***LIKE A BULLET, THIS STORY LEAPS OFF THE PAGE AND DOESN’T SLOW DOWN***
Sierra Nevada Mountains – June 1868
Beginning where “The Reluctant Warrior” left off this book is by far the best in the trilogy!  I really enjoyed it.

John McCall, a Pinkerton agent, has helped haul in the man he just shot to the town of Dismal, NV.  Penny Scott is a strong frontierswoman and ready to give her account of the day’s events to the sheriff.  She can take care of herself.  But, when trouble finds them both and McCall offers to die for her, a long adventurous fight for their lives follows.  The story is romantic, outlandish with the disguises and harrowing at times in the rough boomtowns and terrain of mountains, lakes, old mining shacks and wilderness.  I enjoyed Penny’s and John’s chemistry.  Our previous characters return as well, which rounds out the story nicely.  This group is fiercely protective of each other and won’t stop until everyone is safe and justice found.

The only tea reference (albeit slim) I found: “the front windows let in enough light that they managed to not fall tail over tea kettle to the ground floor.”

Copy provided by Bethany House Publishing via NetGalley with no other compensation.  I am not required to provide a favorable review and my opinion is my own.  Please read other reviews for a more well-rounded purchasing decision.

High Sierra Sweethearts Series:
1 – The Accidental Guardian – April 2018☆☆☆☆☆
2 – The Reluctant Warrior – October 2018 ☆☆☆
3 – The Unexpected Champion – coming March 5, 2019☆☆☆☆☆

Connect with the author at Mary Connealy dot com

The Unexpected Champion is the third book in the High Sierra Sweethearts series and it concludes this trilogy with fast-paced action, mystery, kidnapping, wilderness survival, sleuthing, disguises and -of course- romance. 

Penny Scott knows how to take care of herself, knows how to survive in the wilderness, shoot, hunt, and track. So when John McCall, so called detective, comes claiming he is to take away her nephew, Penny knows she will do whatever it takes to stand up to him. Things get a little complicated when one of the men who has long been hunting and threatening Penny’s family is killed and in the process of taking him to the sheriff, Penny and John find themselves kidnapped. Penny will have to help John survive in the harsh terrain of the West, but he might have some tricks he can share with Penny when it comes to tracking down the men responsible and finding evidence of their guilt.

The Unexpected Champion is one big parcel of a whole lot of fun. This third book really stepped up the action, but also brought in some fantastic elements, like John’s work as a Pinkerton agent and his use of subterfuge and disguises. Penny is the perfect offsider for John, a great shot, always with tricks up her sleeve for keeping them alive and easily able to keep up with him. I loved how her outgoing nature really coloured this story, bringing in a layer of fun and high spirits. The romance takes a wild turn (also hilarious) but I loved that despite how Penny and John are forced together they still take the time to get to know each other before their feelings get too involved.

I have enjoyed this series about life in the harsh wilderness of the west and how a family, forged through the bonds of survival and love rather than blood, band together to bring about justice. A mix of action, mystery, adventure, romance will please any romantic historical lover.

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

Need a break from all the negative in the world and stress in your life then please read this book for a fun filled adventure!
What do a frontier woman and a Pinkerton detective have in common a little boy named Ronnie.  His aunt Penny is trying to protect him from uncaring grandparents and John has been hired to return him to said grandparents. 
However when they are kidnapped by the brother of the outlaw they have just brought into town things get really bad and crazy for them. Upon escapeing there captors they become lost in the wilderness for a few weeks and when they finally returned to town they are forced to marry or have John hanged for supposedly kidnapping Penny. 
Neither are happy about the situation but they have are more concerned with catching the men that kidnapped both of them. 
Penny tracks the trail while John does the investigating and along the journey they begin to learn from one another. They even begin to discover that being married to the other might not be as bad as they thought. 
I loved this book it had my laughing from the beginning and the adventure never stopped!
Thank you Mary Connealy and Bethany House publish for such a wonderful book!
All the books I have read by Mrs. Connealy have been awesome please check out all her books!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the third and final installment of this series.  It doesn't disappoint!  Everything came to a satisfactory conclusion but there were a lot of bump in the road on the way.  The characters were really fun -- Penny, a spinstress who has been following her brother all over the West to Army outposts for several years and is very outdoor-savvy, and John McCall, a pinkerton agent who is very street and big city smart.  John has come to the West in search of Penny's nephew, having been hired by his grandparents to find him.  Penny is determined that her nephew will stay right where he is, away from those awful, grasping grandparents.  John is determined to fulfill his task.  But meantime, they are kidnapped together by the resident bad guys and after that ordeal are forced by the sheriff and his wife to marry (or they will hang John, who they suspect to be the kidnapper).  Hilarity ensues as John and Penny go in search of the real kidnappers and Penny learns all of John's Pinkerton tricks of the trade such as disguises and ferreting out information.  Mary Connealy is always one of my favorite authors because she always injects humor into the stories and I thrive on that kind of rhetoric.  

