This was a fun book to read. Alexandra has come to Smoke River from Chicago, where she works as a newspaper reporter. She intends to accompany her uncle's crew on their cattle drive and write about it for the newspaper. Ranch foreman and trail boss Zach Strickland is completely against the idea. A cattle drive is no place for a city woman, but he doesn't have much choice in the matter.

I really enjoyed this battle of the sexes. Zach is sure that Alex won't last twenty-four hours before she'll be ready to high-tail it back to her uncle's ranch. Alex is equally determined that she will make the entire journey. From the start, Zach does not treat Alex and differently than the rest of the crew. She rides as long as they do, takes her turn riding at the back in all the dust, eats the same food, and sleeps on the ground. For the first week or two Zach waited for the crying and complaining to start, and each day was surprised at Alex's fortitude. That isn't to say that she didn't want to complain. Alex didn't expect the dust, the extreme temperatures, or the sometimes mind-numbing boredom. But she wasn't going to give Zach the satisfaction of saying "I told you so."

I enjoyed the development of their relationship. After a while, something strange happened. Zach found himself admiring Alex's ability to adapt to her surroundings. He was impressed by her ability to get the other cowboys to talk about themselves for her stories. It wasn't long before he noticed a lot more about her too. I loved seeing the protectiveness kick in, such as how he cared for her after the river incident and when she had problems with Cassidy. For her part, Alex stopped looking at Zach as the enemy and saw the man who cared for each member of his crew, and who could be depended on in any crisis. That isn't to say that they didn't still butt heads from time to time. I loved the scenes with the Indians when Alex insisted on going along. There were also a couple of great scenes where they opened up about their pasts, and the effects on their lives now. The feelings and attraction built between them until they could no longer be denied. I ached for them as they reached the end of the drive and couldn't figure out a way to be together. It took going their own ways alone for each of them to realize what was most important. I loved Alex's big moment at the end. It was fun to see the way that she pulled it off.

I loved the descriptions of the cattle drive. The sights, sounds, and smells were described so vividly that I felt as though I was there each step of the way. The flooded river, the stampede, and the storms were exciting and nervewracking. The confrontation with the rustlers had me on the edge of my seat until it was over.

I also loved the characters of the other cowboys. Each one was a unique personality, with their own little quirks. It was sweet to see the way that they all accepted Alex and were so excited to be interviewed for the paper. I laughed out loud when they reached the end of the drive and she joined them for dinner in the restaurant. It was also fun to see them fall all over themselves and each other when she wanted to go to the saloon and to play poker. I loved their excitement as they read each of her stories once they were back home. ( )