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Golden Days
Amy Simons's small size belies her remarkable strength-strength that makes her thrive in the wild Alaskan frontier. But is she strong enough to accept her father's fate and move on with her own life and love? Braden Rafferty just wants to get away-away from the pain of failing his wife and losing her. Maybe hard work in the cold Alaskan mountains will numb his aching heart. But he didn't expect to find another needy woman along the way, another woman who will depend on him for strength. Will Braden realize that Amy wants his heart more than his help? Will they both see that the bonds of love are strongest?
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
38 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Mary Connealy
118 books2,494 followersMary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys always with a strong suspense thread. She is a two time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader's Choice finalist.
She is the bestselling author of 65 books and novellas.
Her most recent three book series are: Braced for Love, A Man with a Past and Love on the Range for Bethany House Publishing. She’s also written four other series for Barbour Publishing and many novellas and several stand-alone books for multiple publishers.
Mary will be a published author for ten years in 2017 with nearly a million books in print. She has a degree in broadcast communications with an emphasis in journalism and has worked at her local newspaper.
Find Mary online at:
Seekerville
Petticoats & Pistols
My Website
She is the bestselling author of 65 books and novellas.
Her most recent three book series are: Braced for Love, A Man with a Past and Love on the Range for Bethany House Publishing. She’s also written four other series for Barbour Publishing and many novellas and several stand-alone books for multiple publishers.
Mary will be a published author for ten years in 2017 with nearly a million books in print. She has a degree in broadcast communications with an emphasis in journalism and has worked at her local newspaper.
Find Mary online at:
Seekerville
Petticoats & Pistols
My Website
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 10, 2023
Not for me. Too many inaccuracies about Alaska natives and hadn't realized that this was religious fiction. Second part is my bad. But still, this is just poorly researched and I had zero connection with the characters. 2 ⭐.
September 2, 2022
As with Golden Dawn, I read this as part of a summer reading program to try new things.
After Golden Dawn, I figured this would be another generic romance. And... not quite.
I appreciate what the author tried to do. But it didn't work.
The female lead of Golden Days is depicted as a half-Lingít, half-Russian woman. That's nice. Except for the level of research on Alaska seems to have been trivia and a couple Google searches. I could go on and on and on with . I'll stop at five things, though.
Preface: from Golden Dawn, we know that this takes place somewhere near Skagway. From the arrival of our protagonists on their ship, we know that it's within a day's walk of Skagway along the river. I'll give a freebie for saying the specific location, because it's probably too much for the author to need to realize the contours of their fictional place may not match up with the area they're actually physically describing. But the general location will come into play.
1. Her name is Amy. Oh, wait, no it isn't, her real name, IN HER MOTHER'S LANGUAGE, is Amaruq, which means wolf. Her mother is described multiple times as Lingít. Amaroq or Amarok or Amaguq or other various anglicisations, is a figure in Inuit mythology. The word in Lingít is nowhere close to Amaruq. Inuit lands are roughly 1000km North of the area where most of the book takes place, which Amy describes as her home and the home of her mother's people.
2. Remember the part about where this takes place? Around Skagway. It comes up several times, however, that the sun doesn't come up in the winter here, and stays up all day in the summer. This is problematic. See, there's actually a geographic designation for areas where that happens in the world. They're called polar circles, and the northern one, the Arctic Circle, is about 800km away from Skagway. And that's where the sun stays down for all of at least one day, that's not going to get you months.
3. Walrus. The river boat is described as a walrus-hide umiak, the boots are made from walrus skin... Walrus around Alaska have mostly been known to reside in the vicinity of the pack ice. Like the two previous points, that's stuff that's way north of the area we're in. Could they have traded for it? Yeah, OK, maybe. Except umiaqs aren't the watercraft of the region either, that's traditionally used by... you guessed it, Inuit and other general northern groups.
4. Going out of order here, kindof. But there's a moment where Amy shows some more of her native savvy by running off a bear. She does this by throwing a pouch of something she identifies as yán, something that there's a big furor about because it's really hemlock and highly poisonous and toxic. And they're kindof right, yán is the word for hemlock. Spare bit here -- the author does, despite the misstep with the female lead's name, use actual Lingít words, so good on them for that.
And odds are, if you're in southeast Alaska, and someone points to something and says hemlock, they'll mean what yán refers to. Which is a tree, commonly known as western hemlock, that grows in old-growth forests. It is not the poison hemlock that we is part of the Socrates story, nor the water hemlock that Amy seems to be alluding to here. Neither of which, so far as I know, produce instantaneous reactions, even if ingested, which is their primary danger.
5. Ah, the polar bear. It's telegraphed at the very start of the story. I was hoping against hope they wouldn't use it. But, alas, they did. It hangs around the area. They spot its fur. Then it invades the cabin. As mentioned above, Amy chases it off, and tells it to go down and eat the salmon that are there for it.
But polar bears don't live in southeast Alaska. Like several of my previous points, they are located a long ways -- in this case, over a thousand kilometers away. And salmon are not a part of their regular diet to boot, because they live in different areas.
