This was an easy, quick read. I have read several other books by Mary Connealy and am definitely a fan. However, I felt as though certain aspects of this book were extremely similar to other books by her. The canyon gave me major deja vu to the last time I read one of her books. I kept thinking maybe it was the same book, but this one was just released.

Overall, I loved the characters and the storyline. I felt as though the ending was a little odd though. There was stuff happening with one of the sisters that was never wrapped up. Maybe it will be addressed in the second book. The main characters had a happy ending and their story did seem to be complete, but it also seemed really rushed. I felt like the ending kind of came out of no where.

3.5 stars
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

Mary. Connealy delivers another romantic, western comedy, this time with an unusual twist. Her heroine has a limited knowledge about the outside world off of Hope Mountain where she has been sequestered all of her life. This limited view causes some funny situations and lack of understanding when a family of ranchers rush to the mountain to escape from harm. The believability aspect of some of the scenes made me skeptical. Also the plot was lacking in action and adventure that her previous series’ (Wild at Heart, Cimmaron Legacy) contained within them, This caused me to lose interest in the book quickly. Even the romance appeared to be lacking in chemistry. I felt that the book was more of a cookie cutter approach with all of the best parts missing. At times I even wondered if a ghost writer tried to put it together. It was just such a disappointment compared to her past books. I typically like all of Coneally’s books. If you do too, go ahead and try the book, but don’t expect it to be the best. However, it will still be a decent read.

I received a free e-copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Aiming for Love by Mary Connealy

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Mary Connealy offers readers the first in an exciting new series based in the Colorado mountains that begins the story of three sisters who grew up in the mountains and will have to learn to trust people in order to stay alive.

Mary Connealy creates stories that readers can easily imagine themselves a part of. Her descriptions of the scenery and people are detailed without being boring and usually leave me wishing these were real life people. She doesn’t waste time but drops you right in the middle of the story with a grab that doesn’t let go until the last page. This story begins with a young woman named Jo (Josephine) Nordegren who has come upon a group of men moving cattle up the mountainside. She has often observed passers through but is drawn to this group for an un-explainable reason. Sneaking into their camp to get a closer look is not a problem for this mountain lady who learned to walk silently from studying deer, but a mistake in lingering too long finds her captive to a handsome young man named David who calls her a thief. The soon after arrival of a gravely injured man who turns out to be David’s father sets into motion a series of events that will open up the small world that Jo and her sisters have always known. Now if only she can convince her oldest sister that these people will not bring them harm or death. David Warden is trying to stay one step ahead of a vicious land grabber who is stealing property from peaceable land owners. Herding their cattle into the mountains is a great plan and one he hopes will lead to finding a place to graze the cattle for the winter. However, catching a beautiful young woman stealing a cup from his camp is not part of his plan. But with his father injured and Jo’s promise of showing him a place to keep his herd, David has no choice but to grudgingly trust her. As they get to know each other, David will teach Jo that the world outside the forest and mountains is not full of constant danger and death. She, in turn, will teach him that there is more to life than always working and being in charge. Together they will find a balance to ensure that everyone will be together and happy. I really enjoyed reading this new story. The main characters were believable, interesting and unlike others Ms. Connealy has written before. And an excellent mixture of good and bad secondary characters add levity and depth to this story that provides both an ending to David/Jo’s story and a beginning to Ilsa and Ursula’s upcoming ones. I loved that while some of the problems were solved in this book, others were left untouched so that there will be a good connection to future books. I’m excited to see what will happen with Mitch and Ilsa, they had such witty lines that I’m sure their story will be hilariously good. I also liked how gracious and caring David’s parents were with all the girls. They truly sought to share truth and love with them so they would not be afraid or feel unwelcome in their home. I will certainly be recommending this book to others as I’m sure they will be as entertained as I was. I will also be adding a copy of this book to my shelves so that I can re-read it soon.

I received a temporary complimentary copy of this E-book from Bethany House via NetGalley in order to provide a review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

"Aiming For Love" is the next must read offering from Mary Connealy. Ms. Connealy paints a wonderful picture of the Colorado mountains where the Nordegren sisters have been living peacefully, isolated and unaffected by the rest of the world. As life, and love would have it, this peace and tranquility is threatened by the question of whether to do what is best in helping others, or to stay within the comfort zone. The story that unwinds is filled with such rich development of characters that the reader might find his/herself identifying completely with one of the characters. Is there value in remaining in comfort? Is there reward for taking a risk at love? I will not spoil that for you.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley was was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Connealy has outdone herself this new series! She has brought genres together, and classic stories together, all in one magical and wonderful novel. Josephine’s character really grabbed my attention from the first chapter. Her curiosity, different background and surroundings just pulled me right into the story. Connealy has the ability to write in a way where the reader doesn’t just see the story, they feel it. When Josephine was sneaking around camp, I found myself holding my breath. When illness came to some of the characters, I found myself wanting to help, and nervously tapping my toes until I knew whether or not they were going to make it. I don’t know that I can describe exactly how fun yet nerve-wracking it was for me to read this!

