Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Reviewer's Bookshelf: "Woman of Sunlight" by Mary Connealy


Book summary (Amazon): After years of isolation on top of Hope Mountain, Ilsa Nordegren may finally be ready to leave. Raised to fear the world, Ilsa and her sisters never planned on coming down, but when the Warden family arrived in need, they had to help. And it may cost them everything.

Having made his fortune, Mitch Warden returned home and found the family homestead abandoned. In a land grab, a ruthless cattle baron had forced his family to escape up the mountain, and when he follows, the last thing he expects is to fall smitten to a black-haired woman who dresses like Robin Hood.

Warden is intent on helping his family reclaim their land, but doesn't realize the risks his past has brought. Dangerous men have tracked him, and rather than risk innocent lives, he's determined to end the danger. But that means a journey to the city--and when Ilsa insists on joining him, the mismatched pair suddenly find themselves on a venture they'll never forget.

My thoughts...Living in the quarantine era, I'm actually enjoying a little slower pace of life and those quiet moments in the evening when I'm able to read. In light of all that's happening in our world right now, this book was just the escape I needed! "Woman of Sunlight" is about love, courage, loyalty, and trusting God in the face of evil and uncertainty. Mitch is not going to sit around and wait for head hunters to take him down...he's going to fight back. In one of those heated battles, he sees the fairy-like Ilsa turn into a force to be reckoned with. She isn't afraid to fight, and is quite good at it, too. I loved the way that Mitch and Ilsa were a pair of warriors, complementing each other in their fierceness and skill. The action scenes were fantastic! I also appreciated how Mitch let go of any reservations he had about trusting Ilsa and learned to work with her as an equal teammate. The romantic tension in Connealy's novels are some of the best there is. The fun banter between characters, their thoughts about the woman or man they are attracted to, little tidbits here and there that hint at what's going on after the "fade to black"...love it all! Connealy really captures the passion perfectly. Ilsa's journey is probably my favorite. Due to her isolation, she hasn't had the opportunities to learn about things most people take for granted. Her determination to keep learning and understanding, and Mitch's patience in teaching her, really made me think. I'm a teacher, and sometimes it is easy to get frustrated when my students (and now my own children who I'm doing homeschooling with during the quarantine) don't understand things easily. Taking a humble and patient approach is the best, and most effective, way. Appreciated how that was portrayed in this novel.

I loved this book and would also recommend the first book in the series, "Aiming for Love." Click here to see my review!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in order to share my honest opinions, which I did.**

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