PUBLICATION DATE: August 1, 2012

eth Kincaid is crazy. At least that’s what everyone says when Seth shows up after fighting in the Civil War. It doesn’t help his case any when the Kincaid family gets a letter from a woman saying that she is Seth’s wife and he has no memory of marrying her. After losing her family ranch, Callie Kincaid has no option but to seek out her husband’s family in Colorado.

As Callie arrives at the Kincaid Ranch, she brings plenty of surprises with her. After being worried sick, she is surprised to see that Seth has found his way back to his family. Now that she knows he is safe, she wants to kill him and has no intentions on forgiving him for abandoning her. She isn’t the only one who is angry with the Kincaid family. Past enemies are nearby and waiting for the perfect time to reclaim a fortune that the family has no idea they are sitting on. And they will do just about anything to get it back.

The characters in Over the Edge are complex and have a deep history. They all have diverse struggles with their past. Seth Kincaid is a scarred man, mentally, physically and emotionally. A lot of trauma has been dealt to him by his childhood burns and being injured in a very violent battle and the resulting PTSD. As he struggles to compartmentalize his past, he comes across as unstable and crazy. Even his family regards him with unease. Of course, it doesn’t help his situation when everyone, including himself, learns that he was married after he was injured in the war, and deserted his bride and headed home only to forget all about her. Seth is a very funny character, despite his mental issues. While he is learning how to interact with his wife, his inner commentary shines a humorous light on common issues of a new relationship.

Callie Kincaid is a Texan gunslinger and has no tolerance for nonsense. She always looks at situations logically and shrewdly. She is the sane opposite to Seth’s craziness. Acting as a nurse during battle, she had a soft spot for when she treated Seth. Despite her better judgment, she was caught up in a whirlwind romance and married Seth the day he was released, even though she knew he had ghosts who haunted his dreams. Seth’s abandonment left her with a hard heart and more than enough anger.

The spirituality in this novel is mainly metaphorical. The entire series revolves around a unique cavern that is on the Kincaid’s land. The cave is a dark, dangerous place and is blamed for tearing the Kincaid family apart. Each and every one of the characters in this series faces their past within the cavern. Some of them admit their shortcomings and makes peace with them, while others embrace their sins and fall victim to them. The cave represents the necessity of forgiveness and facing your demons.

While there are plenty of series out there where a book can be read in any order, I would not recommend reading this novel as a standalone book. The characters’ histories are far too complex to adequately summarize without confusing the reader. Connealy makes a good decision not to spend too much time back tracking and retelling essential parts of the story.