I love Mary Connealy's book and was excited to read her newest release, A Model of Devotion. I was not disappointed. A fun and entertaining story like I would expect from her. Five stars.

I always enjoy the perfect mixture of comedy, adventure, and romance that Ms. Connealy weaves into her storylines. A Model of Devotion is the final book in Ms. Connealy's Lumbar Baron's Daughters series. A Model of Devotion concludes this adventure-packet, intriguing, and yet implausible-in-real-life series. I enjoyed the completion of the series by giving the final Stiles sister her own book. Throughout all the books of this series some themes I appreciated are the themes of family, faith, courage, and overcoming failure and fears of the past. I appreciated throughout the Lumbar Baron's Daughters series how Ms. Connealy brought to each Stiles sister an unexpected, but appropriate match. I appreciated the strong bond between the sisters, as well as the humorous and realistic squabbles between the girls. I also enjoy the humor that each Stiles sister brings to the books, through their vast intelligence, yet lack of some basic practical skills, such as baking, sewing, or cleaning. I enjoyed greatly the humor and adventure of this book and this entire series. The only negative I took away from this book and this series was the seemingly implausible events in the book as well as a slight lack of character development throughout the book. There seemed to be a focus on more of the plot than on creating characters that were more personal, relatable, or with depth. I did think that the final book of the series did develop Jilly more than the main characters in the previous works. Overall though, I did truly appreciate and enjoy this book. If you are looking for an entertaining read, pick up A Model of Devotion. Happy reading!

Jilly Stiles has vastly different dreams than most women her age. Jilly dreams and has actual printed plans to making a railroad on the side of a mountain. All of the Stiles sisters are intelligent and have varied skills. Jilly has the engineering focus and has the ability to develop the complex plans for huge projects that would make most individuals confused and irritated. Although Jilly puts on a front of strength and confidence, she has deeply rooted fears that make her hesitant to trust anyone else and make her jump at shadows. Jilly and her sisters will inherit their late father's lumbar dynasty when they either marry or turn twenty-five. Jilly is not yet at the age of inheriting, but she is decidedly opposed to marrying. The Stiles sister's evil stepfather had promised each sister in marriage to men of worldly fame, notoriety, and wealth. The man whom had claimed Jilly is decidedly cruel and powerful and is not willing to give Jilly up. Can Jilly be safe while this man is on the loose? Nick Ryder has a loyalty to his former employer's family and is prepared to protect the Stiles women from the many threats against them. Can Nick protect Jilly without stomping on her independence? Can Nick and Jilly get along and keep each other from danger? Can Jilly and Nick learn to trust each other? Read A Model of Devotion to discover the ending of the Lumbar Baron's Daughters series.

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

Mary Connealy brings this good series to a great close here. I loved these girls’ stories. Well, women. Three daughters trying to escape the dastardly clutches of an evil stepfather. And the heroine of this book, Jilly, has even worse to escape from. But she has a good posse on her side. The ending is great. Connealy takes her readers on a wild exciting ride to catch this evil dude. Well done!

My thanks to Bethany House for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion here is my own.

This series, The Lumber Baron’s Daughters by Mary Connealy, has been such a fun one! As soon as I saw Model of Devotion, I had to have it in order to find out what happens. I love that each book in this series picks up right where the previous one left off. In this case, Jilly is finally building the railroad she has set her heart upon building. Nick, her mamma’s fierce bodyguard, extends his protection to Jilly. I love reading about these two stubborn hearts buck what they know to be true. What starts as a marriage of convenience turns into something so sweet. I love how math and science are so prominent in this series. Connealy is such an artist at weaving faith, humor, and romance together to create such captivating tales. The elements of mystery, action, and drama are just enough to keep it interesting but not too heavy. I love the sisterly love, affection, and occasional annoyance that are portrayed so well. I highly recommend this entire series.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I've really enjoyed this series and how each daughter became empowered through her skills and determination, as well as supporting and receiving support through new relationships and love. While their mother was physically abused by their stepfather, Jilly suffered from emotional abuse which has been alluded to in the first two books. We learn how this has influenced her stance on marriage, especially marriage for convenience. Nick has proven himself a devoted protector of his former boss's family, and received their trust in return. He and Jilly make a good team, continuing to build her father's lumber legacy with the latest developments in rail transportation. As sabotage becomes evident, the danger ramps up and all the daughters with their mother unite to fight back against the threat. I appreciated that Nick and Jilly had more time than her sisters to develop a foundation before diving into a deeper relationship, but I think that was necessary given her issues. I was happy to see healing and success with all the members of the family as the series wrapped up.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

A fantastic conclusion to the Lumber Baron's Daughter series. Connealy is always fun to read but these are three of my favorite heroines.

