The first of a series called Wild Rose Sisters will be a hard act to follow. We meet Payton Dahl, who bartends at the Heartwood Inn in Oregon and writes exciting fantasy books on the side. One quiet night, she serves a man who will become THE FATHER OF HER SONS.

This already sounds like something out of a fantasy tale, but for Easton Wright, a visiting businessman, it’s just a normal work night. He’s finding the lady in the bar attractive, and they chat all night until she has to close. Then… she sneaks him back to her flat, since they are both unattached. Payton just has to make sure the bar manager doesn’t see.

A week later, Easton leaves town with happy memories, but the pair agreed not to exchange surnames or contact details. He returns six months later and tries to find the lovely lady, but the surly bar manager tells him Payton married and moved away. In fact, she’s still unmarried, expecting twin boys, and helping out on her aunt’s farm. That’s where she stays for four more years.

I like that by the time there is a prospect of meeting up again, Payton is a published author, not hugely famous but getting there. She has some status and income. Christine Rimmer is an accomplished author who doesn’t so much do Cinderella stories as ones in which the heroine improves her circumstances. The romance is not without difficulties; however, Payton and her family are clearly thankful for the little boys. Her life could have been a great deal harder.

THE FATHER OF HER SONS will suit optimists, romantics and anyone wanting a quick read story with a few lessons of life. The tale wraps up around Christmas, which emphasises the family theme.