This book picks up shortly after the first book leaves off--a couple months later, but everyone is still solidly snowed in for the winter, and the situation from the end of book one hasn't really changed. Thus I highly recommend starting with book 1, as they are quite interconnected.

Some days one just needs a lighthearted story where the good guys are good (though definitely not perfect), the bad guys are bad (and through some soul-searching, this villain determines that yes, he just really likes being bad [I rather liked that about him]), and there's just enough romance to sweeten the story.

I rather liked Cameron and wanted to defend him, even when he wasn't right. He might be a bossy grouch, but there's no denying his love and heartbreak for his children, and that absolutely tilted the scales in his favor. I can understand Gwen's reluctance to give them to him; he really has no concept of how to deal with kids. But as they begin to work together to connect him and the kids, there are some really sweet moments.

This book clearly sets up the next, and I look forward to Penny and John's story! It was fun getting to know them a bit in this book, and should be even more fun seeing what trouble they get into!

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

The Reluctant Warrior is the second book the the High Sierra Sweethearts series written by Carol Award winning author, Mary Connealy.  I've only read a novella in the Match Made In Texas collaboration, written by Mary Connealy and her short story was my favorite.  The beginning is fast-paced with a lot of dialogue quickly going back and forth.  Since I hadn't read the first novel in this series and was unfamiliar with all of the characters I found myself having a hard time keeping the people straight and had to go back and re-read a few sections.  That being said, I would recommend reading The Accidental Guardian which is the first book in the series.  Once I straightened out the characters and learned a bit of their back-story I was able to find more enjoyment in The Reluctant Warrior. The characters were like-able and the plot moved along at a good pace with some unexpected twists and turns to keep things interesting.  I think the ending intrigued me the most...but I won't say anything about it, but I will probably read book 3.  Overall I found this book to be ok, not my favorite I've read this year but not my least favorite either.  It lands somewhere in the middle.  
The Reluctant Warrior is currently available for purchase from your local or online book retailer.
Thank you Bethany House and Net Galley for the free copy of The Reluctant Warrior.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

This was my first Mary Connealy novel, but I can guarantee that it won't be my last.  Though her voice is slightly different from my usual favorites, she brings such heart and humor to the table.  I was invested in each of the characters, even the stubborn and bless-his-heart clueless Cameron.  By the end of the book, I was anxious to see how these characters who had become friends would take on the next adventure.  To me, that is a sign of excellent writing--when a reader shuts the book, sighs, and cares enough to wonder what happens next.  

The chemistry between the main characters was a slow build into a sweet situation, and though I don't always appreciate that approach, it worked for this novel.  It felt very true to Cam and Gwen's personalities.  Lest you think the novel was just a sweet love story and nothing more, rest assured that Connealy sprinkled suspense and thrills throughout the pages.  This is a novel you don't want to miss!

The Reluctant Warrior by Mary Connealy is the second book in the High Sierra Sweethearts series.  It takes place in the wild west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the late 1800s.
Summary: The book picks up as officer Cameron Scott and his sister have been unexpectedly stranded at a homestead high in the mountains.  They had intended to quickly retrieve Cameron's daughter and nephew, who were staying there, only to be trapped as the bitter winter surrounded them.
Unfortunately, this isn't Cameron's only problem.  His daughter is afraid of him, Gwen-the children's caretaker-wants nothing more than to have the children stay with her, and someone is trying to kill them all.
Will he be able to mend fences with his family and gain Gwen's trust?  And how will they stop a madman determined to leave no witnesses?
My Thoughts: This book was a quick read, there is a lot of action, and it has an interesting storyline.  But, this book wasn't my favorite-I would say it was just OK.  I felt the characters could have been more developed, the romance happened too quickly in my opinion-before they had a chance to know much about each other, and was a bit predictable in spots. It is not that it isn't worth the read (especially if you enjoyed the first one), but I would say it is more of a check-out-of-the library book, than a buy.  Also, I would definitely say it is not a book to be read on its own-it really helps to have the backstory of the first book.
I guess the true tell is that I am not sure I would pick up the third book, so I guess this one just wasn't a home run for me.
But, as always, I thank Bethany House for providing me with a free copy of this book for my unbiased review.

Mary Connealy's The Reluctant Warrior is an amazing read. The story line brings revenge, redemption, love and forgiveness.

Yet another beautiful cover in this series. I usually pay little attention to the covers, but this just draws me into the High Sierra mountains. Take a moment to gaze upon those snow dusted mountains. Alright. 

Getting to meet up with a few characters again from the first book, The Accidental Guardian, the Harkness Sisters, Trace and the young children was a pleasure and too see how their lives have continued since the ending of the first book. 

