"Strong historical romance"

In 1889 seventy years old Darby McIntosh rides to Joseph Paxton's ranch with a bullet in his back. He asks Joseph to watch over his beloved Rachel Marie Hollister, who is all alone with the person who murdered her family a few years ago coming for her. After stopping the blood flow, Joseph gets the doctor and his brother David the sheriff to see the critically wounded ranch foreman.

Joseph and David head to Rachel's ranch where they find her home totally barricaded. She refuses to talk to them. Joseph breaks through a wooden barred window, but she fires her shotgun at him. His dog Buddy follows him and he pleads with her not to shoot his canine. He assumes she is nuts, but lies down in the hallway anyway as he promised. The next morning Joseph joins David to interrogate the nasty Pritchard family and Rachel's Aunt Amanda. Joseph detests the Pritchards and assumes they are the killers. As he stays with Rachel, she begins to trust him. To his shock he falls in love especially after she kills him at poker, but first he must find a way to allow her to feel safe when he is not there.

This historical romance is fully driven by a strong cast especially the intriguing lead female and the man who has come to love and understand her. Fans will hope they find a way to be together although Joseph's constant denial of not marrying can become irritating. Still that is minor in retrospect as the audience will enjoy this deep nineteenth century drama starring a battle fatigue trauma victim and the wise hero who learns that she is the woman who has opened the world for him not visa versa.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted December 15, 2005

Summary

Her books have been hailed as "beautifully emotional [and] wonderfully romantic."(Booklist) Now New York Times bestselling author Catherine Anderson presents her most mesmerizing novel to date—a timeless tale that will make you believe in the power of love...

Now the popular Coulter series takes an exciting new turn!

The year is 1889, and Rachel Hollister hasn't set foot outside her house in five years. Ever since a savage attack left her family dead, she's cordoned herself off from the outside world, afraid to let anyone into her home—or into her heart. But now trouble has appeared on her doorstep—and suddenly she has no choice but to let a handsome ranccher invade her well-guarded existence...

Confirmed bachelor Joseph Paxton grudgingly offers to take up temporary residence at the Hollister ranch—even though it's obvious that Rachel doesn't want his protection. But once he catches a glimpse of his beautiful young ward and her remarkable spirit, he'll do anything to break through the dark spell that's walled off her heart. It may take a miracle, but he's determined to make her see the refuge he's offering in his embrace—and the splendor that exists beyond her front door. Otherwise he'll just have to build a safe haven big enough for the both of them...