Mary Connealy begins her newest series with a bang and ends it with us breathlessly awaiting book 2. Margaret Stiles Beaumont has three lovely, smart, talented daughters all of a marriageable age. Their father was a lumber baron and they will inherit his business after their marriage. BUT their mother made the mistake of remarrying a real cad upon their father's death, and his idea is to marry them off to ne'er do wells and he gets the business. So mama sends them off in the dark of night to head to California and find their own husbands and then return.

Filled with touches of laughter, hints of mystery, and the intelligence of three well educated young ladies, I couldn't stop turning the pages. Connealy keeps her trademark signature of tickle your funny bone activity while penning a very enjoyable read. But I will admit that my last words were "Oh MARY!!!" when this book ended and left me hanging. So Mary please don't leave me hanging for long as I can't wait to see what happens next!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

What can be better than the first book in a series about three very strong sisters and their mother!

I was caught up in this book I read it in one sitting and started in on book 2! From the moment this book took the three sisters down a log chute in barrels I knew it would be a wild ride! This first book is focused more on Laura but you learn so much about all the sisters and some important men in their lives. I really enjoy Mary Connealy’s writing style and her way of dropping some humor in.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

The gorgeous cover with the beautiful wood elements was too fascinating to ignore. I’m so glad the story beneath it held up to the high standard the cover set.

What an opening! Right away, I was enamored and hooked. How could I not be when it was clear that a mother’s heart was breaking as she set her daughters on the journey of a lifetime in order to save their deceased father’s legacy? What followed that opening chapter was an unforgettable story of sisterly bonds, courage in the face of adversity, and a strong faith that brooked no doubt that these girls would find a way through the power of God and the ingenuity He’d gifted them with to break free from their tyrant of a stepfather.

The dynamics between the sisters were fantastic. At times, they wanted to slap each other, while at others they came quickly to one another’s defense. Such wonderful intricacies were involved in their relationships, and this will definitely make this trilogy one to remember. I’m curious to see how the dynamics shift and grow through the next two books. (And have you seen their covers too? I love the purple one the best, but all three are beyond awesome.)

One thing that amazed me was the use of poison ivy. I’d never seen that sort of thing before, and it was very well written.

The train inspector might have been merely a cameo in the scope of this book, but he melted my heart. I would love to see more of his story, whatever it might be.

I wasn’t sure how legal it was—then or now—for a parson to perform his own wedding. Sounded sketchy to me.

It also wasn’t realistic that these sisters were rare because they didn’t look much alike. Most of the siblings I’ve encountered in my 16+ years of tutoring experience have been diverse. Sure, there have been some similarities. But there have been many more differences that make them all unique from one another.

I’m curious to see if the mom will discover new love by the end of the series. I’m rooting for that for her!

It was really fun to see how the girls’ skills came into play along the journey. I’m hoping more of that will show up in the next couple of books too.

Content: alcohol

I hadn’t read any of this author’s books for some time. I’m glad I decided to try her again.
I enjoyed this book and the relationship between the 3 sisters. I especially liked how they escaped from their stepfather.
Looking forward to read about Michelle in the next book.

The Element of Love by Mary Connealy is the first in a new series; The Lumber Baron’s Daughters. I love it when the women in the stories are intelligent. Laura and her two sisters have engineering minds, are well educated and were trained to take over their family business. However their mom has remarried a scoundrel who is trying to marry them off to his friends to get their money.

The girls have to marry to get their inheritance. So they run away to find husbands on their own and to escape their stepfather. Laura sees potential in Parson Caleb. Laura is the youngest of the sisters. She is a chemical engineer with special training in dynamite.

Each book in the series will focus on one of the sisters.

With their sharp engineering minds, Laura Stiles and her two sisters have been able to deal with their mother's unfortunate choice in husband until they discovered his plans to marry each of them off to his lecherous friends. Now they must run away--far and fast--to find better matches to legally claim their portion of their father's lumber dynasty and seize control from their stepfather.
Laura, Michelle, and Jilly Stiles are highly intelligent and educated in engineering, mathematics, and scientific fields. Getting to know their own talent was very interesting , especially since their talents aren’t normally associated with women of this era. I loved getting a glimpse into each sister, however this book features Laura, the youngest, who loves chemistry and blowing things up.
The adventure begins with riding down a log plum in supply pods ( sounds fun to me 😉) in a vicious thunderstorm at night. Surviving the trip to the bottom they next end up riding a giant fallen trees, with large branches giving them cover as the head down stream. Once they get off at their designated town they find themselves meeting Caleb Tillman, whose mission group heading to serve the poor in California. Laura quickly volunteers herself and her sisters to join their efforts yet keeping themselves tto join incognito.
They arrive only to find the settlement in miserable conditions; however the sisters are excited by the opportunity to put their skills to good use. Along the way Laura decides she is going to marry the parson. Laura also sees potential in Caleb, the mission's parson, to help with gaining her inheritance. The parson has some deep secrets of his own that he doesn't want anyone knowing. Secrets buried in Caleb's past and in the land around them come to light, it'll take all the smarts the sisters have to keep trouble at bay.

