October 15, 2001
Sent west by her father to escape a dangerous feud between two Irish families in Pittsburgh, Kara O'Riley arrives in Kansas City with little money and no one to turn to for help, so she applies for the first job she can find. Having been given one year to make the Texas ranch he recently inherited a success, Jonathan Catlin desperately needs someone to sort out all the paperwork involved, so he reluctantly hires Kara as a bookkeeper. What starts out as a business arrangement gradually becomes something much more personal once cold and distant Jonathan realizes he is falling in love with sweet Kara. Thomas' clean, direct writing style packs a powerful emotional punch, and her latest western historical romance highlights the author's talent for creating genuinely real characters. Kara, in particular, is an appealing blend of vulnerability and strength, and watching this plucky heroine discover her own sense of worth and find true love is just one of the joys of reading this exceptional romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)