Beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- yeah right. Plump and plain can never be confused with beautiful when describing Rosemary Burke according to just about anyone in Prairie View. Much to the dismay of her deceased mother Agatha, Rosemary favored her father in the looks department so her goal was to shape Rosemary into an educated and refined lady by sending her to boarding schools and lastly a grand tour of the world. She hoped that the returning young woman would attract suitors with her classiness rather than looks. Rosemary had a more basic desire -- to find someone who would truly love her just the way she was and not influenced by her wealth. She fantasized being the heroine like those in the romance novels and have her true love sweep her off her feet. Disembarking from the stagecoach she found herself in a dusty disheveled heap at the foot of the steps which she unfortunately maneuvered in her regretfully clumsy habit. But just as humiliation was setting in she was swept up into the arms of a powerful stranger who treated her like a gentleman would a lovely dainty gentile lady.

Of course her hero, Will "Waco" McClain was in truth a rough Texan with more sense than education on a mission of his own. That was to rob the Prairie View bank along with his little rag tag band of would be bank robbers. Plain and simple they needed money to settle a debt of honor, reclaim the ranch and get on with their lives. But plans are made to be broken -- or at least modified -- and so Waco and his group decide on an alternate plan which is to kidnap the banker's daughter -- none other than Rosemary -- for what certainly would be a handsome ransom. What they didn't count on was Godfrey -- the evil step father -- who was actually eager for an opportunity to get rid of Rosemary to allow him to claim her inheritance and continue as bank president.

Gentry sets up her reader in this lighthearted tale of romance and adventure to feel sorry for poor Rosemary and her plight when in actuality our heroine is one gutsy gal who just needed to develop some much needed self esteem and confidence. Thrust into the position of victim she begins to assert herself much to the dismay of her captors with one lone exception -- Waco. He sees the diamond in the rough and you the reader will as well.