This story has plenty of action, suspense, adventure, humor, and a dash of romance and inspiration, this book has something for everyoneThe girls are all so engaging in their efforts to adjust to a far different environment than they were familiar with. I so enjoyed getting to know them and was chuckling and laughing out loud at their antics and adventures.

Finally the faith shown throughout the story gave way to some thought-provoking moments regarding redemption, forgiveness, and God’s plan for one’s life. Which makes the story more encouragement and blessing for me.
And the
Thank you Mary for your wonderful story telling and talent!


I received this book via Net Gallery from Bethany House Publishers. All opinions are my own and no review was required.

I love Connealy’s books. She writes with a sense of humor and her characters are always a delight to read about. This makes a fun and exciting read. This series is about three sisters on the run from an abusive step-father who wants to marry them off to some of his cronies. He wants to do this so he can control the logging empire their father created. Their mother has devised a plan for them to escape the cruel man’s intentions. All they have to do is implement it perfectly and they’ll be safe to find husbands of their own. Then they can return home and take their rightful place in the lumber business. This is Laura’s story of how she finds someone and persuades him to marry her. There are many twists and turns before the deed is done with lots of humor and excitement in the acquiring of this husband. As with all of Connealy’s books, this was one you just keep turning pages and reading into the night to see what happens…..I’m looking forward to the next sister and her quest for a husband. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this interesting book.

Oh my goodness, it's going to be hard to do this book justice in this review. There are so many things I loved about this story. First of all, the opening scenes of this book are some of the most exciting have ever read. As someone who is not a thrill seeker or who loves(or will even ride most rides let alone roller coasters) my heart was absolutely in my throat during the girls escape from their evil stepfather. Mary created quite an opening to set up the premise of this series. These girls are crazy brilliant, and they are without a doubt some of the bravest characters I have come across! There are a couple of scenes in this story that made me tear up and added some sweet moments to the story. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about this story. I am anxiously awaiting Michelle and Jillian's stories. I need them NOW!!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher but also purchased my own Audible copy as well. All thoughts are my own.

The Element of Love by Mary Connealy is the first book in The Lumber Baron’s Daughters series. This is a Christian historical fiction romance story that takes place in northern California in 1872. This is a story of the three Stiles sisters and what they did to get away from their abusive step father and gain control of their father’s lumber company. When the sisters found out their step father planed to marry them off to gain control of the lumber company they worked out a plan with their mother to escape and marry as soon as possible to gain control of the company.

This story is well written and very easy to imagine what is happening and envision the surroundings. I enjoyed the action and suspense along with the romance. The story grabbed me right from the beginning and surprised me on so many levels. Can you imagine flying down a water shoot in a half barrel and riding a fallen tree in a river? The girls’ parents made sure all three of them had the education to know how to run the lumber company when the time came. This education came in so handy with getting away and then joining a missions group.

One of the things that stand out to me is how fast they felt they need to marry and get control of the company. But when Laura got married, she almost immediately questioned if she did the right thing. I enjoyed the generosity the mission team had towards the women and children in the shanty town and how quick the rancher was to help out. I also enjoyed the loyalty the lumber workers had toward the girls’ mother and how quick they stepped in to help when they knew she was in danger.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

First sentence: They were running away from the threat of misery, pain, and degradation. And running straight toward danger. Deadly danger. Margaret Stiles Beaumont chose danger. What's more, she chose it for her daughters and prayed without ceasing that she'd chosen right. Even worse, the girls had to face that danger alone. Going back by herself was the only way to be sure the girls made their escape.

