Haven Arizona is much like most of the towns created out of
nothing with a large ranch, saloon/bordello, one room
schoolhouse, mercantile store, bank, blacksmith and jail.
The town survives by catering to the needs of the limited
number of residents of the town. There are usually few
secrets in a small town but with the arrival of Sam
O'Ballivan the rumor mill will be buzzing. Sam arrives just
in time to take over the task of schoolteacher to the ragtag
group of oft-times rowdy children, who are at the moment
standing over a well where they've got the current teacher
literally hanging by his heels. His work cut out for him he
starts by touching base with the ringleader's sister, Maddie
Chancelor, the local postmistress/clerk at the mercantile.
Needless to say that did not lead to an auspicious beginning
but there were definitely sparks. But Maddie was immediately
suspicious of this man claiming to be a schoolteacher whose
presence was something far more rough and dangerous. Maddie
and her brother Terran have managed to establish a life for
themselves here in Haven but as events unfold she begins to
realize how tenuous that existence is. There is great evil
and poverty in Haven and it is affecting the lives of many
townspeople. Little do they know that Sam is actually there
to ferret out those responsible for a rash of deadly
robberies and it seems the culprits may actually be
'locals'. So very quickly the question is who can you trust
and as the story unfolds that list seems to be shrinking.
The chemistry between Maddie and Sam is undeniable but
neither is really free to act on it. However even with the
best of intentions their relationship grows through
friendship and trust -- now can it blossom into love?
Fans of Linda Lael Miller, and I count myself as one, will
really enjoy her most recent story about frontier life. As
usual there is a wonderful group of characters who will tug
at your heartstrings, others that will earn your ire and
still others that will surprise you. Miller's characters
are always multi-dimensional and the people you will meet in
Haven Arizona have their share of flaws but they rarely do
something truly out of character. That's what keeps you
coming back for more. Fans of the Shotgun series featuring
the McKettrick clan will enjoy meeting Sam, Maddie and the
boys. In fact there could be some good stories to come from
some of the supporting cast of characters in particular
Terran, Ben and little Violet. So if you've enjoyed The Vow
and Fletchers Woman put this book on your reading list.
There's trouble in Haven, Arizona, and Ranger Sam O'Ballivan
is determined to sort it all out. Badge and gun hidden, he
arrives posing as the new schoolteacher, and his first order
of business is to bring the rough ranchers' children under
control. To that end, he calls on Maddie Chancelor, the
local postmistress, whose younger brother is in firm need of
discipline.
Sam wasn't sure what to expect - but it was definitely not
this graceful woman whose prim, proper stance was so at odds
with the fire in her eyes. Working undercover to capture a
dangerous band of rustlers and train robbers was a job that
had always kept apart from other people. He was a man with
his heart firmly in check - until Maddie. Now she was
unwittingly tempting him down a path he swore he'd never travel.
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