Reginald could not understand why she insisted on going on the trip to Pine Ridge with her strongbox full of money. He was unaware that Juniper Barns’ name meant something to her past. He had killed her father years before and her mother died shortly thereafter. She was forced to come live with the Carringtons, her mother’s estranged family. Her hatred for this man had fed her determination to kill Juniper Barns for ruining her life.

Ms. Stacey Kayne has once again written a great book with great characters and lots of action and tension. She introduced her two main characters, Sheriff Juniper Barns and Lily Palmer Carrington, by establishing their pasts. Juniper had spent the last twenty years trying to live down his past. Lily had spent the same time planning his death. These two had strong, determined personalities. Ms. Kayne described them in such a way that it was as if I knew them personally.

There is humor woven throughout the book. There is suspense and sensuality. Of course, the hate relationship soon turned to something more. The supporting cast of characters was many and quite effectively penned. There was lots of action which kept the storyline flowing. This book was one which did not just follow the predictable lines. There were many surprise turns in the book.

I loved the book and highly recommend it to anyone who likes historical romances with happy endings—though not predictable. It is everything a good book should be.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Brenda Talley
August 27, 2008