Premise/plot: Laura, Michelle, and Jilly (Jillian) Stiles are running away from their (evil) stepfather. They've left their mother (and their home) behind. They need to--all while finding a place to hide away--find husbands. All three young women need to find husbands--the sooner the better. Laura feels led to join a preacher in his new mission. The "town" of Purgatory is the bottom of the bottom of the bottom of the barrel. If you can live anywhere else, you do. This is a shanty town of sorts with nothing going for it except folks down on their luck. But Caleb along with the Stiles sisters (along with others part of the new mission) want to make a difference to those in Purgatory. And it starts with Laura searching for some milk cows to buy communally for Purgatory. That brings in the Hart ranch (with eligible men). But Laura, well, has her eyes set on Caleb. Even being bold enough to propose to him very very early on in their acquaintance.

My thoughts: This one has a super-fast pace. I really found the first half super compelling and enjoyable. I was enjoying all three sisters. I was hooked on the story. About the 80% mark, unfortunately, I began losing my enthusiasm for the story. Up until this point, there was plenty of tension and conflict. Plenty. Any more conflict and the story would become unbalanced and ridiculous. So, of course, the book turned ridiculous to the point of obnoxiousness. It's hard to recover from that. So up until that point, it was a definite five stars for me. The last twenty percent, however, was one star.

This new book by Mary Connealy introduces us to the Stiles sisters and their mother Margaret, along with their stepfather Edgar Beaumont. The primary focus of this book is Laura, a chemist who understands explosives and knows how to blow things up. Will she need to use this talent to save her mother and her sisters from the evil actions of Edgar?

This book has it all. Michelle, Jillian, and Laura have amazing abilities and they've been raised to 'manage a dynasty in a man's world' so there's action, danger, and suspense, but Connealy buffers the drama with moments of lightness. I found myself laughing out loud at some of their antics and cheering when Laura meets Parson Caleb Tillman. Is this man of God the answer to their prayers?

How am I ever going to wait four months to learn more about these lumber baron's daughters? Laura's story reeled me in, and there are two more daughters waiting for their own chance to shine. Connealy is known for writing 'romantic comedy with cowboys' and The Element of Love certainly fits this description. It's a fun adventure with clean romance and a subtle faith message, and I can't wait for the next book in The Lumber Baron's Daughters series!

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.

yet another great tale from Mary Connealy!


With their sharp engineering minds, Laura Stiles and her two sisters have been able to deal with their mother's unfortunate choice in husband until they discovered his plans to marry each of them off to his lecherous friends. Now they must run away--far and fast--to find better matches to legally claim their portion of their father's lumber dynasty and seize control from their stepfather.

During their escape, Laura befriends a mission group heading to serve the poor in California. She quickly volunteers herself and her sisters to join their efforts. Despite the settlement being in miserable condition, the sisters are excited by the opportunity to put their skills to good use. Laura also sees potential in Caleb, the mission's parson, to help with gaining her inheritance. But when secrets buried in Caleb's past and in the land around them come to light, it'll take all the smarts the sisters have to keep trouble at bay.

The Element of Love is the first novel in Mary Connealy’s latest series, The Lumber Baron’s Daughters. The series features three sisters who have left their home at their mother’s urging to find husbands in order to protect their late father’s estate from a cruel and greedy stepfather.

The story begins with an action-filled, unique escape that is both exhilarating and humorous. No one but the imaginative Connealy would conceive such a plan. From there the sisters move on with their plan and end up traveling with a band of missionaries. Despite their obviously advanced skills in certain areas, the sisters are woefully inexperienced with the basic homemaking abilities usually common in women which of course leads to a few chuckles.

I always enjoy books by this author and The Element of Love was no exception. It was a fun story yet had more than enough danger and tense moments to keep in interesting. Although Laura was the featured sister, her two siblings played a major role also. Her relationship with pastor Caleb was tangled as each held their own secrets close.

Each character was well developed and I enjoyed watching their interactions. I loved how their dependence on the Lord influenced their actions and consequently influenced others around them. It was fun trying to guess which of the men the sisters encountered might be the love interests of the other two sisters.

As always I recommend The Element of Love as well as all other books by Mary Connealy. If you haven’t read any of her books, try this one and get in at the beginning of a series. I guarantee you won’t be sorry.

With their sharp engineering minds, Laura Stiles and her two sisters have been able to deal with their mother's unfortunate choice in husband until they discovered his plans to marry each of them off to his lecherous friends. Now they must run away--far and fast--to find better matches to legally claim their portion of their father's lumber dynasty and seize control from their stepfather.

