Pieces of Sky — Kaki Warner

The rules of attraction are about to be broken in the first book of the Blood Rose Trilogy. This winning new historical novel depicts the unpredictable West, and the men and women who brought it to life -- against all odds...

On a stagecoach traveling through New Mexico Territory, Jessica Thornton is a long way from the cool mists and lush gardens of her native England. An authoress and milliner, she carries the weight of a scandalous secret -- a horrible shame that has brought her to the West in a desperate search for the only person she can trust: her brother.

No one prepared Jessica for the heat or the hardships. And no one prepared her for a man like Brady Wilkins. For despite the rancher's rough-hewn appearance and her own misgivings, Jessica must put her life in his hands after their stagecoach crashes. And she begins to see the man behind the callused hands and caustic wit: a man strong enough to carve out a home in the wilderness, brave enough to fight for his own, and passionate enough to restore her faith in herself -- and in her heart...