Amidst the adventure was a beautiful faith theme and powerful message. Two opposite worlds have to learn how to live together, and with a little work from each part, it can be done! With ups and downs, misunderstandings, and a little romance here and there, this story is sure to capture the hearts of readers. Josephine and her sisters have a lot of learn, and honestly couldn’t be more different. But one thing is for sure – they love each other and only want to protect each other. It was nice seeing that theme, instead of just having a romance story. Sometimes the power of family bond really speaks to my heart more than the romances do. But don’t worry romance fans, there are several parts that will appeal to you as well!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is unique. I don't think I have come across another quite like it. It's not a stretch to imagine a family removing themselves from society to escape negative situations. In this story, three sisters live isolated in the mountains to keep from illness. Their grandmother was afraid that they would die by catching a disease.



The three girls are on their own and have a fear of the outside world. That changes when men decide to make the mountain their home. Jo is fascinated with them and a tin cup. From that moment the adventure, romance, and humor begin.



I really enjoyed this book. I am excited to read about the other two sisters and the prospect of them finding love. This book has bad guys, mixed-up biblical stories, exploration, and fighting for the right reasons. This book has non-graphic violence and some kissing.



Source: I requested a copy from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Aiming for Love is a good book to pick up if you are looking for a nice historical read with some humor. I haven't read a Mary Connealy novel in what feels like ages, so I was curious about whether or not I would enjoy this one... I'm very happy that it was a hit and I am eager to continue the series.



I found the characters to be a delight. It was interesting how the sisters' lived and in some ways I felt bad for them. The romance was as expected and I enjoyed reading the story.



All in all, Aiming for Love was very good and I recommend it to fans of this genre.




*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Aiming for Love is book one in the Brides of Hope Mountain series. Mary Connealy takes an interesting premise of 3 young ladies living on a mountain who have never seen the outside world or had any contact with it. When a rancher seeks to expand into their area, the difference in how the three ladies react is interesting. The personalities of the three gals plays into how they react. It is hard to imagine what it would be like to encounter “outsiders” for the first time. They were trained by their grandparents to distrust the outside world and now it is at their doorstep. It will be interesting to see what happens to this family in future books in the series.

There are several plot lines that are dropped in the story that left me with questions – what happened to Mitch’s horses after he left them in the corral? What happened to Wax after he left the ranch? There are also loose ends with all three sisters at the close of the book that I hope will be tied up in future books.



I would not have a problem adding Aiming for Love to my k-12 Christian school library. I’m not sure how much appeal it would have for my audience. It is a clean romance and would be appropriate for middle schoolers and up.

I want to thank Celebrate Lit for the complimentary copy of Aiming for Love. This is my honest review.

What an interesting story! Three sisters are living in the mountains alone after their Grandparents die. When a rancher brings his herd into the valley, Jo can’t stay away. She can move in the shadows and when David catches her… He has her attention and the story that follows is entertaining yet with a touch of danger that captured my attention and I did not want to put it down!

This is book one in the Brides of Hope Mountain series, so what a great place to start. Mary Connealy has a fun, spunky way of writing. Her characters are always full of such great personalities. We meet Josephine (Jo) and her sisters who were all raised away from the outside world. Dave Warden and his family need help, will Jo and her sisters be able to overcome all their fears, misunderstandings and so much more to help this family?
I look forward to reading more from this story. I fell in love with many of the characters and am excited to see how things work out.

You guys, this book was so weird. I mean the description says it all, but I guess I just didn't really know what to expect. Aiming for Love was a quick read for me, but for many parts of it, I just kept shaking my head.

Jo and her sisters have lived on Hope Mountain all their lives. Their parents left many years ago and never returned, and their grandparents died one after the other. Now it's just the three of them. But they've lived by the rules their grandmother set about never leaving the mountain. When their grandfather was still alive, he would occasionally go into town for supplies, but none of the three girls ever have. This has created a real naivete about the outside world. And personally, I kept getting cult-like vibes from them. Ilsa is a female George of the Jungle with weaving vines and hanging them in the trees to swing from. Ilsa is the medicine woman of the three girls. Jo is silent as a deer and moves with the grace of one too. She's the hunter. And then there's Ursala, the gardener, the mother figure for the other two girls, and completely paralyzed with fear of the outside world.

The Warden family makes up the other major characters. There's Ma, which I found really weird for her to ask Jo and Ilsa to call her that. There's Quill, or Pa, who was shot and the real reason for the Wardens to interact with the Nordegrens. David is the leading male who moved up the mountain looking for land to settle his cattle ranch on and branch off from his parents. Mitch is the older brother who left for the war years ago and settled in New York. He's back at the ranch now and there will be much more to explore with him.

Jo and David were easy to root for. And they were the driving force for me to keep reading, especially when things got weird. I am interested in Mitch and Ilsa, but I'm a little unsure about Wax and Ursala.

I had a lot of thoughts while reading Aiming for Love. I read it quickly. I did enjoy Jo and David's relationship. I liked Ma. I'm intrigued by Ilsa and Mitch. But so many pieces were too weird for me, and my immediate thought upon finishing Aiming for Love was that I might not attempt to read the upcoming books in the series. Aiming for Love was unique for sure and gets 3 Stars. Have you read Aiming for Love? What did you think? Let me know!

What I think you should know:
Aiming for Love is a historical fiction novel set in the late 1800s in Colorado. Josephine “Jo” Noredegren and her sisters live in the wilderness of the Colorado mountains where they were raised by their grandparents. The grandmother instilled a fear of the unknown and outer world in the girls and due to their remote location they have never met anyone outside of their immediate family. When rancher David Warren ventures close to their home Jo is too curious to stay away from him, but David may end up bringing everything her grandmother warned her about straight to her.

What I enjoyed about this book:
Mary Connealy, the author did a great job writing characters that are unique and strong. I loved Jo, she was a contradiction to the way that her grandmother raised her, independent, curious and caring. I loved the practical knowledge that she had as well as her self reliant skills however my heart broke at the ways they had been shut out of the world and their education and world was different that they thought it was. I loved all of the characters and am anticipating this rest of the series being as good as this one!

Who will enjoy this book (just to name a few):

Fans of Historical Fiction
Fans of Western Fiction
Fans of Christian Fiction
Fans of Romance

I received a complimentary copy for this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own

Aiming for Love is the story of 3 orphaned girls who are living by themselves in a Valley in Hope mountain.
Joe accidentally brings the outside world into the isolation when she ventures too close to Dave Warden camp.
Dave has bought a piece of land which intends to raise cattle on and Joe aka Josephine has found a great interest in the man and his cattle. She knows that her sisters will be highly upset if they find out as they have been taught that contact with others is bad and only brings harm.
She’s okay until she gets caught by Dave fleeing his camp.
This is just the start of the trouble that befalls Joe and her sisters as Dave’s family brings trouble to the Valley as they flee cattle rustlers and a deed stealer.
However Joe finds herself drawn to this family and this man. Must she lose her family to gain a new one?
Dave and his family are totally confused about how these three sisters have survived so many years on their own and the confusion of their belief in two “Good Books”.
Can these families find harmony with each other?
Read this book to find out!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Aiming for Love is a perfect start to her new series. I have always enjoyed her romantic western's and this book set in the rugged mountains of Colorado has great character's with strong faith and lots of quirky humor that Mary Connealy is known for.
I enjoyed getting to know the Nordegren sisters and the Warden family. I look forward to the next book in the series.
The theme of overcoming fear is woven throughout the story. The inspirational thread is apparent but not overwhelming.
Having lived in Colorado as a child it was fun to revisit it in this fun book of Ms. Connealy's.

Aiming for Love
By Mary Connealy
4 stars

A sweet story of Hope Mountain. We run through the forest silently as can be with Jo as she fires her arrow quick as lightning. She sees strangers from the lowlands and is fascinated. She meets and comes to be close to them. A journey of trust. Do we close ourselves off and be safe or open up and possibly get hurt but gain love in the process?
I enjoyed the first book in the trilogy. There is much more to happen in the next book!

Aiming for Love is the first book in the Brides of Hope Mountain series. I cannot wait until the other books come out. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Jo has two sisters, and I am hoping they will be more about them.

Three sisters have a secret home up in the mountain. David’s family needs help and a place to stay. Will the sisters be able to help? I loved how Jo is an excellent aim with the bow and arrow, also how they survived on their own.

There is so much more to the story that I wouldn’t want to give away. Read the book and see for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. This book review is my own opinion.

One mountain, two families...

Oh, what a fun book to read! This is Mary Connealy at her best! It's been awhile since I've read one of her books but this one had such a cool cover and sounded interesting. Aiming For Love was exactly the type of story I was in the mood for! Humor, romance, and adventure are delightfully blended in this charming story set in the dramatic mountainous landscape of Colorado.

