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This early 1900s romance will have readers up all night, waiting for the obstinate Caroline DeBeck and mildly hickish Jacob MacKenzie to finally tie the knot. Do they, or don't they? Coia-Ramsay's character development is superb. Reading this book is like watching a Pride and Prejudice-type romance on the old-fashioned big screen.
Caroline DeBeck is a stunning twenty-something, already breaking traditional norms, as she is the oldest of three daughters and refuses to take a husband. Along comes a sometimes daring and confident, and at other times bumbling, farmer who sweeps her off her feet. It is such a comforting, charming, old-style romantic plot. As with all good novels, the book is deeper than a shallow romance, however. For example, Caroline discovers that Jacob pays his help poorly, and she thinks, "His cruel and wretched start to life did not seem to teach him anything about kindness, fairness, and goodwill to others, particularly those who served him so well." It is a stunning comment that is sure to make an impression on readers.
The story also explores themes of honesty, trust, tolerance, and family. Coia-Ramsay inserts wisdom without preaching, and her turn of phrase seems spot on for 1900: "You have a bonnie family, sir. Don’t jeopardize it," advises a doctor at one point in the narrative. Furthermore, the book accurately depicts the social life and proper norms of the time period, making it seem more than romance and more like descriptive historical fiction. Whether read at the beach, on a plane, or when one only has ten minutes, no one will put this one down until the sizzling but odd couple figure life out, together or not.