Book Summary (from Goodreads): Matthew Tucker survives a grizzly attack by jumping over a cliff into a rushing river. Unexpectedly, Shannon Wilde takes the plunge with him. Going through a series of waterfalls and rapids turns into a bonding experience.
By the time they battle their way back to civilization, Shannon has been thoroughly compromised, and only a wedding will do. A mountain man who loves to wander in the wilderness far from other people finds himself hitched to a young woman with a passel of relatives, a homestead, and a flock of sheep to care for.
As they learn to live with each other, strange things begin to happen on Shannon’s land. Someone evil clearly wants to drive them off, but whoever it is apparently didn’t count on Tucker. Trying to scare Matthew Tucker just makes him mad–and trying to hurt the woman he’s falling in love with sets off something even Matthew never expected.
My thoughts...
The wild ride starts on the first page of this book and doesn't stop til the end. When Matthew Tucker is being chased by a bear and Shannon saves him by throwing him over a cliff into "Slaughter River", it begins the fast-paced action and romance that can only be expected from a Mary Connealy novel. It's only appropriate that our heroine, Shannon, has the last name of Wilde ; ).
I mentioned the fast pace from the start because that's what I love about Connealy's books. It's what makes them page-turners because you want to know...what's going to happen!? Of the three Wilde sisters, Shannon seems to be the most gentle. But this novel also shows Shannon's tough side as she not only throws Matt over the cliff, but also how she keeps him afloat, and saves him from certain death in the rapids. There was a great contrast, though, because Shannon was forced to be tough through her experiences in the Civil War, but deep down, when she was most vulnerable, she was gentle and tender-hearted. I really loved getting to know her character more and seeing these different sides.
I also love the wit that Connealy writes for her characters. This sometimes comes out in dialogue, but other times it's just what they're thinking. It makes me laugh inside...and sometimes out loud...and causes the characters to be all the more endearing. It adds levity to tough situations, but it also serves to show some of her character's deep feelings. Here's a passage from the beginning of the book:
"Somehow Shannon had gotten them ashore--he was real sure he hadn't done it. He fumbled at his shirt, reasonably dry now. So they'd been landed for hours. What a woman. Tucker smiled as he considered all she'd done and all that was left to do to get them out of here. He hoped she didn't kick up too much of a fuss when, after all she'd done to save them, Tucker took charge, because he didn't like a fuss."
I will also say that with all the humor and lighthearted moments in the novel, Connealy sure can write nasty bad guys! In this book the villian is cunning, evil, and a little scary. He's great at fooling everyone as to just how smart he really is, which catches them off guard. This makes for some very exciting moments in the story.
Overall, I really loved this book. The humor, wit, fast-paced action, and great characters made a great novel. It's also the second in the Wild at Heart series and I would recommend the first novel as well, called "Tried and True." I will say that the resolution was a little predictable, as there were a few hints during the course of the novel. But it didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the book.
Happy reading!
*I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher, Bethany House, in exchange for an honest review, which I gave."
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