Fresh from the Bookshelf: Stuck Together by Mary Connealy {a Book review}
There's more Trouble in Texas! Take one strong-willed incredibly good looking suffragette named Tina Cahill, and put her together with "Invincible Vince" a self-taught lawyer and no-pay sheriff of Broken Wheel, TX in 1868, who never let's anything (or any WOMAN) stop him--and you've got sparks! Throw in Vince's mother suffering from dementia, a sister who Vince didn't even know existed, his scheming father who suddenly all show up on Vince's doorstep...and did I mention that Tina's picketing of the local saloon stirs up a vipers den of trouble? So goes the never dull for a moment plot of Mary Connealy's new book Stuck Together!
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Stuck Together is the third book in the Trouble in Texas series by Mary Connealy. The first two books in this series introduced us to a group of best friends known as the Regulators who have been together since they were imprisoned in Andersonville during the Civil War.Swept Away (#1) introduced us to the friends and told the story of Luke Stone while Fired Up (#2) continued the adventures of "The Regulators" with Dare Riker's story. Stuck Together (#3) completes the trilogy with the stories of Vince Yates and Lucas Cahill (Tina's brother). I did a review on Fired Up (#2) shortly after it came out last fall...
My Thoughts on Stuck Together
I have been waiting for this continuation of the Trouble in Texas series...but admit that I was a bit bummed that we had both Vince and Lucas get their story told in the same book. I was hoping that each of the men would get their own book--(you can see my comment on this very thing on my review of book #2 in the series) but since Vince and Lucas's stories get entwined, I guess I can see why they are put together in this book. It was one of those times I was not happy to see the Epilogue! LOL!
I think I liked Tina's character the most of all the women from the series (with Ruthy--Luke's wife--a close second) because she had so much spunk and fire...yet had this deep hurt inside that she kept hidden. Her feeling of being unlovable really shaped her emotions and actions. I loved the opening scene of the book and thought it was very well written.
I do think that somewhere in the mix we kind of lost the reasons behind her picketing of the saloon--such a strong part of the beginning of the book. It was there at the end of book #2 and at the beginning of this book---but it sort of faded away and then was casually mentioned again in the epilogue.
Vince's character was so complex. He's madly in love with Tina, yet is so overcome with fears of the "what if" that they take over his decisions in his life and render him incapable to move forward in a relationship. I love his desperation to have his mother whole again no matter the cost and think that the author really captured that feeling--especially in the way she captured his feelings in the moments when Vince's mom is actually lucid.
I didn't really like how the book just writes away the issues with Lana (a mad woman from books #1 and #2) by having her just escape from jail and run away. I was hoping that there would be something more...but at the same time I like the battle that Vince faced seeing Lana (an attempted murder) becoming more lucid, while his beloved mother (who has never hurt even a fly) continues to get worse and Vince's feeling that God is unfair. I think that the author captured real emotion in that dilemma.
How Would I Rate Stuck Together?
I think that if you have read the series, you will definitely enjoy the book. This book does NOT stand alone and I strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with the characters of books #1 and #2 before you dive into this one. I did enjoy it the book and felt there was good character depth and the story was fast paced and exciting. There were several giggles and grins and I also felt the pain of the characters. I think that this third book was more up to par with book #1 in the series. All in all, Stuck Together is another hit from Mary Connealy!
I am a big fan of Mary Connealy and have put together a collection of her books that are some of my favorites...I hope you will try them! If you like Mary Connealy, do you have a favorite book that she's written?
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