History tells us that all sorts of individuals, mostly immigrants, settled the west. My own family pretty much came to this country and settled right in Iowa on both my mother's and my father's sides. And although we were of what I like to call Heinz 57 Celtic (i.e. throw a dart at a map of the British Isles and there's a good chance some ancestor of mine came from there), I did grow up near a German settlement.

Which is why Be Mine captured my imagination and heart as I read. Our hero could be a stereotypical western hero--half-Native American, good with a gun or in a fight, thinking he's not worthy of love--and yet, his business acumen and the fact that he wanted to build an empire of commerce, not cattle, set him apart. Add to that one fiesty non-conformist heroine whose German heritage shines through in everything from speech to customs, and this is not your run of the mill romance.

It's not erotic. There are no graphic words or scenes here, yet the sensuality steams off the page between these two. They fight as hard against their attraction as much as they want it, and even once they are together the obstacles don't stop. A secondary cast of characters shows how truly individualized the west was, from a Texas Rancher to a spoiled sister, and a young rapscallion of a girl.

I read this as much in a single setting as I could. The story held me, and although I've always been a fan of Cait London's work, this story to me seemed especially delightful. A wonderful read. ( )