Book 3 in the series of the 5 Marys!
I had to keep going, but this story seemed to me the most tragic yet.
Mary Margaret, Maggie, wants to be a doctor. She's got the knack for it and waits only for word that she has gotten into medical school. But then, her life takes a sudden turn.
While fooling around with her sister, Maggie gets turned around and ends up in a sketchy part of the city. After getting accosted by some undesirables, the owner of a bordello helps Maggie, giving her a room for the night and sending for a doctor. Meanwhile, she gives her some laudanum to help her sleep.
But then Connor arrives at the bordello seeking a night to celebrate his ability to finally purchase his ranch and forget his troubles that led to his circumstances. An honest mistake leads him to Maggie's room. She thinks he's the doctor. He thinks she's willing. It's all a terrible misunderstanding, but it leaves its impact.
When Maggie wakes, still loopy from laudanum and alcohol, she panics, stuffs her nightgown into the nearest bag, dresses, and flees, determined to forget the entire night.
When Connor wakes, he's convinced Maggie stole his money from him. With bitter defeat, he goes to the man he wants to buy the ranch from--John Mackenzie Worth, Maggie's father.
When he sees Maggie again, he thinks she's one of Jay Mac's servants and is understandably angry about her thievery. He demands his money. But Maggie doesn't remember him or anything he claims she's done with him. She certainly doesn't remember their night together, but her family has suspected things have not been quite right with Maggie since that odd night. Then Maggie discovers--she's with child.
After getting a letter from medical school, Maggie also gets a proposition from Jay Mac and Connor: if she marries Connor, he can get his ranch from him as a wedding gift. Since Maggie feels bad about the money that she still has no memory of and since she needs to get out of town pronto, she lets her family know of her rejection from medical school and marries Connor quickly for her baby's sake. She lets him think she got rid of the baby, and he is doubly enraged at her now.
Oh, the heartache in this one got to me. Maggie had to suffer such trials and cruelty from Connor. It all finally starts looking up for her when she convinces Connor to leave her with a man in the mountains who helped her father in book 2.
The plot continues from there, but that's enough summary. This one, overall, was so tragic and took forever for the leads to work things out. Definitely a darker western romance, for sure. The first book in the series is still my favorite.