The author walks a fine line with Max. If she hadn't allowed readers to see how much Max suffers over the thought of disappointing the father he loves, or hurting the woman her loves, it might have been hard to forgive Max for hesitating to give Kristy her due when she chooses him over her family. Despite my enjoyment of this tale, I had a few problems with the story line. I thought Max, at 30, was too old to be so passive about having his father run his life. And, although I enjoyed the ending, I thought that Max's drinking problem was too easily dismissed.
Alcoholism is a terrible disease that ruins lives.
Love may be able to move mountains but it cannot cure a disease like this and I feel it's a disservice to women, especially to the very young women who read romances, to allow them to think otherwise. Notwithstanding the drinking issue, I enjoyed the honest and realistic approach to the consequences of a romance between a man whose family owns the land and a woman whose family has always served others. The root of this romance, and its conflict, is family. The author allows readers to understand Max's predicament. If he marries Kristy, society's doors will be closed to him and although Max doesn't care for himself he knows how much it would hurt his family to see him excluded.