This book is full of some of the dumbest characters I've ever had the misfortune to read. Jane Withersteen is single woman in Mormon Utah. She is being pressed upon by Elder Tull to marry him and let the wealth her father left her go to him. But Jane has a problem, she has a soft spot for "gentiles" (non-mormons). She has a problem, until Lassiter rides into town. The book has a good and classic set up but doesn't deliver. My problems are many so let me be concise. The book does not employ a large economy of words. Get ready to read purple, sage, Mormons, and gentiles until your eyes bleed. Jane sucks, she is flat out a horrible person who will readily manipulate people, especially good looking gentile men, to get what she wants. She must be the hottest woman in the west due to what she can get these men to give up or do for her. Jane is stupid, she gets double crossed, taken advantage of, betrayed, people she cares for are abused or die all at the hands of Mormons. And yet despite all of that, she acts like a dumb blind child and thinks it'll all just go away. Lassiter is too easily woman whipped. This hardened man has traveled for years looking to avenge his sister's kidnapping and death at the hand of Mormon and he drops all of the that due to Jane's pretty eyes. He is betrayed and manipulated, but still allows it to continue after stating he knows that its happening. Lastly, I'll briefly mention the Stockholm love story did not work for me either. This is a bad book with a few bright spots.