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Displaying items 21-25 of 31
  1. dlhs8954
    Pennsylvania
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Troubled Thinking
    June 17, 2014
    dlhs8954
    Pennsylvania
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 4
    I really enjoy Mary Connealy's books. I've read the Kincade Brides series and several other trilogies I'll mention at the end. Last year I reviewed Fired Up, and I jumped at the chance to review Stuck Together. Some of Mary's stories are better than others, and I'd say anything she does in full-length trilogy form is worth reading. I've read some of her stand-alone shorter novels, but I find these full length novels are better, because the characters and plot are more fully developed and considered.

    As I mentioned in my last review of Fired Up, I figured Stuck Together would center on Vince Yates and Tina Cahill, and it does. Tina is fellow Regulator-preacher Jonas Cahill's sister. She's small, but she's mighty...a crusader for temperance. In the first chapter, she starts a brawl. It's incredibly funny to read.

    As for Vince, we actually find out more about his past as his family shows up unexpectedly in Broken Wheel. His dad drops off his mother and a half-sister, then promptly leaves. Vince's mom has dementia and the half-sister, Melissa takes care of the wife of her father, but after Melissa and Jonas fall in love, care of Mrs. Yates falls mainly to Tina, and Vince.

    As Vince struggles with his own self-image and his growing love for Tina, he is also called upon to continue being sheriff and lawyer of Broken Wheel, even though he doesn't really like it. We find out that Vince actually had higher education, but didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps.

    Vince has always seemed to me to be the strong, silent type, but he isn't. He just doesn't share a lot. But he is a natural leader, a trait confirmed several times throughout this story.

    Towards the beginning of the book, just after his mother has been dumped on him, he takes a trip from Texas to New Orleans, supposedly to find information on how to treat crazy people, because Lana Bullard escaped from jail. But Tina suspects an ulterior motive when she observes Mrs. Yates' condition.

    Vince and Tina find themselves Stuck Together in taking of Mrs. Yates, and in their hearts. Vince explains it nicely. "I can't believe the time I wasted trying not to end up stuck together with the only single woman left in town."

    Mary Connealy has a knack for writing humor in the midst of very serious situations, and bringing the comic relief that is needed in writing drama.

    I would recommend any of Mary Connealy's books for those who love historical fiction westerns. Her characters are well developed, even as they conceal things from each other. This book ends the Trouble in Texas series. I wonder what she'll come up with next.

    You'll rarely be disappointed with Mary's books. You don't to read any other series of hers in order to enjoy this book. It can also be a stand-alone book, although your understanding of the characters and situations in this story will be enriched if you read the others as well. I have a tendency to sometimes read books out of order. Only rarely do I read all of a series. But I've read most of Mary's books — her Kincade Brides, Sophie's Daughters Trilogy, two other trilogies, Montana Marriages and Gingham Mountain. They're all good.

    I'd rate this 4-1/2 stars. I rarely give five stars out to a book. It has to really blow me away — because I'm such an avid reader. So if I say I really like it, I really do.

    I received this book from the publisher in return for my honest opinion.
  2. Josi
    Baker City, OR
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Lighthearted and Entertaining Wild West Fiction
    June 16, 2014
    Josi
    Baker City, OR
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    This third book in the "Trouble in Texas" series is meant to be a lighthearted and amusing read, with a dash of spiritual profundity thrown in. Knowledge of the characters and the progression of the storyline in books one and two would definitely enhance the reader's enjoyment of this book. Entertainment, rather than accurate historical portrayal, is the primary goal, evidenced by scenes like Tina picketing the small-town saloon and inciting a spontaneous mud-wresting riot in the streets.

    The plot moves along quickly and doesn't lack action, although the unique spiritual theme of this novel is developed through the thought life of Vince, whose anxiety about his mental health and his deliverance from that anxiety, teaches that we must trust every aspect of our future to the Lord.

    If you've read the first two books in the series you would enjoy this one. If books loosely themed on the Wild West are a genre you enjoy, I'd recommend this series to you.

    I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.
  3. kp0719
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Stuck Together
    June 11, 2014
    kp0719
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 3
    Stuck Together is the final book in the Trouble In Texas series by Mary Connealy.