I truly enjoyed Aiming For Love. It was nice to escape from the hum-drum of our modern world and drop right into a rip-roaring adventure complete with handsome cowboys. Mary Connealy's brand of cowboy fiction with quirky characters and a faith message is fun and a definite must read for fans of historical romance.

I liked Aiming For Love but now find myself in the predicament of having to waaaait for Mary Connealy's next release in the Brides Of Hope Mountain series. I look forward to seeing the characters again and I especially look forward to finding out more about the Nordegren sisters' somewhat mysterious past and whether the Wardens will be able to get their ranch back from that mean ol' land hungry thief and and his hired goons. And so, I wait.....

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

What a wonderful journey the author takes readers on in this new story filled with danger, adventure and life lessons. It was so easy to fall in love with the three sisters that fill the pages with survival, danger and relationships. The author made me feel like I was there as Jo explores on her own. What she stumbles upon surprises her since there hasn't been anyone around in along time. The isolation Jo and her sisters endured must have been hard at times. They always had their grandpa around to look out for them. I liked how they were able to hunt and live on their own for so long.

The contrast between two families make the story intriguing and adds an element of caution for all. What would you do if you found someone on your land unexpectedly? Would you help them in their time of need? I liked learning about the different traits each of the sisters had. They complimented each other well with their skills and helped them to be able to survive on their own for so long.

I don't think I would be thrilled to suddenly see cowboys and cattle invading my quiet life. The story is filled with many surprises and I loved the faith element in the book. It is a very promising start to a new series by the author. She always has a unique way of telling a story that keeps you glued to the pages as characters grow and experience life. I loved the main focus on Jo and her new relationship with someone. I look forward to the next installment in the series.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

It is always exciting to come across a new-to-me Christian fiction author who is able to draw me in with the first of their books that I pick up, and doubly so when their work is refreshingly unique! I can safely say that Mary Connealy’s “Aiming for Love”, book one in the Brides of Hope Mountain series, is one of the most distinctive novels I have had the pleasure of reviewing. My appreciation extends to the book cover, as well. It initially enticed me just by its beauty and woodland backdrop, and as I read, I realized how perfectly it captures the essence of the novel. Mostly wild, but with hints of civilized society. As the two meet, it becomes a question of whether they will blend or remain at odds.

Living off the grid seems to be an up-and-coming fad, fueled by TV shows and the popularity of minimalism. I will admit that it certainly has its appeal, and there are times when I would love to head off to Walden Pond. It’s no surprise, then, that I immediately enjoyed “Aiming for Love”. Hidden away in the highlands of Hope Mountain, Josephine (Jo) Nordegren and her two sisters, Ilsa and Ursula, were taught how to survive without any outside contact. Even in 1873, this is an unusual feat. When rancher Dave Warden sets up nearby, their seclusion is challenged for the first time in their lives, and this is when things really get interesting!

“Aiming for Love” brings up so many fascinating issues that the pages seem to fly by even as they make the reader pause to think. Jo’s journey is captivating and filled suddenly with questions: “Did a woman give up her whole world because a new one caught her interest?” “Had her life, lived so alone, made her the purest form of herself?” And the wonder of it is that we often ask ourselves these same questions today, albeit likely in a different context. The crux of this story is the importance of community, particularly within the church. Scripture makes it clear that not only are we to love our neighbor, but also to nurture relationships with each other. Connealy skillfully illustrates the dangers of isolation and stagnancy through the Nordegren sisters’ lives and gives insight into cult mentality. Something that intrigued me is the intermixing of Bible stories with fables and fairy tales, which seems so easily discernible but would not be to someone taught only that they were all part of God’s Word. This is valuable insight to consider when interacting with people who are not of the Christian faith or who hold false beliefs. In that regard, Ma Warden is a shining example of patience and compassion in this novel.

Fans of Joanne Bischof’s Blackbird Mountain series, Catherine Marshall’s “Christy”, and Misty Beller’s novels will no doubt want to add Mary Connealy and “Aiming for Love” to their to-read lists. I would also recommend this book to anyone in search of an adventurous story with some suspense, and to those interested in living off the land and how that impacts a person’s disposition and belief system.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

This is one of those books that you love to hate. I wasn't to impressed with the characters. The three women were child like. It was driving me bonkers, but kept my attention. I understand that they grew up away from everyone besides their grandparents and don't know how to interact with others, but their demeanor was that of a child. The words they said and their actions were troubling. The storyline was good. It had action, romance, trouble, and the unknown. I'm going to read the second book when it comes out. I really hope the characters mature.