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Wilderness Heart

Jacqueline Hopkins
CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781460923917
Reviewed by Tia Bach for RebeccasReads (10/11)

Lyn Taylor spends her days guiding hunters through the Idaho wilderness and fighting against their predetermined notions of a woman guide. Nic Randall is no different, except he sparks her ire even more than usual. He questions her skills, and she questions her feelings. She’s been avoiding marrying her longtime fiancé because of his demands. Nic is sparking her desire, but she refuses to change for any man.

Nic is less than thrilled to have a woman guide, but he’s not on the trip to hunt. His family business is a lumber mill, and the hunting trip is a ruse to collect information about the area timber. When Lyn discovers his duplicity, she is determined to squelch her budding feelings.

Lyn ends the hunting tour early and tries to put her feelings aside, but Nic is not so easily deterred.  Her father senses her need for some downtime and takes over a few hunts. Lyn’s been running the business by herself since her Mom died and her father lost interest. When Nic shows up to spend more time with her, she ends up nursing him back to health after a freak accident. They grow closer, but still face obstacles. They can’t deny their passion, but will it be enough?

Set in the beautiful Idaho mountains, the setting becomes an integral part of the story. The author does a good job portraying Lyn’s struggle to define herself even as she’s falling in love. Anyone who appreciates a strong, independent woman will enjoy Lyn’s character. I was most intrigued by Lyn’s father, a man whose love for his daughter helps him heal from the loss of his wife. His guidance is essential to Lyn and Nic finding their way to each other. Fans of a happy ending will also enjoy the tale.

Unfortunately, "Wilderness Heart" needed a good editor. The grammar and punctuation mistakes were distracting and the writing was often long-winded. In addition, the main problem was flimsy. A good romance thrives off the characters overcoming differences, but Lyn’s cussing and smoking seemed overplayed and weak. The characters and setting deserved tighter writing and a more interesting conflict.