Nothing Short of Wondrous

Scott continues her American Wonders Collection (after A Distance Too Grand) with this entertaining inspirational romance set in the vastness of 1886 Yellowstone National Park. Kate Tremaine, a widow whose husband was killed by a bear the year before, has a short-term lease on the Geyser Gateway Inn. She, her cook Alberta, and her seven-year old son, Danny, live year-round in the park and are surprised when Lt. Will Prescott leads a unit of the U.S. Cavalry into the land, having been sent to protect the park from poachers and vandals. With Kate needing an ally in her bid for a 10-year lease on the Inn and Prescott looking for a guide through the uncharted local terrain, their mutually beneficial pact, based on a shared faith, soon becomes mutual attraction. But Prescott has a secret he is sure will change Kate’s mind about him as a suitable wooer, and as others try to get a foothold in the lucrative park concession business, the pair end up battling more than just poachers. Though astute readers will recognize the main vandalism culprit early on, Scott still manages to plack in plenty of suspense, faith, and adventure. (Oct.)