| From bestselling author Mary Connealy comes a poignant Western romance about second chances, redemption, and the healing power of faith—a moving tale of a heartbroken young widow, a compassionate rancher, and the love that helps them both find their way home. When Cassie Griffin’s abusive husband dies, leaving her pregnant and destitute, she’s forced to marry a stranger to survive. Red Dawson, a hardworking rancher and part-time preacher, steps forward to save her from a worse fate. Though Red fears marrying a non-believer goes against his principles, he can’t stand by and watch Cassie be claimed by the ruthless Sawyer clan. Living in Red’s rustic cave home is a far cry from Cassie’s former life of luxury. But as she learns to work alongside him, she discovers strength she never knew she possessed. Red’s gentle patience and unwavering faith begin to crack the protective shell she’s built around her heart. When a dangerous enemy threatens their newfound happiness, Cassie and Red must trust in God’s plan—and each other—to survive. Can a marriage of convenience bloom into true love? And can a woman who’s known only submission find the courage to stand tall? A tender story of healing, hope and the transformative power of unconditional love. Perfect for fans of Janette Oke and Karen Witemeyer. |  |
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: June 23, 2026
Release Date: June 23, 2026
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My Review
A funeral and a wedding all in about 5 minutes....
And it's on to book 4 in the Petticoats And Cowboys series from Mary Connealy. What an interesting story it was, too. In the tradition of the book that started my love of Christian historical fiction, Love Comes Softly, Montana Rose starts off with a funeral for one husband and a wedding to another with only a breath in between....
After reading Petticoat Ranch and particularly Calico Canyon, Petticoats And Cowboys books 1 and 2, I rather enjoyed the less rambunctious pace of much of the story and the time spent getting to know Cassie and Red. The book definitely has the feel of Red's easygoing nature and Cassie's sweetness to it. Don't get me wrong, Montana Rose still has all of Mary Connealy's trademark additions of danger and suspenseful moments – and humorous as well.
I also enjoyed the ranch/farm flavor of the story. A couple of scenes in particular, involving a flock of wayward chickens and a terrifying mama pig, had me laughing out loud. Seriously, the whole chicken thing was so real.
That humor really balances out this tale as the characters have to deal with tough issues like past abuse and the struggle to forgive unpleasant, even frightening, people in the present. But with some faith Red and Cassie do their best to pull it off.
Montana Rose was an enjoyable read and I finished it more quickly than I expected. Now, I am looking forward to reading the next Petticoats And Cowboys novel as Mary Connealy introduced a very interesting character in this one and I can't wait to find out more....
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Montana Rose by Mary Connealy a 4 Bark rating.
And it's on to book 4 in the Petticoats And Cowboys series from Mary Connealy. What an interesting story it was, too. In the tradition of the book that started my love of Christian historical fiction, Love Comes Softly, Montana Rose starts off with a funeral for one husband and a wedding to another with only a breath in between....
After reading Petticoat Ranch and particularly Calico Canyon, Petticoats And Cowboys books 1 and 2, I rather enjoyed the less rambunctious pace of much of the story and the time spent getting to know Cassie and Red. The book definitely has the feel of Red's easygoing nature and Cassie's sweetness to it. Don't get me wrong, Montana Rose still has all of Mary Connealy's trademark additions of danger and suspenseful moments – and humorous as well.
I also enjoyed the ranch/farm flavor of the story. A couple of scenes in particular, involving a flock of wayward chickens and a terrifying mama pig, had me laughing out loud. Seriously, the whole chicken thing was so real.
That humor really balances out this tale as the characters have to deal with tough issues like past abuse and the struggle to forgive unpleasant, even frightening, people in the present. But with some faith Red and Cassie do their best to pull it off.
Montana Rose was an enjoyable read and I finished it more quickly than I expected. Now, I am looking forward to reading the next Petticoats And Cowboys novel as Mary Connealy introduced a very interesting character in this one and I can't wait to find out more....
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Montana Rose by Mary Connealy a 4 Bark rating.
(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
More from Mary
Montana Rose was one of the first books I wrote. Very early on, though it took a while to get it published. And I ended up rewriting it to make it part of a three book series.
My basic goals with Montana Rose were two fold.
