Review: Fired Up by Mary Connealy
Dare Riker is a doctor who saves lives, but someone seems determined to end his. It may have something to do with the traitors he dealt with during the Civil War, or it might be related to the recent incident with Flint Greer and the ranch. Whoever the culprit is, he or she seems really fired up, and Dare can’t let his guard down for a moment, which is a challenge, since right now he’s trying to win the heart of the recently widowed Glynna.
Glynna Greer came west as a mail-order bride and ended up in a bad situation. Now her husband, Flint, is dead, and she’s determined to care for her son and daughter on her own. She wants to believe Dare Riker is as decent as he seems, but she’s terrified to lock herself into another marriage. She plans to support her small family by opening a diner–never mind that cooking is not her greatest talent. The men in Broken Wheel, Texas, are so desperate for home cooking that they seem willing to overlook dried-out beef and blackened biscuits.
Glynna can’t help but notice that danger follows Dare wherever he goes. There’s the avalanche. And then the fire. But things really get out of hand when someone plunges a knife from Glynna’s diner into Dare’s back. Are Flint’s cronies still plotting revenge? Is Glynna’s son engaged in a misguided attempt to protect his mother? Is a shadowy outsider still enraged over past injustices? And can Dare survive long enough to convince Glynna to take another chance on love?
It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I love Mary Connealy’s books. Even the 5th graders I subbed today know this [as we discussed favorite books and I finally had to settle on a favorite author, but as much as I love Mary, that was a very difficult decision as well].
Fired Up is no exception to my Mary-love. Dare is a doctor with little training and no formal schooling. Glynna is a cook who burns everything she touches. Her cooking will send all of the men to the doctor, but none can help visiting the pretty not-really-a-cook on a daily basis.
As always in Mary-fic, there’s lots of gunfights and even knives get in on the action this go round.
Glynna was married to two awful men and she’s not about to get tied down again – especially not with her son’s distrust of any man. Dare does his best to prove to both of them some men – most men – will do anything in their power [and beyond] to protect the women in their lives rather than abuse them senselessly.
With his Regulator friends assisting them, Glynna and Dare find out who’s trying to kill him while book 3 is set up with one of the other buddies – and the sister of the fourth ;).
As always, Mary doesn’t disappoint – except in the time between releases.
Overall rating: 9 out of 10 stars