Tamara Tilley

Out of Control by Mary Connealy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


OUT OF CONTROL by Mary Connealy was amusing, but not a book that captured me from the start.

Julia Gilliland is a unique character. Self-raised, she pretty much is a free spirit that does what she likes, but is also very protective of her stepmother and baby sister. She’s survived a nomadic upbringing from her uncaring father, which is the reason for her resilience and her stubbornness. But, her fascination with fossils is her true passion and her biggest character flaw. Willing to do anything to find, study, and write about her findings, she is at most times obstinate and unwilling to listen to reason regarding her desire to search out dangerous areas.

Rafe Kincaid is a rancher haunted by his past. When he finds Julia stuck in a cavern on his property, he struggles with the memory of his young brother’s life-changing accident. Thought Julia is a bit of a firecracker, Rafe is quickly drawn to her. When he discovers the hovel she and her family have been living in, and realizes her father is nothing more than a selfish derelict, he decides he needs to take matters into his own hands and give Julia, her pregnant stepmother, and baby sister some stability. What he is not expecting is a reunion with one of his brothers, finding a hidden valley amongst the caverns, and a menace that is out to hurt Julia. Feeling pulled on every side, the always in control Rafe soon realizes how out of control his life is becoming.

I enjoyed OUT OF CONTROL, though I felt the entire book was just a set-up for a future book. This book laid a lot of groundwork, but also left a lot of questions unanswered. I liked the characters Ms. Connealy created. They were unique and by no means cookie cutter. I just didn’t find myself attaching to them like I would’ve expected. Again, this is just book one in a series, so I am hoping book two is more satisfying.




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