As much as I loved the first book, I LOVED this one even more. Is that possible? You get to know the characters better and get to see them grow a little more in this book. And you can see how much they have bonded together a as a family as the winter blizzards and other dangers lurk around them.

The continued adventure, filled with strong family bonds, friendships, good vs. evil, sprinkle with a bit of romance. It is an Inspirational Fiction and Western theme packed with action and humor. I am trying to be patient while waiting for book three in this series.

Mary Connealy. The Reluctant Warrior. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2018.

If anyone spent yesterday eagerly anticipating the Books and Biscuits Blog’s review being posted, I apologize for the delay.  It ended up being a perfect storm of strange happenstances throughout the day, topped off by a just-shy-of-a-severe electrical storm that could have easily taken out my computer with one good zap.  Needless to say, delaying seemed like the better option.  Thanks to all of you for your understanding. :)

Following the events of The Accidental Guardian, Army officer Cameron Scott and his sister, Penny, arrive at Trace Riley’s ranch in search of his young daughter and nephew.  As a winter blizzard hits the ranch, they find themselves trapped without a means to return home until spring arrives.  Unfortunately, an enemy of Trace and his wife manages to find the family and threatens their survival on numerous occassions.  When Cam becomes injured protecting the group and is forced to stay in the cabin for months on end, he turns to Gwen Harkness to learn how to interact with the children and discard his military gruffness for something more closely resembling a family man.  With spring’s arrival, Cam must decide between returning to his homestead alone or taking a chance on winning Gwen over to become the children's mother.
 
Ms. Connealy expertly manages to develop an entire novel around a situation that would sound like a glorified case of cabin fever in the hands of a less experienced writer.  The Reluctant Warrior builds on the events and characters introduced in The Accidental Guardian, while encapsulating a story all of its own.
 
Overall, I quite enjoyed The Reluctant Warrior.  Personally, I thought that The Accidental Guardian had a more gripping storyline, but this novel further develops the full set of characters introduced in the first book of the series.  I was surprised that Ms. Connealy was able to do so much with her characters throughout the book, especially considering that most of them are snowed in during blizzards for much of the novel.  The introduction of Pinkerton agent John McCall in this novel and his early interactions with Penny Scott promise great things for the events of the series third novel, The Unexpected Champion.  These spirited characters became an unanticipated highlight of The Reluctant Warrior, so I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.
 
Fans of Ms. Connealy's work, especially The Accidental Guardian, will definitely want to read The Reluctant Warrior.  Those who enjoy Christian historical fiction set in the American West will also find this novel to be well worth reading. 
 
Ms. Connealy will be releasing the third book in her High Sierra Sweethearts series, The Unexpected Champion, in March 2019!
 
Special thanks to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of The Reluctant Warrior!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Reluctant Warrior by Mary Connealy exceeded my already high expectations of Ms. Connealy's writing.  I have read and enjoyed many of Ms. Connealy's other series, specifically The Cimmaron Legacy, The Kincaid Brides, and Troubled in Texas.  When I began reading this book I was unaware that it was second in the High Sierra Sweethearts series; however, due to Ms. Connealy's expertise in character background, plot development, and relatability of the entire situation I was easily able to pick up and keep going with this fast-paced adventure.
In one word The Reluctant Warrior in about survival.  Surviving the fierce winter elements, blizzards, blinding snowstorms, wild animals, and rough conditions is only the start of Cameron Scott's trouble.  Cameron Scott a former officer in the Union army takes pride in his leadership and strength.  Cam journeys to find his daughter and nephew out in the middle of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the late winter of 1868 and when he finally finds them, he soon realizes that he has much work to do when it comes to young children.

Gwen Harkness dearly loves the two children, Maddie Sue and Ronnie, that are under her care due to the dangers and harsh circumstances faced by the wild west.  Maddie Sue and Ronnie are terrified of the loud and demanding man who comes claiming to be their father, enter Cameron Scott to the Lake Tahoe cabin.  Can Gwen let go of her claim to the children and help them love their father/uncle?  Can Gwen teach Cam how to interact with and be understood by his own children?

Although The Reluctant Warrior does share a sweet story of family bonding and love, other features of Ms. Connealy's writing that I appreciated were the intense suspense and mystery, immense dangers faced by all the characters, the clear change in voice of the characters as it would switch from one to the other, the easily visualized scenes of God's power displayed in nature, and the very real and nerve-wracking dangers faced by the characters.

