Montana Rose | Devoted Hope

About the Book

Book: Montana Rose

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: June 23, 2026

From bestselling author Mary Connealy comes a poignant Western romance about second chances, redemption, and the healing power of faith—a moving tale of a heartbroken young widow, a compassionate rancher, and the love that helps them both find their way home.

When Cassie Griffin’s abusive husband dies, leaving her pregnant and destitute, she’s forced to marry a stranger to survive. Red Dawson, a hardworking rancher and part-time preacher, steps forward to save her from a worse fate. Though Red fears marrying a non-believer goes against his principles, he can’t stand by and watch Cassie be claimed by the ruthless Sawyer clan.

Living in Red’s rustic cave home is a far cry from Cassie’s former life of luxury. But as she learns to work alongside him, she discovers strength she never knew she possessed. Red’s gentle patience and unwavering faith begin to crack the protective shell she’s built around her heart. When a dangerous enemy threatens their newfound happiness, Cassie and Red must trust in God’s plan—and each other—to survive.

Can a marriage of convenience bloom into true love? And can a woman who’s known only submission find the courage to stand tall? A tender story of healing, hope and the transformative power of unconditional love. Perfect for fans of Janette Oke and Karen Witemeyer.

About the Author

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedies with cowboys and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She is a two time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys always with a strong suspense thread. She is a two-time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist. She is the bestselling author of 75 books and novellas. She has over a million and a half books in print.

Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. Visit her website or find her at Petticoats & Pistols!

More from Mary

Montana Rose was one of the first books I wrote. Very early on, though it took a while to get it published. And I ended up rewriting it to make it part of a three book series.

My basic goals with Montana Rose were two fold.

One, I seem almost addicted to writing feisty lady ranchers. I do it so much that I decided I needed to challenge myself. Write a quiet, shy heroine.

Cassie Dawson was born. And the thing with Cassie was, she was so used to being controlled by her much older husband, it was very hard for her new husband to convince her of her own worth.

Drawing Cassie out, finding the inner woman, making her believe she had worth, was such an interesting challenge for me as an author.

For a woman who writes in the same genre all the time, I really do try and mix things up. I PROMISE I DO!

Not sure how often I succeed but making my characters be three dimensional is always my goal. And I try and do different things in my books. A fist fight on a moving train. A fire in a blizzard. Diving off a galloping horse to stop a runaway bad guy. I try different careers and different locations. Always, I am trying something new. In Montana Rose, I picked a quiet, frightened mouse of a woman.

At least that was how it started out. By the end, Cassie finds herself.

So that was the fundamental goal.

And the second aim I had was Love Comes Softly, Janette Oke’s classic, beautiful Christian romance. I just loved that book. The pregnant widow, the husband who’s trying to help and needs help himself. Shove them together into a marriage and try to find love.

Of course, my book has more comedy and more gunfire than Love Comes Softly. I call it love comes softly, with mayhem. I pitched the title Love Comes Loudly. Or maybe Love Comes Hardly. We went with Montana Rose. Probably for the best.

Cassie remains a beloved sweetheart. Red, the best hero I’ve ever written…except he was probably too nice. The hero needs to have some challenges too. But Cassie just needed Red Dawson to be so kind and strong and wise. Yes, he has red hair and he has a temper that rarely erupts…though sometimes. But most Red is the best.

Those are the creative forces that forged Montana Rose.

Devoted To Hope's Review of Montana Rose

Mary Connealy wrote Montana Rose after reading Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly, and once I knew that, I could feel the tenderness of that inspiration underneath the dust, danger, cattle, chickens, and gunfire.

A pregnant widow. A marriage to a near stranger. A desperate need for shelter.

But this is Mary Connealy’s West, so the tenderness comes with flying dirt, ranch trouble, danger, humor, and a whole lot of cowboy commotion!

Cassie Griffin has spent so long surviving fear that she barely knows how to live without it. She has been taught to stay small, to stay quiet, to doubt her own mind, and to believe cruelty when it dressed itself up as authority.

Then Red Dawson begins speaking truth to her with gentleness, patience, and Scripture rightly handled. One of the most powerful parts of the story is when Red tells Cassie that Griff liked the part of the Bible about a wife submitting to her husband, but ignored the command for a husband to love his wife as Christ loved the church. Then Red points her back to Jesus. “You know how Jesus treated people, don’t you? … He was always kind. He always acted out of love.” That line is the heart of why this story mattered to me.

Cassie had heard Scripture used in a way that wounded. Red helps her see the character of Christ. Truth. Kindness. Sacrifice. Love.

I loved watching Cassie begin to understand that her thoughts mattered … she mattered. That not knowing how to milk a cow did not make her stupid. That God had given her a mind. That her opinions did not need to stay buried just because one cruel man never wanted to hear them.

And Red. Sweet, steady Red. He is kind. He prays for wisdom. He clings to God’s will. He refuses to call sin anything softer than sin. His gentleness has backbone, and I loved that.

In Red’s home, through patience, truth, Scripture, and steady kindness, Cassie begins to see the difference between God’s Word twisted by sin and God’s Word lived in obedience to Christ. Love protects. Love is faithful. Love endures. Love never fails.

When kindness looks like Christ and is ruled by truth, fear loses its authority, and courage grows for the glory of God.

I received a digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. I am not required to write a positive review nor paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on the writing and the story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.