Bestselling author Jane Bonander enchants readers the world over with her heartfelt historical romances set in Scotland and perfect for the readership of Monica McCarty and Julie Garwood.
Duncan MacNeil voyages over the sea to make his fortune in America. Shortly before his departure, he has a single tryst near the village fair with lovely Isobel Dunbar. Their romp leads to a pregnancy, and while he is across the ocean, Isobel gives birth to a spirited boy she names Ian. To protect her reputation and to prevent Duncan's wealthy family from taking Ian away from her, Isobel concocts a story that her neighbors believe--she claims Ian's father married her and then died in a shipwreck, leaving her a poor widow. The truth, she hopes, will never be discovered, and her son will never meet his father.
When Duncan returns, weary of the New World and ready to take charge of his family's business, his first plan is to buy a run-down former brothel and convert it to a cannery. Only this is where Isobel now calls home. He can't understand why she refuses to sell, and he certainly cannot understand why she harbors such resentment towards him. Then he realizes who this beautiful woman once was to him. Can Duncan grow from an irresponsible boy into a man who takes responsibility for his past carelessness? And can Isobel ever trust this stranger, when keeping Ian's parentage a secret is the only way she knows to keep her beloved son close?