I love the book cover of this novel. When I read the synopsis and saw that it was a spin-off of the story of Ruth and Naomi from the Bible, I decided I wanted to read it. 

Young widow Rosa Gardner returns with her mother-in-law to their Texas family ranch only to discover that they have three months to pay back taxes. Rosa is originally from Mexico and she stands out when she arrives to town because she wears colourful clothing different from the other women and she is carefree and uninhibited. Weston Gardner, who is still grieving the loss of his wife five years ago is captivated by Rosa but must let go of his guilt regarding his late wife's death.

I really enjoyed this story mainly because of Rosa's character. We saw the West through her eyes and I thought she was funny, smart, hardworking and lively. She brought the story to life. Weston was a fine character but half the time I didn't get why he said certain things and I was frustrated by their relationship, especially toward the end. He was a Christian man but his behaviour at times was erratic.

The build-up of the story was great. It's a story about acceptance, the struggle for independence, the love of one's land and the beauty of family love. I loved the Mexican butterfly dance scene that portrayed some of the differences between American and Mexican courtships. I thought this was an interesting spin-off of the Biblical story of Ruth. The romance was okay, whereas the story itself was very good.  

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