Mary Connealy’s Stuck Together

About

Tina Cahill, newly arrived from the East, is determined to get the saloon in Broken Wheel, Texas, closed for good. To that end, she pickets outside the place every afternoon. Unfortunately, so far no one has paid any attention.

Vince Yates earned the nickname “Invincible Vince” because of his reputation for letting absolutely nothing stop him. Not his tyrant of a father. Nor the injuries he suffered in the Civil War. Nor the fact that he is Broken Wheel’s only attorney and sheriff yet has no law degree.

But Vince is about to face his biggest challenge yet: his past has just caught up with him. His father, mother, and the sister he didn’t know he had show up in Broken Wheel without warning. His father is still a schemer. His mother is suffering signs of dementia. And his surprise sister immediately falls for one of Vince’s best friends. Vince has a lot of people to take care of, and Tina doesn’t approve of how he’s handling any of them. But with almost all the other men in town married off, Vince finds himself stuck with feisty Tina over and over again. Of course, Tina is the prettiest woman he’s ever seen, so if he could just get her to give up her causes, he might go ahead and propose. But he’s got one more surprise coming his way: Tina’s picketing at the saloon has revealed a dark secret that could put everyone Vince loves in danger.

Review

Stuck Together picks up pretty much where book two ended. My thoughts:

What I liked:

We learn more about Vince. His past is a bit unique compared to the other men and I enjoyed learning more about him and his family. Particularly, we learn about dementia and the seriousness of it. I found it original that she would tackle this topic and what it looks like (my grandmother has it, so I know!).

The lighthearted tone. You know with a Connealy book that there will be much humor. And the pages turn quickly.

Tina. I’m glad that she wasn’t the usual Connealy heroine who had married or been raised by abusive men. Though, I will say she brings her own insecurities to the table, but for the most part, Tina is just an ordinary heroine.

The romance, in the sense that Connealy never has these lengthy courtships that don’t make sense in Westerns. One thing I really like about her characters is that when they decide to marry they get married. Or they understand that marriage was a big part of survival out West, and I respect that.

Spiritually, I loved the theme of not living in fear and letting it control your future.

What I didn’t like:

The romance was a bit speedy for me. I realize the groundwork was laid in the previous novel, but there was no real work on the part of the hero and heroine to fall in love and to get the other to respond in kind. I could see them getting married, I couldn’t see them falling in love.

The lighthearted tone. Sometimes, everything was so lighthearted, it was hard to take anything seriously. Sometimes, the novel dipped a little in the silly direction, which I didn’t think it had to do.

Overall, if you’ve read and liked other Mary Connealy novels, you will enjoy this one.

Romantic scale: 6.7

**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in any way.**