Monday, March 11, 2019

Reviewer's bookshelf: "The Unexpected Champion" by Mary Connealy


Book Summary: City dweller John McCall never expected to be out in the High Sierras of 1868 on a wild-goose chase to find the Chiltons' supposedly lost grandson. But now that he's out here, things have gotten even more complicated, mostly due to wildcat Penny Scott. She's not like any woman he's ever met--comfortable in the woods, with a horse, and with a gun. 

When Penny and John are taken against their will by a shadowy figure looking for evidence they don't have, both realize they've stumbled into something dangerous and complicated. With their friends and family desperately searching for them, Penny and John must make a daring escape. 

When they emerge back into the real world, they are confronted with a kidnapper who just won't stop. They must bring a powerful, ruthless man to justice, even as this city man and country woman fight a very inconvenient attraction to each other.

My thoughts... The Unexpected Champion is book three in this series. It's hard for me to say which of the three I liked more...all of them were fantastic! This book wraps up the dilemma that started in book one: who is the bad guy and why is this family being tormented by him? There's also a side story that began in book two of family members seeking to get custody of their grandson...with bad intentions. This story is a perfect balance of humor, intensity, romantic tension, danger...all set in a beautiful western landscape. I honestly get pretty excited when I see that Mary Connealy has written a new book because I love the contrast she creates with the different elements in the plot. Between the wit and humor that she injects into her characters (with some moments that I actually laughed out loud) and the very intense danger scenes, there's a little surprise on every page. 
     And let's not forget the romance. I love the way these characters interact with each other. The push and pull between attraction and hesitancy create some fun tension. The way this couple got thrown together (literally!), was a little on the far fetched side for me, but I honestly just went with it. It kind of fit into the humor of the story, but also provided the situation these two characters needed to move forward with their growing attraction (which I was all in for that ; )). 
     This book...and the series...is a big thumbs up from me! I loved the setting, the cast of characters, the plot..basically all of it. I haven't elaborated much on the spiritual aspect of the novel, but there was a faith aspect that fit right in with the rest of the story line. It was a fun read!

**I was given a free copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in order to give an honest review, which I did.**

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