They were sailing toward an untamed land of limitless riches, but their dreams seemed to demand a sacrifice of the Code of Honor. Samantha & her sister attempted to escape a bleak future in Ireland by going to Queensland.The land she discovers she had never anticipated or desired, but now her home is oceans away.

With no work or marriage prospects for her in her native Ireland, Samantha Connolly seizes an opportunity to go work in Australia—as an indentured servant to one Cole Sloan. But Cole's legal and financial struggles, along with his callous ways and shady business dealings, put Samantha in a precarious position in Code of Honor by author Sandy Dengler.

From the first page of this first book in the Australian Destiny series, I was taken in by the fluid, expressive style of a clear wordsmith. The author blends beauty with a measure of bite and danger in this layered story that comes alive Down Under.

A few jumps in the timeline, particularly in the novel's opening stages, made it difficult for me to get into the characters at first, but I got a better feel for them after a while. Samantha has an imperfect but admirable head on her shoulders, and I appreciate that the question of romance in her life isn't maneuvered into a fairy-tale answer. Likewise, while there's more evangelistic content than I go for in fiction these days, I'm glad "come to Jesus" moments aren't forced in to wrap up the story with a tidy, shiny bow.

I'll admit I was nervous about seeing how the author would depict Aborigines. I wasn't surprised by some of the characters' thoughts about people of color, but overall, there's nuance and dimension to the racial/cultural themes, with more than one side and perspective that significantly comes to light.

I'm looking forward to continuing this series. ( )