What will this oddly formed band do when faced by dangers beyond their imagination? What can they do against a bloodthirsty outlaw bent on revenge?  Will they hold together through the dangers and life-threatening situations?  Or will they fall apart? I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out! :)

I honestly have no critiques for this book. I grew to love and relate to each character, I loved the intriguing plot, and would recommend it to you to read. Overall, this was a very wholesome, hilarious, entertaining, and intriguing book to read.

Disclaimer: Bethany House Publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book.  All opinions are my own and part of an unbiased honest review.

This is the second book in this historical  series and I have enjoyed both books in this series.   A well written historical  inspirational romance book with characters you can really like

“If it isn’t outlaws, then it’s wolves or green-broke horses, stampeding cattle or wild, unpredictable weather. Being on guard constantly is just the way of life in the West for those who want to survive.”
                                                                        --Cameron Scott


Once again we meet up with the Harkness sisters, Deborah and Gwen; however, Deborah is no longer a Harkness having married the cowboy of her dreams, Trace Riley, in the first novel in the High Sierra Sweethearts series. The story sets us down once again in the Sierra Nevada Mountain area outside Lake Tahoe a few months later in the spring of 1868. 

Trace, Deb, and Gwen work to do their best for the two young children, Maddie Sue and Ronnie, from the wagon train attack when Cameron Scott, Maddie’s father and Ronnie’s uncle, arrives at the Riley Ranch along with his sister, Penny to claim the kids. Given the difficult situation, Cam and Penny decide to stay awhile to give the children time to get acquainted with them, and they wind up stranded for the winter. 

And what a winter it becomes! As Cam basically said in the quote above, if it isn’t one thing in the west trying to get you, it is something else. The winter spins into an adventure of its own as a blizzard and their old enemy, Raddo Landauer, show up at the same time. Another unlikely romance peeks from between the pages of this story as well as adventure and action! An enticing story packed with frontier action and filled with themes of family, friendship, faith, and good versus evil.  

A fine read for lovers of inspirational historical fiction and western fiction! Enjoy book two in the series!  I’m impatiently waiting on book three. 

This ARC copy was received from Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

Another AMAZING book by Mary Connealy! I loved reading this series and can’t wait for the next book. I’m guessing it might be about Penny!  This book will keep you on your toes and make you want to see certain characters like Raddo out of the picture! 

"I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review."

Cam is a former army officer who finds himself in a situation where he is snowed in with the folks who rescued his daughter and nephew from a wagon train massacre which killed his brother.  He and his sister came to claim the children and ended up snowed in for the winter with Gwen and her sister Deb and Deb's husband Travis. Deb and Travis met up in the first book of this series.  This is the second book.  In true Mary Connealy style, there is a crooked varmit that is trying to make everyone's life miserable and they have to end up tracking him down. Gwen and Cam are attracted to each other and repelled by each other at the same time because they both want the two children.  

I read this book in about 24 hours (not straight through but I started and finished the book in the same 24 hour period.  It was that good!  I couldn't put it down.  Mary Connealy is one of my favorite authors and I don't think she has written anything that I haven't read just as soon as it came out.  The only drawback to that is that I have to wait a few months for the next installment in a series like this.  I am eagerly anticipating the third book in this series!

I did receive a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Connealy lets out yet another amazing book. Heart pounding, fast paced scenes that take place in the Old West keep you guessing and wanting more. Great as a standalone, however, reading book 1 made this book all the more enjoyable, knowing the background. This book ties up many questions but leaves some things hanging, gearing you up for the 3rd installment. You wont want to miss this one.

Cam just wants to take his kids. Gwen just wants to protect them. And yet the crazy man who’s after them doesn’t want either to happen…

The Reluctant Warrior is an entertaining historical romance. If you’re looking for a deep story, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for something lighthearted? Well, that’s what Mary Connealy is known for!

Discover Nevada in its early days, laugh (or shake your head) at the missteps along the way, and keep flipping pages to see just how this story will end.

The Reluctant Warrior is book 2 in the High Sierra Sweethearts series. I did not read the first (The Accidental Guardian), but I was able to follow the story without difficulty. I suspect some things would have had more meaning if I’d read the first, and the loose threads will hopefully be tied up in book 3.  Since the stories are chronological, you’ll want to read them in order if you plan to read the entire series.

(I received a complimentary copy of this novel. The thoughts expressed here are entirely my own.)

I really enjoyed the book. I love westerns and these characters not only had faith they also had grit. It is also nice to see the other side of a gruff male lead and how he can mellow and also do the same for others around him.

The Reluctant Warrior by Mary Connealy – 4 Stars!
I liked this one by Mary Connealy.  I got a little slowed on the story while she told the back story that was from her previous book. For me it didn’t flow as well as her previous books in those sections…..but she got into the story eventually without having to tell any more backstory.  I like her writing and I do love reading about the old west and how the people who traveled into Indian country in covered wagons managed with very little to prove claims and live with very little and build homes with even less.  The story line picked up and I finished the book in very little time. I did enjoy the book and there was a bit of suspense throughout the book, a romance, etc.  

