Swept Away #1 by Mary Connealy

Book Description

Laughter, Romance, and Action Abound in This New Series from Mary Connealy

Swept away when her wagon train attempts a difficult river crossing, Ruthy MacNeil isn't all that upset at being separated from the family who raised her. All they've ever done is work her to the bone. She prayed for a chance to get away, and then came the raging flood. Alive but disoriented, she's rescued by Luke Stone. . .so unfortunately, there are more chances to die in her immediate future.

Luke is heading home to reclaim the ranch stolen from his family. But the men who killed his father are working hard to ensure Luke doesn't make it alive. He has no choice but to keep moving. Still, he can't just abandon Ruthy, so she'll have to come along.

His friends--a ragtag group of former Civil War soldiers--take a fast interest in the pretty gal. Luke thinks that's rather rude--he's the one who found her. And the more time he spends around the hard-working young woman who is a mighty good cook, the more he finds himself thinking beyond revenge and toward a different future. For the first time in a long time, Luke is tempted to turn from his destructive path and be swept away by love.

My Review

Oh, what a book, what a book! Funny, charming, and full of Texas action! And not just from the men. I couldn’t wait to read the next two books! I am serious! But you can read about the other two soon. Today I’m talking about book 1 in the Trouble in Texas series.

Right off the bat, I fell in love with both Ruthy and Luke. Ruthy, this strong and determined woman who grew up with a family half her life who selfishly used and mistreated her until the day a storm swept them all away. A handsome man rescues her on the side of the river and brings her to Broken Wheel, Texas. A little town in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of Indian Territory, full of ragamuffin men! Thank goodness, she didn’t have to deal with much other men. Just Luke, Dare, Jonas, and Vince.

Luke heads back to Broken Wheel to reclaim his land, the S Bar S, from a no good thieving man who seems to have run every other rancher out of land and house, and seek revenge for his father’s murder. Calling on his regulator friends to help in the fight. The friends he made in Andersonville, a civil war prison in Georgia. The bond they formed there is stronger than any biological bond could have produced.

“There are friends who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” ~Proverbs 18:24 (NLT)

This verse is the very foundation for this amazing series. It’s their favorite reminder of how strong and deep their friendship and trust runs in one another. And it truly does. They are ready and willing to lay down their lives to help Luke.

Ruthy can see this all too well. And I think it’s what attracts her to Luke. Their relationship was perfect executed. Not only did suit each other, but it went right along with the theme of being swept away.

If you thought this was just another Texas romance, you are sadly mistaken. You get plenty of that Texas action spice. Especially, nearest the end when Ruthy joins in to save Luke. She’s no city girl; she can track and shoot a gun better than any man in Broken Wheel, maybe even all of Texas. And she isn’t afraid of backing down from doing whatever is right.

What’s so great about this story is it’s not all about Luke and Ruthy. Oh no, it’s much more!

When Dare, the local, and only, doctor in Broken Wheel is called out to S Bar S Ranch, he meets an infuriating snob of a woman, Glynna. She doesn’t want his help, she refuses to pay for any help she does receive, and she demands he leave her alone. But come to find out when he is called out, yet again, to the S Bar S, that her husband Flint Greer is physically abusing her. When he realizes his mistake, he wants to put a bullet through the man that would lay his hands on a woman. But Flint Greer is a wild man and would kill anyone for so much as looking at his wife or anything that belonged to him. That’s when everyone’s plans change from getting Luke’s ranch back to rescuing Mrs. Greer and her two children.

Luke still seeks out vengeance for his father’s murder in the midst of it all. But before he goes to fight for his ranch and Mrs. Greer, his friend Jonas says something rather profound.

“If you want God on your side, you’d better be on His.”

Wow, right? If we want God on our side we need to do things his way. That was just too amazing, I couldn’t get that out of my head (still can’t). Neither could Luke.

I could talk about the book all day! Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I have. And I look forward to sharing my reviews for the next two!

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars!