Wildflower Bride (Montana Marriages, #3)

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Wildflower Bride (Montana Marriages #3)

by Mary Connealy (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 376 ratings · 59 reviews

Glowing Sun has never met a man she didn't pull a knife on—including the man who's determined to marry her.

Glowing Sun, a white woman raised by the Flathead Indians, is one of a handful left after the people of her village are slaughtered. When those remaining blame her for bringing on the killing spree, she is forced to leave her tribe.

With a vague memory of her life in t...more

Paperback, 319 pages

Published May 1st 2010 by Barbour Books

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Feb 13, 2012 Paula-O rated it 4 of 5 stars

Montana Marriages series by Mary Connealy book #3 "Wildflower Bride"

I really like this series and book #3 did not disappoint me, this was the story of Wade Sawyer who had always been a disappointment to his father, he just could no nothing right according to the man. He grew up being abused and feeling little love on a ranch after his mother died with his father and lot of cowhands. Wade always dreamed of having courage and strength but knew little of how to get it. He went from bad to worse whe...more Montana Marriages series by Mary Connealy book #3 "Wildflower Bride"

I really like this series and book #3 did not disappoint me, this was the story of Wade Sawyer who had always been a disappointment to his father, he just could no nothing right according to the man. He grew up being abused and feeling little love on a ranch after his mother died with his father and lot of cowhands. Wade always dreamed of having courage and strength but knew little of how to get it. He went from bad to worse when he started drinking and stalking Cassie whom he thought he loved. He finally met Red and made some changes in his life that led him to finding the Lord and living a different life. He left the ranch and his father and lit out on his own. It was on this journey that he met "Glowing Sun".

Glowing Sun was a beautiful young white woman that had been found by indians after her folks died and she was left alone at the tender age of 12. They took her to live with them and raised her with their families. She had almost forgot all about her white heritage by the time she met Wade. The chiefs son wanted to marry her and her life was moving forward in the indian village. She carried a knife and was very very good at pulling it when she needed to.

Wade saved her from couple men who had taken her from her village and then when she didnt want to go back to the white world, Wade took her home to her village. He wanted to find a way for them to be together so he stayed in the wilds himself - reading Bible and coming closer to the God who would give him strength.

After much time Wade awoke to gunfire and knew it came from the indian village so he rode hard and fast to get there to help, upon arriving Glowing Sun was being abducted and he was able to save her once again and this time she went with him to the white world. Wade had had word that his father was dying and wanted him home so because of his faith and knowing he should honor his parents , wade took glowing sun and returned home to help.

This time Glowing Sun had realized her white name had been "Abby" so she left the indian village - after her family there had been killed and would try to live as white woman "Abby". There is much mystery in this story as the men who killed the indians were some mean bad guys who terrorized the little town near Wade's ranch. There was talk of rustlers and murders and Wade and his friends Red and Silas became involved in sorting out all of this mayhem. I enjoyed reading of Silas & Belle, Red & Cassie, Wade & Abby in these 3 books.

Wade and Abby never thought they would ever marry but now we can read the story of how Wade made Abby his Wildflower Bride..(less)

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Dec 08, 2010 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Title: WILDFLOWER BRIDE
Author: Mary Connealy
Publisher: Barbour Books
May 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60260-144-4
Genre: Inspirational/historical romance

Wade Sawyer is a Christian now, and trying to live his life as pleasing to God, not his money and land hungry father. Now Wade had found a woman he can love, blonde, blue-eyed Glowing Sun, a girl who was raised by the Indians and now believes she is one. A girl who doesn’t understand a word of English.

Glowing Sun was raised by the Flathead Indians and is one...more

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Aug 18, 2010 Angie Lippard rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think my other reviews have established the fact that I am a big fan of Mary Connealy mainly because I love her humor!

All of the couples in this book have some really funny moments, not just the main characters. For example, Silas has to constantly repeat Belle's new last name to the townspeople over and over again and Cassie is trying to learn how to be tough and protect herself even though she is a marshmallow. One of my favorite lines in the book is when her little daughter says “Mama scary...more I think my other reviews have established the fact that I am a big fan of Mary Connealy mainly because I love her humor!

All of the couples in this book have some really funny moments, not just the main characters. For example, Silas has to constantly repeat Belle's new last name to the townspeople over and over again and Cassie is trying to learn how to be tough and protect herself even though she is a marshmallow. One of my favorite lines in the book is when her little daughter says “Mama scary.” That just cracks me up! I loved the strong character of Abby juxtaposed against the sweet, submissive character of Cassie.

This book is part of the Montana Marriages series so we see familiar characters resurface in this book, Wildflower Bride. The book is the conclusion of the romance between Glowing Sun, now named Abby, and Wade that was started in The Husband Tree. We also get to see Belle and Silas again (The Husband Tree) and Cassie and Red (Montana Rose).

Hotness Factor: 3 stars Wade - our strong, manly hero - is kinda' scared of his woman. I liked that and it created a lot of physical tension, challenging each other and giving in. For instance “Wade was begging. He was planning on spending the rest of his life begging, because he was planning to spend it with the stubbornest woman he had ever known. He accepted it and looked forward to a lifetime of being overpowered.” That's pretty hot if you ask me! I think Husband Tree by this author was hotter but this is good stuff too!

Series info: 4 stars You don't have to read the other books in the series to understand this book but it is highly recommended that you do. I still love The Husband Tree of all the books in this series but this is good in its own way.

Overall Rating: 3 stars My heart just doesn't beat fast for stories with Indians but Glowing Sun/Abby really came alive for me when she came back to the “civilized” world and interacted with the “white man.” I loved how she was so different in her beliefs. Through her eyes, we see the foolishness of overusing natural resources and the complexity of fighting the land instead of living with it. I started wanting the simplicity of her life instead of the struggle to build bigger and better. I loved the idea of not wasting or consuming more than necessary too. I like this book better than I thought I would because the humor is stronger to me than Montana Rose or Wrangler in Petticoats so I am giving it a higher rating.

Christianity: 4 stars In this book, the main character has not been a good guy most of his adult life. When he was led to Christ by Red Dawson, he changed his ways but it's not been an easy road. He struggles with maturing his faith and walk with Christ. He has to put his faith into action daily in order to live with his father who is an abusive tyrant. This book really helps us see the daily struggle of walking with the Lord.

Summary Plot: Welcome to the wilds of Montana, where humor, romance, and suspense ride the range. Glowing Sun, a white woman raised by the Flathead tribe, has vague memories of her former life, including a name—Abby Lind. When she’s forced to sever all links with her adopted family, Abby wonders if she’ll ever find a home again. Tenderhearted Wade Sawyer, responsible for Abby’s survival during the village massacre, convinces the knife-wielding woman to return with him to the Sawyer Ranch, never realizing danger lurks behind every corner. Can they survive long enough to fall in love? (less)

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Aug 06, 2010 Tina Pinson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having finished Mary Connealy's Wildflower Bride, book #3 in the Montana Marriage Series, I would have to say that Miss Connealy is up to fine writing form.

Wildflower Bride pulls you in from the onset when Wade Sawyer, awakened by gunfire, jumps from bed, grabs his gun, and runs out into the dusk of early morning to rescue Glowing Sun.

Readers familiar with Mary Connealy's stories will remember the main characters for Wildflower Bride, Wade Sawyer and Glowing Sun. Wade was the creep who wanted...more

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May 01, 2010 Linda B rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wade Sawyer is a good and heroic character in this western story. He is a man of faith who has a favorite verse, Psalm 27:1, and he keeps it in his heart. Often he would run just the words in his mind “Who shall I fear?” as a reminder to be brave.

This wasn’t my favorite book of the Montana Marriages series. While I liked the character of Wade, he was about the only person that I cared about. There were just too many unpleasant people in this book. Of course I expected the “bad guys” to be – well...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-historical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 10, 2012 Regina Spiker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: brides, indians, flatheads, ranching, cattle-baron, romance

Mary Connealy writes about feisty, stubborn women, romance, and suspense. Even though I didn't read the first two books in the series, I had no trouble picking this one up and understanding the characters. The feisty woman is Glowing Sun, raised by the Flathead Indians, after her white family died. That same small tribe is almost wiped out after a band of thieves and cattle rustlers invade the village. The romantic lead character, Wade Sawyers, who heard the gunfire and rushed to her aid, has fa...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Zette rated it 2 of 5 stars

After reading the first two books in this series, I was excited to read Wildflower Bride. Unfortunately it was my least favorite. I had a couple of major problems liking the main characters and I also felt that the main focus of the book was the mystery rather than the romance which is fine for others but not my thing. There was much more time spent finding the cattle thieves than spent developing any type of romance between Abby and Wade.

Abby began as a likeable character in The Husband Tree (m...more After reading the first two books in this series, I was excited to read Wildflower Bride. Unfortunately it was my least favorite. I had a couple of major problems liking the main characters and I also felt that the main focus of the book was the mystery rather than the romance which is fine for others but not my thing. There was much more time spent finding the cattle thieves than spent developing any type of romance between Abby and Wade.

Abby began as a likeable character in The Husband Tree (my favorite of the series) but in Wildflower Bride she came across to me as being disrespectful, rude and judgemental. I understand that she was coming from a different culture but I felt that her reactions were not true to that culture either. From what I understand, elders and males are respected in most indian cultures. I don't think she would ever have talked to Wade's father the way she did because of that, not to mention she was a guest in his house. Her disrespect for Gertie was also heartbreaking to me. Although her methods were wrong, Gertie had dedicated her life to caring for and loving Wade in a time when children and women were often abused and had no way of escape. I've always heard that respect is earned not forced and I felt that Abby was trampling over everyone else to get the respect that she felt she deserved because she considered herself a Flathead and not a disgusting white.

In the beginning of the story, Wade was transforming into a strong male character who felt lead by the Lord to go and help his father but by the end was begging and groveling to Abby to try and get her to stay with him promising to leave his Dad and go anywhere with her if she would only marry him. He was well aware that he was begging and decided it was ok with him, "Wade was begging. He was planning on spending the rest of his life begging, because he was planning to spend it with the stubbornest woman he had ever known. He accepted it and looked forward to a lifetime of being overpowered.” What a turnoff for me! I have no problem with the woman being strong (I loved Belle in Husband Tree) but the man has to have enough backbone to at least do what the Lord is leading him to do!

On a more positive note, I really enjoyed how the characters from the other two books in the series were still focused on and we were able to see how they all interacted. They added many light, humorous moments to the story.

I hate to give a bad review but I barely made it through this one. Mary Connealy is a talented writer and I have enjoyed her other books immensely so I am not letting this discourage me from reading the other series. Sometimes a book and reader just don't connect and I feel like that is what happened here.
(less)

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Jun 07, 2010 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, netgalley, romance-christian, romance-historical, romance-western

This is the 3rd book in the Montana Marriages series. Wade Sawyer was first introduced in the first book, Montana Rose, with his obsession over Cassie Dawson. He was the "villain" in that book, but at the end he found God and changed. In the second book, The Husband Tree, Wade is completely reformed and meets Glowing Sun, a white woman living with the Salish since her family died when she was 10. She had been kidnapped and Wade helped her return to her family.

Wade continues with his obsessive w...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Don'tcha just love a good western?" That question just kept running through my head over and over again as I flew through another fun tale by the talented Mary Connealy. There is something about her style that always keeps me coming back for more. Mostly it's her knack of telling a hilarious story, but I usually end up loving the romantic elements and the action pretty equally, too.

But, I must confess...I'm not usually a fan of Indians in fiction. I don't know why that is. I don't have anything...more "Don'tcha just love a good western?" That question just kept running through my head over and over again as I flew through another fun tale by the talented Mary Connealy. There is something about her style that always keeps me coming back for more. Mostly it's her knack of telling a hilarious story, but I usually end up loving the romantic elements and the action pretty equally, too.

But, I must confess...I'm not usually a fan of Indians in fiction. I don't know why that is. I don't have anything against them, but I think it's just a matter of relating with them. Being a city girl and accustomed to living indoors, I can't imagine what it must've been like to live in a tepee 24/7, not to mention moving from place to place to live off the land. I'd die in no less than a week!

But in spite of all that, this tale with it's inclusion of an Indian heroine just had me glued to the pages. I empathized with Abby (initially known as Glowing Sun) after she dealt with the heartache of a massacre of her people by the white man. I understood her reluctance to trust any white man, even one who had shown her nothing but kindness from the first day they met. And I marveled at her ability to take care of herself in any situation. (I lost count of how many times someone met her at knifepoint!) Her relationship with Wade blossomed slowly, but surely, and it fit the story perfectly. Normally, Mary's characters have an instant passion and attraction for one another that has a tendency to take over, but thankfully, that was not the case between Abby and Wade. Each one had their own inner struggles to sort through first before they could begin to fathom a relationship, and I appreciated that Mary delayed the romantic attraction between them just enough to make the story that much more enjoyable.

Now that I've got two series by Mary under my belt, I'm anxious to dive into another one. I've been trying to read her full-length novels in the order of their release, so next up will be the Sophie's Daughters Trilogy beginning with Doctor in Petticoats. I have no doubt it will be another rip-roaring adventure in the west that will be enjoyed thoroughly!(less)

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Jun 14, 2010 Amber Stokes rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book certainly delivers on "humor, romance, and suspense," as Barbour Publishing's description suggests! Connealy's word choice, her descriptions of the characters, and the crazy situations they find themselves in are very clever, and many of the lines are laugh-out-loud worthy. I enjoyed reading this book!

There were a couple of aspects of the book that bothered me a little, though. While there was certainly a realistic element to the story with Wade's father's temper and anger, I felt that...more

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Jun 28, 2010 Myra Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: inspy-romance-historical

Mary Connealy has outdone herself again! Her characters quickly steal into your heart, sometimes with laughter, sometimes with sorrow, always with the perfect blend of whimsy and rock-solid truth.

In WILDFLOWER BRIDE Mary brings unlikely hero Wade Sawyer full circle. In the first book of this series, MONTANA ROSE, Wade was the "villain," a victim of his father's abuse and trying to prove himself as a man. By book two, THE HUSBAND TREE, Wade has found the Lord and is becoming the man he longs to b...more

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May 14, 2010 Cherie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had some difficulty before finally finishing this book. I found all too easy to put down. I think part of it it was because I did not care for the main characters. I found it difficult to relate to the heroine and to some of the other female characters. Wade's father was also especially difficult to stomach. I can well understand why Wade found it difficult to return to the ranch to help him out. I found Glowing Sun or Abby as she was also known as a bit abrasive and judgmental. The bad guys w...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Melissa rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance

I had read one of Mary Connealy's works before and really liked it. Sadly, this one did not charm me in the least. There were a lot of poor elements to this book that left me not liking the characters, plot, or really just about anything.

Wade Sawyer has been camping out in an old cabin one winter and ventures out straight into the aftermath of a massacre. Not everyone is dead however, Glowing Sun, a white woman who has been raised by the tribe is still alive and driving off her attacker. When Wa...more I had read one of Mary Connealy's works before and really liked it. Sadly, this one did not charm me in the least. There were a lot of poor elements to this book that left me not liking the characters, plot, or really just about anything.

Wade Sawyer has been camping out in an old cabin one winter and ventures out straight into the aftermath of a massacre. Not everyone is dead however, Glowing Sun, a white woman who has been raised by the tribe is still alive and driving off her attacker. When Wade saves her, she agrees to come with him back to his father's house who has recently become paralyzed. There, Wade struggles with his difficult father, lazy wranglers who haven't been doing their job, and someone who's out to kill he and Abby (Glowing Sun). But he also is falling in love with her and she's ready to kill anything that twitches an eye wrong.

The characters were completely out of whack in this book. None of them had truthful motivations. Wade who supposedly had a harsher past and dealings with his father was too saintly; when he wasn't trying to control Abby yet saying he didn't want to control her. Abby was my most liked character but even she, wild as she was, acquiesced to everything pretty easily and then does a complete turn around in mind set towards the end. I just didn't see the attraction the two held for each other. The side characters were actually better than the main characters in this instance.

