What do you think?
Rate this book
Sophie's Daughters #3
Sharpshooter in Petticoats
Aim for hours of reading pleasure with award-winning author Mary Connealy’s last book in the Sophie’s Daughters series. Mandy Gray, a wealthy sharpshooting widow, is content living in her mountain home and raising her young-uns alone. But how long can she protect herself when thieving outlaws have her surrounded? Rancher Tom Linscott can’t bear to see a defenseless woman in danger. Yet his rescue efforts end up bringing trouble right to her door. Now that they’re both trapped on Mandy’s Mountain, can they learn to live together—or will they die alone?
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Mary Connealy
115 books2,574 followersMary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys always with a strong suspense thread. She is a two time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader's Choice finalist.
She is the bestselling author of 65 books and novellas.
Her most recent three book series are: Braced for Love, A Man with a Past and Love on the Range for Bethany House Publishing. She’s also written four other series for Barbour Publishing and many novellas and several stand-alone books for multiple publishers.
Mary will be a published author for ten years in 2017 with nearly a million books in print. She has a degree in broadcast communications with an emphasis in journalism and has worked at her local newspaper.
Find Mary online at:
Seekerville
Petticoats & Pistols
My Website
She is the bestselling author of 65 books and novellas.
Her most recent three book series are: Braced for Love, A Man with a Past and Love on the Range for Bethany House Publishing. She’s also written four other series for Barbour Publishing and many novellas and several stand-alone books for multiple publishers.
Mary will be a published author for ten years in 2017 with nearly a million books in print. She has a degree in broadcast communications with an emphasis in journalism and has worked at her local newspaper.
Find Mary online at:
Seekerville
Petticoats & Pistols
My Website
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
November 8, 2019
With this novel, set in Montana like the preceding one, Connealy brings her saga of the fortunes of the three oldest McClellan daughters to a satisfying close. This time, the focus will be solidly on the eldest, Mandy McClellan Gray, whose story has also been a major strand in the two novels featuring her sisters. This review won't contain any spoilers for the plot here, but readers should be warned that it presupposes a knowledge of the previous two books, and will give away some plot details of those. (The trilogy is definitely best read in order, and I'm assuming that most readers interested in this review will have already read the other books, if they're going to.)
Our story here opens in August, 1884, about two years after the events of Wrangler in Petticoats. We find that significant changes have taken place in the interval; and since the author brings us into the action en media res, it takes awhile to get up to speed. To summarize, though, Mandy's worthless husband Sidney --okay, financially he was worth quite a bit, since a gold strike had made him wealthy, but he was pretty worthless as a husband and a person-- has been murdered some time ago by the outlaw Cooter brothers, Cord and Fergus, whom we met in the second book. A Cooter was killed in the fighting with Sidney's guards, and the two brothers have enlisted a number of the shadier members of their clan to join them in a blood feud with the surviving Grays: Mandy and her three small kids. She's pretty much besieged in Gray Tower, her late husband's isolated mountain mansion; but since the place is an inaccessible natural fortress and she has the protection of the local Shoshone Indians, they haven't tried frontal assault. They'd like to get their hands on Sidney's gold mine (and so would Mandy!), but he never divulged where it was, and the enigmatic directions he left are tied to a seasonal celestial star pattern. Mandy's cut herself totally off from her close-knit family and friends to prevent them from being hurt or killed. But now, bachelor rancher Tom Linscott, who's carried a torch for Mandy ever since they met in the first book, is climbing a cliff face to invade her fortress (remember, "inaccessible" :-) ), resolved to insist she come home with him to his protection, and not about to take "no" for an answer.
Tom's definitely an "alpha male" type (his sister describes him with the adjectives "stubborn, know-it-all"), and he has the common 19th-century cultural idea that the male should be the head of the house; but he's also in love with an alpha female, who's actually even more combat-capable than he is, and he has enough decency and common sense to recognize and accept this, and to realize that he can't expect to boss her around like a dictator. He's prepared to insist on his own way in rare extreme cases where it's in Mandy's best interests for him to insist --but even there, he knows he'll only get compliance if she basically wants to comply; and in practice he's willing to be more of a partner than a boss. For her part, Mandy has a challenge to grow enough to realize that it's not weakness to let someone who loves you share your danger and fight beside you to protect you. She also comes to realize that it's easier to accept leadership (which she also theoretically believes belongs to the husband; she grew up in the same culture Tom did) from someone when you respect him --but that respect has to be earned, and it can't be earned by somebody who, like Sidney, expects you to suppress your own identity and needs just to fit his wants. These kinds of attitudes tend to be modeled in most of the marriage relationships in this novel, and in the trilogy generally; the wives aren't doormats and not blindly "inclined toward obedience" for its own sake, and (like Tom) they'll insist on their own way when they know that it's best in the situation, and that deep down their husbands know it is too. Whether they (and Connealy) formally incorporate it in their theology or not, they embody the practice of equalitarian "mutual subjection" in marriage; and that's a good message for a novel by an evangelical author.
