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.
Click here to get your copy!
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.
Interview with the Author
- What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
This is a fun question. I have done so much research online but once in a while I do try and get out from behind my computer and go somewhere, TOUCH something. Historical museums are my favorite. I once picked up a small (well, smallish all things considered) mastodon tooth at a museum…they encouraged touching and a whole story just flooded through my mind. I’ve never written it but I might someday. It’s sure not in my genre.
I went to Yosemite, rode an Amtrak train on that trip. Very cool. I set a book in northern California and wanted to see it. I once took a bus trip to Lake Tahoe just to see it for a setting for a book. (keeping in mind I have done VERY little traveling in my life.) and a year ago I went to the Palo Duro Canyon in northern Texas to set a book there. My husband is such a good sport about these things, now that he’s retired, I have to watch what I say or I’ll find myself on a trip.
- What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
I am a huge fan of A Lantern in Her Hand by a Nebraska author, Bess Streeter Aldrich. A story about a Nebraska pioneer and homesteader in a dug out with five children. I’m telling you that is one of the most beautiful, powerful, tear-jerking books ever written. I challenge anyone to read it and not be deeply touched by Abby Deal’s journey of love and sacrifice and beauty of spirit.
- How do you select the names of your characters?
I very often just slap a name on them when I start writing, try and pick a name strange enough find and replace on a word document can get them all, and start writing. The name can change multiple times before I settle on one.
- What was your hardest scene to write?
Generally, the hardest scenes to write are action scenes, and I write a lot of them. There are so many moving parts, the physical action of course, but there’s dialogue, emotions, the sense of danger, try to work a bit of comedy in there. It all takes a LOT of work. And going over and over that scene. Maybe ten times. The hardest one ever? I’m going to say a scene in Petticoat Ranch wwhere all the bad guys, all the good guys, horses guns, a mountain. I very deliberately collided all these parts of the story, and I’d been building up to this massive collision the whole book. It took a lot of passes to never let the action let up. In Montana Rose, I’ll say the scene where a powerful man grabs Cassie and informs the newly widowed woman he was going to marry here, standing on the fresh-dug grave of her husband.
Red has to step in to save her. Lots of moving parts in that.
- What is your favorite childhood book?
Tricky. I was an avid reader as a kid. Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden, The Happy Hollisters, on and on. We haunted the library and had to keep their circulation numbers sky high…you’re welcome. My favorite, I’m going to say The Black Stallion books. That’s the first time I ever remember reading a book and wondering how it was done, understanding I’d gotten my hands on a skilled author who knew how to make a book move!
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 30
Texas Book-aholic, July 1
Devoted To Hope, July 2
Books You Can Feel Good About, July 3
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 3
For Him and My Family, July 4
Simple Harvest Reads, July 5 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, July 6
Sydney Schmied Books, July 7
Labor Not in Vain, July 8
Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 9
The Bookish Pilgrim, July 10
She Lives To Read, July 11
Cover Lover Book Review, July 11
Artistic Nobody, July 12 (Author Interview)
Holly’s Book Corner, July 13
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://gleam.io/iDuaH/montana-rose-celebration-tour-giveaway