Fans of North and South should enjoy this, for that's what this reminded me of. Union supporter heroine meets master of the mill..sparks fly, passions are roused, hijinx ensue...

This isn't a carbon copy of that story, but it's close enough. My one issue with North and South is Margaret, the heroine. She's stubborn and intractable, but she's also somewhat cold and reserved. I never warmed up to her. That wasn't the case with Polly McGowan. She's full of fire. She had an indomitable spirit, but also a great deal of compassion and no small amount of cheek.

Alex was such a contrast. Loving father, activist, savior, astronomer and angry, aggressive male. Like Polly, just when I thought I had a handle on him he'd show another side, and I'd be adrift.

Lofty is a master at writing strong, multifaceted characters that straddle the line. Polly was no one's victim, and Alex wasn't easily pigeon-holed.

Though they're flawed, I was drawn to both characters and sucked into their battle of wills.