I received this book from the publisher as part of their book launch program, the review is entirely my own. I’m a member of NetGalley. #TheReluctantWarrior #NetGalley
Description as found on NetGalley.com
Union army officer Cameron Scott is used to being obeyed, but nothing about this journey to Lake Tahoe has gone as expected. He's come to fetch his daughter and nephew, and seek revenge on the people who killed his brother. Instead he finds himself trapped by a blizzard with two children who are terrified of him and stubborn but beautiful Gwen Harkness, who he worries may be trying to keep the children.

When danger descends on the cabin where they're huddled, Cam is hurt trying to protect everyone and now finds Gwen caring for him too. He soon realizes why the kids love her so much and wonders if it might be best for him to move on without them. When she sees his broken heart, Gwen decides to help him win back their affection--and in the process he might just win her heart as well.

THE RELUCTANT WARRIOR is the second book in the High Sierra Sweethearts series by MARY CONNEALY. It is an exciting read with a good Christian message, namely to not fear, knowing that God has promised to never leave nor forsake us. There is also a good dose of romance and a lot of suspense.
The story takes place in the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1868, and we see what life was like for the brave souls that set up their cabins and farmed their lands in this harsh area.
Cameron Scott has a hard time relating to his daughter and his nephew, and is afraid that Gwen is determined to steal them away from him. Cam is very bossy, having been fighting wars as an officer in the army, and his loud voice frightens the children. He has to listen to Gwen and change his ways if he wants to win the children's affection.
There is a great deal of suspense and I won't spoil the story for you by telling you any more. It is altogether a delightful read with really great characters who we meet in the first novel in the series.
I was given a free copy of the book by Bethany House Publishers from NetGalley. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The Reluctant Warrior returns readers to the story and characters first discovered in The Accidental Guardian. The Reluctant Warrior is the second book in the High Sierra Sweethearts series and it is a series I have come to really enjoy. With the harsh but glorious surrounds of the Sierra Nevada Mountains as backdrop, these stories combine sweet romance that develops out of the toughest situations and tense thrills and heart-pounding suspense as the characters fight for their lives and for justice.

Cameron Scott, now retired from the Union army, only wishes to retrieve his daughter and nephew and take them to his new home - a parcel of land marked to become a thriving ranch. But the children are terrified of him and instead cling to the woman who has cared for them in the past months. When a determined killer once again trains his sights on the small group huddled together in the wild winter, Cam must extend his time with the annoying Gwen Harkness. Yet the threat of danger and the chance to get to know and love his children give him an opportunity to learn more about Gwen, and Cam finds she just might be the answer to his troubles.

While I’ve never been a huge fan of Mary Connealy’s writing, (sorry, I think that’s totally on me and nothing wrong with the author herself), I love these stories of romance in the face of survival in harsh landscapes and troubled circumstances. While the writing is a little stilted - repetitive and simplistic - in places, it suits the ruggedness of the story and characters. In The Reluctant Warrior there is fabulous character development as Cameron - with Gwen’s help - learns to become softer, kinder and more considerate. 

While their story might start from feelings of dislike and irritation, Gwen and Cam share an undeniable spark, which helps as they turn an arrangement of sort-of convenience into one of mutual respect and love.

Along with the romance and story of Gwen and Cam learning to get along, care for the children and starting their own family unit, which was my favourite sections of the book, there is plenty of tension and action as the killer from book one returns with revenge on his mind.

I look forward to reading the third book in the series.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

First, of all, I love this cover. Just look at that scenery! I think I'm appreciating the snow covered mountains on the cover and in the story more right now than usual because while other parts of the country seem to be cooling a little, Florida is seeming to get even hotter and muggier than usual. This book picks up soon after the first book in the series, The Accidental Guardian, leaves off. Since that book left me hanging, I was delighted to continue the story. And I loved it!  The characters were fascinating. Gwen was so sweet and gentle, yet she also had determination and courage and kept a good attitude through everything. She is a character who I would love to meet if she were a real person. I must be honest, that Cam annoyed me at first. He was too militaristic and demanding However, as the story progressed, I learned the reasons why he acted the way he did. And I was happy to see him grow and learn that while being a leader can be a good thing, leading gently is usually better than demanding control. The characters were just one of the reasons why I enjoyed this book and one of the reasons I think you would enjoy this book. Especially, if you need a snowy setting to take your mind off the heat!
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction set in the west, humorous stories, or romance. 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.