On this day in 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into the law the creation of Yellowstone National Park as the first National Park in the United States and even in the world. Today, the National Park Service cares for 59 national parks, including Yellowstone.
I have not had the privilege, yet, to visit Yellowstone. I certainly enjoyed the National Parks in Hawaii ... and romance books have taken me to national parks.
What do you do when desire drives you to the very brink?
The day Navajo journalist Katherine James met park ranger Gabriel Rossiter, the earth literally moved beneath her feet. Nearly killed in a rockslide while hiking, she found her life in the tall park ranger's hands. Although she can't forget him she thinks she'll never see him again. She is crushed when she recognizes her rescuer among the law enforcement officers raiding a sweat lodge ceremony one night, throwing her and her friends off Mesa Butte, land they consider sacred.
Gabe long ago swore he would never again lose himself to a woman not even one with long dark hair and big eyes that seem to see right through him. But from the moment he first sees Kat, the attraction he feels is undeniable. Appalled by what he has been ordered to do, he's determined to get to the bottom of recent events at Mesa Butte and to keep Kat safe.
But asking questions can be dangerous almost as dangerous as risking one's heart. And soon Kat and Gabe's passion for the truth and each other makes them targets for those who would do anything, even kill, to keep Native Americans off their sacred land.
Amy Michaels loves her new life in Lucky Harbor. A waitress in the local diner, she's looking forward to her first weekend hike through the mountains. But when a wrong turn takes her off the trail, she finds herself up close and personal with forest ranger Matt Bowers. And even though she's tempted to kiss that sexy smile right off his face, she won't make the mistake of getting involved with the town heartthrob.
A former cop whose life went south, Matt doesn't let anyone get too close. But something about the feisty beauty caught his eye the moment he first saw her in the diner. After a hot night under a starry sky, Matt can't deny their attraction-or the fact that for the first time in a long time, he feels the stirrings of something more. Now it's up to Matt to help Amy see that, no matter what is in their past, together they can build a future in Lucky Harbor.
In the spring of 1898, A. E. (Alexandria) Bartram--a spirited young woman with a love for botany--is invited to join a field study in Yellowstone National Park. The study's leader, a mild-mannered professor from Montana, assumes she is a man, and is less than pleased to discover the truth. Once the scientists overcome the shock of having a woman on their team, they forge ahead on a summer of adventure, forming an enlightening web of relationships as they move from Mammoth Hot Springs to a camp high in the backcountry. But as they make their way collecting amid Yellowstone's beauty the group is splintered by differing views on science, nature, and economics. This delightful novel captures an ever-fascinating era and one woman's attempt to take charge of her life.
Aerial view of Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone
Public Domain (link)
Do you have a favorite park? Can you recommend a romance novel set in the great outdoors? Bonus points for recommending a romance with a park ranger! One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Sunday, March 5, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Monday, March 6.
Mahalo,
Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City
There is nothing like Hawaii Volcanoes National Park ...
