Description
In the spring of 1911, Ruth Reeves has rebuilt her life from the ashes of her family’s financial ruin. As assistant manager of Pinevale Valley Resort in North Carolina’s mountains, she’s earned respectability through sheer determination. But when the resort faces bankruptcy and pressure from mysterious banking interests, Ruth unveils an audacious plan: transform the struggling property into America’s first automotive tourism destination. There’s just one problem—she needs a partner who understands the newfangled machines wealthy tourists are driving into the mountains.
Bobby Greer works the forge his grandfather built in 1870, shoeing horses while teaching himself automotive mechanics through mail-order manuals. Caught between honoring family tradition and embracing inevitable change, he never expected Francis Walden’s business meeting to introduce him to Ruth Reeves—intelligent, ambitious, and proposing a partnership that could revolutionize both their futures.
Their attraction is immediate, but mutual respect runs deeper. Together, they craft a groundbreaking proposal: renovate the carriage house into a state-of-the-art automotive service facility offering guided mountain tours and luxury accommodations tailored to automobile enthusiasts.
But their ambitious timeline faces obstacles beyond normal business challenges. When Ruth observes a German guest whose “geological surveys” look suspiciously like intelligence gathering, and Bobby reports strangers asking odd questions throughout the valley, their concerns escalate. The mysterious “banking interests” threatening the resort aren’t purely financial at all.
Federal agents reveal a German espionage network targeting strategic Appalachian properties. The same forces pressuring Walden to sell are securing locations for potential sabotage operations. Agent Clifford offers a solution: federal investment to accelerate their automotive facility in exchange for designating it as a testing center for military vehicles.
As Ruth and Bobby navigate corporate espionage, family opposition, and their deepening feelings for each other, they discover that the best partnerships honor both individual strengths and shared dreams—and that extraordinary happiness comes to those brave enough to reach for it.
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This story is only available in paperback format on this website until December 2026 at which time the eBook will be added. If you would rather purchase the eBook CLICK HERE. The author has volunteered this story to the First Coast Romance Writers organization to help in their 2025-2026 fundraising efforts as part of the Pinevale Valley Shared World Series.
This will be an autographed paperback to whomever the buyer designates. Please email me after purchase at “lillianjgreen1900s at Gmail dot com” and I will be happy to pen a message on the first blank page prior to mailing.
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