Buffalo Gal: Home on the Ranch (Harlequin Superromance No. 810)

Fate hands Seattle veterinarian Andrea Moore a reprieve on her wedding day when she learns that she's won a buffalo ranch in North Dakota. Not one to ignore a clear sign of divine intervention, she leaves a message of goodbye for her pompous fiancé and meddling mother and flies off to the Midwest. Foreman Mike Winterhawk isn't happy to see Andrea arrive, because he had desperately wanted to buy the ranch for himself. But soon the two are united in protecting the buffalo, solving the mystery of the strange visitations on the ranch's wide-reaching acres, and falling reluctantly in love. A host of colorful secondary characters inhabit White Thunder Ranch and the neighboring town, including a 6-foot-tall Swedish housekeeper, a stranded punk-rock band, a pregnant buffalo named Gypsy, a trio of elderly card players--all named Ole--and a bank president that's a die-hard believer in UFOs. This first novel by Lisa McAllister combines solid writing with charming characters and a wonderful sense of place. --Lois Faye Dyer