Lisa Jackson, Tears of Pride

Lisa Jackson, Tears of Pride - The fire killed her father Oliver and destroyed the family's Cascade Valley Winery. Though she knows her beloved dad would want her to rebuild, Sheila Lindstrom cannot finance the project. Instead her lawyer informs her that Wilder Investments President Ben Wilder was Oliver's partner and over the years lent money to keep the winery afloat. The insurance goes to Wilder. However, to Sheila what is worse is her dad's shredded reputation as most people believe Oliver set the deadly inferno and must find a way to tell her daughter.

Unable to sit back idly, Sheila confronts Wilder Investments temporary president Noah Wilder. He has troubles with his teenage son Sean who is missing from school; he also runs the family company that he does not want anything to do with while his dad recuperates in Mexico from a heart attack. Feeling like a traitor to her beloved father, Sheila is attracted to a man she considers a pirate. In spite of the angry termagant behaving as if she wants to skin him alive, Noah reciprocates. However, the winery business impairs their potential loving partnership.

This is a rewrite of a strong character driven contemporary romance that holds up quite well even though the plot has a historical feel to it because the investigations into the fire are pre-Internet. Sheila is a terrific protagonist struggling with the loss of her late father's reputation as much as or more so than the family business while delaying her need to grieve and falling in love with the enemy. Noah is an ethical individual who wants to learn the truth, clean up his father's questionable practices, help Sean, and persuade Sheila they belong together. Readers will enjoy this fine character driven tale.

HQN, Jul 2005

ISBN: 0373770464

Harriet Klausner