This was an utterly magnificent read! I have no idea how I’m going to make it through this review without just gushing all over the place, but oh! This story! My romance-loving heart is full to bursting. In fact, at one point, I really did think it would burst because there was sooooo much delicious romantic tension building up. I mean, the first time Torin and Grace lay eyes on each other is breathtaking—quite literally in some ways. I think it officially rates as one of my most favourite meetings of all times. But from then on, this is a slow-burn romance. Emphasis on slow and burn—although I hasten to assure you that slow does not mean boring!

Torin is such a fantastic hero, especially if you like the “still waters run deep” kind of hero. He’s the eldest son in a family whose prosperity has come from their very successful logging company. As the eldest, Torin is chief in both name and expectation, but he’s also made a name for himself as the Cunning Conservationist, penning articles advocating for reform in the very industry that gives his family its livelihood. Further, he shortly expects to receive an offer of employment from either the Department of the Interior or the Division of Forestry, which will take him far from his family in Pine Creek and Washington State.

He’s reclusive and standoffish, particularly in comparison to his lively and flirtatious younger brothers, and yet he’s a deeply passionate man who claims “If he ever found a woman to love—not that he was looking—he’d jump past the trifling and go straight for the pledge. He’d forget fawning and sink his roots into companionship and devotion.” Or how about this: “Romance isn’t the magic of words or feelings. It isn’t the luring of another’s affection with gifts and flattery. Romance is the untamed pursuit of another. It’s fierce in commitment and unyielding in seeking another’s good.”

Slay. Me. Now. And if you think the words are impressive, wait until you see him in action. And Sondra Kraak’s writing just adds to the depth—both the characters and the story. I could truly gush all day. And lest you think all this gushing is simply about the hero, Grace is just as wonderfully characterised, and they each have a wonderful journey of personal and spiritual growth in this story that can be summarised by such quotes as:

“God isn’t pushed away by our sharp edges. He draws even closer during those times when others are driven away.”

“Zeal needed a counterweight lest it consume a man.”

“The path to joy goes through sorrow, not around it.”

“Don’t settle for just anything because you’re afraid you’ll end up with nothing.”

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. This story hit me in all the right places, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.