During their escape, Laura befriends a mission group heading to serve the poor in California. She quickly volunteers herself and her sisters to join their efforts. Despite the settlement being in miserable condition, the sisters are excited by the opportunity to put their skills to good use. Laura also sees potential in Caleb, the mission's parson, to help with gaining her inheritance. But when secrets buried in Caleb's past and in the land around them come to light, it'll take all the smarts the sisters have to keep trouble at bay.

My review: This is another hit for Ms. Connealy. Three sisters are on the run from their mean stepfather who wants to marry them off so he can get control of their inheritance. The sisters run into a group of missionaries that they decide to join incognito. They don't want anyone to recognize them and tell their stepfather. Along the way Laura decides she is going to marry the parson. The parson has some deep secrets of his own that he doesn't want anyone knowing. While at the mission camp they make a startling discovery of their own that they are afraid to tell anyone.

This was an enjoyable book and I highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

I was given this book by Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Ahhh! I don't want to have to wait for the next book in this series! This was a wonderful book: exciting, funny,  charming,  nail-biting, on the edge of your seat, can't wait to turn the page book! I don't think that I can even pick a favorite part of this story. 

Mary Connealy offers another smashing (explosive! 😉) tale. If you have not read one of her books yet, this one is a great place to start!

I received a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book had a promising start. It was about making the choice to run away from misery and degradation and running towards deadly danger. The escape was pretty exciting. The premise of the girls needing to go find husbands was full of promise. I thought it was interesting that the girls were all so smart with unique skills like knowing how to build bridges over ravines or how to blow things up.

Then they ended up at their destination and it fell a little flat for me. I expect Connealy books to be full of humor. This book had almost none. It was still well written and interesting but it wasn't what I expect from one of her books. So that was a disappointment. The atmosphere and situation of the people they interacted with was sad and depressing which made the contrast between this and former books even more stark. I hope that the tone of the next book or two in the series is lighter.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I found this book entertaining. I was immediately engaged and found myself searching for historical pictures of lumber flumes! I can’t wait for the next books in this series to come out. Mary Connealy did an excellent job with this book.

Three sisters are thrust into a journey to save their inheritance, their mother, and themselves from disaster and ruin. It takes all of their strength and will, as their weaknesses rise to expose them. On the run, enduring peril and danger, their bond with each other and God is strengthened. The sisters must search their motives and seek God’s will and protection in their lives, not their own.

The Element of Love is a historical fiction novel written by Mary Connealy. It is book one in the Lumber Baron’s Daughters series.

Summary: Laura Stiles and her sisters are forced to flee their home when their stepfather promises to marry them off to his evil cronies.

They know they will receive their deceased father’s vast fortune at age 25, but even sooner if they get married.

They are determined to escape, find husbands as soon as possible, come back to claim their inheritance, and save their mother from their abusive stepfather.

But will they get away safely? And where does one find a husband anyway?

My Thoughts: I really liked this book and literally read it in one sitting. The plot is very entertaining, and the sisters are fantastic characters. They are so intelligent and determined and have been brought up with such unique skill sets that really give them room to do some cool things throughout the story.

It’s a great book, and one I definitely recommend-especially if you like stories that take place in the Old West/Gold Rush time period.

This one is my favorite so far this year, and I can’t wait to read the next one!

I want to thank Bethany House for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

Oh my goodness I am hooked! I should have known that this would happen. I could not force myself to put this book down. Who wouldn’t love a group of sisters who are super smart and on a mission to save their family? The girls had to escape undetected to prevent their step-father from marrying them off in his quest to gain full control of their father’s legacy. They were raised to take over the dynasty, and they can’t let the manipulating man deviate them from their calling. Fleeing is just the beginning of the adventure, and the girls just might be in a little over their heads.

I love how different and yet similar the sisters are. They were easy to love and I can’t wait until the next book in this series comes out. Laura is good at getting things done. When she meets Caleb and his missionary group she knows that is their first step at finding husbands. I loved watching the chemistry between Laura and Caleb and the way they interacted with each other. Caleb isn’t perfect, and longing for a new start he’s hesitant to share his past. Will his secrets keep him from finding a true partner in life? I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Romance. Connealy kept me turning the pages way past bed time, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and was in no way forced to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A well told story of the love between a mother and her daughters and the hunt for love. The sisters are brilliant, trained to take over a company in various ways, but they are out of their element in others. When they have to flee to escape harm, the adventure begins and runs fast and furious. A book I truly enjoyed.