Chasing the Horizon

Western Light, Book 1

By: Mary Connealy

Narrated by: Libby McKnight

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Her Only Chance at Freedom Waits Across the Horizon

Upon uncovering her tyrannical father’s malevolent plot to commit her to an asylum, Beth Rutledge fabricates a plan of her own. She will rescue her mother, who had already been sent to the asylum, and escape together on a wagon train heading west. Posing as sisters, Beth and her mother travel with the pioneers in hopes of making it to Idaho before the others start asking too many questions.

Wagon-train scout Jake Holt senses that the mysterious women in his caravan are running from something. When rumors begin to spread of Pinkerton agents searching relentlessly for wanted criminals who match the description of those on his wagon train, including Beth, she begins to open up to him, and he learns something more sinister is at hand. Can they risk trusting each other with their lives—and their hearts—when danger threatens their every step?

©2024 Mary Connealy (P)2024 Recorded Books

wonderful as always

one of my favorite authors and she never disappoints!!! hoping there is a book 2 coming out

Sweet romance, great history

I think I’ve decided that I really enjoy cowboy historicals, and I need to read more of them. There is just something about the grit and perseverance that is essential to mere survival that provides for some great growth and tension. I love it! (And also, cowboys in books are amazingly swoony.) And this book provides some of that.

Beth is remarkably resilient and resourceful. I love how she went to work to learn the skills she knew she would need to survive the wilds of the West, after having lived a privileged life among the wealthy elite of Chicago. She put in so much effort and time, and was incredibly dedicated. Helping her mother escape from her wrongful commitment to an insane asylum and hiding on a wagon train, Beth proved her determination and love for her family. She went to work, and didn’t give up getting her mother safely away from her ruthless, conniving father, Thaddeus Rutledge.

It’s easy to admire Jake, who didn’t allow his curiosity and suspicions to cloud his ability to see goodness in others. Naturally, his treatment of Beth and her entourage was sweet, and I loved watching him gradually grow in his esteem for Beth. Their romance was sweet, though it felt a tad sudden for me, without a lot hinting toward it. But, again, the dedication they showed to each other, especially on Jake’s side, was really sweet.

I adored Oscar and his brothers, who helped Beth plan and train and prepare, and saw them all to safety. And the valley they found to settle sounds amazing! I want to live there in real life.

The rest of the cast of side characters really rounded out the book, and I grew to love all of them. My heart really went out to Ginnie and Kat. It is disgusting that men could have their wives committed to insane asylums just because they didn’t want them around. And the treatment of the women in those places was deplorable. Both Ginnie and Kat have to deal with PTSD because of the conditions of their lives in the asylum, and my heart ached for them—and knowing that those were stories patterned after real women. Sebastian is extremely mysterious, and I’m still trying to decide how much I trust him. I’m looking forward to reading his story.

There are some sections from the perspective of Thaddeus Rutledge, Ginnie’s husband and Beth’s father. He is sinister and vicious. Thank heavens for the Pinkerton agents who could tell the truth from the lies.

This was an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the second book in the series.

**Many thanks to the publisher, through @austenprose, for the copy. This honest review was voluntarily provided.