Questions about the use of defensive violence and lethal force in a very flawed and dangerous world are also a significant theme here more than in the other two novels (though it came up in the second one --which has more actual violence than this one does). All of the adult McClellans are proficient with guns, and use them for hunting and dealing with wolves that prey on livestock, as well as occasionally for defense against other people. But Mandy's always been the fastest and most accurate shot with a rifle of any of the siblings in the family, with a skill that's almost preternatural; and she has a calm, icy cold collectedness in a crisis that stands her in good stead, but which scares her. Raised as a (more than nominal) Christian, like all of her family, she's well read in the KIng James Bible (in the 19th-century, virtually the only Bible Protestants had), and its dictum "Thou shalt not kill" tortures her with guilt, since she actually did kill a Cooter in self-defense on one occasion after Sidney's death. ("Thou shalt not murder" is a more accurate translation; but like most Western women, Mandy isn't a Hebrew scholar.) The book inherently raises the question of whether that angst is justified, and if it isn't, how far can legitimate self-defense be carried (even to taking the tactical offensive?). Connealy doesn't really resolve this neatly. (All three of these novels have discussion questions at the end for book clubs who might read the books, or perhaps just for lone readers who might want to reflect; the ones here don't address these issues directly, but they could come up in responding to a couple of them.)
All of the stylistic characteristics of the first two novels are in evidence here, and Connealy's story-telling skills are again well demonstrated. The characterizations are vivid, rounded, and (except for the Cooters) appealing. (Several of them are cross-overs from other Connealy works, her Montana Marriages and Lassoed in Texas trilogies.) Barb and I really liked all three of the books, and this author's well on her way to becoming a favorite!
Our story here opens in August, 1884, about two years after the events of Wrangler in Petticoats. We find that significant changes have taken place in the interval; and since the author brings us into the action en media res, it takes awhile to get up to speed. To summarize, though, Mandy's worthless husband Sidney --okay, financially he was worth quite a bit, since a gold strike had made him wealthy, but he was pretty worthless as a husband and a person-- has been murdered some time ago by the outlaw Cooter brothers, Cord and Fergus, whom we met in the second book. A Cooter was killed in the fighting with Sidney's guards, and the two brothers have enlisted a number of the shadier members of their clan to join them in a blood feud with the surviving Grays: Mandy and her three small kids. She's pretty much besieged in Gray Tower, her late husband's isolated mountain mansion; but since the place is an inaccessible natural fortress and she has the protection of the local Shoshone Indians, they haven't tried frontal assault. They'd like to get their hands on Sidney's gold mine (and so would Mandy!), but he never divulged where it was, and the enigmatic directions he left are tied to a seasonal celestial star pattern. Mandy's cut herself totally off from her close-knit family and friends to prevent them from being hurt or killed. But now, bachelor rancher Tom Linscott, who's carried a torch for Mandy ever since they met in the first book, is climbing a cliff face to invade her fortress (remember, "inaccessible" :-) ), resolved to insist she come home with him to his protection, and not about to take "no" for an answer.
Tom's definitely an "alpha male" type (his sister describes him with the adjectives "stubborn, know-it-all"), and he has the common 19th-century cultural idea that the male should be the head of the house; but he's also in love with an alpha female, who's actually even more combat-capable than he is, and he has enough decency and common sense to recognize and accept this, and to realize that he can't expect to boss her around like a dictator. He's prepared to insist on his own way in rare extreme cases where it's in Mandy's best interests for him to insist --but even there, he knows he'll only get compliance if she basically wants to comply; and in practice he's willing to be more of a partner than a boss. For her part, Mandy has a challenge to grow enough to realize that it's not weakness to let someone who loves you share your danger and fight beside you to protect you. She also comes to realize that it's easier to accept leadership (which she also theoretically believes belongs to the husband; she grew up in the same culture Tom did) from someone when you respect him --but that respect has to be earned, and it can't be earned by somebody who, like Sidney, expects you to suppress your own identity and needs just to fit his wants. These kinds of attitudes tend to be modeled in most of the marriage relationships in this novel, and in the trilogy generally; the wives aren't doormats and not blindly "inclined toward obedience" for its own sake, and (like Tom) they'll insist on their own way when they know that it's best in the situation, and that deep down their husbands know it is too. Whether they (and Connealy) formally incorporate it in their theology or not, they embody the practice of equalitarian "mutual subjection" in marriage; and that's a good message for a novel by an evangelical author.
Questions about the use of defensive violence and lethal force in a very flawed and dangerous world are also a significant theme here more than in the other two novels (though it came up in the second one --which has more actual violence than this one does). All of the adult McClellans are proficient with guns, and use them for hunting and dealing with wolves that prey on livestock, as well as occasionally for defense against other people. But Mandy's always been the fastest and most accurate shot with a rifle of any of the siblings in the family, with a skill that's almost preternatural; and she has a calm, icy cold collectedness in a crisis that stands her in good stead, but which scares her. Raised as a (more than nominal) Christian, like all of her family, she's well read in the KIng James Bible (in the 19th-century, virtually the only Bible Protestants had), and its dictum "Thou shalt not kill" tortures her with guilt, since she actually did kill a Cooter in self-defense on one occasion after Sidney's death. ("Thou shalt not murder" is a more accurate translation; but like most Western women, Mandy isn't a Hebrew scholar.) The book inherently raises the question of whether that angst is justified, and if it isn't, how far can legitimate self-defense be carried (even to taking the tactical offensive?). Connealy doesn't really resolve this neatly. (All three of these novels have discussion questions at the end for book clubs who might read the books, or perhaps just for lone readers who might want to reflect; the ones here don't address these issues directly, but they could come up in responding to a couple of them.)
