Cut of from Earth for centuries, the inhabitants of the planet Harmony have adjusted just fine to their environment. Developing a variety of psi-talents has allowed then to survive on their once alien world and now Harmony is thriving with cities and luxuries that rival anything on old Earth. But humans never change much, and for all their endurance and evolution, the same problems that plagued Earth follow them to all the worlds they colonize.

Elly St. Clair chooses to end her engagement to Guild Boss Cooper Boone, fearing that he doesn't really love her. Actually, she's afraid he's never been in love with her and only asked her to become his wife in a Covenant marriage to further his political career. Elly leaves small-town life in Aurora Springs behind and moves to Cadence, a larger city that will give her the opportunity to start her own business and spread her wings away from her well-meaning but overprotective family.

Her family, and Cooper, reluctantly let her go believing that in six months she'll be back home. Elly surprises them all by becoming a successful business woman. Secretly, she hopes that Cooper will miss her and come to Cadence to find her, but realistically she knows Cooper is married to his job and any future with him is unlikely. When a good friend of Elly's disappears in the alien catacombs, Elly turns to Cooper, who's turned up in Cadence on personal business, for help.

Cooper's personal business is all about Elly, but he isn't about to scare her off by telling her so, and she assumes he's in town to see a mistress. Besides courting Elly, Cooper has Guild business to handle. He's after a ghost hunter the Guild fears has gone over the edge, and Cooper has been sent to rein him in, by any means necessary. Mystery turns to murder and mayhem in the underground tunnels as Cooper and Elly stumble onto a madman's intricate plot of power and revenge. All hell breaks loose when the pair team up romantically and professionally. With Rose, the fierce and furry dust bunny, in tow, Elly and Cooper unravel a lunatic's scheme to regain political power. A scheme that involves taking down Cooper Boone and stealing his woman, as well.

The most interesting people live on Harmony! The main arc is a little convoluted as far as logic goes, but it's the plot of a madman, after all. There's an interesting subplot involving Elly and another botanist who are both researching an old legend of an underground alien rain forest. The dust bunnies are back and as engaging as ever. I've loved Krentz's off-world romances ever since SHIELD'S LADY was first published 17 (can it be 17 years already?) years ago. Good fun for romance readers everywhere!