I received a Kindle copy of this story through NetGalley for the purpose of making a review.  I would have gotten ahold of it anyway, no matter what, because I haven't missed one of Mary C's books yet and I'm not going to start now.

Y’all! Let me tell you a little something about this book right here. It’s fantabulous. That’s right. Fantabulous. Mary Connealy has been on my auto read authors list for years now. And, I always get giddy like a school kid on the play ground when I get to read her novels. This upcoming addition to her High Sierra Sweethearts series was no exception.

From the start, we are taking to the heart of the plot line, and into the lives of John and Penny. Oh sweet Penny, how I loved her! I loved her strong willed ways. And John. Lord have mercy, did I ever love him! His character really came to life for me, and I pictured myself beside him, taking each new twist and turn of being kidnapped with Penny as if I was there.

I loved the way Connealy created her characters with her trademark charm and wit. I love to get lost between the covers of one of her amazing novels because they are lighthearted and keep me chuckling on a bad day. The wit and charm of Penny and John were definitely evident in this page turner!

If you ask me, and even if you don’t, I’m going to tell you that I highly recommend this book with hats-off, two thumbs, and highest of 5 stars. Inspiration, hope, mercy and love are all wrapped up into another incredible cowboy story from the talented Mary Connealy. So, grab ya a copy, kick your boots off, and get ready to get wrapped up in another impeccably done novel from Mrs. Connealy!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

What an excellent and satisfying end to the series and family group of the High Sierra Sweethearts.  Each of the men and women we meet here, at least those on the good side, are brave, intelligent and self-motivated.  External trouble comes in the form of a long-term pack of greedy murderers and their associates.  It seems they will stop at nothing to eliminate these fine heroes.  Internal struggles stem from abandonment, loneliness and the belief that others will leave or harm them.  So, we meet John and Penny who are quite at odds over precious toddler Ronnie.  John's hired by Ronnie's grandparents to return with him no matter what it costs.  Penny will not give up without a large fight. 

Stacked against them are the human jackals who have ambushed them since Trace Riley arrived alone in the area as a boy. They have plenty on the heaping plate without fighting each other.  Will they learn to depend on and help each other or will their families fall apart? 

Mary Connealy gives fans what they long for: strong and gritty characters working to survive and thrive in a wild, unforgiving land where not everyone is trustworthy.  When those who deserve respect both give and receive it, great things occur that change the land and community dynamics.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

What a great read and full of dry humor.  Check out Penny and John’s escapades as they get kidnapped and turn the tables on the kidnappers. This is the third book of a series but is still good as a stand-alone. The previous storylines are referred to as background but not repeated word for word. The personalities of the characters are very realistic without simpering women or over macho men. The women show strength of character and independence. .  I enjoyed the conversation interactions between the characters and “watching” them argue. If Mary Connealy is the author I know I will enjoy reading the story. Her choice of descriptive words are very fitting and get the job done without plodding paragraphs. The language used was very expressive and colorful without ever resorting to crude or offensive word choices.

'Penny had little patience for a man who pouted.'

Pinkerton agent John McCall has been sent west by the Chiltons, who want him to find their long-lost grandson.  The Chiltons are, however, a pair of lying, scheming, no accounts who only want the boy for his dead mother's inheritance money.  When McCall gets west, after having to wait out a deadly winter, he meets up with Penny, part of a group of folks who have a claim in the mountains.  They are guardians to the boy and have no intention of letting him go.  But first Penny and John have to deal with a dead crook, then they are both kidnapped, escape, travel through the woods for days and then, well, things just escalate from there.  Penny is a wildcat, not afraid of anything, can ride, rope, skin an elk, track, read signs, pretty much an all around do anything type of gal.  McCall is astounded by her, but then he begins to realize her worth.  Things are getting mighty odd around there.

Mary Connealy is back with her cowboy comedies and her trademark wit is in fine form here.  She keeps the action moving throughout, the laughter spewing forth and tells a mighty fine tale at the same time.  I am a forever fan of this woman and I can't wait to read what she has for us next.  Bravo!  Highly recommended.

*My thanks to Bethany House for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.