Just Read: The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy

I absolutely adore Mary Connealy’s westerns. They’re funny, they’re heartfelt, and they’re action-packed. The Accidental Guardian is a prime example.

Deb Harkness and her sister Gwen survive a wagon train massacre with two children they were helping care for. Trace Riley is the sole survivor of a massacre ten years prior, and he takes the women and children to his ranch to care for them through the winter.

One of the things I loved about Deb and Gwen was watching how they take the children underneath their wing. They also think of the other victims’ families and not just themselves. I think that’s a really good message for Christians, to remember others suffer as well. And they make sure to notify the children’s remaining family: Maddie Sue’s father and Ronnie’s uncle. To me that shows they understand the importance of family. While some would do that to get the wards off their hands, Deb and Gwen do it because they understand the importance of the children being with family.

Trace Riley has been alone for the past ten years after losing his pa in the wagon train massacre. I think it’s sweet he formed a family with Wolf and Black. But what he doesn’t seem to see is that he’s also formed a family with Utah and Adam, his ranch hands. And they adopt Deb, Gwen, Maddie Sue, and Ronnie into the family quickly. It’s really sweet to see how respectful they are toward the women and children, showing Deb that not every man is like her father.

It really made me think about the important role fathers play in their children’s lives, especially their daughters. I love when books make me think. Not only does this book have a good message about biological families but also about those that aren’t formed by blood. 

This book also has a good arc about the difference between vengeance and justice. The spiritual element about leaving vengeance to God is an important part of the novel.

Overall, this was a really good book, and I highly recommend it!

Love Mary Connealy? Check out my review of the first two books of her Garrison’s Law series here.