I loved this book and series. The book follows more than the hero and heroine as it wraps up the series. Jolly is such an interesting heroine, trapped in her past and not knowing how to break free even with all her brilliance. And the hero Nick is perfect. I loved him from his first introduction in the first book, and that only grew with this story. A sweet relationship and story.

I really enjoyed this series. I liked how the sisters were there for each other and for their mom. I do have to say though, that Jilly and Nick was my favorite couple. Nick didn't hesitate in earlier books to protect Jilly's mom and he was there for all of them throughout the series.
Carlisle was an excellent villain and I could just see his squinty and evil eyes. He just couldn't give up on Jilly.
I would recommend this book but I think you would want to read the first two books in this series first.

A Model of Devotion is a historical fiction novel written by Mary Connealy. It is book three in the Lumber Baron’s Daughters series. I would not recommend reading this as a standalone book as you would miss too much backstory.

Summary: Jilly Stiles just wants to build things. Her latest project is massive-to build a train system down the mountain and in to town. She has a plan, but devious forces are at work, and her project is thwarted at every turn.

Someone is out for revenge-and it will cost Jilly more than she ever imagined.

My Thoughts: I liked this book. It isn’t quite as good as the first two (which I loved), but it was good. I really enjoyed the strong women characters in these stories, and this book was no exception.

I was rooting for Jilly the entire way, and it was a fun read as she worked to analyze problems, and solve them in a way only she could.

It was a solid read, and I would definitely recommend this series as a whole.

I would like to thank Bethany House for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

A MODEL OF DEVOTION is the third novel in the Lumber Baron’s Daughters series by MARY CONNEALY, and, although it can easily stand alone, I strongly suggest that you read all three books for pure pleasure, and to get to know the characters better.
Jilly is the last Stiles daughter who needs to get married so that Stiles Lumber, started by their father, will belong to the three of them. Like her sisters, Jilly is brilliantly clever and is using her mathematical brain to build a railway line. All three girls have been affected by her mother’s second marriage to the wicked Edgar Beaumont, Jilly more than the others. This has made her afraid of marriage and has given her nightmares.
Nick Ryder has come to their mountain home to protect Margaret Stiles and her feisty daughter, Jilly, from Edgar, and also from Royce Carlisle who is obsessed with Jilly and wants to marry her.
There is a strong Christian message of trusting God and not planning things in one’s own strength running through the book, and also of His protection. Add to this a riveting plot, unforgettable characters, betrayal, bombs, gunshots and all kinds of skulduggery, together with a sweet romance, and you have all you need for a most enjoyable and inspirational read.
I highly recommend A Model of Devotion to anyone who enjoys this genre.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Jilly Stiles is the last unmarried daughter of the Lumber Baron. This is the last book of the series. What a ride it has been! Nick Ryder is the self-appointed body guard of the Lumber Baron's widow and also the perfect husband for Jilly. As they try to get the railroad built from the lumber camp to the nearest town to transport lumber more quickly, their old nemesis' and enemies plot to foil the building process. Lots of action and lots of fun with the 3 sisters and their spouses winning the day!

Mary Connealy is one of my favorite authors and her stories are alway action packed and full of humor. I have a hard time waiting between installments of her series because I'm so excited to see the next part.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

What an amazing end to an amazing trilogy. The end of the Stiles sisters books went out with a tremendous bang. You truly don’t want to miss this one. Can be read as a stand-alone. But much better when you start with book one.

Action packed plot! Mary Connealy does it again! This book never lets the reader rest, and I had a hard time putting this book down. This is the second book in a series, and I read both. I would definitely recommend that the reader read the first book in order to get the full details and appreciation for the plot. If the reader chooses not to read book one, the second book gives a short synopsis of the bad guys intentions and why the Stiles family is running from danger.

This book involves romance, and I would rate it PG. it is suitable for teenage readers. I was given a free copy in exchange for this review.

What an explosive finale to the Lumber Baron's Daughters series! To say I was eager to read this, is a massive understatement! Mary wove quite a story in the first two books of this series, and I HAD to know how it was going to end! It did not disappoint! It's got tons of action, humor and romance all while bringing the bad guys to justice once and for all. Great finale!


I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.