All of the stylistic characteristics of the first two novels are in evidence here, and Connealy's story-telling skills are again well demonstrated. The characterizations are vivid, rounded, and (except for the Cooters) appealing. (Several of them are cross-overs from other Connealy works, her Montana Marriages and Lassoed in Texas trilogies.) Barb and I really liked all three of the books, and this author's well on her way to becoming a favorite!
January 11, 2019
Awwww
I really liked Tom Linscott in the Montana series. Here’s a portrayal of him as a kidnapper, a man who briefly considers forcing himself on a woman because he thinks she likes him and is just not admitting it, and stealing sensual kisses. There’s also a good deal of talk about sex and thinking lusty thoughts toward each other, before and after a near-forced marriage.
18+
Second star added for the scenes with Belle Harden and her girls. I still love her character!
I really liked Tom Linscott in the Montana series. Here’s a portrayal of him as a kidnapper, a man who briefly considers forcing himself on a woman because he thinks she likes him and is just not admitting it, and stealing sensual kisses. There’s also a good deal of talk about sex and thinking lusty thoughts toward each other, before and after a near-forced marriage.
18+
Second star added for the scenes with Belle Harden and her girls. I still love her character!
July 21, 2016
This is a fun book but I tend to like a little more realism. I do like how the series caries well from book to book.
September 21, 2018
I love the way Mary Connealy combines fast-paced action, romance, humour, and Godly truths in her novels. They're always a fun read, and this was no exception!
I really liked Tom and Mandy in this book. How he was determined to protect her and the children because he loved her, and how SHE was just as determined to not let him be drawn into her 'troubles' because she loved him. I love that they eventually learn to trust each other and trust that God is the best person to have their backs.
I thought the side stories about the McClellan clan coming to Mandy's defense, as well as Mark Reeves wanting to court Belle Harden's daughter were very apropos, and it made me want to read the Lassoed in Texas series, which introduces the McClellan matriarch, as well as the Reeves family. I also appreciated the mention of the ladies (and gents) from the Montana Marriages series which I have already read.
I really liked Tom and Mandy in this book. How he was determined to protect her and the children because he loved her, and how SHE was just as determined to not let him be drawn into her 'troubles' because she loved him. I love that they eventually learn to trust each other and trust that God is the best person to have their backs.
I thought the side stories about the McClellan clan coming to Mandy's defense, as well as Mark Reeves wanting to court Belle Harden's daughter were very apropos, and it made me want to read the Lassoed in Texas series, which introduces the McClellan matriarch, as well as the Reeves family. I also appreciated the mention of the ladies (and gents) from the Montana Marriages series which I have already read.
March 7, 2011
This is the third book in the series Sophie's Daughters and just as good as the previous books. Right from the first page there is drama and it just keeps coming. I can's say I was upset to see Mandy's husband had died has he was worthless as a husband and caused nothing but grief. I really like Tom he seems just right for Mandy. What I also love is we catch up with what has happened with Mandy's family and also get to see some of the characters from the Montana Marriages series also. I love the tension in this book and the conversations between Mandy and Tom are quite interesting. We also have the bad guys intent on killing Mandy and anyone she's associated with. This book has all the hallmarks of Mary's past books with the humor, drama and the bad guys everything a historical western should have. I would love to see these books made into a series or movies as they would be well worth watching. It is also good to see women portrayed as strong which is what women in the west needed to be to survive. A great read and I am sad to see the series end.
February 20, 2020
Love each and every book she has written that I've read so far.
June 23, 2017
Catching up on an older book I had in my to-read pile today. This is the third book in the Sophie's Daughter series, but it stands alone. For those who like to read in order, the books are Doctor in Petticoats, Wrangler in Petticoats, and SHARPSHOOTER IN PETTICOATS.
If I read the first two in the series (I think I did) I don't remember them, but this book seems to stand alone. It is pure, classic Mary Connealy, romance/western/comedy. Belief is suspended in this story, and there is a lot of kissing -- about the only attraction hero and heroine had for each other. She talks, he wants to shut her up. She cries, he wants to stop her. He bosses her around like a mindless idiot and she believes he is one. Sounds like a match made in Heaven. Plenty of shooting action, too. Definitely a historical western with a lot of humor.
If you like westerns, historical romance, or Mary Connealy and you missed this when it first came out, it's still available. Fans will be delighted. I received this book free. My opinion is my own
If I read the first two in the series (I think I did) I don't remember them, but this book seems to stand alone. It is pure, classic Mary Connealy, romance/western/comedy. Belief is suspended in this story, and there is a lot of kissing -- about the only attraction hero and heroine had for each other. She talks, he wants to shut her up. She cries, he wants to stop her. He bosses her around like a mindless idiot and she believes he is one. Sounds like a match made in Heaven. Plenty of shooting action, too. Definitely a historical western with a lot of humor.
If you like westerns, historical romance, or Mary Connealy and you missed this when it first came out, it's still available. Fans will be delighted. I received this book free. My opinion is my own
July 25, 2018
Oh the mixed feelings.
