Review: A strong, determined woman in a mans world!  I loved it.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 5, 2012
I loved this story set in 1879 in Montana; a time when men ruled in society.  Women were expected to obey, support their husband's ideas and be wives, mothers and homemakers. God forbid that one would become a veterinarian--that was a man's world and there was no place for a woman in it.  When Jillian Matthews came to fill the position of the towns veterinarian, the whole community was outraged. Some of the men would have let their animals die before they would call upon her--but when faced with a crisis, their woman and children were not totally controlled!The first thing I noticed was Beatties flare for description of her characters and their environment. Immediately she made me feel like I was there with them, I could see, smell and feel what was going on. That is what I look for in an author's works.I loved Jillian Matthews spunk and the fact that she would not cower or back down from her goals; yet she was flexible enough to change if she could see merit in it.Wade Parker was widower who had inherited a difficult financial situation when his father died, as well as a load of emotional baggage from his marriage.  His views about a woman's desire to have a career had been coloured by the thinking of the times.  His honest character (and his strong mother) made him support Jillian in the community, but he tried to fight his growing attraction because he felt he could not have a relationship with a woman who would insist on working--one who would not find him to be "enough" for her. But he was not so stubborn that he could not accept change when he knew it was right to.There were many twists that made this book interesting. It gave a peek into a time when society was driven by male dominance. It had women who followed their path in spite of that dominance. It had intrigue, suspense, romance, sensuality, good guys and bad guys.I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great read that has suspence, strong women, a love that grows and the sensuous tension that drives it.