There was a lot wrong with the plot, so much so that there will probably be some spoilers for the book in this paragraph, so reader beware. My first problem was the fact that an entire Native American tribe could be massacred by four somewhat bungling outlaws. Just doesn't seem realistic. There also was the notion that instead of going to the tribe for help along with the injured like they planned, they just go somewhere else instead when another plot instance happens and never trouble themselves about the situation again. This continues throughout the story with unlikely things happening at inconvenient times just for the sake of the plot. Another big alarm for me was the cavalier treatment of past abusive and current abusive situations. I'm pretty sensitive to things surrounding abuse right now which could account for my disgust of the way the book made it seem like you could just preach God at the abusers and they'd see the light, but I really thing that Connealy did not handle it well. She tries to say that showing the right way through God is all that is needed to change an abuser and that staying in the situation and trying to change it is best. Which segways me into the fact that this was a Christian fiction book and it was overly preachy and not very naturally Incorporated into the book. It was more of the characters announcing they were Christian rather than showing.

The more I think about the book the more I dislike it. I'll probably return to some of her other works. But this one just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Wildflower Bride
Copyright 2010
318 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2011

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com .(less)

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May 21, 2010 Wendi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Wade Sawyer once again helps Glowing Sun evade capture, and is horrified to find that her people have been massacred. When she is subsequently banished by her adoptive Flathead Indian family, Glowing Sun (formerly Abby) reluctantly accepts Wade’s plea to accompany him home, summoned by his dying tyrant of a father, Mort. Only a sense of God-mandated duty convicts Wade enough to reestablish his fathers floundering ranch instead of hightailing it back into the mountains.

In the meantime, the four o...more

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Aug 08, 2010 Catherine Richmond added it

While holing up in the mountains, Wade Sawyer rescues Glowing Sun from the desperadoes who massacre her village. Wade hears his dad is serious ill and returns to the ranch. Glowing Sun remembers her birth name was Abby Linscott, finds her older brother, and takes a job at the Sawyer ranch. Her forcefulness gets Mort Sawyer moving again. But, wait - those bandits are still on the loose!
A lot of romance, suspense, spiritual growth, and Mary Connealy humor are packed into 318 pages. What fun to vis...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Sadie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2010, books-i-own

I won a copy of this book through the goodreads first reads program and I haven't read the first two books in the Montana Marriage Series so I'm not sure if that matters at all. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

I appreciated that the three primary female characters were all strong women (or emerging strong women). However, I had a hard time remembering that this book was supposedly set in the late 1800s. Something about the characters, their speech, and their relation to one another just didn...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Tressa (Tressa's Wishful Endings) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian

Mary Connealy is one of my favorite Christian Romance writers. I enjoyed reading this one. I thought there were some things that could have been developed better, but overall a good read.

Wade left his home a few years back when he knew he was never going to be accepted by his abusive father. He has changed his life around during that time and fallen in love (although Glowing Sun is unaware of the full extent of his affections). When circumstances leave Glowing Sun without a home and Wade is call...more

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May 20, 2012 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved Abby, the heroine. She's a strong feisty character, that doesn't want to belong to any man. She's a white woman who was taken in by indians as a child and raised in their customs. When her band of the tribe is wiped out except for her and one other woman, the other woman accuses Abby of bringing this horror down on their village. Abby is left adrift with no where to go. She is no longer welcomed by her tribe and she doesn't feel she belongs in the white world either. Very well written wi...more

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May 10, 2010 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This latest book in the Montana Marriages series is the best of both worlds: another great hero/heroine combination and a return of characters from the previous titles. I picked up this book, the third in the series, first because of the premise. A white woman named Abby, raised by a Native American tribe loses all her family in a horrible massacre, is saved by the hero, and spends the rest of the book trying to figure out if she lives in her hero's world. Her gumption, determination, and temper...more

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Jun 21, 2010 Sherrinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this was one of Mary's deeper books. It dealt with more serious issues than her previous ones, issues such as parental abuse and racial outrage (against the people who slaughtered Glowing Sun's tribe).

