Rachel Bailey has come to Reidsville to escape an untenable situation in a rich man’s house. Everything was waiting for her, even her business as a seamstress was made easier by the silent hand that had arranged everything. She could hide out here, be safe here and, if she kept to herself in the small community, that was all for the better.

Sheriff Wyatt Cooper has watched Rachel Bailey from afar ever since her arrival in his town—and so has every other red-blooded male in the place. Not that Rachel has ever given him any encouragement. She’s down right prickly about maintaining her privacy, but then he knows she has reason to be. He’s watched her for the sheer pleasure—and because he has to. 

All of which is made clear when Clinton Maddox dies. Clinton Maddox is a railroad magnate and owner of the spur that leads to this isolated mining town that most have forgotten about. There are secrets in Reidsville, secrets that need to be kept. Secrets that now include Rachel Bailey. And secrets that Wyatt Cooper has a duty to maintain. Not the least of which will be the fact that, in accordance with Maddox’s will, Rachel Bailey must quietly marry Wyatt Cooper if she is to maintain her safety and the town’s secret and keep the spur open.

Rachel isn’t clear how this tangled web was woven but she knows Clinton Maddox is a master weaver. It’s not that the Sheriff isn’t physically appealing, but he’s insufferably domineering and Rachel does not wish to be controlled by anyone, not anymore.  And here she’s being controlled from the grave to do something she’d never do left to her own devices. Her proviso that the marriage be in name only may backfire, however, when the tempting Sheriff gets too close—and the tormentor she’s left behind gets even closer.

Jo Goodman has written a riveting western romance, one you won’t want to put down. From the first page it hooks you and won’t let go. Not only does she create a rich tapestry of community with multi-dimensional characters but her dialog is to die for. The repartee between Rachel and Wyatt creates a sizzling, tension-filled attraction that just gets hotter and hotter. As the plot brews and thickens, Goodman crafts one steamy and very satisfying story. Romance doesn’t get much better than this.  An immensely entertaining read.