Lone Tree

In this engaging but somewhat frustrating homecoming novel, Lainie Johnson returns to her deceased mother's hometown in West Texas in search of her maternal grandfather, Miles, who was estranged from her mother. Rather than confronting him, she hides her identity and becomes his personal secretary, hoping to build a relationship without the baggage of family enmity. Lainie quickly becomes accustomed to life on his ranch, enjoying the company of her new friend, Jackie, and the handsome and devoted foreman, Reed, who pursues her relentlessly despite her insincere refusals. As Lainie gets closer to Reed and more appreciative of Miles, her self-imposed deadline for departure and transparency grows more difficult. Lainie's stubbornness and dissembling are irritating, but otherwise this is an engrossing tale of family and love with intriguing and well-developed characters. (May)