I’m glad I read this book- it was fun- but it also felt very drawn out. I enjoyed it, especially because I liked Mandy’s tough but stick-with-what’s-right attitude and Tom’s grumpiness amuses me (the result of “Papa” training made me laugh out loud in an extremely unladylike manner). But I nearly couldn’t handle the drama. So much drama. The entire time. And it was the exact same drama over and over. Eventually I got irritated with everyone except Mark Reeves (who I’ll gladly marry) and wanted to shake some sense into Mandy. The book focused so much on her constant “nagging” that you started forgetting there was anything else to her, and that never really changed. You sort of assume she’s more restful at the end, but don’t get any proof of it. And Tom may or may not notice, but that’s whatever, because he likes that his wife is loco and may or may not have a broken moral compass. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mandy, but she needed a sedative for 2/3 of this book.
I also wish there had been a more distinct story arc instead of the turbulent, wavy plot line of: relationship angst, yelling which ends in kissing that erases memory, grudging hope while spouse coerces or manipulates (lovingly), three minutes of self-reflection, complete 180 back to angst and nagging. Meanwhile the Skunk Club (Cooters) sit in the dirt contemplating their hair color and having the exact same conversation 300 times without ever doing anything productive.
I would have liked some of the characters were given a bit more depth as well. Sometimes I thought there was depth to Cod, but his thought process vacillated so much I could never keep track of whether he loved his family or despised them. The one thing I was quite sure of was that he had his hand on Mandy’s shoulder one time. That was clear. I wanted to love Belle Harden, but it was difficult without seeing any of her softer side. It was assumed that she loved her girls and that’s why she was so protective, but you never actually saw her interacting with her girls in a loving way, only grinding her teeth and yelling at men and failing to ask her daughters’ opinions on their own lives. So I had to keep reminding myself that she wasn’t Mother Gothel, refusing to let her girls leave the ranch because she wanted their magic hair for herself.
God’s help was requested frequently, but I never got the sense that any of the characters actually knew Him. There was self-reproach every so often, but if there was ever genuine repentance to God Himself I missed it. That’s not to say every book by a Christian author needs to have a heavy biblical theme, but their God seemed much more mystical and withdrawn than my God is.
That was a lot of criticism, but I really did enjoy the trilogy. It’s also important to keep in mind that the only book I would be able to write is a plagiarized recreation of See Spot Run.
I’m glad I read this book- it was fun- but it also felt very drawn out. I enjoyed it, especially because I liked Mandy’s tough but stick-with-what’s-right attitude and Tom’s grumpiness amuses me (the result of “Papa” training made me laugh out loud in an extremely unladylike manner). But I nearly couldn’t handle the drama. So much drama. The entire time. And it was the exact same drama over and over. Eventually I got irritated with everyone except Mark Reeves (who I’ll gladly marry) and wanted to shake some sense into Mandy. The book focused so much on her constant “nagging” that you started forgetting there was anything else to her, and that never really changed. You sort of assume she’s more restful at the end, but don’t get any proof of it. And Tom may or may not notice, but that’s whatever, because he likes that his wife is loco and may or may not have a broken moral compass. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mandy, but she needed a sedative for 2/3 of this book.
I also wish there had been a more distinct story arc instead of the turbulent, wavy plot line of: relationship angst, yelling which ends in kissing that erases memory, grudging hope while spouse coerces or manipulates (lovingly), three minutes of self-reflection, complete 180 back to angst and nagging. Meanwhile the Skunk Club (Cooters) sit in the dirt contemplating their hair color and having the exact same conversation 300 times without ever doing anything productive.
I would have liked some of the characters were given a bit more depth as well. Sometimes I thought there was depth to Cod, but his thought process vacillated so much I could never keep track of whether he loved his family or despised them. The one thing I was quite sure of was that he had his hand on Mandy’s shoulder one time. That was clear. I wanted to love Belle Harden, but it was difficult without seeing any of her softer side. It was assumed that she loved her girls and that’s why she was so protective, but you never actually saw her interacting with her girls in a loving way, only grinding her teeth and yelling at men and failing to ask her daughters’ opinions on their own lives. So I had to keep reminding myself that she wasn’t Mother Gothel, refusing to let her girls leave the ranch because she wanted their magic hair for herself.
God’s help was requested frequently, but I never got the sense that any of the characters actually knew Him. There was self-reproach every so often, but if there was ever genuine repentance to God Himself I missed it. That’s not to say every book by a Christian author needs to have a heavy biblical theme, but their God seemed much more mystical and withdrawn than my God is.
That was a lot of criticism, but I really did enjoy the trilogy. It’s also important to keep in mind that the only book I would be able to write is a plagiarized recreation of See Spot Run.
