Tried and True

I can't imagine how difficult it would have been being a woman living in the mid 1800's trying to homestead and find a way to make a living far away from anything resembling a city life. The life of wearing a dress, attending a party or just being cared for is not something that the Wilde sisters have time for living in Aspen Ridge, Idaho. The one thing they all agree on is that they need to keep up their disguises as men in order to make the years that they served in the Civil War count towards the five years needed to claim land out west. Against their better judgement when their older brother, Jimmy was killed, their father pressured the girls to join up as a way of paying respect for his service and to get revenge of the men who killed their brother, even if they didn't want to.

Now to keep up the charade and to honor their father's wishes, each of the girls, Bailey, Shannon and Kylie each utilized their service papers and applied for homesteads to increase the inheritance their father believed Jimmy would have wanted, not caring that the girls were still living a lie. It would have all worked out had Aaron Masterson, not come calling and find Kylie stuck on the roof of her cabin. He believed her lies that she was working alongside her brother on the land, but when he came back to meet, Kyle, he discovered not only her charade but Bailey's and Shannon's as well. He could not in good faith, honor the homestead papers applying their service time, to the length of time required to own the property, when they had lied about getting into the army in the first place. He would need to set things right or he could lose his job. The last thing he wanted to do was lock the Wilde girls up in jail for falsifying the paperwork, even if he didn't agree with the rules.

All Aaron knows is that he has grown quite fond of Kylie Wilde and it is apparent she lacks the skills she needs to continue to eek out a living here for the next five years. She is more than relieved she doesn't have to continue lying to anyone about being a woman, but no matter how much she tries to convince her Pa, he reminds her that she is a disgrace to Jimmy's memory, and she needs to fulfill her time in order to gain the land for the Wilde family. The only problem is that Gage Coulter, a wealthy cattle rancher and land owner has been trying to acquire all the land around his ranch to further expand his withholdings and the land the Kylie has is just what he needs right now. Now he just needs to convince her to sell or he just might need to marry her to get control of it. Life is about to get real interesting in Aspen Springs!

I received Tried and True by Mary Connealy compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I absolutely LOVE anything that Mary Connealy writes and my personal library of her books is steadily growing. I am thrilled that she has launched a new series, Wild at Heart with Tried and True being the first book to debut. I LOVE that Kylie and her sisters attempted to do things that most women wouldn't have, serving in the army during the Civil War, trying to make a go of it living in the west, building their own cabins and living off the land while trying to earn time for the homesteading requirement. It took guts and gumption and all the Wilde sisters employ their talents to make it work, despite their Pa who seems stuck in his own personal grief.

Mary Connealy takes the readers right into the grit of living in the West. You can smell the pine from the woods, feeling the suddenly unexpected thunderstorm all the perfect backdrop to a wonderful heartwarming romance. By far one of my favorite genres to read but not everyone can pull it off so beautifully as Mary does. Her writing style is so rich, you don't want to put this book down for one minute, which I inhaled in a matter of hours. I can't wait to see how it plays out in the next book, even though I have feeling which sisters will wind up with who by the end of this amazing series. We'll have to wait and see. You even get a sneak peek at the next novel Now and Forever coming in June of 2015. To me, that's too long to wait, but what can I do. This one easily ropes a 5 out of 5 stars in my book.

For more information about Tried and True, Mary Connealy or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Tried and True by Mary Connealy

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To read more reviews on Tried and True, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.

Don't miss the first book in Mary Connealy's Wild at Heart series. In Tried & True, Mary is back with her signature humor and heartfelt story-telling.

Mary's celebrating by connecting with readers during a live webcast event and giving away a Kindle HDX.

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle HDX
• Tried & True by Mary Connealy

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 23rd. Winner will be announced at the Tried & True LIVE webcast event on September 23rd. Connect with Mary for an evening of swoon-worthy book chat, fun trivia, laughter, a sneak peek at the next book in the Wild at Heart series, and more! Mary will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, fun prizes, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Tried & True and join Mary and friends on the evening of September 23rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 23rd!