Mary takes a reformed villain and as he woos his love, Glowing Sun, he deals with the baggage of his past and becomes a man his father can respect. Glowing Sun learns to trust and keep that knife of hers tucked away, while falling in love with a white man worthy of honor. :)

Another great...more

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May 19, 2010 Juju (Tales of Whimsy.com) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Despite my love and admiration for books 1 and 2 in the Montana Marriages series (Montana Rose and The Husband Tree), this one did not win me over. Abby drove me crazy. However, I did love the way Mary Connealy brought back all the characters from books 1 and 2 (fans of Montana Rose are in for a treat) and Wade. Wade is a beautiful flawed complex character that is introduced in book one, evolves in book 2, and comes full circle in book 3. Mary continuously surprised and impressed me with Wade. I...more

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Sep 20, 2010 Deana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Deana by: Deanawat@comcast.net

Shelves: review-done

Another wild Montana ride is in this 3rd and last book of Montana Marriages. It picks up about a year or so after Montana Rose ended. We still have our Divide, Montana territory community of Belle and Silas Tanner..I mean, Harden, and Cassie and Red Dawson and, now, Wade and Glowing Sun (Abby) Sawyer. Just to give you an idea how funny this series of books is, take a look at what Belle Tanner (a Calamity Jane type) is saying to Cassie Dawson (the extremely sheltered china doll type):

“We’ll work...more

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Jun 26, 2010 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars

So I started reading this book and from the very beginning I can tell you this is a hard read for me. I don't have that compelling feeling to finish in one shot, like I can't put it down. I've picked it up read three chapters and back down. The chapters read very quickly it's just not the book I typically buy.

So far the story is about a man who is estranged from his father and lives as a wild man on his own basically and lives to see this white woman raised by indians. kind of a last of the moh...more So I started reading this book and from the very beginning I can tell you this is a hard read for me. I don't have that compelling feeling to finish in one shot, like I can't put it down. I've picked it up read three chapters and back down. The chapters read very quickly it's just not the book I typically buy.

So far the story is about a man who is estranged from his father and lives as a wild man on his own basically and lives to see this white woman raised by indians. kind of a last of the mohicans but w a girl kind of thing. He's totally in love w her and taught her English. Her whole tribe is slaughtered by these horrible men who think there is gold in the land. This man and this white indian woman's lives are intertwined more than they realize.

I've read half the book. I'm hoping the second half is a more compelling read
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Update as of June 7 2010

The book definitely gets better as you read more of it. I've had some things pop up and haven't been able to read much which is why it's taking me so long. However I am now 3/4 of the way through the book and will update and give a full review when i'm done.
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Update as of June 10, 2010
FULL REVIEW
Wildflower Bride (#3 in the series of Montana Marriages) has the themes of romance, the old west and faith all throughout the book. You are introduced to this deeply religious cowboy who has run away from his abusive father to live his own life and has found God. He falls in love with this white woman who was raised by Indians. Her people are murdered and they find common ground in many things. They both have a love for religion and the west. They realize that more than ever they can rely on eachother and have a lot in common. I would label this a pretty good western romance with a faith theme. The first couple chapters were a little slow going but once Wade (the cowboy) and Abby (the white indian girl) go back to visit Wade's father who has been pushed off a horse by horrible men who supposedly are loyal to him and work for him....the book moves much faster and is far more interesting. (less)

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Jun 26, 2010 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, own

I recently won this book in a giveaway. It is the third in a series called Montana Marriages, but it can be read by itself, without previously reading the other two books.

Wildflower Bride is considered Christian fiction, and I have to say, it was a much better read than the last Christian fiction book, (title and author will remain nameless), I won on Goodreads. The characters in this book were much more believeable.

Glowing Sun is a white woman raised by a Flathead Tribe. She has very few memori...more

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Aug 30, 2010 Molly added it Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Molly by: Barbour Books

Shelves: book-review

The conclusion to this fabulously hilarious cowboy series is the best one yet! Now don't misunderstand me-I LOVED the first two books, but this one just had me laughing out loud more often, until I couldn't stand it! Wow! Now THAT is awesome writing. Mary Connealy is known for her wonderful cowboy series and her laugh out loud antics she throws in to them, and there is good reason,too! Not only can she make your sides hurt from laughter, she uses such detail that the stories come to life in fron...more

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May 04, 2010 Renee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-christian-fiction

Mary Connealy is one of my favorite Christian fiction authors, hands down. She always combines humor with hunky heroes and feisty heroines to weave a romance that will make you sigh and Wildflower Bride is no exception. It is a wonderful conclusion to the Montana Marriages series.

