Paige Anderson was the spoiled daughter of a prominent doctor in Boston; when she needed to escape from her home, she presented her prospective employer with several lies—she was a widow (she’d never been married, but she was pregnant), and she could cook (at least, she had watched her own cook prepare meals for years and she had a cookbook). She received an offer of employment from Butler Cross with Morgan Lumber Company; the job entailed feeding a crew of 45 three meals a day. She could do this; of course, she could!

Butler Cross ran a lumber camp by keeping himself distant from his men; they feared him enough to show deference whenever he walked into the room. When the men went crazy over Paige, he took care of giving them their orders about how to treat her—including firing one man who had a tendency to take what he wanted whether a woman willingly gave her consent. Butler kept his eyes on Paige, but sometimes when she told him something, it was almost like he didn’t hear her.

There were a couple of younger boys, aged 15 and 6, at the camp who helped adjust to life at the camp. These boys’ characters were so lifelike that they could be in the family next door! The bond they helped to form with Paige and the guys was a true-running thread in the plot.

This story is heartrending and so involved that it was an easy read. The situations are so realistic and convincing that it was easy to lose myself in the book. The poignant scenes caused many tears; the emotionally charged surprise ending is marvelous!

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Brenda Talley
June 19, 2007