Her Secret Song is another great read from Mary Connealy that wraps up her Brides of Hope Mountain series. Between its covers I once again found a wonderful tale filled with vivid descriptions, interesting characters, and more of Connealy’s trademark humor.

Set against the backdrop of Colorado mountains, Her Secret Song is a story of hope, redemption, and overcoming fear. The conclusion of the series features Ursula Nordegren who has yet to overcome her fears of the unknown world below the mountain where she has spent her entire life. After spending the entire winter alone, Ursula finally summons enough courage to venture down the mountain but midway down she encounters badly injured outlaw Wax Mosby. With no choice but to help him up the mountain, Ursula takes him to her winter home and nurses him back to health.

A wonderful tale with an unexpected love story, Her Secret Song may have been my favorite of the series. It was a fitting conclusion with answers to a mystery or two revealed and major problems overcome. I loved all three of the Nordegren sisters as well as the members of the Warden family. I also found inspiration in the major life changes in Wax Mosby. I particularly enjoy how this author manages to teach important messages of life and faith while keeping me delightfully entertained the entire time.

If you are not familiar with Mary Connealy’s books, please do yourself a favor and pick up all three books of this series. Her Secret Song could easily stand on its own but would be much more enjoyable after reading the previous two books.

Oh what a joy to read this last book in Mary Connealy's Brides of Hope Mountain series. This book follows Ursula, the oldest of the Nordegren sisters, as she learns about facing her fears and learning to love.

Wax Mosby is living a life that leads to death. He desperately wants to change. He meets Ursula, and she helps him recover both physically and spiritually.

This book was everything I'd hoped it would be. The story brings all the loose pieces of the first 2 books together and weaves a beautiful story.

Sure. I knew who Ursula was. After all, I'd come to know her in the first two books of the Brides of Hope Mountain series. And somehow she still surprised me. And what probably surprised me the most is how much I enjoyed her.

Another surprise was that after the first two stories in the series showing the other sisters' reactions to towns and cities and any number of people, author Mary Connealy managed to replicate these experiences for Ursula in a way that didn't seem repetitious.

I hadn't expected to like Ursula more than either of her sisters. Especially due to her extremely introverted nature. And her fear. Yet somehow, I think these factors made me love her more as she stepped way out of her comfort zone to do the things that frightened her the most. What an amazing woman! And the kindness she showed a stranger. She truly personified the Good Samaritan.

Wax Mosby's role in the previous stories clearly showed him to be an enemy. Still, at the end of Woman of Sunlight, he was showing signs of not having as black a heart as it first appeared. How fun to see him become the hero!

Wax's search for redemption for his sins clearly communicated the message of salvation. The strong spiritual themes in Her Secret Song are integrated in a natural manner which in no wise dilutes their effectiveness. One that was so relevant is the recurring theme of "do not worry". It was so fun how each of the characters sitting in church that Sunday morning thought the pastor was preaching his message directly to them!

I promise this isn't a spoiler! After all, with a series name like Brides of Hope Mountain you have to know there will be a proposal in it. But, oh, what a proposal!! The circumstances under which it was offered and the manner in which it was delivered just might have made it my favorite fictional proposal ever!! I'm still laughing as I picture it!

Her Secret Song combines suspense, action/adventure, romance, and faith with sprinkles of quirky humor to create a wonderful series conclusion. In some regards, this is the Return of the King of the series, culminating in an amazing battle for the Warden's ranch!

Be sure to read the entire series - each story builds on the previous ones and they are all just too good to pass up!

Her Secret Song by Mary Connealy is the third book in the Brides of Hope Mountain series about three sisters raised on a mountain and forbidden to see the outside world. All the characters in the series appear in all books, and there’s an over-arching plot thread throughout.

MINOR SPOILER: At the end of the first book, mountain woman Ursula Nordegren, eldest of the three Nordegren sisters, made plans to spend the winter in a remote, newly-discovered house on her mountain. Her hope was to escape the “dangerous” Warden family taking up residence in her childhood home. I read the first book in this series and missed the second, but it wasn’t hard to catch up.

Ursula was raised to avoid strangers at all cost, because they brought disease and death. Unfortunately, living alone for months in a cave-like dwelling nearly drove her crazy with loneliness.

Jake “Wax” Mosby is a man with a dubious reputation. He’s also a man with a moral code and a desire to leave the life he’s been leading. Badly injured, he’s found and tended by a singing “angel” with the loveliest voice he’s ever heard.

For me, Mary Connealy’s books are dessert. They’re sweet and enjoyable without being heavy. Yet, there are always crumbs to pick up. In this case, it’s that we can sometimes allow the actual fear of something to cause just as much damage as that thing we fear.

