Caught in the Middle by Regina Jennings

Caught in the Middle

Let’s begin with the summary:
 

She Wants the Freedom of the Open Plains.
He Wants the Prestige of a Successful Career.
Neither is Ready for What Comes Instead.

The train to Garber, Texas, is supposed to bring life's next victory to Nicholas Lovelace. Instead, it gets held up by robbers who are thwarted by the last person Nick ever expected—Anne Tillerton from back home in Prairie Lea.

Anne's been hiding away as a buffalo hunter. She's only in town to find their runaway cook, but the woman flees—leaving Anne with her infant son. With Nick the only person Anne knows in town, the two form an unlikely team as they try to figure out what to do with the child.

But being in town means acting and dressing for polite society—and it's not going well for Anne. Meanwhile, Nick's work is bringing new pressures, and being seen with a rough-around-the-edges woman isn't helping his reputation. Caught between their own dreams, a deepening relationship, and others’ expectations, can the pair find their way to love?

And now, my review:

Our heroine, Anne, has been on her own for a while, hiding behind a masculine occupation and clothing. She has good reasons for protecting herself, given her history, though the threat is dead.

I liked Anne’s characterization. I could sympathize with her and root for her to find security in God, rather than in posing. But God had a way of getting past her guarded heart—a son. Caring for the boy, needing help from others, leaning on them, all of these elements helped her open up.

The hero is determined to do what’s morally right. He’s respectable as he makes courageous choices in business and in his personal life.

Great storytelling. I was hooked throughout the story. But, technically, there were several point-of-view issues throughout, plus a few typos. (Finding errors is an occupational hazard of being an editor.) Still, I enjoyed this novel.