The draw and pull of nature and a shared appreciation for the wonder of the Smoky Mountains may draw two very different individuals together initially but their fierce independence and the unexpected problems and secrets around them may soon pull them apart.

Valerie Merton always loved wandering the winding pathways of the Wildflower Haven, her family's garden and nursery center in Cosby by the Smoky Mountains. Not everyone understood her love of this place, in her family since the 1800s, but she treasured their land and legacy. It annoyed her one spring day to see a man, ignoring all their caution signs, picking shoots off their plants. Of course she had to talk with him about it, but his responses were rude and arrogant. The man also made her uncomfortable, and she hoped he wouldn't come back.

Dr. Patrick McNaughton, a biology and botany professor, enjoyed strolling through the pathways of the garden center near the rustic mountain home he'd recently purchased. As he explored, a woman called him to task for picking plant shoots to use in his teaching, an attractive and arresting woman he soon learned was part of the family who ran the nursery. Her grandfather, a more congenial sort, later friended him and invited him to dinner with all the family, making Patrick smile to realize he'd get to see the man's interesting granddaughter again, too.

PRAISE FOR LIN STEPP'S SMOKY MOUNTAIN BOOKS:

"Lin Stepp delivers a classic Southern romance with heart and she peppers the world of her story with details instantly recognizable to those familiar with the mountains... Her rich, warm picture of the Smokies welcomes any who have ever called the Appalachians home." - All About Women Magazine Review

"I enjoy reading novels about this beautiful place where I live, East Tennessee. Lin Stepp has an amazing way of making the reader feel like they are sitting in a rocking chair, taking in the Great Smoky Mountains, whether they can physically see them or not. Descriptive writing, characters that embrace you and an amazing storyline make Stepp's novels highly anticipated and thoroughly enjoyable." - Jennifer Alexander, popular radio host

"A compelling story with home grown flavor ...If you're looking for a heartwarming tale sprinkled with romance, you can't go wrong with a Lin Stepp book." - Reading Lark Reviews