As for this particular book, it ends the series well, and I truly enjoyed the epilogue. However, the first book in the series stood out more to me. Maybe, at that point, the premise was more unique, but it also had that spark of fun that Ms. Connealy is famous for. While this one had moments, particularly with Wax and Ursula’s opinions of Mitch—the hero from the second book— it didn’t sparkle for me in that same way.

So, I’ll recommend it with 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. My opinions are my owns.

With an imaginative premise of three sisters raised in the tops of the mountains in rural Colorado in the 1870s, Mary Connealy has created a clever and humorous series that climaxed with Her Secret Song starring Ursula Nordegren. Raised by their grandparents and warned about the dangers existing down in the valleys, the girls learned to be self-reliant but lacked knowledge about society. Mary Connealy’s sense of humor shines through her stories, and this series has been a favorite of mine.
“Grandma had only taught them to count to one hundred. It seemed unlikely they’d ever have more than one hundred of anything, so Grandma thought going higher was a waste of time.”
Populated with amusing and endearing characters and full of madcap adventures, this tale captured my imagination and kept me turning pages. Although this was Ursula’s story, characters from the other books in the series popped up and added to the fun. Ursula is an interesting character, at times timid but also courageous when circumstances warranted bravery. Jake “Wax” Mosby is a hired gun who is trying to mend his ways and live uprightly. When he’s rescued by Ursula and introduced to her family, things get a little crazy.

“The hatchet hit hard and stuck. ‘Right where I aimed.’ She felt proud of her skill. That was a sin, but before she repented, she enjoyed the shocked expression on her sisters’ faces.”
“He glared down the mountainside. He had no wish to climb down. Being shot off a mountain cured a man of climbing.”

If you’re in the mood for some humorous historical fiction, this series The Brides of Hope Mountain is sure to please. This series is bound for my keeper shelf.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the author and Bethany House Publishing through NetGalley.. All opinions are my own.

Another wacky one in this trilogy. I'll admit in the other books I really did not like Ursula, but I think I was just annoyed by how ridiculous she was being. However, her fears are real for many people in the world, though maybe exagerated. Ursula is the shyest, most fearful of the three siblings who grows up sheltered on a mountain, just the three of them. It's sort of a western and maybe if you were homeschooled or are currently, and live out west or in the wilderness you may relate to her. It's comical and ridiculous, but I keep reading because I love Connealy's fast paced plot driven writing style. This romance felt more realistic than the others, but it also makes you think these girls got lucky that the first men they met were decent men and not weirdos considering they had nothing to compare them to. I know it's just a novel, but...
Because it's so unbelievable and I've read so many other more realistic and better written novels I can only give three stars. Plus it's the third one and the other two I liked more. But if you want something light and fun and western choose this series! Start with the first one so they make sense.

Three sisters alone on a mountaintop. Ursula saw both her sisters leave the mountain for new adventures and love. Could she take the risk?

This book completed the three book series called the Brides of Hope Mountain. The previous two books were about Ilsa and Jo. This book concentrated more on Ursula's choices and her journey of discovery.



It is never too late to make a change. It can be scary. It can be difficult but it can be done. The Nordegren sisters and the men they met along the way made changes that altered their lives.

I enjoyed reading about these three strong women. Each sister developed a strength to assist them in their survival. The ultimate gift came from GOD.



I received this book for free from Bethany House to review.

Her Secret Song by Mary Connealy

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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Story Notes

Mary Connealy brings to her readers the conclusion to her Brides of Hope Mountain series that tells of Ursula’s love story and the final showdown with the land grabbing Pike Bludgeon.

I’ve really loved reading this series! The sisters who were so isolated from the world found it crashing in on them, bringing new ideas, problems and the promise of love that they never expected. With this last story we finally get to see Ursula find love and peace that she had been so desperate to find after the arrival of the Wardens. I loved the dynamics between Ursula and Jake. I really didn’t like his nickname of “Wax”, so I was glad to know his real name in this story. It fit his former personality, I guess, but made me think of some oily salesman and made it hard to want him to be a good fit with Ursula. He challenged Ursula to understand her fears and face them in a logical way. He didn’t belittle her for being afraid and that helped her want to move beyond them. I loved the final showdown between Pike and the Wardens. It was a great fight and showed the incredible abilities of those involved that allowed them to bring justice with little loss of life. And the courage that Ursula found through everything helped he overcome the last of her real fears, allowing her to really connect with and love those around her. I will certainly be recommending this book to others in the hope they will love it as I did.

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

Her Secret Song is book three in Mary Connealy‘s Brides of Hope Mountain series. This final installment follows the third and eldest Nordegren sister, Ursula, as she wrestles with her fear of leaving the mountain and Wax Mosby who needs to escape if he wants to live.

If you’ve read my reviews on the first two books, Aiming for Love and Woman of Sunlight, you’ll know I am entertained by these stories even if the sisters are a might strange. However, this final story ties the whole series together in a rather fitting ending.

