The Spark of Love

Cabot (Dreams Rekindled) takes readers to 1850s Texas in the intrigue-filled final installment of the Mesquite Springs series. Alexandra Tarkington flees New York to get away from a menacing suitor who is only interested in her inheritance. She heads to Mesquite Springs, Tex., hoping to reunite with her wayward father, Calvin, but he resents her arrival, as it’s a distraction from his business plans. As Alexandra strives to win her father’s respect, she befriends the charming Gabe Seymour, who unbeknownst to her has been hired to probe Calvin’s shady investment dealings. When Alexandra asks her father to become the manager of his hotel, Calvin, also unaware of Gabe’s true identity, secretly hires Gabe to divert her with courtship, believing women are unfit for business. Meanwhile, Gabe develops feelings for Alexandra but realizes that she will despise him when she learns his reason for coming to Mesquite Springs, and after dangerous men from Alexandra’s past show up, Gabe must risk his life to keep her safe. Cabot’s heavy-handed treatment of her themes of anger and faith—as when, for instance, a minister delivers a lengthy sermon—drag down an otherwise tight plot. For readers willing to look past the author’s didacticism, the juicy schemes and blossoming romance will keep the pages turning. (Mar.)