Dallas Leigh wants to build empires. But all his work would be useless unless he had a son to inherit, and before he can have a son he has to have a wife. He finds the solution to his problem when he decides to prevent a range war by marrying his enemy's daughter.

Shy and beautiful, Cordelia McQueen knows it is her lot in life to "stand in the shadows of men" like her father and brother. She's shattered at being given to a virtual stranger in exchange for a parcel of land and water rights.

Cordelia's experience with men has taught her very little about love. Dallas' experiences in life have taught him nothing about trust; now they must learn the meaning of both in order to carve out a future.

Cordelia slowly discovers that Dallas is not like the men she knows. Underneath his brash, bold exterior is a man who's concerned about the needs of others (he lets her keep an injured prairie dog as a pet and takes in an abused child as his own).

How their love blossoms and triumphs over those who threaten their lives and Dallas's dream, as well as Cordelia's fears of inadequacy, is what turns TEXAS GLORY into a true masterpiece of the genre. The sheer beauty of the prose, heartfelt emotions and memorable characters shift this love story into a higher dimension, leaving little doubt that Lorraine Heath is a star. SENSUAL (Apr., 359 pp., $5.99)

—Kathe Robin