Fire & Ice by Mary Connealy

★★★★★

Bailey Wilde is one of the best new ranchers in the West. She's been living disguised as a man for a while, but when Gage Coulter comes to drive her off her homestead, he quickly realizes he's dealing with a woman – a very tough, very intriguing woman at that.

Gage is an honest man, but he didn't make his fortune being weak. He won't break the law, but he'll push as hard as he can within it. Five thousand acres of his best range land is lost to him because Bailey's homestead is located right across the only suitable entrance to a canyon full of lush grass. Gage has to regain access to his land – and he's got to go through Bailey to do it.

Spending a winter alone has a way of making a person crave some human contact. In a moment of weakness, Bailey agrees to a wild plan Gage concocts. Can these two independent, life-toughened homesteaders loosen up enough to earn each other's respect – and maybe find love in the process?

I loved reading the previous two novels in Mary Connealy’s Wild at Heart series (Tried & True and Now & Forever) with the fabulous sister heroines and quirky, romantic situations, so I’m really glad Fire & Ice finished the series with similar wonderful qualities. In this novel, the third Wilde sister becomes the story’s focus, as she determinedly attempts to maintain her male ranching image - until fellow rancher Gage Coulter sees through her disguise and convinces her to go along with a crazy plan. Seeing these two characters interact is amusing and entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed following along on their adventure toward romance. Fans of Connealy’s series will not be disappointed with Fire & Ice - it’s a great read.

Thanks to Bethany House, I received a copy of Fire & Ice and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.