In the 1800s young Portia Carmichael and her family narrowly escape a racist mob. BREATHLESS, leaving their burning home, they flee. Later they establish a successful hotel near Tucson, Arizona Territory. Portia, now mid-twenties, has no time as the manager for trifles of the heart, and her sister Regan tries to persuade her otherwise. They lead very respectable lives, apart from Regan collecting and delivering mail with her mule.

Kent Randolph arrives on his big blue roan stallion while the ladies are preparing a wedding anniversary dinner for their aunt and uncle, the hotel's owners. Kent, son of a doctor, hasn't seen them in years, but his own life has been pretty eventful, and he's learned some hard lessons as a drifter. He thinks he could do a lot worse than settle here with the lovely girl he used to call Duchess, Portia. Easier said than done, especially as so many well-placed gentlemen in town also admire her.

I love the details. Through hard work and honest dealing, the hotel allows the ladies to wear dresses (with corsets) from San Francisco, dine off china plates, and keep their own Appaloosa mounts. Tucson is considered the Wild West, but accessible enough for rich Easterners to come and vacation on ranches. Contrasting memories of the days when the girls wore charity clothing or flour sack dresses remind us that life was still tough for many people. And I love that Portia is still well able to shingle a roof. We learn that legal deeds may sometimes be challenged because of the seller's race, even though everyone appears to be on an equal footing. Apart from Geronimo and his escaping Apaches that is. And women in Arizona still don't have a vote!

BREATHLESS is a great multicultural romance, casting a light on the part of the Wild West story we don't often read, also showing the hard work of hospitality businesses. There's so much happening that the adult romance feels understated but no less physical. Beverly Jenkins really gets under the skin of her heroines and clearly enjoys telling their stories.

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