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I love the way Mary Connealy weaves her words together, crafts her characters and threads a story through this series. ( )

Mary Connealy has been a favorite of mine among the Christian Fiction genre for some time now. I have loved every book that I've read by her, so far. So, I'm always excited to dive into a new one by the talented Ms. Connealy. Having read Out Of Control, book 1 of The Kincaid Brides, I couldn't wait for Ethan's story in In Too Deep. Like book 1, Ms. Connealy's detail to history is vivid and blended with rich inspiration and complex, heart-stealing characters.

Ethan Kincaid's way of life is smile no matter what and it will be okay. He's hiding behind a wall of fear and pain, when it comes to his past and that cavern on his big brother, Rafe's land. He cares about no one except animals and Audra Gilliland's baby daughters. After a terrible accident in the past, Ethan deems himself unworthy of caring for anyone. He's too scared to go in too deep in the cavern for the fear consumes him. After all, it was were his baby brother Seth went crazy.....all because of him. So, how is gonna keep Audra Gilliland safe from the bad guys after he marries her to protect her?

Audra Gilliland is a sweet character who was sold into marriage by her father and treated poorly by her husband. It's no wonder she just wants to stand on her own two feet and protect her daughters and prove she's strongly independent. But, instead, after the death of her first husband, she finds herself married to the middle (and very good looking!) middle Kincaid brother......and hunting down the money her first husband hid. Not to mention, she's finding herself falling in too deep in love with the amazing, tenderly sweet-hearted Ethan Kincaid.

These two characters battle so much in this story. But, by going deep into the cavern, they prove that turning over all weakening fear to God, He will make it perfectly right. It's a truly powerful message!

I definitely recommend this 5 Book worthy novel to everyone, however, I highly suggest you read it with book 1 to get the full Kincaid family story. This book will take you back to Rafe and Julia's story, introduces you to Ethan and Audra's life and gives you a glimpse of young Seth's story. If you love a story filled with inspiration, lots of love and humor, and an ending that leaves you hungering for more, don't hesitate for a minute to grab up this beautifully written novel. I can't wait to read the conclusion to the Kincaid Brides in Over The Edge! Amazingly great job,once again, Ms. Connealy! You've truly pleased this reader!

*This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review* ( )

After the death of her abusive and wicked husband, Audra Gilliland is determined to become independent and assertive. She agrees to a marriage of convenience with Ethan Kincaid as a way to protect herself, her two daughters, and to get out of her new married step-daughter's home. Audra desperately wants to be able to stand up for herself. After all she does not care what her husband thinks about it. Ethan does not have high hopes for the marriage other than to have a wife who can cook, clean and live amicably with him. Surprisingly to both Ethan and Audra, affection begins to grow quickly. However, before they can see what this fondness will lead to, they must each deal with lingering remnants of their past lives.

In Too Deep by Mary Connealy is the second book of the Kincaid Brides series. I haven't read the first one, but this one gave enough background information that I easily understood what was going on after a few chapters. To be honest, I found the back story and ongoing drama caused by Audra's previous husband (a situation presumably addressed in the first book and in the forthcoming third book) more interesting than the love story between Ethan and Audra. Audra's character was well-developed and authentic. However, Ethan's character was a little flat and somewhat unbelievable to me. I will not mention the exact details because that would lead to spoilers, but most of the time he is presented as reasonably intelligent and talented and then other times he is unbelieveably naive. I know that people and characters are multi-faceted, but the naivety was not cohesive with the rest of his character.

This is one of those books that I recommend renting from the library before buying. Some readers will probably love it, but I don't see myself ever reading it again.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." ( )

This is the second book in The Kincaid Brides series and it was another delightfully entertaining story. I know this could be read as a stand alone, but it would be so much better if you start with book one, because this story picks up where that one leaves off. The Kincaid brothers are as different as can be, but there is a strong bond between them and they all have different fears and stories to tell of their experiences within the caves on their land.

In this story Ethan Kincaid finds himself proposing marraige to Audra Gilliland, a mother of 2 little girls, so she will have a place to live and won't be a bother to her newly wedded step-daughter (who has just married another Kincaid brother). Ethan has no clue how to be a husband and the thought of loving someone terrifies him. Audra wants to be a woman who can take care of herself, but finds herself leaning on Ethan and learning to love him. But there is danger in this story and someone is out to hurt Audra unless she tells them where her deceased husband has hid the money he stole. No one enjoys going down into the caverns (except the 3rd Kincaid brother, Seth) but they all find themselves facing their fears and going into the caverns when someones life is in danger. Seth is a little "loco" and I enjoyed getting to know him better in this story. I also appreciated the way the brother interacted with each other. There was alot of humour in this story and I loved how Ethan and Audra learn to understand one another. There is also some mystery and danger, and I found myself enjoying another delightful story by Mary Connealy. Looking forward to reading book 3 in this series.

I would like to thank Bethany House Publishers for sending me this book to read and review! ( )