Will of Steel It takes a hard and determined person to be a rancher in Medicine Ridge, Montana. No man is harder than police chief Theodore Graves, and no man is more determined to keep his uncle's ranch in the family instead of being sold to developers - but one woman might be. The ranch was co-owned by Jillian Sanders's uncle, and she's just as resolved to stay on the ranch. The only problem is she and Theodore fight like cats and dogs. And their uncles' wills stipulate that in order to keep the land, they must be married... Now and Forever Lutecia Peacock was at her wits end! And it was all due to Russell Currie. The sexy-as-all-get-out farmer who had helped raise Lutecia after her father died refused to see that she was a grown-up now - and a pretty sensational looking one at that. What was more, he flat-out rejected the fact that she was desperately in love with him - had been for years! There was only one thing to do: turn up the Georgia heat full steam and show Russell that she was the woman for him - now and forever!

ダイアナ・パーマーが描くのは、厳しい大地に根ざした無骨な男たちの孤独と、その心を溶かす真摯な愛の叙事詩です。本作では、モンタナの峻厳な自然やジョージアの熱気の中で、意地と誇りをかけた魂のぶつかり合いが鮮烈に描き出されます。単なる恋愛小説の枠を超え、土地への執着や家族の絆、そして沈黙の中に秘められた熱情が、研ぎ澄まされた文体から溢れ出す瞬間こそが、彼女の作品が持つ文学的な真骨頂と言えるでしょう。 キャラクターたちが抱える「鋼の意志」が、守るべき存在のために柔軟な愛へと変質していく過程は圧巻です。後見人への切ない恋や、遺言による契約結婚といった古典的な主題を扱いながらも、登場人物の葛藤を掘り下げる筆致には、人間の弱さと高潔さを同時に肯定する深い慈愛が込められています。一度ページを捲れば、読者は抗いがたい情熱の渦に飲み込まれ、不器用な魂がたどり着く愛の救済に、激しく心を揺さぶられるはずです。