Claiming Mariah, historical romance from Tyndale House, by Pam Hillman was a simple joy to read. The writing was clean, easy, not distracting me from the engaging story Pam laid out.

The backstory was up front — Slade Donovan knew Mariah Malone's father had stolen his father's share of their joint gold mine and then left him for dead. Slade's father hadn't died, but he never recovered either. As a drunk and a gambler, he was a deficient to his family until the day he died. Mariah knew her father had regrets — she was the one who had written the apology letter that had brought Slade to her front door. And so the romance begins with Slade insisting she give up the only home she's ever know to pay her father's debt.

If it were just Mariah, perhaps she could have packed her bag and moved on, but Mariah has responsibilities — her aged grandmother and her blind sister. She better remain on the ranch as housekeeper until Slade's mother and sisters arrive.

If there were plot holes or character slips in this story, I didn't catch them. The romance developed steadily. The bad guy kept getting worse. The situations became more desperate. The subplot of town slum children tugged at my emotions.  It was all good.

Thank you, Pam Hillman, for a delightful escape into another time and place.