"A fitting end to this mini-series"
The lawyer's letter announced that his odious father
Thomas McBride was dying and demanded his family come home
to the Circle M Ranch in nearby Sidewater. If Tom's oldest
son Stone wants to inherit anything, he must return to this
place he hates. Since he just lost his last coin in a
poker game, Stone decides it is time to go home. Instead
of staying at the family spread, Stone rents a room at
Annabelle Chapin's boarding house even though she is the
woman he once loved. Stone constantly squabbles with his two brothers and
sister, but also shares with them the distrust of Tom's
second wife Clare. While struggling with his family and
his stepmother, Stone skirmishes with his own treacherous
heart that beats faster and louder every time he sees
Annabelle. There is also his father to worry about him, a
man who has hidden the truth about Circle M from his
children. The final novel to the Secret Fires miniseries ties up
all the questions left from the three previous novels while
telling a wonderful western romance. The story line is
loaded with action and a twist or two. The lead couple is
a cute duo making up for a decade of separation while the
support cast includes family members and their spouses
returning for the final engagement. Though THE LONER lives
up to its name and can stand alone, new readers will find
better appreciation of Evelyn Rogers' talent by reading the
previous three stories first, written by other authors. By
keeping the persona of previous lead couples consistent
inside her plot, Ms. Rogers successfully closes with one of
the year's best Texas romances. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted July 16, 2001
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