In Wildflower Bride we meet Wade Sawyer, the reformed bad boy with a kind heart and Abby Linscott, the tenacious heroine who was raised by Flathead Indians. When they both get together and Abby agrees to stay at the hom...more

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Apr 22, 2010 Chelsea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Glowing Sun, or Abby, has lived with the Salish tribe longer than she ever lived with her white father's family. When her tribe is attacked and slaughtered, she is rescued by the one man she didn't think she would see ever again. Despite the tragic events which brought them together again, Wade Sawyer is thrilled to have Abby in his sights once more. But he has to reconcile with his dying father first. And throughout it all, he and Abby will have to learn to see each other for who they really ar...more Glowing Sun, or Abby, has lived with the Salish tribe longer than she ever lived with her white father's family. When her tribe is attacked and slaughtered, she is rescued by the one man she didn't think she would see ever again. Despite the tragic events which brought them together again, Wade Sawyer is thrilled to have Abby in his sights once more. But he has to reconcile with his dying father first. And throughout it all, he and Abby will have to learn to see each other for who they really are, as well as deal with their growing attraction for each other.

Wildflower Bride opened with a brutal scene that sucked the air right out of my lungs. There is a lot of clash between the historical white and Native American cultures in this book, and it shows that Mary Connealy spent a lot of time researching before writing. The feelings Abby has towards the people she meets are strong and often lead to very dramatic scenes. I have also mentioned before how well Connealy writes her villains. She rounds out their characters so their intentions and motivations are deep, however flawed and tragic they may be. Her descriptions are light but thorough, so that I can almost smells the fields of flowers and feel the dirt settle into my clothes. I never fail to get fully lost in her books, the real world around me disappearing as long as my nose is stuck between the pages.

One last thing to mention about the Montana Marriages series is that I feel Mary Connealy truly understands how to create characters, families, and settings that the reader can really immerse themselves into. This three-book series manages to feel like it could go on forever, that the reader has known the characters for a lot longer. Often in trilogies like these, each book is about another couple, and while it is nice to have different stories, I do enjoy the fact that Connealy kept all of her lead couples involved till the end. Seeing Cassie and Red Dawson interact with Silas and Belle as established couples was such a joy!

As much as I have really enjoyed this trilogy, I am SO looking forward to Doctor in Petticoats, up next from Mary Connealy!(less)

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May 16, 2010 Sherri *Mistress of Laundry* rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, american-historical, inspirational-romance, western-romance, heroine-i-loved

I love Mary Connealy's books but this one was a bit of a disappointment for me. Not because of the storyline or the writing, which as usual, is always fabulous and innovative and entertaining, but just a personal dislike.

We first met Glowing Sun, or Abby as she is now known as, in the last book. In this book, Wade (our hero) has been living in the wilderness in a small shack all winter, surreptitiously watching over Glowing Sun as she lives with her Salish (Flathead) tribe. One morning he hears...more I love Mary Connealy's books but this one was a bit of a disappointment for me. Not because of the storyline or the writing, which as usual, is always fabulous and innovative and entertaining, but just a personal dislike.

We first met Glowing Sun, or Abby as she is now known as, in the last book. In this book, Wade (our hero) has been living in the wilderness in a small shack all winter, surreptitiously watching over Glowing Sun as she lives with her Salish (Flathead) tribe. One morning he hears gunfire and races to her tribe's encampment only to find a massacre has taken place. Glowing Sun, a small boy and Glowing Sun's future mother in law are the only survivors. As Wade tries to help them, her MIL decides she (Glowing Sun) is no longer Salish and banishes her. Glowing Sun is hurt but understands and leaves with Wade, now calling herself Abby. She agrees to travel with Wade back to his father's house, Wade having found out his father is badly injured and may die.