    I have always enjoyed reading Mary Connealy's novels; however, reading Stuck Together proved difficult for me. I was not drawn into the storyline until I was about 100 pages into the book!

    I have not read the first 2 books in this series yet; however, this last book seemed to draw all 3 books together to a final conclusion.
  4. Joline Urban
    western PA
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Stuck Together Book 3 by Mary Connealy
    June 7, 2014
    Joline Urban
    western PA
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    Saturday, June 7, 2014

    Stuck Together Book 3 By Mary Connealy

    The Trouble in Texas series concludes with the story of Vince Yates. The lone Regulator that is still single has fallen into the position of the lawman of Broken Wheel, TX. Raised in Chicago, he had everything money could buy except the love and acceptance from his father. After Andersonville, he returned home to recover, but doesn't want to work with his father and his mother is showing signs of dementia. Now in Texas his friends have all married, and he is thrown together with Jonas's sister Tina who feels it is her duty to make Broken Wheel into a "dry town". She stirs up the men in the saloon and Vince is stuck rescuing her. Just when he thinks nothing can get worse, his parents and step sister show up in town. Before Vince has a chance to convince his father that TX is not the place for them, he finds that his father has left town, and the care of the ladies is dependent on him. He can't help but be attracted to Tina, but caring for his mom is a full time job. Vince has always been invincible but this will put his character to the test.

    I thought Connealy did a great job "tying up loose ends" from the previous 2 books. The characters are all part of the storyline and the reader can see how their lives have been changed when each of the other Regulators has allowed God complete control. Connealy also gives a true depiction of caring for someone with dementia-the constant watch care needed, how to handle the loved one when they don't know you anymore, and the stress and helplessness that the caregiver feels. I enjoyed the time period as well as the humor of the band of brothers from Andersonville. Thanks to Bethany House for providing a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

    Posted by basketballorange301 at 7:23 PM
  5. An Old Fashioned Girl
    Minnesota
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Another fun, witty western
    May 29, 2014
    An Old Fashioned Girl
    Minnesota
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    With a scene fit to rival Support Your Local Sheriff, Mary Connealy opens the final novel of her Trouble in Texas series with a good old fashioned free-for-all, and the story keeps on swinging from there. Vince Yates, lawyer and sheriff, prefers to deal with the usual sorts of trouble - keeping Lana the crazy woman penned up in jail so folks will be safe, sorting out the occasional brawl, and getting his friend's pretty sister Tina out of trouble from her saloon picketing. However, family trouble lands at his doorstep, and suddenly he's stuck with a sister he never knew about and his dementia-suffering mother. His plate is overflowing with a potential Indian war on his hands, an escaped prisoner, and his mother who keeps wandering off. Tina proves quite a help, which is a good thing since she and Vince are constantly ending up stuck together while trying to solve the world's problems.

    Connealy's characteristic humor and turn of phrase again makes for a fun western. Her narration is what really makes the novels, turning what should be just a boring phrase into a punchline that drips with humor. I am always entertained, and Stuck Together is no exception. I liked Vince and Tina's interactions in Fired Up, so I was glad to finally read their story! Sparks flying all over, tender moments, and a good dose of danger to spice things up - makes for a worthwhile, lighthearted read.

    Vince has trouble trusting God with his future; he is sure he will either turn into his father - a violent jerk - or his mother - a crazy person, losing her memory long before her time. So used to being "the invincible" Vince, he fears anything that could take away that strength. Vince's friend Luke hits the nail on the head: "You can't worry about what may happen when you're fifty, Vince. That makes now a nightmare for you. It makes every day of your life something to dread, and that's a terrible way to live. You have to trust God to take care of you. And for a man who's the master at taking care of himself and everyone else, that might be the hardest thing you've ever done." (265) It's hard enough to admit we have problems, let alone give them up to God for Him to handle, but think how much more freely we can live without those burdens!

    The author finishes up the series with a bang. I am glad that Jonas, Tina's brother, is not neglected. When I found out there were only to be three books about a group of four men, I feared something terrible might happen to eliminate Jonas, but it was an irrational fear, thank goodness. He might not get his own book, but his tale is still communicated! A great conclusion to the series!

    Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free e-copy for an honest review; I was not required to make it positive, and all opinions are my own.
Displaying items 21-25 of 31