The Jewel of His Heart by Maggie Brendan

Jewel of His Heart, The: A Novel (Heart of the West)

Their future is as wide open as the Montana sky Juliana Brady is alone in an 1890s Montana mining town, with few prospects for making a living. But she is determined not to be dependent on the charity of others.

Josh McBride is trying to scrape up a living from his sheep herd while he builds his ranch. But when he discovers some rare stones on his property, he's tempted by the prospect of fast money. When their paths cross, Juliana and Josh must make a choice--the world's riches and promises, or the eternal value of love.

If you enjoy romance and a touch of western/prairie flare this would be a good pick. The Jewel of His Heart is a sweet romance with a strong independent female pitted against a protective strong man with a few fireworks in the mix. Although I could figure out pretty quickly where the story was going, I still stayed glued to my seat well after midnight last night to finish the novel. There is just something wonderful about reading a sweet romance
with a little twist of mystery.