Ursula has been trapped in solitude all winter and wants, no needs, company. Wax determines to clear his conscience before escaping the area for a new life. Both have past actions they greatly regret. Will they have a chance to begin again or will the past be too much to overcome?

If you plan to read Her Secret Song, definitely read the first two books in the series first or this one won’t make as much sense. Nor will the ending of Her Secret Song be as hilariously wonderful. I would not classify these as stand alone novels even though the romance part of the story is contained within each book. They really do tell a whole sweeping tale of three unusual sisters.

I enjoyed Her Secret Song more than I expected. Woman of Sunlight is still probably my favorite, but the ending of this book makes the whole series worth reading. I’d love to know what you think of it!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

Go back in time to Bucksnort, Colorado one last time to see the Nordegren sisters of Hope Mountain help their men save the Warden family ranch. This is primarily Ursula's story about how she meets "Wax" Mosby, but we definitely get to see her sisters a lot too. If you haven't read the first two books, Aiming for Love (Jo and Dave's story) and Woman of Sunlight (Ilsa and Mitch's story) you really need to do that first as this wraps up things that started in those books.

This is a great Christian fiction/western/romance...exactly what we've come to expect from Mary Connealy! She always gives us lots of adventure and in Her Secret Song there's even a high speed horse chase! This was a beautiful conclusion to the Brides of Hope Mountain,

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I have been looking forward to Ursula’s story, she is the sister who has been the most resistant to leave the security of the mountains and to willingly associate with anyone other than her two sisters. Now that her sisters have married and have a different lifestyle, Ursula has spent a long, lonely harsh winter alone she is ready to overcome her fears and see what life can be like. I have to admit that it took a lot of courage to overcome the fears that were instilled in her since childhood.

Ursula gets more than she bargained for when she finds Wax Mosby who has been injured and needs her help. It was truly touching to see her help a complete stranger since she was so afraid of anyone outside of her family, especially when she took him to her home That’s one of the many things that I have loved throughout this entire series, seeing the three young ladies’ willingness to help those in need.

They are good, kind caring young women who are filled with love but are mistrustful, which has made their journey sweet, laugh out loud funny and a joy to take with them. I adored Ursula’s story and thought it was the perfect ending to a perfect series.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All onions are completely my own.

She's afraid of everything and is falling for a wanted man. Ursula Nordegren decides to leave the mountain and ends up rescuing the enemy of her family, Wax Mosby. Ursula copes with her loneliness by singing, usually a song she makes up from Bible verses, when she saves Wax he believes she is an angel. This is the final book in the Brides of Hope Mountain about the three Nordegren sisters. It is full of humor, romance, adventure, and suspense. The characters are great and I love how they all come back together to fight as one against their enemy.

This is the third book in Mary Connealy's Brides of Hope Mountain trilogy, starring a trio of sisters who have spent years alone, isolated on the top of a mountain with a fear of the outside world. As each sister finds her match and ventures into the wider world, even if that is just the local town of Bucksnort, they encounter danger and are confronted by the fact that their dearly held faith is slightly off kilter.

Ursula's story gets off to an exciting start as she finds a wounded Wax (Jake) Mosby on her mountain. The pairing of Ursula and Wax is another echo, for me, of Connealy's Wild at Heart trilogy, where the oldest sister is paired with a quasi-villain in the final book. And again, this might just be my favorite of the pairings, although Ursula remains the least appealing of the sisters - though I did like her choice to develop a defensive skill to match her younger sisters.

Ursula and Jake's story brings the sisters and their new husbands all together to confront the villains - whose number have increased - of the series, giving each of the couples small scenes that encapsulate their personalities and relationship dynamics. And this, along with Jake's character arc, is where Her Secret Song shines.

A pleasant wrap up to a trilogy that, while enjoyable, leaves me wanting to like it more than I do. For those who enjoy historical fiction filled with faith, humor, cowboys, danger, and over the top heroines with mad hunting skills, this trilogy is best read in order.

This review refers to a digital e-galley I voluntarily read through NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and these are only my own, honest opinions.

I could not wait to get my hands on this book! Her Secret Song was long anticipated and Mary Connealy didn’t let me down. After reading the first book in this series, “Aiming for Love”I fell in love with the world that Connealy created. The Nordegren sisters were so unlike any characters I had met before. Living their whole lives on a mountain and afraid of what might lie below, they lived sheltered lives and only relied on each other. But when strangers invade their little world, they have no choice but to adapt. In this novel we focus on the eldest sister, Ursula. Deathly afraid of disease and the bad things the world below brings, she finds herself isolated in her own little house of stone. Being trapped alone all winter might drive anyone crazy, and most would say Ursula was there to begin with. I loved watching her fight to grow and go beyond what she ever thought possible. When she runs across an injured Wax, their whole interaction is one of a kind. I loved watching them get to know each other, and learn even more about themselves along the way. I couldn’t get enough of their chemistry, and hope to visit Hope Mountain again someday.

