Penelope by Heather Blanton is a fantastic story that I read in 1 day. About to marry a man of questionable integrity just so she doesn't have to worry where her next meal will come from, Penelope receives a telegram from her sister minutes before she walks down the aisle; a cryptic message urging her to not marry. Enlisting the help of a nun, Penelope flees the church, dons the nun's garb and hops on the next train to Misery. Onboard, she meets Lucky, a skilled 'problem solver' cattle barons often hire who is also headed to Misery. Certain 'Sister' Penelope will throw her Bible at him if she learns the horrible thing he's done, Lucky keeps quiet his troubles, and his attraction to her. If only she weren't a nun...
In Misery, things heat up as Ms. Blanton spins a story ripe with romance, mystery, and the pursuit of justice. A powerful cattle baron intent on finding the culprit stealing his cattle, with one son who is angry at everyone and everything, and another with a stutter, Penelope and Lucky meet up again at his ranch for reasons they keep secret from each other. Penelope's sister has cautioned her to keep hidden and trust no one lest her nefarious finance find her, and Lucky, with guilt weighing him down as he flushes out the baron's thief, has some reservations about Penelope. Is she or isn't she a nun? If not, what is she hiding?
In this short story, I was caught up in the mystery that Lucky was hired to solve. The cattle baron and his sons make for interesting characters, and with Penelope's jilted intended lurking in the back of my mind, I was eager to discover how he fit into the story, plus I really liked Penelope and Lucky. After their initial attraction to each other, I enjoyed watching them dance around their feelings as their desire for one another deepened.