Sean Wallace stands at his mother's graveside, bitterly weeping. His father's name was his mother's last utterance, a husband and father who left them, returned and left again. Sean wonders how his mother could love that man more than her own child. Within three weeks, he's dumped by another so-called "faithful" woman and vows to never let his heart trust a woman again. One can understand how he vehemently vows to marry for social reasons but emotionally transfers his passion to a successful business and travel.

Maggie Garrison is doing just fine, passionately engaged in her second loves, her three children and tourist ranch business. Everyone she knows would love to see her remarried, but Maggie deftly fends off every visiting suitor and remains focused only on her very special family and work relationships. She truly believes no one can ever replace the one lost but eternally fulfilling connection that death has failed to conquer.

Along comes Sean and the electricity flies indeed, though both spend a long time battling their inner thoughts and emotions emerging from each meeting. Curt and warm comments encourage them. The surrounding characters are quite realistically depicted by Mays, from the elderly, cantankerous, but caring Henry, to Maggie's protective children, to even the house cook whose concoctions will make the reader's mouth water indeed.

There are several problems, though. There's a woman waiting for Sean elsewhere and Maggie's kids are not all that receptive to a father replacement figure in their lives. Add to the mixture a suave, social, visiting lawyer who thinks he can have whatever and whoever he wants. His nasty reaction is expected but no less potent when Maggie clearly lets him know her position.

Equestrian lovers will also love the secondary plot involving the buying, training, riding and showing of circuit show horses and their dexterous, impassioned riders.

Yes, the reader might think he or she knows where this is going but you won't expect the twists and turns that may yet destroy the expected outcome. Will Sean overcome his bitterness to grow into what his heart, mind and body are telling him about Maggie? This reader wished for more of a developing transition concerning this past pain but the story is no less effective as steamy passion grows and grows to a most surprising climax.

Judy Mays tells a fluid, interesting story that will satisfy romance lovers galore, with just enough spicy sugar to keep the reader returning and waiting for more tales from this talented writer.