10/07/2019
It's 1871, and Meg Pero is determined to fill the position of official photographer for the Army Corps of Engineers' survey of the Grand Canyon, a role originally destined for her recently deceased father. Capt. Benjamin Coleridge, whose proposal of marriage Meg turned down years ago, is the one person standing in her way. Ben needs a photographer if he's going to get the already late expedition back on track, and if he waits much longer, it'll be too close to winter and Ben might lose that slim window of opportunity to determine what happened to his missing father. Meg and Ben set out on an uneasy truce, each knowing they have a vital job to do. As close quarters ignite new affections, Ben starts to see this as an opportunity to win Meg's hand. Yet Meg feels her life is meant for adventure, not to be a captain's wife. As the survey continues, their project takes a sinister turn, forcing the couple to rely on each other's strengths to make it back to camp alive.
VERDICT Set against the backdrop of an expanding American West, this first in a new series from Scott (Never Doubt a Duke) will satisfy readers looking for a gentle love story and a gumption-filled heroine ready to explore the world.—Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash
