by Mary Connealy

A country that is “no place for a woman”.  A woman that loves the country: the cavern with it’s mystery and fossils, and the freedom it gives her to explore.  Because her father usually provided a small home in secluded spots for the family of four, Julia took to wandering while her step-mother & baby sister rested in the afternoons.  Here in the mountains of Colorado Julia’s dream comes true, for the mountain is full of caverns that house tons of fossils for her to study and write about. Even when she finds herself trapped in the cavern, with no light, and a missing rope, she has such fascination with her study that once she is rescued, she must return.

Rafe, a cattle ranch owner, never wants to enter the caverns again because of a childhood accident that severely damaged his youngest brother.  Yet, when he hears a woman yelling for help from the depths of the cavern, his fear is set aside to rescue her.  Finding Julia, returning her to her home, finding the home an unfit place to live, and the father dying from a cut on his arm that is infected beyond healing, he feels the need to “take care” of this family.

The question is, who moved Julia’s rope that trapped her in the cave and why would anyone stoop to such low-down maneuvers?  One thing is for sure, someone is hiding in the mountains and caves.  Someone that is either crazy or just plain mean.  Out of Control, set in the mid 1800′s, is a fun read that was too good to put down.  I was glad that I had picked up the second book of the Kincaid Brides Series, In Too Deep, so that I could continue the story.  I’m happy to say that the third book of the series, Over the Edge, is coming August, 2012.