Hearts

Setting: Harmony, Montana

Sensuality: 7

A devoted teacher at the St. Francis Academy for Girls, Truvy Valentine is 5- foot-10, athletically gifted, politically minded, and accustomed to going unnoticed by men. Facing her 26th birthday, Truvy is teetering on the edge of old-maid status when she's suspended from the academy for teaching human sexuality to her students. She travels to Harmony, Montana, to visit a close friend over the Christmas holidays and finds herself caught up in the lives of the small-town residents and reluctantly, overpoweringly attracted to Jake Brewster, owner of Bruiser's Gymnasium and one-time world-renowned strongman.

The two seem direct opposites, but beneath Truvy's very proper exterior beats the heart of a rebel and Jake's just the man to encourage her forays into nonladylike behavior. Neither of them expects to find love, but Jake can't deny Truvy's quick wit and warm heart, and Truvy can't ignore the fact that Jake's blunt words, rough charm, and caring concern are irresistible. Will either find the courage to say "I love you" before Truvy must return to her life at the academy?

Wrapped in the nostalgic feel of a small town in turn-of-the-century America, Hearts is a story about the enchantment of first love. Truvy and Jake are long past callow youth, but love hits them with the same steamroller effect as if they were 17. Stef Ann Holm seamlessly blends the details of early American life with absorbing characters set against a vivid background and anchors it all with a solid, character-driven plot, in this final installment in the Brides for All Seasons series. If you enjoy warm and wonderful historical romances, then Hearts is for you.--Lois Faye Dyer"This is romance at its best," said Amanda Quick of Honey, the third book in Stef Ann Holm's Brides for All Seasons series. And readers who enjoy their historical romance liberally spiced with passion and laughter are in for another unforgettable treat.

HEARTS

Suspended for teaching human sexuality to her students, Truvy Valentine has come to Harmony, Montana, to visit her dear friend, Edwina, and try to forget that she will most likely die a tall, athletic old maid. Although she has diligently studied how to choose the perfect mate, no book could prepare her for her attraction to Jake Brewster, a man whose favorite things in life seem to be beer, boxing, and poker. The proud owner of Bruiser's Gymnasium, Jake has little patience for the proper Miss Valentine -- until he gets a taste of what simmers beneath her prim exterior. Trouble is, Jake's not the marrying kind -- not hardly. Soon Truvy is teaching dance classes at Edwina's school and Jake is making her head spin. But the magic they nd in each other's arms could turn to heartache unless they can learn to let go of the past and step into the future -- together.