Bethany House Publishers sent me a free copy of Book 1 in Mary Connealy latest series - Trouble in Texas. Continuing on after the Kincaid Brides Series, Swept Away is set in Texas in 1868. Callie Kincaid's older brother Luke is returning home from war only to find that his family's ranch has been stolen and his father killed by as evil man. Callie is with her new life in Colorado, so it's up to Luke to find a way to get his ranch back. Ruthy McNeil is an orphan traveling with a wagon train to California. The family she is with treats her like a slave and wants to marry her off to their son. Ruthy wants a chance at real love like her parents had and a place to call home. When everyone but Ruthy is swept away at a difficult river crossing, she finds herself floating along in unknown territory barely alive when Luke comes to her rescue. Ruthy quickly finds herself hiding out with Luke and his friends as they plot how to save an abused mother with 2 children while seeking justice for Luke's family. Ruthy is used to hard-work but she has never been around men like these that protect women and show the love of God in their everyday actions.
I enjoyed the action in this novel as well as the loyality these man had to each other after being in Andersonville prison together during the war. The characters were strong and believable. I liked the setting and the time period as well. I had read the Kincard Brides Series, so I was familiar with Mary Connealy's style of writing. Even though this is a spin-off from that series, you don't have to read it to understand the characters of this book. Sometimes the first book in a series is slower to start because the author needs to set up the characters for the future novels. Connealy gave a thorough description of Luke's friends that I feel like I know them in person. I look forward to seeing how the plot develops with these characters in Book 2 Fired Up coming out in Sept. 2013.
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