Penny, who is much more comfortable in a pair of spiked heals and her Atlanta office than in hiking books and woods, would love to pass the assignment on to her partner Shelby Haines. Shelby though has her hands full in Atlanta trying to raise money from her father to keep Southern Images afloat for another month.

When Penny final stumbles into Miles campground, he immediately sets out to provoke Penny into leaving him alone by showing his worst side. Miles is deep into development of a new camping stove and he resents any interruption. Learning that his brother, Hal, has fallen from a horse and will be unable to attend the very important trade shows does not convince Miles of his need to attend. While Mile's is concerned for his brother's health he feels his only place in the company is in research and development not sales. Mile's resentment of this new job and Penny is made even worse by Hal's apparent lack of faith in him.

Returning to the home of Hal and his wife, Lucinda, Penny is only able to put up with Miles continued bad manners by reminding herself that the future of Southern Images depends on the success of Miles transformation. When Miles' resistance to Penny assistance begins to thaw after learning of the company's financial trouble and the importance of successful trade shows, both Penny and Miles begin to develop a new respect for each other. While they may drop their animosities towards each other, can a bond formed from the shared success of their project translate into a lifetime of love and compromises between a city girl and mountain man?

A delightful well-written novel, Diamond in the Rough has all the features of a wonderful contemporary romance. It is humorous and touching with fantastic characters, terrific chemistry, and a believable plot. Not only are Miles and Penny an excellent well-developed hero and heroine; but great secondary characters also enrich the tale. I loved the development of the relationship between Penny and Miles and the almost instinctual compromises they reach without either character backing down or changing. Although they are two very different personalities, Ms. Bierce did not rely on the standard love/hate relationship that has the hero and heroine constantly at each other's throat but she put her own unique spin on this tried and true plot. This is a charming, sweet romance that shows opposites not only attract but also truly fall in love.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Sweet

Reviewer: Larenda Twigg
March 21, 2004