for Love and you won't be disappointed!

Quite complicated family story but the author draws it all together and shows the strengths of family working together. Some points are heartbreaking and real expressions of family life

Mary Connealy has crafted a brilliant new series loosely based on a historical family and events. Wow, is the truth difficult and damaging for the Hunt family, extended family and friends. There was enough turmoil within these newly-discovered relationships plus opposition and danger towards them. The family relationship is so complex that readers will feel emotional connections and empathy for the cast of characters.

Braced for Love is packed with intense action, interesting and complicated characters and a unique, twisted storyline. Connealy is at her best and sharpest with vivid descriptions of the land and people. I greatly anticipate upcoming editions in the Brothers in Arms series.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

When I started reading this book, I felt like I was watching a train wreck, I didn't know where to look next. There are so many characters populating this book that I needed a play-book to keep them all straight. First, there are three brothers: Falcon, Kevin, and Wyatt Hunt who have all inherited one-third of their father's ranch. The problem is that none of the brothers knew the others existed. On the way to Wyoming to receive their inheritance, Falcon and Wyatt were subjects of attempts on their lives by men who wanted to keep them from getting the land.
The Hunt Brother's father, Clovis, is described as a coyote, a sidewinder, and most accurately a bigamist. He used the law to his advantage to take control of Wyatt's mother's land. Wyatt and his sister, Cheyenne, were supposed to be the ones to inherit the land but Clovis stole two-thirds of it from under their noses and nothing could be done about it.

Wyatt resented the two other brothers from the get-go and they were not exactly happy with him either. In spite of all the misgivings the brothers had, they still came together when the attempts to harm Falcon and Kevin continued.

Mary Connealy writes Western style romances with a heavy dose of humor mixed in. While I normally truly enjoy her books, I didn't like this one as much as some of her others. I did not experience the entertainment I usually get. Others may like this book more than I did, but this just wasn't the book I needed to read right now. Three Stars.

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is one of Connealy's best new series in a while. I love her trademark cowboy humor and super enjoyed reading this fun romp.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book--all opinions are my own!

I love Mary Connealy. And I love her books. This story is no different. I absolutely LOVED reading Braced for Love! Three men, who have the same father, but did not know the other two brothers existed, are thrown together by the father's last will and testament. They come together, and meet each other in a town near the family ranch. While Kevin was traveling to the ranch, there was an attempt made to kill him and his brother and sister. At first, he thinks it could be his brother, Wyatt, who is in charge of the ranch. He soon discovers it isn't, and he meets .Wyatt, Wyatt's sister, Cheyenne, his brother Falcon, and the neighbor's beautiful daughter, Winona. There is a lot of action in this story, but it remains a good, clean story I greatly enjoyed! I can't wait for the next book in this series!! Loved it!!!

Mary has done it again. This book is the first in a series about three brothers who discover that they are brothers because of their father's indiscretions. But danger and feisty women threaten their lives in more than one way when they come together to inherit a ranch in the untamed west. Mary provides plenty of intrigue and action that will keep you turning the pages. Her characters are humorous and serious at the same time. The romance factor features one couple but gives enough hints about two others to make the reader want to continue the series when they come into print..

A life in the so-called 'Old West', like that in many of Mary Connealy's books is so foreign to me. I'm not a city girl by any means, but the idea of working the land for a living, guns, cattle, and all that involves is so far from my everyday life. But that is probably why I enjoy these stories so much. It is an escape for the mundane every day.

Like Mary Connealy's other books, I enjoyed Braced For Love. This new book is the first in her new series Brothers in Arms. Braced for Love follows one of the three half-brothers, Kevin. As this is my honest review, I have to admit that I really struggled at the beginning of this book. It didn't really draw me. The characters were difficult to get to know and it almost seemed very disjointed at the beginning. Though it definitely got better from about 40% of the way into the book.

I enjoyed how the story ended up. There were some unexpected twists to the story and some expected situations. I am looking forward to the next book, mainly because the story didn't fully wrap up. Most of the story did wrap up but there are still a few loose ends I'm looking forward to seeing wrapped up in future books.

Brace for Love by Mary Connealy is book #1 in the Brothers in Arms series but can be read as a standalone.

Wyoming, 1870, Kevin Hunt lost his father 20 years ago. His mother remarried, and he struggled to raise his younger siblings, especially after she passed away.

But the truth is that Kevin's father has been dead only for a few months. All this time, he had been alive and well, even finding time to marry someone else and have another son.

Kevin's father left him a third of a ranch on his will. The tricky part was that he would have to share it with his unknown half-brother.

This astounding news was particularly shocking to Kevin's siblings, as they realized they were both illegitimate, as Kevin's mom was still married to his dad when she remarried.

As their village ostracized his siblings due to their illegitimacy, Kevin decided to claim his inheritance, still confused about how his hero father became a bigamous liar.

As they start on their journey, they find out nothing is what they believed it to be, and their very lives were at risk.

I love how Kevin was sweet and caring despite the harsh environment he was raised in. He was so honorable and utterly irresistible. The heroine, Winona, was a good-hearted and loyal person.

Their connection rang true, so romantic and real.

The side characters are as good as the MCs, and I'm looking forward to the next installments in the series to get to know them better. Kevin's brothers were unique and fascinating, and I especially enjoyed reading about Cheyenne, one of his brother's half-sister.

It always amazes me how hard life used to be and how strong and brave our ancestors were to face it all.

Brace for Love is a story of family, bravery, perseverance, loyalty, friendship, and love.

Great read!

BRACED FOR LOVE by MARY CONNEALY is a light read with a sweet romance and an interesting array of characters.
The story takes place in 1870 in Bear Claw Pass Wyoming with Wyatt Hunt's two half brothers, Kevin and Falcon, who he did not know existed, coming to claim their share of the ranch which he shared with his half sister, Cheyenne,
Their father had been a real wanderer, having had three wives at the same time, and his will, in which he left the ranch to his three sons, really upset Wyatt and Cheyenne. Their friend Winona Hawkins does her best to keep the peace.
Add to this the fact that someone seems determined to do away with both Kevin and Falcon, and you have an exciting read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

‘Men with knives didn't win battles against guns.'

I have been a Mary Connealy fan for a good many years and always feel delight when I hear she has a new book out. She starts a new series, 'Brothers In Arms' with this one and she starts off well, let me tell you something. Connealy's cowboy comedies are absolutely just so good. Her dry wit is always present throughout and never fails to make me laugh out loud. More than once.

The premise of this one is pretty doggone good, too. Three brothers, unknown to each other, find out their father was one and the same man. A dirty, rotten scoundrel of a pa, is all their opinion of the man, too. And he's dead and his will left each of them a third of a very large ranch in Wyoming. Only one of them has lived there his entire life and has no intention of giving it up.

Connealy populates the book with some great characters, some of whom I'm pretty sure will get their own story in future books. I just loved them all and can't wait for more of this series! Highly recommended.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishing for a copy of this book via Net Galley. I received no compensation and the opinion in this review is entirely my own.