Sweet Clean Suspenseful Frontier Romance

The Accidental Guardian (High Sierra Sweethearts Book 1) by Mary Connealy

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Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

Time Period: 1860s

Location: Sierra Mountains (Nevada)

Romance: Very clean. Light kissing.

Faith: There was some faith sprinkled throughout this book and felt true to life.

Deborah Harkness, her sister, and two children they were watching escape an attack on their wagon train, but they are left stranded. When a stranger rescues them, they cannot get out of the Sierra Mountains before winter sets in. During the long winter, the stranger intrigues Deborah.

Trace Riley lived a hard life. Left on his own in the wilderness as a teenager, he knows the mountains better than anyone. He takes on the mantle of protecting travelers despite the risk to himself. When two women and children need his help, he rises to the occasion and quickly develops feelings for one woman.

As their lives are threatened, Trace protects them and seeks justice.

What I liked about this book:

- I listened to the audio version of the book and really enjoyed the narrator. She made the story come to life.

- The romance that buds between the main characters is sweet and kept my interest.

- The setting and Trace's back story enhanced the overall story line.

Like many of Connealy's books, she delivers the suspense that kept me guessing. She writes a delicate balance of secrets and reveals bits of the secrets at the right time, building the intrigue. I became very invested in the characters and their plight which made this a very satisfying reading.