September 4, 1995
In 1879, British lawyer Harrison MacDonald is on a mission to find the long-lost daughter of his employer, the powerful industrialist Lord Elliott. His search takes him from London to the majestic mountains of Montana, where he finds Mary Rose Clayborne, a breathtaking beauty with four tough brothers. Harrison infiltrates the family by playing on Mary Rose's generosity, but instead of uncovering whoever kidnapped Mary Rose as an infant, he finds a loud and argumentative, though warm and caring, family. Harrison fights his growing desire for Mary Rose but fails, and soon the two are married. When Harrison confesses the truth behind his charade, the bride feels betrayed by her new husband, but follows him to England to meet her father and to snare the real kidnapper. Even Garwood's more loyal fans may be dissatisfied with her lifeless narrative and slow pacing here, as well as with the endless parade of new secondary characters. The only saving grace is the outrageous behavior of the heroine and her siblings, as wild as the Old West in which they live. Doubleday Book Club main selection.
April 4, 2001
This romance set in mid-19th-century Montana spent two weeks on PW's bestseller list.