An amusing and beguiling tale begins with a girl, her lame mule and raggedy dog, making their way along roads through nowhere as she tries to reach her relatives. It's 1896 and Texas varies between unpopulated and overly prim where young women are concerned. Should anyone know Ivy Feagan has been alone for a few days, her reputation will be ruined. Only... who's to care? She's an orphan. She's also a LONE STAR HEIRESS.

Winnie Griggs always tells a fun tale of real people living the dusty life, and I fell for talkative Ivy from the first page. Mitch Parker is a schoolteacher and as luck would have it he's the first person Ivy encounters in days. His sudden appearance, harmless though he is, scares her so she falls from a mulberry tree and hits her head. Understanding that concussion is dangerous and scalp wounds bleed easily, Mitch administers first aid and puts her up in his summer cabin to rest. Ivy warns him off, but he's quick to assure her that she's safe. Only, how to observe the proprieties?

The town of Turnabout is well established and when Mitch brings Ivy to conduct her business, she gets bad news. Her inheritance of a cattle ranch has been complicated by a death. With another claimant, the matter won't be plain sailing. Other characters in the busy town include Reggie, a lady who is a photographer, and Carter, the son of Ivy's father's partner, who is disgruntled to be told that he may have to split his inheritance. He grew up on the ranch and helped to improve it from stones and brush. Ivy's not afraid of hard work either, and she takes a couple of jobs to keep her while the matter is being deliberated. One of the jobs is housekeeping for Mitch, quite respectable. If she but knew it, she's starting to change the way he thinks about women. Entertainingly, the town's unmarried ladies start to see Mitch in a new light too.

A sinister note is added when we see that inheriting wealth can cause jealousy, but in general I found this an easygoing read about growing into a new life and improving the lives of others. Winnie Griggs has written a series set in Turnabout called Texas Grooms of which this is the last instalment. She intends to return to the town in future books. If you haven't visited yet, LONE STAR HEIRESS is a perfect reason to get to know the townsfolk while you enjoy this sweet historical romance.