Mary Connealy has done it again! This book is wonderful.  Ilsa loves her mountains,  but longs to see more of the world.  She and Mitch end up navigating dangerous situations as partners and learn to trust one another. I laughed out loud so many times while reading this book.  I can't wait until her next installment in the series!

An ex-businessman collides with a feral wild woman and their two worlds are shaken. 
These characters find themselves in a heap of trouble that is often humorously told. An innocent misunderstanding forced them to pursue a future together and track down the person responsible for the assassination attempts on Mitch’s life. Things aren’t always what they seem and danger is always lurking. Ilsa is entranced by everything new she sees and discovers in the big city of Chicago, but nothing compares to the feelings Mitch awakens in her. 
Will they live long enough to pursue their feelings and return to the safety of the mountains? 
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next in the series. 
I was given this copy through NetGalley ti review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Mary Connealy gives yet another amazing book. Can be read as a stand-alone or with the series. This is a historical Christian fiction book.

Mini Review: I loved the first book in this series, so I knew I had to read the next book, to find out what happens to all the characters from book one! Jo is still my favorite, but Ilsa was a good main character, too! Now, onto the next book!

Once again Mary Connealy penned a historical western fiction that is filled with humor yet so realistic.  Ilsa Nordegren lives near the top of Hope Mountain in Colorado with the nearest small town Bucksnort.  But because her grandpa raised she and her two sisters, he repeatedly told them to stay away from the lowlands as they were dangerous.  So Ilsa and her sisters grew up uneducated and unladylike, but strong Christians.  

So many phrases that we take for granted such as hogtied and chip on your shoulder had no meaning whatsoever for poor Ilsa.  She had never worn anything other than the buckskin pants that she'd hand sewn or had as hand me downs from her sisters, and she had run wild through the tress and hill country near their home.  Corsets and dresses weren't even in her vocabulary.  Enter Mitch Warden whose father had a horse ranch down the mountain and trouble followed him everywhere including all his interactions with Ilsa.

I loved seeing the world and all it held opening up to Ilsa and Mitch's warm support and understanding were incredible.  The suspense was just enough to keep me page turning as Mitch and Ilsa kept running into trouble wherever they went.  Of course, a HEA ending made this western an enjoyable read.  

**I received a complimentary copy of this book  from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Woman of Sunlight by Mary Connealy.. What an interesting story of how these two families are acquainted. This is about the black haired lady who dresses like Robin Hood and the son who captures her heart.  What was once a quiet life in the mountains becomes full of surprises and a lot of action.

This is book two in the Brides of Hope Mountain series. You could read it as a stand alone, however I feel you will be a little lost if you don't start with book one, Aiming for Love, first. Both books are great so you are in for a good read. I love the humor, spunk, sparks and writing style of Mary Connelly. 

Ilsa Nordegren and her sisters have lived in complete isolation, so when the Warden family enter their world, so many new feelings and adventures are in store. Mitch Warden and Ilsa have a lot to learn about each other and maybe themselves. This historic romance is full of drama, mystery, comedy and of course romance. I can't wait to read book three in this series.

I was looking forward to this one a lot--Connealy to me is escapist fiction for when I don't want something to strike too deep--and my expectation of enjoyment did make my disappointment overly strong as well.  Two stars for "okay."  Most of the humor was centered around the misunderstanding of having a book of legends considered a "second bible" and after the first book the excessive "humor" about it was really heavy-handed and annoying.  I also disliked that Mitch's mom thought it was okay to humor her belief and go along with her error without standing for her own beliefs a little more firmly (is Connealy softly suggesting, for instance, that we humor Mormons instead of saying truthfully we don't believe in a second holy book, then turn around behind their backs and say "well, you know, I don't really think that"?).  

Other eye-roll moments were that half her "unknowns" made her look more stupid than ignorant, so there are some really cheesy lines that got past my patience mark.

However, the final third of the book focuses on the suspense and on Ilsa and Mitch learning to love each other.  I really, really wanted more of this section.  This is the sort of character bond that I love to see in a Connealy story.  Sadly, it was over too quickly and my appetite was more whetted than satisfied.

I'll definitely be reading more in this series, even though this particular book was a miss for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free reading copy.  A favorable review was not required.

Mary Conneally is a favorite in historical westerns.  This is a great example of her talents.  Fun adventurous stories with humor and action weaved into a great romance.

Woman of Sunlight
by Mary Connealy

Bethany House 

Bethany House Publishers
 Christian 
Pub Date 03 Mar 2020 


I am reviewing a copy of Woman of Sunlight through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:



Ilsa Nordegren May finally be able to leave after many years of Isolation on top of Hope Mountain.  She was raised to fear the world. She and her sisters had never planned on leaving that mountain.  But the Warden family shows up in need of help and they had to help.  The problem is it may cost them everything they have, everything they know.






Mitch Warden returned home to find the family homestead abandoned. In a land grab after returning home from making his fortune.  A ruthless cattle barron had forced his family to escape into the mountains.  The last thing he expects when he follows is to become smitten with a black haired woman who dresses like Robin-hood.




Warden is determined to help his family reclaim the land that is rightfully theirs.    What he doesn’t take into consideration is the risks his past has brought.   He has been tracked by dangerous men, and they have nothing against risking innocent lives in their quest to get him.  He is determined to end the danger, but that means a journey to the city. One that Ilsa insists on taking with him.  The mismatched pair soon find themselves on a journey they will never forget.




I give Woman of Sunlight five out of five stars !



Happy Reading!

I loved Mary Connealy's second installment from her Brides of Hope Mountain, Woman of Sunlight. It is exactly what I expect out of her books. So fun and entertaining. Five plus stars.

I haven’t read the first book, Aiming for Love, so it took a few chapters to grasp what was happening in this novel.

Woman of Sunlight starts amusingly with Mitch Warden trying to get Ilsa Nordgren to rest even though she is recovered from chickenpox. She is upset with him for spreading the chickenpox to her when he returned to his family. The Wardens were Ilsa’s nearest neighbors but had been driven out of their home so were staying with Ilsa when Mitch returned home.

As they moved along, Mitch looked at her speckled face and said, “I’m really sorry I gave you my chickenpox.” His already-tight hold squeezed a bit more. “Really sorry, Ilsa. I had no idea I’d been near anyone who was sick, but then maybe they showed no symptoms. I probably gave it to you before I knew I had it.”

“My grandma always made Grandpa stay away when he’d gone to town.”

“That’s called a quarantine. It’s usually only called for when a disease is identified, not every time someone has been near another person.”

Her grandfather chose to use herbs for his health instead of being afraid and taught Ilsa how to wisely use herbs too.

When hired gunmen come up the mountains to kill Mitch, Ilsa swoops down from the trees Tarzan-style to help Mitch fight them off. They find the name of Mitch’s old partner who eloped with Mitch’s intended in the pocket of the gunman who died in the shootout. Mitch suspects his old partner is the one who has been trying to kill him so he can get Mitch’s millions. He realizes he won’t ever be safe even in the near wilds of Bucksnort, Tennessee.

The Wardens and Ilsa go to town to tell the sheriff what happened and deliver the gunmen to him. Unfortunately, the trip does not turn out quite as expected. Mitch and Ilsa suddenly are married but not for the reason you may be assuming. Even though she finds Mitch attractive, Ilsa feels the necessity to get to know him before having an intimate relationship.

I enjoyed seeing their friendship change to love. She had very little knowledge of social customs which was difficult for her new husband at times. Mitch works on learning to accept her as she is and avoids trying to ‘fix’ her.

The newly married couple set off on a several days journey to hire the Pinkerton Agency. The repeated attempts on Mitch’s life needed to be stopped or none of Mitch’s loved ones would ever be safe!

Mitch and Ilsa are shot at again in Chicago. He wonders if there is a double agent in the Pinkertons who is sharing his location with his enemies. The final scenes where the killer is identified were unusual. I liked how thoroughly this plot line was developed.

Why Ilsa’s older sister Ursula was alone at the top of the mountain was unclear until the last third of the book. I was sad for Ursula and that her terror of illness was making her so depressed. Hopefully she will be healed of this fear in the next book.

A couple scenes mildly exasperated me but I really loved the amusing scenes in this clean romance. I was once again impressed that God had inspired another author to include a quarantinable disease in her book at this time!

If you are afraid because of the recent pandemic, consider reading this clean romance. It takes courage for all of us to go through any disease. Ilsa finds that living an unsheltered life is much easier than she thought. Woman of Sunlight is a reminder that God never forsakes us.

I received a free advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are completely my own.

This is another entertaining story by Mary Connealy.  There’s humor, adventure, and just a little bit of suspense all throughout this book.  I don’t want to give anything away in the plot, because that would take away some of the fun of reading this book.  I’m going to focus on the character of Ilsa, who is one of the most unusual heroines that I’ve met in a book.  She’s at the heart of this story, and I think you will love her as much as I did.

Since Ilsa was raised on Hope Mountain and completely isolated from the rest of the world, she has quite a different view of life.  She’s a child of the forest who climbs and swings through trees; is fearless when it comes to facing danger; and is an expert at using a knife.  She fiercely loves her two sisters who have raised her.  When the Warden family comes to their place on the mountain to build a ranch, she’s fascinated by their ways and has no context for some of the things they tell her.  The scene when Ilsa sees a train for the first time is funny and touching.  Going to Chicago is a shock to her, and although she does find that she loves chocolate cake, her naïveté leads her into some awkward situations.  As she grows to love Mitch, she becomes a valuable partner to him in solving a crime.  

Fans of Mary Connealy’s books will love this one, and it may be her best yet.  This is a clean and sweet Christian historical novel that will have you cheering for Ilsa to find her place to belong.

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

We continue with the Nordegren sisters journey, this time focusing on the youngest and wildest - Ilsa and another of the Warden brothers. True to the author's style, we find some unexpected nuggets of whimsy and humor woven in. While I didn't care for this book as much as I love the first one, its still a good story and fun to see how the sisters adjust to their ever changing lives.

This is a sequel in the series but can stand alone. This story follows Isla and her adventures outside of her very sheltered world. It’s fast pace and full of action and surprises and a little bit of romance. Fans of Mary Connealy will enjoy her latest book.

Let me preface this by saying that I didn't realize this book as a part of a series . . . but I read and understood it perfectly fine without reading the first book. Although, I did find the first one on my libraries reading app, and am fully expecting to read it in the *very* near future =) 

This was my first taste of this author, and I absolutely loved the writing style and the storyline. The whole plot was intriguing: three girls, growing up on a remote mountain, away from civilization, and then they meet the Warden's, who bring them into their homes and hearts. 

Ilse is the very independent sister, who "accidentally" marries Mitch Warden, because of this little thing called propriety -- which she understands nothing about. While Mitch is explaining what, exactly, propriety is, and why she can't be out alone at night -- and with him -- they are "caught". So this woman, who is more a child, or, as Mitch puts it, "a hawk", goes with a relative stranger to the big city, to help her new husband figure out who is trying to kill him and why. 

I am very thankful to the publishers for the gift of the book to read! All opinions are my own.
Overall, this was a pretty humorous read. From the tree-climbing moments, to the vine-swinging escapades, to the mysterious killers, to the belching and groaning train, Ilse gets a taste for civilization, is told, repeatedly, that there are NOT two Bibles, and gets her first taste of cherry cobbler. 

And yet, this book was so much more than just all this. It had an unexpected depth to it, and both Mitch and Ilse learn to work together and communicate and trust each other. They formed a beautiful team, and I enjoyed reading about it all. 

I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series, to find out what happens to the oldest sister, who seems to be the most eccentric of them all. 

There were a few kisses, nothing too very passionate, and there were mentions, in Ilse's words, of "behaving like we're married", but nothing more. It was sweet and innocent, and it made my heart happy.

Woman of Sunlight is the second book in Mary Connealy's Brides of Hope Mountain series and I am looking forward to the next one! Definitely could be read as a stand alone but reading the first book in the series, Aiming for Love, will add interest to the characters and more background information to the story. Connealy has a nice style of writing and kept my interest throughout the entire book. I was hooked from the beginning as the action starts right up and continues through the story, always keeping the reader wondering how in the world will things work out now. The characters are unique and likable. It was interesting to see the world of the 1870s from Ilsa's eyes. Ilsa is a young woman who has never been off the mountain and is now traveling to cities with tall buildings and lots of people. As she and Mitch, a man running from his past encounter one difficulty after another, think danger, suspense, and romance and you have a recipe for an entertaining story. Woman of Sunlight is a captivating tale of family and faith, courage and love. Readers who enjoy historical romance will not want to miss this story. I was given a complimentary copy of the book through Bethany House Publishers and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

This book was...interesting...once the story got going, I somewhat enjoyed it, but for the first several chapters, I felt like I was missing half of the story. I don’t know if this is a sequel or not, but there seemed to be a lot of backstory that the reader should have known, but it was never mentioned in this book.

Ilsa and Mitch were a very unlikely couple at first - in fact, Mitch didn’t even seem to like her much before they had to get married. There just wasn’t a whole lot of depth to any of the characters, so i wasn’t all that emotionally invested in this story. Parts of it were entertaining, but this story just wasn’t for me.

First, Woman of Sunlight definitely qualifies on all counts as one of the most funny light hearted books I’ve read in recent years.

Ilsa’s inner commentary is very funny, and her perspective makes you think. First, she’s suddenly around 1 family from down below, with their ranch hands. Then, they go down to the “BIG CITY” of Bucksnort. What’s she gonna think when they reach Denver, or Chicago?

I really appreciated her ability to trust Mitch’s leading in the wholly unfamiliar environment down below. She knows she’s out of her depth, and trusts him to a, not lose her, and b, keep her safe.

Mitch, too, learns to trust her instincts and skills as a mountain woman who’s been around predatory animals forever. He’s able to accept her ability to translate that skill to be used against the men hunting them. It doesn’t come easy for him, but he does. I can respect that.

Woman of Sunlight follows the youngest Nordegren sister as she leaves her mountain home for the first time. Ilsa and her two sisters lived alone on the mountain until the Warden family invaded their refuge. Book one, Aiming for Love, of the Brides of Hope Mountain series by Mary Connealy tells that story. The danger brought by the elder Warden brother in the first book continues in Woman of Sunlight. And once again, Ilsa and Mitch are most at risk for losing their lives.

I loved Ilsa’s character! At first this young woman with healing knowledge looks at the outside world with wide-eyed wonder. But it’s not just her innocence that gets her into trouble. It’s her brazen wildness that knows no fear, only freedom. She feels intensely and when those feelings are turned on Mitch, he is captured in her snare.

Mitch Warden isn’t the most likable character in Aiming for Love. However, as we see him grow both personally and in his feelings for Ilsa, we see a depth about him that makes him grow in esteem. He’s a strong character who is not afraid to match Ilsa’s wildness, even when it gets him into a situation for which he wasn’t prepared.

When I read the first book, Aiming for Love, I wished for a better story. However, the characters fascinated me enough that I wanted to see what became of them next. I’m so glad I did! Woman of Sunlight was much better than Aiming for Love. Perhaps Ilsa’s character swept me away. Perhaps this Chicagoland girl liked seeing a post-fire Chicago. Or perhaps the dynamic between Mitch and Ilsa made for great entertainment.

If you’re looking for an historical novel with unusual characters and a lot of danger, definitely check out Woman of Sunlight. I certainly enjoyed it.

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I received this book free from NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers in order to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”