A Distance Too Grand

October 7, 2019

It's 1871, and Meg Pero is determined to fill the position of official photographer for the Army Corps of Engineers' survey of the Grand Canyon, a role originally destined for her recently deceased father. Capt. Benjamin Coleridge, whose proposal of marriage Meg turned down years ago, is the one person standing in her way. Ben needs a photographer if he's going to get the already late expedition back on track, and if he waits much longer, it'll be too close to winter and Ben might lose that slim window of opportunity to determine what happened to his missing father. Meg and Ben set out on an uneasy truce, each knowing they have a vital job to do. As close quarters ignite new affections, Ben starts to see this as an opportunity to win Meg's hand. Yet Meg feels her life is meant for adventure, not to be a captain's wife. As the survey continues, their project takes a sinister turn, forcing the couple to rely on each other's strengths to make it back to camp alive.

VERDICT Set against the backdrop of an expanding American West, this first in a new series from Scott (Never Doubt a Duke) will satisfy readers looking for a gentle love story and a gumption-filled heroine ready to explore the world.--Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 15, 2019
Meg Pero is a skilled photographer who craves adventure over domesticity. But securing a photography job with a U.S. Army survey expedition is complicated at every turn, thanks to Ben Coleridge, Army captain and Meg's spurned former lover. Handsome military engineer Ben is leading the effort to map a settlement route across the Grand Canyon, while solving the mystery behind his father's disappearance. Meg's irresistible presence rekindles their old attraction with new intensity. When the expedition is sabotaged, they will need to cross the distances of time, careers, and expectations to find answers and love again. Scott dazzles in the opening to her exciting new American Wonders Collection. Set in 1871 at Fort Wilverton, Arizona, A Distance Too Grand takes place in the Grand Canyon with sweeping vistas and picturesque scenes serving as the backdrop to a gripping plot. There is an easy rapport among supporting characters, and the protagonists' coy exchanges will leave readers both entertained and enamored. Scott includes fascinating details about the history of landscape photography, while the grandeur of the canyon contrasts sharply with Ben and Meg's laser-focused awareness on the threats they face and their reawakened desire, resulting in both a saucy tone and suspenseful thrills.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)