A Little Gentle Persuasion

September 1874

Boston socialite Devon Wainwright is widowed and left penniless by her husband's bad investments and is facing another loveless marriage arranged by her mother, when she receives notice of an inheritance from a little-known aunt. In defiance of her mother and with her maid as her companion, she sets off for Blue Springs, Colorado, to claim her legacy and a new life. All too soon however, she discovers that it is one thing to experience the Wild West through the popular dime novels; it is quite another to experience it in real life when she encounters lax morality, lawlessness, danger--and Cort Templeton. Though he is undeniably an imposing figure, Devon finds his no-nonsense, taciturn manner disconcerting and insulting. He is certainly not the dashing hero of her novels. For his part, Templeton has no time for the pretty redhead's sanctimonious complaints. But as mysteries unfold and an old vendetta arises, he finds Devon's life in his hands. Over the course of harrowing events, they come to realize that one can't judge a book by its cover, and they find an unexpected love.