November 8, 2010
To begin with, let me say thanks to Net Galley for my ebook. I was having severe Mary Connealy withdrawal signs and symptoms. ;0)
I loved this last book of Sophie's Daughters! Each one has their own prayer (learned from their momma no doubt) that they repeat when in trouble and I love that too. I so wanted Mandy's husband to leave the picture somehow and couldn't wait to find out how Mandy got relieved of hom because we all know that God would've picked a better one for her and He did eventually. ;0)
As usual Mary starts, as opposed to ending, this story out with a cliffhanger which is part of the charm of Mary's writings for me. I can't really imagine how but, Mandy seemed to be in a much scarier place than either of her sisters, Beth or Sally. I guess because she's so isolated with her small children. Mandy Gray, now a rich widow with 3 young children, has holed herself up in Gray Tower-essentially a mansion atop a Rocky Mountain that her recently deceased husband built with his gold digging riches. It's kind of similar to her mother's story, in that they are both isolated and completely dependent on the land and God to get by with their small children. She has made enemies of the Cooter family however, by killing one of them, in self defense but, that doesn't matter to the Cooter clan.
Tom Linscott, a well-to-do cattle rancher himself, just can't seem to get Mandy off his mind. She needs rescuing off that mountain and....well....he's going to do it.......and then.......well.......he's going to marry her
........as soon as he can talk her into it. He starts off literally climbing the cliff to Mandy's home and knows he'll have to kidnap her and her 3 children in order to get her off the mountain. Before they even get back to his ranch, he's got the children calling him 'Papa' and has completely endeared himself to them. Now all he has to do is convince Mandy that she needs another man and get rid of her enemies. Piece of cake, right?
Well, it's made for a great story, thanks to Mary Connealy. Put it on top of your TBR list ASAP.
I thought it odd that the cover didn't have Mandy in gray.....would've been more apropos but didn't detract from the book at all.
I loved this last book of Sophie's Daughters! Each one has their own prayer (learned from their momma no doubt) that they repeat when in trouble and I love that too. I so wanted Mandy's husband to leave the picture somehow and couldn't wait to find out how Mandy got relieved of hom because we all know that God would've picked a better one for her and He did eventually. ;0)
As usual Mary starts, as opposed to ending, this story out with a cliffhanger which is part of the charm of Mary's writings for me. I can't really imagine how but, Mandy seemed to be in a much scarier place than either of her sisters, Beth or Sally. I guess because she's so isolated with her small children. Mandy Gray, now a rich widow with 3 young children, has holed herself up in Gray Tower-essentially a mansion atop a Rocky Mountain that her recently deceased husband built with his gold digging riches. It's kind of similar to her mother's story, in that they are both isolated and completely dependent on the land and God to get by with their small children. She has made enemies of the Cooter family however, by killing one of them, in self defense but, that doesn't matter to the Cooter clan.
Tom Linscott, a well-to-do cattle rancher himself, just can't seem to get Mandy off his mind. She needs rescuing off that mountain and....well....he's going to do it.......and then.......well.......he's going to marry her
........as soon as he can talk her into it. He starts off literally climbing the cliff to Mandy's home and knows he'll have to kidnap her and her 3 children in order to get her off the mountain. Before they even get back to his ranch, he's got the children calling him 'Papa' and has completely endeared himself to them. Now all he has to do is convince Mandy that she needs another man and get rid of her enemies. Piece of cake, right?
Well, it's made for a great story, thanks to Mary Connealy. Put it on top of your TBR list ASAP.
I thought it odd that the cover didn't have Mandy in gray.....would've been more apropos but didn't detract from the book at all.
December 14, 2020
My least favorite of the series. I think it's b/c Tom was such a hero in first 2 appearances in the previous book, and he was a knothead chauvinist in quite a bit of this one. I did like the ending tho!
March 16, 2020
Mandy Lady Gray is living as a widow in fear from the Cooter clan. Cord Cooter killed Mandy's no good first husband, Sidney Gray. Mandy, being the sharpshooter, shot one of the Cooters down. Cord was out to kill Mandy. Mandy lived in fear after this happened with her children in a gray mansion Sidney built on a top of a rock hill top and did not leave her domain. The Shoshone Natives protecter her from the Cooters invading her. Tom basically comes in and rescue's Mandy and the children and quickly marries her and has the children call him pa. She is not so excited about getting married as she knows the has a evil men who want her dead. Must read to know the rest! You have to read the rest, if you want the end. Mary C is an awesome writer. One, if not my favorite.
May 18, 2011
I think the writing in this book was just blah. It could have been so much better if the girls (who are supposed to be no nonsense tough girls) weren't whining all the time The romance was not that great. I felt more of their romance when there wasn't one in the second book. The rest of the book was about a vendetta against her and the ways they kept coming at her. I basically got bored with this one. I liked the storyline in all three books I just didn't like the execution.
January 14, 2011
I am sad because this is the end to a series but this series was intertwined with two of Mary's other series. I loved the characters and that is why I am sad- it is over. I look forward to her next series.
October 8, 2015
Fun Western romance with lots of fun-toting action.
