Forged in Love (Wyoming Sunrise #1) by Mary Connealy

In 1870, Mariah Stover is left for dead and with no memory when the Deadeye Gang robs the stagecoach she's on, killing her father and brother. As she takes over her father's blacksmith business and attempts to move forward, the old-fashioned townspeople meet her new occupation with disdain.

Handsome and polished Clint Roberts escaped to Western Wyoming from the painful memories he left back east. In the hope of a new life, he opens a diner where he creates fine dishes, but is met with a harsh welcome from the townsfolk who prefer to stick to their old ways.

Clint and Mariah are drawn together by the similar trials they face in a new town, and Clint is determined to protect Mariah at all costs when danger descends upon her home. As threats pursue them from every side, will they survive to build a life forged in love?

Mary Connealy steals you away to the atmospheric American West with an adventure-filled, charming nineteenth-century tale.

Mt thoughts:

Forged in Love is the first book in a new series by Mary Connealy and I have to say, it is a page turning, edge of your seat must read. It begins with an attack on a stagecoach with Mariah Stover being the lone survivor and the suspense builds as the Deadeye Gang knows she can identify one of the robbers and wants to silence her.

I admired Mariah, her dedication to keeping her father’s blacksmith business open and her resilience.  I loved Clint Richards; he is in love with Mariah and will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.  As usual the author added a lot of humor in the storyline most of it coming from Clint and the names of food he makes in his restaurant. That is another aspect I enjoyed, the female blacksmith and the male who opens a diner, something I didn’t expect given the time period but something that added a unique twist. That’s not to say that Clint served typical diner fare, he was a gourmet chef.

There are a lot of close calls for Mariah, but with Clint, her two best friends and a dog on loan to protect her she feels safer while trying to keep from encountering the man she can identify from the stage coach robbery

There is so much to love about this book, from the suspense to the sweet love story to the wonderful characters who will tug at your heart.  If you love historical romance with a lot of action, you’ll want to pick up a copy of Forged in Love.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. Opinions are my own