Ross McLachlan and Antonia Russell have never gotten along since the day they met when his older brother Dare married her friend Jacinda in "The Man with Midnight Eyes" - he thinks she's a spoiled high-society actress and she thinks he's a backwoods hick doctor - but when they meet this time to become godparents to Dare and Jacinda's twin babies, the dynamic is a bit different...and they even kiss, albiet in anger. Jacinda is convinced they were meant to be together and manipulates the situation so that Antonia will fly back to NYC with Ross on his small plane rather than the commercial flight she was booked onto. And this is working; they are being nicer to each other on the plane, and he comforts her when she cries due to leaving behind her friends. Unfortunately the plane gets caught in a high intensity windstorm and the engine dies. Ross is knocked unconcious by the crash landing and is delirious for days while Antonia takes care of him. When he does recover though he quickly determines a snowstorm is coming and they head down the mountain. All this physical intimacy and compassion born of survival makes our two bond quickly and by the time they reach a cabin where they find 92yo Orelia Cade Ross is claiming Antonia as his woman. But will their love be able to overcome their differences once they get rescued?
The characters in this book are very intriguing, with their intricate family histories and the close relationships that are well evidenced. It's not one of my favorites however, in particular because the language the author uses for dialogue is a bit too melodramatic for my tastes. For instance "'I won't braid your hair. For days I've wanted to feel it winding around me, binding me to you as I made love to you.'" and "'Will it be love, Ross?' Releasing her he stepped back. 'Would it frighten you if it were?'"
