Molly McFarlane was desperate to protect her
niece and nephew from their unscrupulous stepfather now
that her sister was dead. That is what drove her to marry a
comatose cowboy after a rail accident when she heard that widows
would get compensation resulting from the death of a husband due
to the crash. But her training as an assistant to her late
physician father, as well as her conscience, won’t allow her to
let the man die if she can help it. When he awakes to find
himself married, however, she has a lot of explaining to do.
Hank Wilkins can’t remember the train
wreck, or getting married before he took the train, and given
the attractive, smart woman who claims him as husband, he sure
should have. Having always assumed he’d be a bachelor after
getting his heart broken, he’s not all that dismayed to find
himself with a beautiful wife and a ready made family. He likes
the boy, even if the youngsters a tad skittish, as well as the
little girl, even if she is a bit needy. And he really likes his
wife.
Once they settle in at his family’s ranch
along with his brother’s family, it all feels right except for
one thing. Molly’s standoffish behavior can’t be fully accounted
for by the fact that he’s apparently lost his memory. When that
condition turns out to be temporary and the truth comes out,
Hank and Molly have some difficult decisions to make about the
future, complicated by the fact that Molly and her children are
being hunted for reasons that will become clear when a plot to
bring down the whole government of the United States is exposed.
Ms. Warner has followed up her sterling debut novel, Pieces of
Sky, with equally compelling characters in an intriguing plot.
The electricity between Hank and Molly is combustible and both
are likeable characters to root for. Ms. Warner continues to
demonstrate her mastery in the craft of writing. The pace could
have been a tad tighter, but that is a minor point in a novel
filled with what you want from a western romance—spirit,
sensuality, action and, most of all, falling in love
