Cassie Griffin’s husband dies, leaving her and her unborn child alone in a hostile territory where a single woman is considered fair game for whoever grabs her first. At the funeral, Cassie finds herself surrounded by a pack of woman-hungry men, and no one cares at all that she’s still reeling from her husband’s death. No one except Red Dawson. He can’t stand by and watch Cassie manhandled and kidnapped by the not-too-sober Wade and his ruthless father. To rescue Cassie, Red marries her on the spot, while the preacher who just performed her husband’s funeral is on hand to conduct the ceremony.
This story captured my interest in the opening, and kept it. Mary Connealy brings the 1875 Montana Territory to life as we follow Cassie’s struggle to get to know the stranger who is now her husband. But Red has the tougher end of the bargain. He’s worked hard to build his ranch with his bare hands, and though Cassie is the prettiest woman he’s ever seen, she’s also the biggest klutz in the Montana Territory. Regardless, he knows he’s falling in love with her. What a shame he sees fear hovering in the lovely eyes she turns on him. How can he win her over – without watching her destroy everything he’s worked for?
Written in Mary Connealy’s trademark style, with leg-slapping humor and heart-tugging realism, Montana Rose is an enjoyable read from cover to cover.