This book is another addition in the Diana Palmer cannon: virginal heroine, taciturn hero, catastrophic incident, horrible miscommunication, and then HEA. I don't mind this, sometime I find it enjoyable after reading some very dark or disturbing romances. However, this story's suspense thread was a bit too much to believe. I know there are people desperate to make some money to save their families, but the lengths Bodie went to didn't fit in with her character. Also, lately Palmer's books have had an extra layer of preachy-ness that I have a hard time getting through. The last few books can quoted with the same themes/phrases of personal opinion. Themes included: if the arts fail, societies fail; we need to have more unified health care to take care of our elderly; conservatism and morals is rare in young woman/college girls: one bad mercenary woman being the blame for a good man going bad/drunk/crazy/mean/etc...I'm not saying I disagree with these themes, I just don't find it enjoyable when the romance story I picked up turns out to a lecture on morality and society. If this keeps up, Palmer may have to switch to the Love Inspired side of Harlequin instead of the Romances side she currently occupies.
