This series, specifically this second book, have everything you want/need in a good love story: humor, breathless romantic tension, sweet tender moments, a bit of action, good plot points and great characters. The only problem I have with the series is the moments that require me to suddenly suspend belief and remember that I'm reading a fictional novel. Inner conflicts are instantly resolved with little to no explanation. Minor characters fall in love in a matter of a couple of days. It was enough to prove distracting at times as I went along but overall - i love these books and can't wait to start on the last one in the trilogy tonight! ( )

christian fiction

I fell in love with Belle's character in Montana Rose, the first book in the Montana Marriages series. She was a strong, stubborn woman who had no affection for the men in her life. She had married three worthless husbands; each one was either unfaithful, abusive, or lazy (or in some cases, all of the above). As each one died, she buried him beneath the "husband tree." (I love how she uses the word "plants" instead of "buries." It's hilarious when she talks about planting her worthless husbands. Belle insists the only thing her good-for-nothing husbands gave her was her daughters--3 of the hardest-working, beautiful girls in Montana and one sweet baby girl.

When this story begins, Belle has just "planted" Anthony and now must begin a cattle drive before the winter sets in. She and her girls are able to do most of the work, but she really needs a few extra hands. Few men are willing to sign on to help a woman on a cattle drive, but she finds a helpful hand in Silas Harden, a drifter who happens to be in the right place at the right time. They are perfect for each other, since neither is interested in marriage. You can probably guess the basic story, but rest assured that there are plenty of interesting turns along the way. Silas does indeed prove himself worthy of Belle and her girls, but the journey to that point is both tender and hilarious.

Wade plays a minor role as well, setting up the events that will take place in the third installment. He rustles up a few extra hands to help Belle, and along the way he becomes entangled with a beautiful young woman who has been raised by American Indians.

This series just gets better and better. I can't wait to read book 3! ( )

Mary Connealy does such a good job of writing lighthearted romantic and fun stories. I always come away feeling refreshed from reading one of her books.
This story is about Belle Tanner, a hard working woman, who has married and buried 3 lousy husbands and has no intention of marrying again! She has 4 daughters who can handle the ranch as good as any man and who are out to make sure their mother doesn't marry a no-good lazy husband again.
The problem; Belle has to take 1,000 head of cattle to market and she and her girls can't do it alone, so she needs to find some cowpokes. This is where Silas Harden comes into the picture. He has been twiced burned by women and has no desire whatsoever to get involved with them again. But he needs work so signs up for the cattle drive (not realizing the other workers on this drive are Belle and her daughters!) Belle soon learns she needs and can trust Silas and Silas soon learns he needs and wants to protect Belle and her daughters from danger.
The way these two argue, fight and solve their disputes is always fun to read. The trials on the trail and the adventures will make you want to keep reading until the book is done, and then wishing is wasn't.
There is another story going on in this book with a captured Shoshone woman, who is white, and the cowhand, Wade, who wants to rescue her if only she would let him. This story I believe will be the focus of book #3. ( )

Bright flashes of humor sparkle throughout this tale of frontier Montana. Belle Tanner and her four daughters have been let down by men again and again. They are courageous, hard-working ranchers who have learned never to trust men. Silas Harden is a hard-working man who has carved out two ranches in his lifetime and lost both through no fault of his own. He has been surrounded by women all his life and has been let down or betrayed repeatedly. He plans to marry--NEVER.

The Tanner family and Silas are brought together by Belle's desperate last-minute cattle drive over mountains to Helena in a race against winter. Hardship on the trail give this deserving, hard-working man and woman a chance to build trust and develop a relationship that will hold true for a lifetime.

This book was enjoyable. It started out with strong humorous telling of the pathos of Belle's life with her former no-good husbands and Silas's attempted entrapment by a southwestern lady that ends up costing him the ranch he had spent 15 years buidling. The story was well developed, except the side story of Wade and Glowing Star was left dangling. They are the subject of the next novel, but I was never clear why they were included in this novel. I liked the book. ( )