I really liked the character of Abby. She was rescued by the Salish when she was 8, her parents having died from an illness. She barely remembers them and had fully embraced the Salish way of life. To be thrust into an unknown world feeling that nobody wants you has to be an awful feeling. Abby deals with it using bravado and anger. She is quick to pull a knife on almost every man in the book and while humorous at times, to me also showed a vulnerability. She was determined to take care of herself and be beholden to no man.

My main problem with the book was with Wade. I am not, nor ever have been, a fan of the beta male. Wade is very much a beta male, even though he would like to be an alpha, even though at time she shows the potential for being an alpha male. Unlike Silas, from The Husband Tree, Wade seems to be content to let Abby call the shots to keep her happy and with him. I'm not saying he should have been a tyrant or mean to Abby, but it almost seemed a few times that Abby was the one making decisions for the both of them, instead of Wade. For the time period and the genre, it just seems as if Wade should have been a little more manly than he was.

I also found Red Dawson to be a little condescending in this book to his wife Cassie. Not enough for me to dislike him, but I didn't find it necessary.

All in all I would rate it 3.5 stars. Terrific writing, a good story and likable characters.

(less)

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Apr 20, 2010 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Margaret by: Angie Brillhart

Shelves: barbour-books, historical, christianfiction

As the third book in the Montana Marriages series, "Wildflower Bride" brings another comedic romance off the pages an into the imagination of readers. Although starting the novel knowing that this was a story of a character that I despised in the beginning of the series it was amazing how author Mary Connealy was able to bring a character's personality into favor for me. The first two books in this series are my favorite from Mary so far. I cannot wait for future stories!

Wade Sawyer, a man chan...more

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About Mary Connealy

I wrote my first book when I was about twelve. A romance novel. I shudder to think what a twelve year old could know about romance. I have no idea what happened to the manuscript. I suppose my mother found it, and burned it while screaming in horror, but I’ve always been afraid to ask. Was it a hundred pages? Two? I have no idea, but I seem to remember just writing FOREVER! So I’m guessing two pag...more I wrote my first book when I was about twelve. A romance novel. I shudder to think what a twelve year old could know about romance. I have no idea what happened to the manuscript. I suppose my mother found it, and burned it while screaming in horror, but I’ve always been afraid to ask. Was it a hundred pages? Two? I have no idea, but I seem to remember just writing FOREVER! So I’m guessing two pages long at least.

As a new bride I marched straight out of journalism school and into the kitchen, I did a lot of scribbling. I still have those heartbreaking works of staggering genius, Ode to Roast Beef, things like that, all born out of the ‘Write What You Know’ school of literature.

I began writing more seriously when my baby went to kindergarten. Not writing well of course, but just putting words on paper. No one does anything well the first time. I’m sure Babe Ruth missed the first ball pitched to him. I’m sure Picasso smeared pages with paint-y fingers when he was a kid—as I remember he went back to that later in life. I’m sure Beethoven played the eighteenth century version of Chopsticks before went for the sonatas.

My writing journey is similar to a lot of others. Boil it down to persistence, oh, go ahead and call it stubbornness. I just kept typing away. I think the reason I did it was because I’m more or less a dunce around people—prone to sit silently when I really ought to speak up(or far worse, speak up when I ought to sit silently).

So, I have all these things, I want to say, in my head; the perfect zinger to the rude cashier, which you think of an hour after you’ve left the store, the perfect bit of wisdom when someone needs help, which doesn’t occur to you until they solve their problems themselves, the perfect guilt trip for the kids, which you don’t say because you’re not an idiot. I keep all this wit to myself, much to the relief of all who know me, and then I write all my great ideas into books. It’s therapeutic if nothing else, and more affordable than a psychiatrist.

So then a very nice, oh so nice publishing company like Barbour Heartsong comes along and says, “Hey, we’ll pay you money for this 45,000 word therapy session.” That’s as sweet as it gets.

My journey to publication is the same as everyone’s except for a few geniuses out there who make it hard for all of us. And even they probably have an Ode to Roast Beef or two in their past.(less)

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Doctor in Petticoats (Sophie's Daughters, #1)

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Wildflower Bride (Montana Marriages #3)

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