Publisher: Harlequin (April 2007)

A contemporary western romance full of sadness and joy, McKettrick's Heart takes broken hearts and fills them with romance and goodness. More serious in tone than the others in the New McKettrick Men series, this novel still captures the reader's heart and creates a world where caring for others leads one to true happiness.

Molly Shields, a literary agent with Pulitzer prize clients, comes to Indian Rock, Arizona to pursue a more important client -- her son whom she gave up for adoption to Psyche Ryan. Psyche summoned her with promises that she would return Lucas to her, his birth-mother, as long as Molly abides by certain conditions of the contract. When Molly discovers that Psyche is dying of cancer, she thinks there is more to this contract than meets the eye. Will Psyche keep her word or is this her final revenge for having an affair with Psyche's now-deceased husband?

Always the ambitious corporate businessman, Keegan McKettrick has a passion for the family business and little else. Keegan has not had much luck with women. His wife cheated on him, divorced him, took his money and daughter and still makes his life miserable with her devious games. The other McKettrick men may have found love, but Keegan is a heart-broken cynic. When he spots Psyche's maid putting Molly's baggage in his friend Psyche's car, he cannot believe the audacity of this disreputable woman. He decides to investigate Molly to protect Psyche even if he is also somehow drawn to Molly at the same time he despises her. If that was not enough, Keegan must also protect his own daughter Devon from her mother's (his ex-wife) secrets and manipulations.

The romance in this novel focuses on lost children, an adopted child soon to lose his last parent and the child of an unhappy marriage and divorced parents. As in her previous romances, I find it refreshing to see characters who do what is good for others and in the process discover what is good and right for their hearts. Linda Lael Miller has a real gift for healing broken hearts in her romances. This third romance has even more unusual and difficult situations but in creating more depth, the reader experiences the same McKettrick pleasure of her hero and heroine finding exactly what they need to heal the past even if the resolution is at least in some part unexpected.