December 25, 2017
When I want a clean, historical, action-packed, suspenseful, hilarious, western-frontier romance with tough handsome heroes and even tougher leading ladies ~ I always reach for a Mary Connealy novel! If you really want to fall in love with these characters then I recommend reading the books in order! Trust me, it's worth it! Read the Lassoed in Texas trilogy first which introduces you to Sophie and then read the Montana Marriages trilogy because The Husband Tree is one of the best stories you will ever, ever read! Finally, read the Sophie's Daughters trilogy and watch the lives of Beth, Sally, and Mandy unfold! I have followed the McClellen family through Sophie and Clay's wild marriage on to Sophie's daughters, Beth, Sally, and Mandy as they've fought outlaws, protected their homesteads, helped their neighbors, hunted up a deer for dinner, chopped wood for the fireplaces, created elaborate traps to keep out villains, roped steers, and fallen in love. I feel like I know these people, like we're family, LOL! One of my favorite little extras was the way each woman prayed. Kind of their "go to" prayer in a quickly evolving situation and something I can totally relate to, particularly Sophie's prayer of, "Help me, Lord, help me, help me, help me." Something about that just clicked with me and I really appreciate that kind of connection. I love Mandy and Tom's romance in this story. I love that so many other wonderful characters from other stories also make an appearance including Silas and Belle Hardin and my favorite surprise of all ~ Mark Reeves! I adored Calico Canyon and Daniel and Grace's story. I remember thinking that Mark was my favorite little scamp in that book and that I hoped one day he would grow up and get his own book and his own romance!! This was close enough and I was enchanted! Read Mary Connealy's books ~ don't overthink it, just relax and immerse yourself in the story! You'll love it!!
February 6, 2023
Am not going to finish this book. It's disappointing trash. Shocked people actually were giving it 5 stars...
I bought it because it sounded like a strong female lead character with skills similar to Annie Oakley but the 1st 4 chapters are about a toxic male character trespassing on her property, disarming her, threatening to spank her with her rifle, talking to her in a disrespectful manner, forcing her to leave her home with him by basically kidnapping her kids, telling the kids to call him "pa" (he's not the father), and telling her he's going to make her his wife whether she wants to be or not.
W...T...F
And supposedly all to help and protect her from a bad family of no-goods who want to kill her because of her dead husband's gold.
Oh, and this is supposed to be Christian Fiction Romance? 🤦🏻♀️
I bought it because it sounded like a strong female lead character with skills similar to Annie Oakley but the 1st 4 chapters are about a toxic male character trespassing on her property, disarming her, threatening to spank her with her rifle, talking to her in a disrespectful manner, forcing her to leave her home with him by basically kidnapping her kids, telling the kids to call him "pa" (he's not the father), and telling her he's going to make her his wife whether she wants to be or not.
W...T...F
And supposedly all to help and protect her from a bad family of no-goods who want to kill her because of her dead husband's gold.
Oh, and this is supposed to be Christian Fiction Romance? 🤦🏻♀️
July 2, 2017
Mary Connealy never fails to amaze me. She is a queen of historical Christian romance and this book was just as good as the rest. I loved meeting the family and watching them all grow in their faith throughout the series. Even though this is a series, reading it as a standalone will not be problematic. The humor that is interspersed throught the book made me laugh out loud, Ms. Connealy knows how to deliver one liners! The ending of the series left me satisfied, yet at the same time...a little more please? Looking for a fun afternoon read? Pick it up.
received a free copy in trade for honest opinion via NetGalley
received a free copy in trade for honest opinion via NetGalley
September 2, 2025
Stumbled on this at a library sale, knew nothing of the author, series, etc. it was bleh. A romantic western was new for me so I went in with an open mind. But the writing wasn’t cohesive. Dangerous family on her tail but turns out they are just dumb jerks…A tough guy ranchers kidnaps the beautiful sharpshooter and “makes” her marry him, and makes her kids call him Pa. We’re supposed to love him….he does have good personality at times but again, so much in-cohesiveness…gave it two stars because I did like the family/friends relationships and the sharpshooter does deserve some respect, she’s apparently quite a shot! And was refreshing to have romance without detailed sex scenes.
April 1, 2019
Oh man! This book caught my attention from the very beginning and I didn't want to put this book down. The parts where the newly weds talked about being together as man and wife sounded totally normal to me. The book is very clean around the newly wed parts. Love the sassiness from Mandy and the other women in these books. I'm starting to really like this author! Reminds me of another author I enjoy!
March 13, 2026
This is a third book in a threepart series.
It deals with the older sister - who married a good for nothing man - that talks alot of my smack and once he gets killed all the bad stuff fall on the sister to handle. She doesn't want to let everyone know - because she doesn't want her family to be hurt by any of it.
Fortunately, she has a suitor in the wings, who helps clean up the mess, they get married and live happily ever after.
It deals with the older sister - who married a good for nothing man - that talks alot of my smack and once he gets killed all the bad stuff fall on the sister to handle. She doesn't want to let everyone know - because she doesn't want her family to be hurt by any of it.
Fortunately, she has a suitor in the wings, who helps clean up the mess, they get married and live happily ever after.
April 30, 2015
Great book! I loved it!
I love the heart-pounding action, breath-catching romance, and laugh-so-hard-you're-crying humor! I love Mary's books!
So I finally finished the Sophie's Daughters series. It seems like forever since I read the first one. What happened was, as I was reading Doctor in Petticoats, I realized that I was missing the other books. I saw that the other two series (Lassoed in Texas and Montana Marriages) went first. So I paused the Sophie's Daughters series and read those series first. So I read those series first. The two series are tied together in the Sophie's Daughters series so it's probably better if you read those first. The Lassoed in Texas series, then Montana Marriages, then Sophie's Daughters. Out of those three my favorite is Sophie's Daughters, Montana Marriages, then Lassoed in Texas. But I like the Kincaid Brides series even better. That one is my favorite Mary Connealy series so far.
Out of Doctor in Petticoats, Wrangler in Petticoats, and Sharpshooter in Petticoats, I think Doctor is my favorite. Then Sharpshooter, then Wrangler, though I give them all five stars.
I'm babbling.
The book was great. I, of course, laughed but I don't believe I cried. Though I'm not quite positive about that.
Great series. If you have never read a book by this author, please do (but not this one). They are awesome!
(*SPOILER ALERT!!!*)
Tom is wonderful. And he's so funny too. And cranky, and sweet, and romantic, and bossy. He's the perfect bossy sweetheart. I absolutely love him. It's about time he and Mandy got married! They liked each other from the start, even though she was married to idiot Sidney then.
I love how Mary knows exactly how to portray her guys. Whether he's an artist, rancher, doctor, wrangler, or whatever (I was going to add outlaw but I don't think she has any outlaw sweethearts. Mary, if you're reading this, please write a book about a reformed outlaw! That would be so fun!), she knows how to make them romantic and perfect for the girl. I completely, absolutely, totally love it!
Mandy was amazing! She is absolutely crazy with that gun. Goodness, she was going so fast my head spun! I don't blame her for being afraid of the steely coldness. I would so be freaked about it too. She really is great though. I love how she is with her kids. And with Tom too. Oh my goodness! Her wedding was the craziest thing I have ever seen! I loved it! Mandy grouching, Tom dictating, the preacher lecturing, the babies yelling “Papa”, and then it was split up by a gunfight just as she was saying “I do”. That was the funniest thing ever, and the perfect example of a Mary Connealy book! :D
The Cooters were pretty stupid. Cord was a weak, back-stabbing, foolish lout. Very glad he's locked up. His Grandpappy, on the other hand, was great! I love how he gave them all a fierce talking-to and the barrel of molasses knocking them all down like dominoes and making them all sticky was just hilarious!
Mark was great, I had no idea who he was at first! Then he said his brothers' names and I went “Oh my goodness, that sweet little troublemaker grew up!” I had a very similar reaction when I figured out just who Charlie was. That's hilarious how none of the guys liked him because of his childhood relationship with their wives. Too funny.
I was glad to see the Harden family again. With bulldog, bossy, and brave Belle, strong and sturdy Silas, endearing and amazing Emma, sweet and sassy Sarah, and the rest of the little ones. Belle was hilarious, guarding Emma like a mama grizzly. Silas was the same sweet and annoying guy as ever. Emma had grown into a beautiful lady like I knew she would. Sarah was just as sweet and innocent as she was when I read last.
Red and Cassie were as cute as ever too. Strong, sensible, and kind Red with sweet, wonderful, and obedient Cassie. And they've got some kids by now too.
Wade and Abby were exactly the same. Wade, kind and cautious, and Abby, fierce and awesome. They really are a funny and perfect pair.
Clay and Sophie are just as I remember as well. Clay so stubborn, strong, and slightly annoying. And Sophie fierce, sweet, and responsible. They have some really great daughters too.
Mandy and Tom are wonderful and I am positive they'll have a sweet and event-filled marriage. With lots of kids.
Sally and Logan are great and endearing. I think they will probably have a more mild marriage. Much more mild.
Beth and Alex are still incredibly cute and sweet. I always liked them. They're great. Wish I knew more about them.
Buff and Wise Sister are perfect together too. I think they will have a very ...quiet... marriage.
Luther – Sweet old cowpoke. I really like him. He should get married or something so he won't be so lonely without Buff.
Angie, Catherine, and Jarrod were all really sweet. Then again, they're babies, of course they're sweet.
I kind of wish Mary wrote a novel about Laurie too. Not that I mind the other three sisters. I just kind of wish she had a part too. Seems to me that she gets left out a lot.
Well, the Sophie's Daughters series, and Lassoed in Texas and Montana marriages, is over. I'll leave the wonderful end of the series as the end of my review. “There was a long, sweet, quiet time while the women in the McClellen family ignored Clay's Rule Number One for about the ten-thousandth time.”
I love the heart-pounding action, breath-catching romance, and laugh-so-hard-you're-crying humor! I love Mary's books!
So I finally finished the Sophie's Daughters series. It seems like forever since I read the first one. What happened was, as I was reading Doctor in Petticoats, I realized that I was missing the other books. I saw that the other two series (Lassoed in Texas and Montana Marriages) went first. So I paused the Sophie's Daughters series and read those series first. So I read those series first. The two series are tied together in the Sophie's Daughters series so it's probably better if you read those first. The Lassoed in Texas series, then Montana Marriages, then Sophie's Daughters. Out of those three my favorite is Sophie's Daughters, Montana Marriages, then Lassoed in Texas. But I like the Kincaid Brides series even better. That one is my favorite Mary Connealy series so far.
Out of Doctor in Petticoats, Wrangler in Petticoats, and Sharpshooter in Petticoats, I think Doctor is my favorite. Then Sharpshooter, then Wrangler, though I give them all five stars.
I'm babbling.
The book was great. I, of course, laughed but I don't believe I cried. Though I'm not quite positive about that.
Great series. If you have never read a book by this author, please do (but not this one). They are awesome!
(*SPOILER ALERT!!!*)
Tom is wonderful. And he's so funny too. And cranky, and sweet, and romantic, and bossy. He's the perfect bossy sweetheart. I absolutely love him. It's about time he and Mandy got married! They liked each other from the start, even though she was married to idiot Sidney then.
I love how Mary knows exactly how to portray her guys. Whether he's an artist, rancher, doctor, wrangler, or whatever (I was going to add outlaw but I don't think she has any outlaw sweethearts. Mary, if you're reading this, please write a book about a reformed outlaw! That would be so fun!), she knows how to make them romantic and perfect for the girl. I completely, absolutely, totally love it!
Mandy was amazing! She is absolutely crazy with that gun. Goodness, she was going so fast my head spun! I don't blame her for being afraid of the steely coldness. I would so be freaked about it too. She really is great though. I love how she is with her kids. And with Tom too. Oh my goodness! Her wedding was the craziest thing I have ever seen! I loved it! Mandy grouching, Tom dictating, the preacher lecturing, the babies yelling “Papa”, and then it was split up by a gunfight just as she was saying “I do”. That was the funniest thing ever, and the perfect example of a Mary Connealy book! :D
The Cooters were pretty stupid. Cord was a weak, back-stabbing, foolish lout. Very glad he's locked up. His Grandpappy, on the other hand, was great! I love how he gave them all a fierce talking-to and the barrel of molasses knocking them all down like dominoes and making them all sticky was just hilarious!
Mark was great, I had no idea who he was at first! Then he said his brothers' names and I went “Oh my goodness, that sweet little troublemaker grew up!” I had a very similar reaction when I figured out just who Charlie was. That's hilarious how none of the guys liked him because of his childhood relationship with their wives. Too funny.
I was glad to see the Harden family again. With bulldog, bossy, and brave Belle, strong and sturdy Silas, endearing and amazing Emma, sweet and sassy Sarah, and the rest of the little ones. Belle was hilarious, guarding Emma like a mama grizzly. Silas was the same sweet and annoying guy as ever. Emma had grown into a beautiful lady like I knew she would. Sarah was just as sweet and innocent as she was when I read last.
Red and Cassie were as cute as ever too. Strong, sensible, and kind Red with sweet, wonderful, and obedient Cassie. And they've got some kids by now too.
Wade and Abby were exactly the same. Wade, kind and cautious, and Abby, fierce and awesome. They really are a funny and perfect pair.
Clay and Sophie are just as I remember as well. Clay so stubborn, strong, and slightly annoying. And Sophie fierce, sweet, and responsible. They have some really great daughters too.
Mandy and Tom are wonderful and I am positive they'll have a sweet and event-filled marriage. With lots of kids.
Sally and Logan are great and endearing. I think they will probably have a more mild marriage. Much more mild.
Beth and Alex are still incredibly cute and sweet. I always liked them. They're great. Wish I knew more about them.
Buff and Wise Sister are perfect together too. I think they will have a very ...quiet... marriage.
Luther – Sweet old cowpoke. I really like him. He should get married or something so he won't be so lonely without Buff.
Angie, Catherine, and Jarrod were all really sweet. Then again, they're babies, of course they're sweet.
I kind of wish Mary wrote a novel about Laurie too. Not that I mind the other three sisters. I just kind of wish she had a part too. Seems to me that she gets left out a lot.
Well, the Sophie's Daughters series, and Lassoed in Texas and Montana marriages, is over. I'll leave the wonderful end of the series as the end of my review. “There was a long, sweet, quiet time while the women in the McClellen family ignored Clay's Rule Number One for about the ten-thousandth time.”
March 4, 2018
I didn't realize until this book that the Sophie's Daughters series actually follows two other series, not just one. As with the other books in this collection, the good guys (and especially women) are rather too good to be true, but knowing that going it made it slightly less annoying. Overall good fun and seeing just how well Footers stuck together at the end made me smile.
October 9, 2023
Action packed ending to the trilogy.
I was fully engaged in this story & read it on a day.
Cowboys, Indians, Romance, Generations of families, lost gold, strong women, faith and more!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I purchased this paperback book. All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation.
𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 86𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓮 📚 2023
I was fully engaged in this story & read it on a day.
Cowboys, Indians, Romance, Generations of families, lost gold, strong women, faith and more!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I purchased this paperback book. All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation.
𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 86𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓮 📚 2023
December 12, 2022
After Mandy's worthless husband dies and leaves her threatened and holed up in their mountain home, Tom Linscott rescues her and takes on the revenge of the Cooter family. Is their family strong enough to withstand the enemy?
June 13, 2023
I had a very difficult time slugging through this book. The main characters were allegedly in love, but constantly arguing. The gunfights and threats of murder flowed through the book. It was exhausting.
February 10, 2025
This is the third book and was not as exciting at the beginning but got much better as it went along. It is the continuing story of Mandy after her husband is killed. She is living in the castle with her three children protected by Wise Sister's family.
July 19, 2017
A little repeatitive.
March 15, 2018
This, to me, is a fun read. Not real realistic but sure to bring some smiles to a person's face.
June 2, 2018
Read the Montana Marriages series before the Lassoed in Texas series, follow up with the Sophie's Daugthers series.
September 18, 2018
Great ending! I highly recommend reading her precious books beforehand
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews