The Replacement

by Anne Marie Duquette

Twins like Eric Kincaide and his sister, Naomi, know each other's every thought. But that closeness came between him and Lindsey Nelson, the woman he'd planned to marry, four years ago. When their wedding plans fell through, Lindsey ran as far and fast as she could.

Now Eric heads a small team of winter rangers in Yosemite, a team that includes his twin sister. They're looking for a kidnapped child hidden somewhere in these snowy mountains. When one of his rangers dies in an avalanche, he needs a replacement, someone who specializes in handling search-and-rescue dogs. That someone is Lindsey Nelson.

The hunt for a missing child brings her back to snowbound Yosemite, back to a place she wanted to forget. Back to a man she can't forget - and the twin she can't forgive.

Genres: Harlequin, Romance

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

About the author

The granddaughter of two coal miners, Anne Marie Duquette was raised all over the nation, including Alaska and Hawaii, with a healthy appreciation for the richness of the land, wildlife, and its beauty. Her love of the earth’s treasures grew during her many travels as the daughter of a U.S. Air force pilot and Air Force nurse, the wife of a career Navy Chief Petty Officer, and as a Navy veteran herself. Different landscapes and people sparked her interest in the arts, especially writing and photography, as a way of keeping track of her varied experiences as a “military brat.”

She obtained a degree in Mass Communications (Journalism, TV, Film) from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and set out for Hollywood. But apart from an un-produced treatment sale to Paramount Studios for Star Trek – The Next Generation, her fate seemed to lie in the books she so loved to read. In 1987 she made her first sale to Harlequin Romances, her primary publisher of 25 books, and has ventured into the self-publishing world of non-fiction as well.

She has an adult education teaching certificate in writing from the state of California, and has taught religious education for fifteen years at her church. An animal lover, a partner to a retired black German shepherd service dog, and owner of a rescued dachshund, she tries to bring together all the varied experiences of her life to her stories for her readers and family. Anne Marie is married with two children and two grandchildren, all residing in Southern California.

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and exciting adventure-suspense-romance story that focuses on four rangers during a winter in Yosemite National Park with a kidnapper on the loose in the park. The romance in the story didn't really do much for me but the adventure and suspense were top-notch including the hunt and rescue of a kidnapped child from her escaped prisoner father amidst freezing conditions, snowstorms, and avalanches. A sense of isolation was well portrayed throughout in the snowbound mountains of Yosemite. My favorite character in the story was without a doubt, search-and-rescue dog Ginger.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hero and heroine are rangers with the National Park service. The hero is the head ranger with the four assigned to winter duty in Yosemite. They are out searching for a little girl kidnapped by her felon abusive father when their search-and-rescue dog handler is killed in an avalanche, while the dog barely survives. So the heroine is called in as a replacement. She used to be the dog handler and was engaged to the hero, but the relationship was broken up by his twin sister. They've been apart 4 years but now the boss twists her arm to get her back out there to help. Oh, and the twin sister is also a winter ranger at Yosemite. Much of the story is about the conditions in the park during the winter, much of it is about the little girl and her loony father. There are at least three avalanches, maybe 4, plus wrangling all the excess emotion floating around between hero and heroine, hero and sis, heroine and sis, plus the fourth ranger on the team. I don't know much about Yosemite or mountain survival or avalanches, but all of that seemed accurate to me, as did the billowing angst. I liked it a lot.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serious kudos to the author for having written a book that surpassed any of the books from typical harlequin. The plot is refreshingly awesome. Both H and h are amazing individually as well as when they are together. Their inner strength, chemistry, the angst, the love for each other, their love for nature and their work ethics makes this book the best one I have read in a long time.

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some days you just shouldn't be allowed to pick a book out to read. Even if it's in a grab bag that was free. Just put the crap Harlequin down and walk away slowly...