reviewsbyerin

I had heard about Mary Connealy's fun westerns for a long time, but "Out of Control" is the first one of hers that I have read. It was quite an adventure! One of those books where the plot takes place over a few action-packed days, keeping you on your toes to see what happens next.

Rafe Kincaid has a history with the large cave on his family's ranch. A disaster inside the cave nearly took the life of one of his brothers, and the fallout seemed to permanently change the Kincaid family. Having never stopped feeling responsible for it, Rafe normally avoids the cave. But one evening he can't help going to check it out, and is surprised to hear screaming coming from inside. Rescuing Julia, a newcomer to the area, sets all kinds of things in motion.

It soon becomes clear that Julia's father is not who he appears to be. Julia insists that he owns a general store, but Rafe recognizes the man from her description and knows he goes by a different name and business venture in town. Julia's never been allowed into the dangerous western town, but stays at their dilapidated cabin with her young stepmother, who has one small child and another on the way. To pass her days she studies the fossils she finds at the cave, but she'd never faced any danger there until her ladder was moved and she heard someone chasing her through the caverns. Thankful for Rafe's help, but determined she can take care of herself, Julia wants to continue exploring as soon as possible.

Complicating matters is the arrival of Rafe's brother Ethan, who has been gone for years and feels very much like an outsider. He can't believe Rafe is foolish enough to ever go to the caves, but he agrees that whoever tried to hurt Julia should be caught.

The search for the mysterious man in the cave, as well as Julia's family situation, is where most of the excitement in this story comes from. It all happens so fast that I think the author gets a little confused on the timeline a few times, such as when it seems like multiple cave-exploring trips happen on the same day. I also thought the writing style was a little fast and loose, and while a certain lack of formality is appreciated with westerns, it seemed a bit too much. My other complaint was that some personal subjects were brought up several times when once would have been just fine. It seemed to be mentioned over and over for no reason but to make female characters blush and male characters feel awkward, and possibly to push the edgy envelope. It didn't work for me.

I thought the book's title "Out of Control," could not have been more apt, because it seemed like every character was constantly trying to control the others. Rafe must control Julia's impetuous actions. Julia must control Rafe in order to do what she wants. Rafe must control Ethan to make him follow the plan. Ethan must control everyone by making them think he doesn't care. This wasn't just a theme for readers to pick up on, but was blatantly spelled out. I've never seen so many people trying to control a situation all at once. Add to that Julia's stepmother, Audra, who is determined no one is going to control her at all. The author would have been better, in my opinion, to try for more than one flaw that beset all the major characters.

That said, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to check out another Connealy title in the future. Just probably not any more in this "Kincaid Brides" series.