Whispers of Fortune by Mary Connealy is the great first book in a new historical Western series. The plot is lively, centering around a hunt for hidden treasure in post gold-rush California. The characters are every bit as lively as the plot. Ellie Hart is a Western woman and Brody Mackenzie is from New York, they meet on the Two Hart ranch where Brody hopes to find his missing younger brothers. Conneally does a great job of developing these characters and their families along with a couple of really bad guys. All the plot twists keep the reader guessing. The conclusion while satisfactory, leaves a nice opening for the next story in the series, as not all problems have been solved. This is a great book for readers of clean historical romance. Strongly recommended

This story is a treasure hunt full of twists and turns. It was so fun to follow the MacKenzies on their adventure. I loved revisiting the Hart family from another one of Mary Connealy's series! I was so sad to reach the end of the book and know that I have to wait a few months to read the next installment!

Join another grand adventure from Mary Connealy. I highly recommend this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another fantastic read by this wonderful author and a great start to a new series!
I love her stories because they have her trademark humor in them.

Whispers of Fortune is the first book in a new historical fiction series from Mary Connealy! Let me start by advising you to read the Lumber Baron's Daughter's series by this author BEFORE you go to this book. My brain was scrambling trying to place the dropping of names and hints of stories that I should know before I went "OHHHH!" and placed the other characters. This book picks up AFTER the conclusion of that series and includes characters briefly mentioned in that first series. The first book in that series is The Element of Love.

Now to this book. This one jumped to a lot of new narratives that kind of through me for a loop. I think maybe when it's in print it will be easier to follow. But because this one sets up a series, you go back and forth between five different characters narratives.

This one was a solid 4 stars. It wasn't AHHHMAZING. It was just a solid read. I actually like some of the author's earlier series more than these last ones. But Maybe that's just me. I feel like these characters are...well I can't even explain it. Shallow? No. Um. I don't know. They just aren't connecting to me lately.

Anyways--this book kicks off the beginning of a big treasure hunt that obviously will continue throughout the series. One thing about all the series she writes, some ends get tied up at the completion of a book while others are left to dangle to the next. :)

I liked the two brothers the best actually. Maybe because I have teenage boys of my own. ;)

3.5 stars. I was just in a hurry to read it because it wasn't just grabbing me or anything. but I'll do 4 stars because I can't do half ones.

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC to read. All opinions are 100% my own.

WHISPERS OF FORTUNE is the first novel in the Golden State Treasure series by MARY CONNEALY. The story takes place at the Two Harts ranch where the Hart family are running a successful school for orphans. Brody MacKenzie arrives at the ranch, after training as a doctor for three years, to find his younger brothers, Lochlan and Thayne, who have run away from the Orphan Train in order to hunt for their grandfather’s treasure, following an ancient map…..
The story is exciting and the characters interesting.
Will Brody and Ellie find true treasure whilst helping the boys with their treasure hunt?
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own