The Homesteader’s Sweetheart

Generous heroes, an unabashedly evil villain, and an odd collection of charmingly unschooled ragamuffins in need of a mother’s love inhabit Williams’s optimistic Wyoming Territory romance. Penny Castlerock, daughter of a wealthy banker who wishes to marry her to a business colleague, escapes by means of a visit to help her grandfather at his homestead. Jonas White, an ex-bricklayer who admired Penny from afar while he worked near her Philadelphia finishing school, is now her grandfather’s neighbor, single with seven adopted sons and too poor to afford treatment for his epileptic daughter. Penny grows to love the family as she teaches them reading and social graces, and the kids romance Penny on their father’s behalf, wildflowers on the doorstep amid muddy boot prints and all. Williams (Marrying Miss Marshal) wraps pure sweetness in a very readable package, perfect for those who like their romance gentle, G-rated, and family-style. Agent: Sandra Bishop, MacGregor Literary. (May)