This book kept me turning pages way too late into the night. I loved everything about the interactions between the sisters and their respective husbands. I was so excited to see how Ursula would turn out. The battle over the Warden Ranch was a fun one to watch. Each family member is so unique and I can’t imagine how Connealy came up with so much details. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a book unlike any other. I couldn’t guess what could possibly happen next, and enjoyed every moment of it. This book can be read as a stand alone, but I totally recommend you read all three. I have a feeling you will love the sisters just as I do, and you’ll want to know them as much as possible. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and was in no way forced to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Ursula, who was raised by her grandparents isolated in the mountains, has decided to come down the mountain to meet her family when she come face to face with a battered and bruised man, Wax, who needs her help to survive. Wax was injured on his way to make amends to the Warden family, as he has become a Christian and is wanting to start a new life. Tired of her hermit ways, she decides to nurse him back to health. Just as Wax improves, her two sisters with their husbands show up. They insist they must go to the lowlands to protect themselves from killers and thieves bent on taking the Wardens land. Except Ursula has never been off the mountain, and she was told all her life she would die if she left the mountain.

The Wardens are facing two different bad guys that need to be overcome, throw in some hilarious miscommunications and situations between the men and the mountain women, along with an extremely difficult showdown all make for an exciting adventure. Murder and robbery, along with talk of God's love are woven through the story to make it an excellent ending to this wonderful series.

Mary Connealy is a wonderful and gifted writer who uses humor, warm and relatable characters to make stories you can’t put down and you find that you have to read again and again.


Bethany House Publishers, through NetGalley, has provided a complimentary copy of, Her Secret Song, for the purpose of review. I have not been compensated in any other manner. All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required, or influenced, to give anything but an honest appraisal.

This is book three in the Brides of Hope Mountain series. You can read this as a stand alone, however I feel you will get a deeper meaning and not be lost if you read book one "Aiming for Love" and book two "Woman of Sunlight" first. They are all good reads, full of humor, spunk and sparks.
All three books focus on the Nordegren sisters and their unique upbringing. Even though all three books have lots of detail and story line with all three sisters, This book focus' on the oldest Nordegren sister, Ursula.We have met all the characters from book three in the previous two books. I love reconnecting with them and seeing how everything plays out. I have enjoyed this entire series.

Her Secret Song by Mary Connealy. This is about the oldest Nordegren sister, a beautiful blond woman with the voice of an angel. When she finally decides to leave her mountain home and rejoin her family she finds an injured man and takes him back to her home to help him recover. When Spring arrives the Warden family arrives and everyone is ready to save the family ranch. I really liked how they come together and worked to plan and then use each members special talents.
I requested a copy through NetGalley, no review was required. My review is voluntary.

Ursula Nordegren is a woman who can stand on her own. Cabin fever begins to gnaw inside, so she begins to seek comfort in the small town of Bucksnort down from her mountain home. On the way down the mountain trail, Ursula meets a stumbling block in the way of her brave trek, Wax Mosby.

Wax carries his own secrets and wouldn't like them spilled. What ensues is a rollicking reading ride in the pages of this third novel in the Brides of Hope Mountain series.

It can be read as a stand-alone, but treat yourself. Find that hidden bit of chocolate in the pantry, we all have those, the ones the kids or hubby can't partake in and read this book. Then, read the other stories about her younger sisters, Ilsa and Jo. They are full of love and adventure as well.

I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley but was under no obligation to write nor post a review.

Her Secret Song by Mary Connealy was funny, romantic, and a good conclusion to the series. It was also a good reminder for me that God does not want us to live in fear but to trust God instead. The main character, Ursula, struggles with fear so much that she does not even want to live near any other person. Throughout the book she has to learn to trust God and not worry about everything that might happen. Even with such a deep spiritual lesson in the book, the story really is humorous, as only Mrs. Connealy write. I found myself laughing all throughout the story. There are also moments that I found myself worrying for the characters in the books since there are several suspenseful events. This was a fun and satisfying conclusion to the Brides of Hope Mountain series and I really enjoyed it. I recommend it for those who enjoy historical romances with humor and adventure.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Brides of Hope Mountain series by Mary Connealy comes to a close with Ursala’s romance in Her Secret Song.

The eldest Nordegren sister is the one most resistant to experience the world outside of her mountain, but a long, lonely winter leads her to face her fears. On her way to find her sisters, she finds an injured Wax Mosby.

He hasn’t led a blameless life, but his intention of making amends with the Warden family is admirable. He also understands Ursula in a way no one else does.

Connealy brings her usual humor to this story with misunderstandings, mix-ups, and headstrong, capable women to this book. And for those of us who have followed this series, catching up with Jo and Ilsa is icing on the cake.


Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.