Fire and Ice (Wild at Heart #3) by Mary Connealy

Bailey Wilde is one of the best new ranchers in the West. She's been living disguised as a man for a while, but when Gage Coulter comes to drive her off her homestead, he quickly realizes he's dealing with a woman--a very tough, very intriguing woman at that.

Gage is an honest man, but he didn't make his fortune being weak. He won't break the law, but he'll push as hard as he can within it. Five thousand acres of his best range land is lost to him because Bailey's homestead is located right across the only suitable entrance to a canyon full of lush grass. Gage has to regain access to his land--and he's got to go through Bailey to do it.

Spending a winter alone has a way of making a person crave some human contact. In a moment of weakness, Bailey agrees to a wild plan Gage concocts. Can these two independent, life-toughened homesteaders loosen up enough to earn each other's respect--and maybe find love in
the process?

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I have been reading this series from the very beginning and I really love it.  Fire & Ice is the third book in the series and revolves around Bailey, the oldest and perhaps the most emotionally closed off sister of the three.  

Bailey has been masquerading as a male for years.  She served in the war and saw all the hard, awful things associated with war, death and fighting.  Bailey is harboring much guilt and resentment over one event in particular.  Bailey is used to being strong and independent and when Gage comes along and pushes her, she is ready to fight.

We get glimpses of Gage in the previous book and he comes off pushy and rough.  I love that in this book we get to see that while Gage is pushy and rough, he is also hard working and honest.  The more I got to know Gage, the more I liked him.

Bailey has the biggest character arch, I think.  Her growth emotionally really made her endearing to me.  I loved the learning that Bailey and Gage do together as well.  

We get to see the other sisters in this book for brief moments.  It's like checking in with old friends to see how they are doing.  

As I said in the beginning, I have loved this series.  I'm sad to see it coming to an end but I know Mary Connealy must have something great coming up next and I can't wait to read it!

Content:  Clean.  No swearing or sexual content.  Christian Fiction.

Now & Forever (Wild at Heart #2) by Mary Connealy

Matthew Tucker survives a grizzly attack by jumping over a cliff into a rushing river. Unexpectedly, Shannon Wilde takes the plunge with him. Going through a series of waterfalls and rapids turns into a bonding experience.

By the time they battle their way back to civilization, Shannon has been thoroughly compromised, and only a wedding will do. A mountain man who loves to wander in the wilderness far from other people finds himself hitched to a young woman with a passel of relatives, a homestead, and a flock of sheep to care for.

As they learn to live with each other, strange things begin to happen on Shannon’s land. Someone evil clearly wants to drive them off, but whoever it is apparently didn’t count on Tucker. Trying to scare Matthew Tucker just makes him mad–and trying to hurt the woman he’s falling in love with sets off something even Matthew never expected.

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I love this series.  The first book was so good and I have been anxiously awaiting this next book in the Wild at Heart series.  The series is based on three sisters who are acting as men to homestead following their service as soldiers in the war.  It's such a fun premise.  I love the setting and the characters

The book opens with Matthew Tucker being chased and attacked by a bear.  Shannon tries to save him and they both end up falling over the cliff into a river.  Tucker and Shannon are both engaging and smart characters.  They have a fantastic chemistry.  Shannon is perfect for Tucker.  She is strong and tough but also soft and tender.  Tucker loves her ability to shoot and wield a knife.  :)

Mary Connealy is one of my favorite Christian fiction authors.  She has the ability to write so I can create a movie in my head.  The places and people in this book are so easy to picture.  I love that.  This book is clean and not too heavy in the Christian aspect.  I can't wait to read the next book in the series!  One more sister to go and she just may be the toughest of them all.

My thanks to the publisher, Bethany House, for providing an ARC copy for review.