I read Among the Poppies a while back and actually appreciated that romance (I'm not really a romance person), and so I thought I'd give this one a try as well. It was cute. There was also enough action in this one to keep me going without rolling my eyes once. (As noted above, Among the Poppies also did not incur any eye-rolling). A teacher is hiding one of her prodigy students and 2 other boys from a grandfather who has hired a man to retrieve his grand-daughter. But when Stone, the retriever, finds out the other side of the story, he has to decide what to do, as well as how to deal with a blossoming appreciation for the young teacher.
Set in Texas, the characterization is good, the plot is believable, and the demonstration of faith amidst hard times is admirable. This is a good old fashioned western, laced with romance, and some good humor. I also liked that although Charlotte, the female protagonist, was clearly independent, there was a great balance between today's view of women's equality and what was true in the late 1800's.