I am a fan of Mary Connealy and have read several of her books. This week, I listened to the audiobook of Whispers of Fortune and learned more about California’s history in 1875. Interestingly, this was the first Connealy read in which I favored a male protagonist, Brody, above the female characters. Even though I longed to get to know Ellie better, I fell in love with the triangle among Brody, his two younger brothers, Lock, and Josh. These two boys loved their shenanigans, and I enjoyed turning the pages and diving headfirst into their adventures and fun.
The snowcapped mountains in the background of this cover made me want to read the book. Would the man in a black suit and hat survive the harsh winters and become a mountain man? My heart raced while reading the last twenty-five percent of the book, when Loyal and Sonny added to the conflict and upped the stakes in the relationship between Ellie and Brody. By the end of the book, I was invested in all the characters and still enamored with the love between the brothers. Normally, I don’t appreciate Epilogues or sneak peeks into the next book in the series, because I’m going to read the next one by my favorite historical authors anyway. Yet in a few teaser pages, I fell even more in love with the character Tilda. I appreciated how Connealy added an introductory thread to the narrative earlier, giving me context for Tilda’s entrance later in the story.
If you enjoy historical Westerns, Whispers of Fortune by Mary Connealy may be a good choice. You may also appreciate When Love Blooms by Robin Lee Hatcher, A Woman Called Sage by DiAnn Mills, The Lady’s Mine by Francine Rivers, When Stone Wings Fly: A Smoky Mountains Novel by Karen Barnett, and Through Dust and Ashes: Oregon Promise Book 1 by Lynnette Bonner.