Bonus point: polar bear fur, as I understand it, is not actually white, but colorless. It appears white because of the light bouncing around off the air.
The author isn't the only person to jumble Alaska all together in a big soup. Lots of people do. Lots of people have trouble with the idea that it's larger than most countries and has chunks of ice bigger than states. Grab the parts you want and call it good?
Well, hers was the book I read, so she's the one that gets the grief for it. I stopped reading the series at this point, because I couldn't take the idea of having to go through this again.
After Golden Dawn, I figured this would be another generic romance. And... not quite.
I appreciate what the author tried to do. But it didn't work.
The female lead of Golden Days is depicted as a half-Lingít, half-Russian woman. That's nice. Except for the level of research on Alaska seems to have been trivia and a couple Google searches. I could go on and on and on with . I'll stop at five things, though.
Preface: from Golden Dawn, we know that this takes place somewhere near Skagway. From the arrival of our protagonists on their ship, we know that it's within a day's walk of Skagway along the river. I'll give a freebie for saying the specific location, because it's probably too much for the author to need to realize the contours of their fictional place may not match up with the area they're actually physically describing. But the general location will come into play.
1. Her name is Amy. Oh, wait, no it isn't, her real name, IN HER MOTHER'S LANGUAGE, is Amaruq, which means wolf. Her mother is described multiple times as Lingít. Amaroq or Amarok or Amaguq or other various anglicisations, is a figure in Inuit mythology. The word in Lingít is nowhere close to Amaruq. Inuit lands are roughly 1000km North of the area where most of the book takes place, which Amy describes as her home and the home of her mother's people.
2. Remember the part about where this takes place? Around Skagway. It comes up several times, however, that the sun doesn't come up in the winter here, and stays up all day in the summer. This is problematic. See, there's actually a geographic designation for areas where that happens in the world. They're called polar circles, and the northern one, the Arctic Circle, is about 800km away from Skagway. And that's where the sun stays down for all of at least one day, that's not going to get you months.
3. Walrus. The river boat is described as a walrus-hide umiak, the boots are made from walrus skin... Walrus around Alaska have mostly been known to reside in the vicinity of the pack ice. Like the two previous points, that's stuff that's way north of the area we're in. Could they have traded for it? Yeah, OK, maybe. Except umiaqs aren't the watercraft of the region either, that's traditionally used by... you guessed it, Inuit and other general northern groups.
4. Going out of order here, kindof. But there's a moment where Amy shows some more of her native savvy by running off a bear. She does this by throwing a pouch of something she identifies as yán, something that there's a big furor about because it's really hemlock and highly poisonous and toxic. And they're kindof right, yán is the word for hemlock. Spare bit here -- the author does, despite the misstep with the female lead's name, use actual Lingít words, so good on them for that.
And odds are, if you're in southeast Alaska, and someone points to something and says hemlock, they'll mean what yán refers to. Which is a tree, commonly known as western hemlock, that grows in old-growth forests. It is not the poison hemlock that we is part of the Socrates story, nor the water hemlock that Amy seems to be alluding to here. Neither of which, so far as I know, produce instantaneous reactions, even if ingested, which is their primary danger.
5. Ah, the polar bear. It's telegraphed at the very start of the story. I was hoping against hope they wouldn't use it. But, alas, they did. It hangs around the area. They spot its fur. Then it invades the cabin. As mentioned above, Amy chases it off, and tells it to go down and eat the salmon that are there for it.
But polar bears don't live in southeast Alaska. Like several of my previous points, they are located a long ways -- in this case, over a thousand kilometers away. And salmon are not a part of their regular diet to boot, because they live in different areas.
Bonus point: polar bear fur, as I understand it, is not actually white, but colorless. It appears white because of the light bouncing around off the air.
The author isn't the only person to jumble Alaska all together in a big soup. Lots of people do. Lots of people have trouble with the idea that it's larger than most countries and has chunks of ice bigger than states. Grab the parts you want and call it good?
Well, hers was the book I read, so she's the one that gets the grief for it. I stopped reading the series at this point, because I couldn't take the idea of having to go through this again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2010
Not sure Mary Connealy can write a bad book! I love them all.
November 23, 2025
I really enjoyed learning about life in Alaska
The book was part adventure, part historical fact, part love story, and part suspense. It was more serious than other books I read by Mary Connealy, but I enjoyed it very much.
Amy is a wonderful character, full of personality as well as skill. Capable, under appreciated women are a common occurrence in Connealy’s works, but she writes this theme the right way. Connealy does not bring the men down by making them incompetent; she instead lifts both up in different ways so they end up complementing each other. The differences between men and women end up being the source of tension.
In this book, a grieving man says hurtful and unfair things, and an impatient woman does not fully explain herself or wait for God’s help. I do not completely follow the logic of how the characters act in this story, but I can identify with the sentiment in real life situations. There is a time to act and a time to rest.
I liked the book mostly for the information about Alaska shared in such an engaging way and the interesting characters who kept my attention throughout.
The book was part adventure, part historical fact, part love story, and part suspense. It was more serious than other books I read by Mary Connealy, but I enjoyed it very much.
