Coldly rejected as a family embarrassment by her arrogant Bostonian father, Sarah Thornton heads west to make a new life for herself and her expected child, only to have her world turned upside down when a stranger's kindness and a chance train wreck provide her with a new identity, a new reason to live--and a new burden of guilt. The sexual tension simmers relentlessly between the conflicted heroine and the rigid but redeemable hero; and although a lack of trust leads to frustrating misunderstandings and a too conveniently greedy villainess detracts from the story, the many well-drawn characters--including an appallingly bawdy, drunken mother--and the heroine's inherent kindness and sense of honor will please readers who like their romances gently paced. St. John (The Truth About Toby, Silhouette, 1997) laces this romances with sweet Americana touches.