Out of Control by Mary Connerly

Colorado territory in 1866. Last time. This is it. Never Again.  Rafe Kincaid…rubbed the ugly, jagged scar that ran from the corner of his eye to his hairline just above his ear. He was glad he had it. A livelong reminder of that awful day thirteen years ago and this treacherous cavern. He’d grown up fast.

And so begins the story of Rafe Kincaid and Julia Gilliland. With that return visit to the cavern, Rafe becomes Julia’s rescuer. Years before Julia had become fascinated with fossils and cave formations. This cavern provided hours of exploration for her until the day someone removed the rope by which she had entered the cave. Julia is convinced that someone else was in the caverns, so she extinguished her lamp. Now in the dark she is scared and not sure she will ever see daylight again. Hearing a voice calling for help, Rafe is taken back to an earlier time, the last time he entered the cavern. Battling and winning over fears, he enters the cavern to rescue her.

And so we enter the lives of Rafe and Julia. Rafe’s mother died of a broken heart, his father left to tend traps and never returned and both brothers have left home. What has happened to destroy this family and what role does the cavern play? Julia is the only child of a man who is determined to keep her, his young wife Audra and their child in seclusion. They are not to leave the cabin or the area near the cavern. When her father returns to die, Rafe knows he cannot leave the two women is a cabin that will give them no shelter from the coming winter. With the visit of his brother, Ethan, we begin to learn the secrets have held both families captive. Is all as it appears on the surface?  

Apparently not as more cave exploring reveals that the third brother has been living in the caves since the end of the Civil War and has a knowledge of them that excites Julia. As Rafe realizes he has fallen in love with Julia, he also realizes he must now choose between a life with her and a life with his brothers. As secrets and fears are revealed he finds that there is no reason to choose.

The first in a series titled The Kincaid Brides, the reader leaves Out of Control with an idea as to who the next bride will be.

I received this book to review for free from Bethany House.