As a foolish man steps in front of Anna's loader, she rolls
it, causing damage to the vehicle, loss of fine timber, and
injuries to herself, but results in saving his life.
Obviously Loon Cove Lumber is no place for the new employee,
and she fires him. She can't change that decision when she
is introduced to the klutz, Ethan Knight, her personal
savior from eighteen years ago.
Tom, the previous owner of Loon Cove Lumber, meant well when
he stipulated that during the first six months of new
ownership, one family member would rent a cabin at Fox Run
Mill under Anna Segue's ownership. When the sale goes
through a month later, she meets the mysterious new owners,
North-Woods Timber, the USA version of her Canadian family,
and her new tenant is... Ethan Knight. Tom doesn't know that
Anna and Ethan have a history, and since Ethan doesn't
connect the confident, take charge foremen with the thirteen
year old frightened girl, Anna is not about to enlighten
either man.
In the town of Oak Grove the citizens never forgive or
forget mistakes or indiscretions. Although not at fault,
Anna suffered under its bigotry and brutality. At thirteen
years old her loving grandfather recognized the path in life
she was leading to. Wanting better, he sent her physically
away to her paternal father but never far from his heart and
because of his sacrifice she learned, love, patience, and
built self confidence.
On the first night of the new owners, Ethan follows Anna
back to Fox Run Mill. At the same curve as her grandfather's
accident, Anna hits ice and loses control of her truck.
Hanging part way down a ravine, and encased in snow, death
seems inevitable, but in a heroic act Ethan saves her.
Suffering from hypothermia, Ethan provides first aid,
requiring that he remove her masquerade as a no nonsense
foreman and finds a beautiful woman beneath the fa�ade.
As his feelings for Anna deepen into respect and more, he is
confronted by family issues, hers and his. Ethan has
questions. Are Anna's ghostly visits really men? If so Why?
If Anna's truck ending in the ravine wasn't an accident, was
Samuel Fox's death really an accident as first suspected?
Somebody is determined to search Fox Run Mill's property,
but had they gone as far as murder? He begins his own
investigation.
THE STRANGER IN HER BED by Janet Chapman is well written.
There were many scenes that she kept me holding my breath,
either from physical danger to the character, or Anna's
heart being broken. The novel is non-stop drama. What I
liked about the novel is that although at times the
storyline was predictable, Ms. Chapman has such a way with
words and setting up scenes that the mystery reader lover in
me, found it exciting. I found Anna and Ethan's characters
real. I found the storyline possible. But, I'm still
guessing at who the 'Stranger in her bed' is? Is it Anna
hoping people don't find out she's really Abagail Fox, or is
it Ethan learning that some women can protect themselves?
Find out for yourself. Maybe you can tell me.
When Ethan agreed to work at a sawmill his family is
purchasing, he didn't foresee getting fired on his first
day. He should be mad at the fiercely outspoken female
foreman, but something about her seems disconcertingly
familiar -- even though Ethan is sure he'd remember meeting
a stunning beauty like Anna Segee before.
Anna
has never forgotten Ethan -- or the schoolgirl crush she had
on him before her father whisked her off to Canada. Now the
shy, gangly girl is grown up and back in Oak Grove with a
new name, new confidence, and a newly inherited mill of her
own. Her superb reputation in a male-dominated industry
hasn't come easy, but even harder will be ignoring the sexy
man Ethan has become. . . .