One, I seem almost addicted to writing feisty lady ranchers. I do it so much that I decided I needed to challenge myself. Write a quiet, shy heroine.
Cassie Dawson was born. And the thing with Cassie was, she was so used to being controlled by her much older husband, it was very hard for her new husband to convince her of her own worth.
Drawing Cassie out, finding the inner woman, making her believe she had worth, was such an interesting challenge for me as an author.
For a woman who writes in the same genre all the time, I really do try and mix things up. I PROMISE I DO!
Not sure how often I succeed but making my characters be three dimensional is always my goal. And I try and do different things in my books. A fist fight on a moving train. A fire in a blizzard. Diving off a galloping horse to stop a runaway bad guy. I try different careers and different locations. Always, I am trying something new. In Montana Rose, I picked a quiet, frightened mouse of a woman.
At least that was how it started out. By the end, Cassie finds herself.
So that was the fundamental goal.
And the second aim I had was Love Comes Softly, Janette Oke’s classic, beautiful Christian romance. I just loved that book. The pregnant widow, the husband who’s trying to help and needs help himself. Shove them together into a marriage and try to find love.
Of course, my book has more comedy and more gunfire than Love Comes Softly. I call it love comes softly, with mayhem. I pitched the title Love Comes Loudly. Or maybe Love Comes Hardly. We went with Montana Rose. Probably for the best.
Cassie remains a beloved sweetheart. Red, the best hero I’ve ever written…except he was probably too nice. The hero needs to have some challenges too. But Cassie just needed Red Dawson to be so kind and strong and wise. Yes, he has red hair and he has a temper that rarely erupts…though sometimes. But most Red is the best.
Those are the creative forces that forged Montana Rose.
My basic goals with Montana Rose were two fold.
One, I seem almost addicted to writing feisty lady ranchers. I do it so much that I decided I needed to challenge myself. Write a quiet, shy heroine.
Cassie Dawson was born. And the thing with Cassie was, she was so used to being controlled by her much older husband, it was very hard for her new husband to convince her of her own worth.
Drawing Cassie out, finding the inner woman, making her believe she had worth, was such an interesting challenge for me as an author.
For a woman who writes in the same genre all the time, I really do try and mix things up. I PROMISE I DO!
Not sure how often I succeed but making my characters be three dimensional is always my goal. And I try and do different things in my books. A fist fight on a moving train. A fire in a blizzard. Diving off a galloping horse to stop a runaway bad guy. I try different careers and different locations. Always, I am trying something new. In Montana Rose, I picked a quiet, frightened mouse of a woman.
At least that was how it started out. By the end, Cassie finds herself.
So that was the fundamental goal.
And the second aim I had was Love Comes Softly, Janette Oke’s classic, beautiful Christian romance. I just loved that book. The pregnant widow, the husband who’s trying to help and needs help himself. Shove them together into a marriage and try to find love.
Of course, my book has more comedy and more gunfire than Love Comes Softly. I call it love comes softly, with mayhem. I pitched the title Love Comes Loudly. Or maybe Love Comes Hardly. We went with Montana Rose. Probably for the best.
Cassie remains a beloved sweetheart. Red, the best hero I’ve ever written…except he was probably too nice. The hero needs to have some challenges too. But Cassie just needed Red Dawson to be so kind and strong and wise. Yes, he has red hair and he has a temper that rarely erupts…though sometimes. But most Red is the best.
Those are the creative forces that forged Montana Rose.
 Mary Connealy | Mary Connealy writes romantic comedies with cowboys and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She is a two time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist. Mary 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 75 books and novellas. She has over a million and a half books in print. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. Visit her website or find her at Petticoats & Pistols! |
It's Time For A Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
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Holly’s Book Corner, July 13
Texas Book-aholic, July 1
Devoted To Hope, July 2
Books You Can Feel Good About, July 3
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 3
For Him and My Family, July 4
Simple Harvest Reads, July 5 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, July 6
Sydney Schmied Books, July 7
Labor Not in Vain, July 8
Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 9
The Bookish Pilgrim, July 10
She Lives To Read, July 11
Cover Lover Book Review, July 11
Artistic Nobody, July 12 (Author Interview)
Holly’s Book Corner, July 13
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