Something Borrowed

Since there is no editorial review on this book here is what is on the back. "She had everything she needed for her wedding day-except the man of her dreams...MARY, a part Cherokee schoolteacher, she agreed to marry one of the wealthiest bankers in Cheyenne, Wyoming--just to have a secure future. Until another man came along in the nick of time...LEE,to honor a friend's dying wish, he promised to find himself a wife, become guardian to a little girl, and give up his life as a lawman. And he had only three weeks to do it all...It was almost like a fairy tale when Lee appeared at Mary's arranged wedding and offered for her hand himself. Even if it was a mariage on paper only, neither could deny the attraction that had simmered between them for months...In one mixed-up wedding day, Mary had found everything she ever wanted - a protective husband and an adorable child to care for. It was all within her reach - and she wasn't about to let it go..." This is one of the Diamond Homespun Romance series done by Diamond Books, this one in 1995. They are all very gentle, romantic books with more romance than actual physical sexual relations (although there is usually some of that, but always between husband and wife). These are usually set in the American West after the Civil War but some do have other locations for their story. This particular book was a good read. Lee was working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency and did a lot of traveling on his cases. Lots of hopping around from Cheyenne to Washington, D. C. on trains with side trips to New York, also by train. This is not so much a "western" as a story set in the West. This is also the continuation of another Homespun story but I'm sorry to say that my records don't say what the title is. It featured David Alexander and Tessa Roarke (possibly Golden Chances or Harvest Moon). I liked this story. It moves along well, the characters are very nice people and I wanted them to live happily ever after. Not something to set the woods on fire but a gentle, sweet story. And after all, what is wrong with that? With some of the absolute JUNK some publishing houses are turning out now it is a relief to read a book you are not ashamed to have someone see you with.

Rebecca Hagan Lee is one of my favorite authors and this book is a treat from start to finish. Lee and Mary resonate like real people you'd love to know and I found myself rooting for their happy ending from the very first page. I can't wait to read Ms. Lee's next bestseller!