Susan Van Pelt arrives in Nevada by coach, expecting to find her father's big silver mine. We can guess that all will not go smoothly. In SILVER SWEETHEARTS this self- possessed young lady learns that her father died a few months previously, the post taking a long time to be delivered. He had a partner, Jed Miller, so Susan goes in search of him... at Lily's. Miss Lily runs a boarding house, clean and decent, but for men. A girl like Susan is a rarity in the rough town.

Jed seems relatively respectable but he dismisses Susan's father as having spent all his money on any woman with a sob story. She needn't expect to inherit wealth. The girl has no family to return to in New York however, so she makes up her stubborn mind to learn the silver mining trade. Men have been making decisions about her life until now, so it's time she took charge of her own future. Learning that the lawyers and town traders make more money than the miners they serve, Susan starts to absorb lessons about frontier life. More than one man has his eyes on her however - for the sake of the silver in her father's claim.

This lively tale of past times reminds us all how hard it was to make a living and how lonely an occupation like silver mining really was. I chuckled at Susan's lesson in riding a mule, after donning trousers, when she'd only been used to a side-saddle park hack. The local Paiutes terrify her, though they're friendly. I really had to admire Susan for deciding to stick with her plan. Serious injuries, kidnapping and spurious offers of marriage all come Susan's way, and we have to ask if we would deal with each situation so well.

Author Jackie Leigh Allen describes a land where prickly pear cactus is planted for a fence line while balloon travel suddenly presents new possibilities. The rich and varied contrasts make this a fun read as well as a captivating story of a girl determined to succeed. I enjoyed her writing style and will be looking out for more of her works. Try SILVER SWEETHEARTS for an unusual and energetic Old West romance.

Book Summary

Susan Marie Van Pelt escapes from the family brownstone in New York City to join her papa on his silver claim in Nevada. Jed Miller buried his partner, Digger Van Pelt a month before Susan shows up.

Jed and Susan must work together to get the silver out of the ground and keep it out of the clutches of Fox, the local lawyer and all around villain. When he sets his sights on Susan, she proposes a marriage of convenience to Jed.

Can he wed her without bedding her? Can they work the claim together with him digging and her cooking--not too well at first--and go their separate ways? Can Jed keep her safe from Fox and his henchmen?