Amy is a wonderful character, full of personality as well as skill. Capable, under appreciated women are a common occurrence in Connealy’s works, but she writes this theme the right way. Connealy does not bring the men down by making them incompetent; she instead lifts both up in different ways so they end up complementing each other. The differences between men and women end up being the source of tension.
In this book, a grieving man says hurtful and unfair things, and an impatient woman does not fully explain herself or wait for God’s help. I do not completely follow the logic of how the characters act in this story, but I can identify with the sentiment in real life situations. There is a time to act and a time to rest.
I liked the book mostly for the information about Alaska shared in such an engaging way and the interesting characters who kept my attention throughout.
March 15, 2023
Dreary for a Connealy book. Dull and repetitive with a bunch of tstl people who see no value in gold. In fact they find panning for it boriing. Really? Then why bother. A hero who wants to cut down trees when there is loads of dead fall laying on the ground. A heroine who feels guilty for buying a small frying pan. Why? Oh yeah ,she can make one out of a tree when she needs one. Sounds inconvenient to me but what to I know. I would think having money was a good thing. Never can tell when you might want to buy a can of beans or go to a doctor or help out someone in need.
I mean this whole group is altruistic central. Their conversations go like this. "You take the deed" "no you" "no,no I insist." Or. "You take the gold" "no you" etc. Add to this little disaster a rushed hea with yet another "no you keep the gold scenerio"
If this was my first Mary Connealy book it would be my last. Fortunately I know she is capable of much better.
I mean this whole group is altruistic central. Their conversations go like this. "You take the deed" "no you" "no,no I insist." Or. "You take the gold" "no you" etc. Add to this little disaster a rushed hea with yet another "no you keep the gold scenerio"
If this was my first Mary Connealy book it would be my last. Fortunately I know she is capable of much better.
January 18, 2026
Excellent Story
I loved this story for many reasons. First, I love the message to follow God's word. To listen to Him. Second, I love the characters. Each person was written to where you felt you knew them or someone like them. Third, I loved the way the story unfolded. Learning about Alaska and the native language and ways, was very enjoyable. It made me want to go visit.
And lastly, I loved the romance between Braden and "Wolf".
I loved this story for many reasons. First, I love the message to follow God's word. To listen to Him. Second, I love the characters. Each person was written to where you felt you knew them or someone like them. Third, I loved the way the story unfolded. Learning about Alaska and the native language and ways, was very enjoyable. It made me want to go visit.
And lastly, I loved the romance between Braden and "Wolf".
April 21, 2023
A Pleasant Story
This was a pleasant story with a good message. I loved the main characters. The villains were exactly as they should be. There were even a couple of twists I didn't expect. It's clean and well-written. So if you're looking for your next American west, historical, inspirational romance book, this might be it.
This was a pleasant story with a good message. I loved the main characters. The villains were exactly as they should be. There were even a couple of twists I didn't expect. It's clean and well-written. So if you're looking for your next American west, historical, inspirational romance book, this might be it.
May 25, 2018
Golden Story
If you love stories about Alaska, if you love historical novels, if you love Mary Connealy's stories, you'll love this tale. This reviewer found this delightful book online and on sale. Glad I got it and read it. What a good story.
If you love stories about Alaska, if you love historical novels, if you love Mary Connealy's stories, you'll love this tale. This reviewer found this delightful book online and on sale. Glad I got it and read it. What a good story.
July 20, 2017
So funny. I laughed at loud at some of the scenes. Wonderfully meshed with the novel golden dawn by cathy marie hake.
August 12, 2019
This was a good book. Refreshingly different.
Want to read
March 16, 2021
December 29, 2020
Quick, Easy, Feel-good read
July 29, 2024
Golden Days
During the gold rush of Alaska was the setting of this book. There was romance, suspense, and faith. Very good clean romance book.
During the gold rush of Alaska was the setting of this book. There was romance, suspense, and faith. Very good clean romance book.
August 9, 2013
This was a novella, so it was very short. Amy is part Russian and part Tlinget. Her father had her go to live in Seattle for a number of years after her mother died. When his letters stop coming, Amy hurries home to find what is wrong.
When she finds out her father is dead, Braden, who she met on the ship from Seattle to Alaska, offers to take her to his sister-in-law's home. She stays with the Raffertys for a long time, and every day wonders what happened to her father.
This was a good novella! There was plenty of comedy. If you read it, pay special attention for "Rooster".
When she finds out her father is dead, Braden, who she met on the ship from Seattle to Alaska, offers to take her to his sister-in-law's home. She stays with the Raffertys for a long time, and every day wonders what happened to her father.
This was a good novella! There was plenty of comedy. If you read it, pay special attention for "Rooster".
May 23, 2014
I have read this story before, but was a good read again. It's funny, four attempts of murder on Amy's life, a stranger living in her father's home and the Rafferty's who have come to Alaska in the gold rush era out of Stagway.
May 22, 2010
Unusual characters in an unusual setting--strong underlying message of waiting on the Lord.
January 10, 2021
lots of god talk *rolls eyes*.
July 12, 2010
Loved this book! Great job, Mary!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews