The Claim

New Zealand, 1875. After leaving England to avoid criminal charges, William Hennessey hears gold has been discovered in the Ohinemuri and hopes to make his fortune by staking a claim on the Karangahake Mountain. Then he meets Mere. She's beautiful, she's passionate. and everything about him and his plans to mine on the mountain sacred to the local iwi angers her.

Mere McGregor is half-Maori and half-Scottish and has never quite fit into either world. She is quiet and observant, and watches in horror as her forefathers' land is taken, and there is nothing she or anyone can do about it. William represents everything she resists. To her, he is entitled and spoiled, but he's also fascinating and tenacious in his pursuit of her.

William and his friend John ignore Mere's objections and start mining, and after several setbacks, it looks like the venture will be successful. But then William gets seriously injured and to his surprise, the one person willing to nurse him back to health is Mere. While he is ill, she cares for him, and they become friends. But the moment he is healthy again she goes back to ignoring him. All he has is the promise of gold, and the hope he will one day be good enough for Mere, the only woman he's ever had to work for.

Then he hears rumours of old enemies hunting him down. Can William escape his past and find gold? Can William and Mere bury their differences and find love?

The Claim is the second book in the Hennessey series. If you like charismatic heroes, conflicted hearts, and dangerous frontiers, then you'll love this book.

An unforgettable love story, woven into a tale of gold mining, loss, betrayal and redemption.