by Kat Martin
First published 2011
Mandy Ashton abandons her restrictive frontier life and flees to Sacramento City, where she assumes the identity of her frivolous cousin Julia. She trades her childhood simplicity for adult desires and the sophisticated social scene of California's capital. Travis Langley bears the Indian name Hawk, a white man the Cheyenne raised who struggles to reconcile his divided heritage. He accepts a job escorting Julia Aston, the governor's pampered daughter, though he dreads the assignment. Mandy maintains her deception as Julia, but Travis finds her spirited and alluring rather than spoiled. Their journey creates an intense attraction between them. Mandy and Travis become captives of their growing passion during their travels. The secret of Mandy's true identity threatens to destroy their connection. Their arduous days together deepen into passionate nights, but Mandy's carefully maintained lie could end everything they have built.
Genres: romance, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-romance, secret-identity
Setting: Sacramento City, California
Period: 19th-Century
355 pages · Paperback · Vanguard Press