Mary Connealy’s No Way Up

When Cimarron ranch patriarch Chance Boden is caught in an avalanche, only the quick actions of hired hand Heath Kincaid save him. Before leaving by train to receive treatment to save his leg–and possibly his life–Chance demands that Heath read the patriarch’s will and see its conditions enforced immediately. If Chance’s three bickering adult children, Justin, Sadie, and Cole, don’t live and work at the home for an entire year, ownership of the ranch will pass to a despised distant relative.

Before long, however, Heath discovers that the avalanche may have been intentionally set–and that more danger lurks ominously. Finding his own future–and a desired future with Sadie–locked up in saving the Cimarron Ranch, Heath and the Boden siblings must work together against outside forces that threaten them all.

Review

What I liked:

Ms. Connealy for me is a very entertaining author, but sometimes her stories draw very close to the line of silliness. Fortunately for me, this one was not silly. It managed to maintain her usual humor without losing credibility.

Sadie. She’s not the typical strong heroine of Ms. Connealy and yet, she manages to come off as very strong. She’s right in the midst of things without crossing that line of being a contemporary woman in a historical setting. I liked her. She was kind and thoughtful and yet sometimes very flawed. The complexity of her character made her feel real.

The Bodens. I love family sagas and family dynamics and this book delivers. You have stories in the past that are effecting the present, generational issues, and diverse siblings. It makes for engaging scenes whenever the family does come together.

Heath. He’s a throwback to a previous series and I enjoyed the references to his family. I do wish, he could have been a bit more defined though.

What I didn’t like:

At times, it felt like there were too many storylines. I know that the author was laying the foundation for the next two books that will follow, but I wanted to focus on Sadie and Heath.

Also, the romance seemed to happen really fast. I don’t mind the quick pairing up of couples, but Sadie and Heath’s feelings attached to one another so quickly and I personally wanted to see them really fall in love.

Overall, a very good start to a new series and a fun western!

Romantic Scale: 7.5

**I received a copy from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**