Falon has had a bit of bad luck. Her father died, and not very long after that, her grieving mother contracted consumption. Her mother could no longer take care of Falon, and she didn't want to have her take care of someone who could do nothing for themselves, so Falon's mother sent her to her Uncle Charles, thinking that he would care for her daughter as well as her father had. Unfortunately, Uncle Charles has a drinking problem, when he's drunk, he's mean. Falon has been his punching bag far too many times. One cold, dark, stormy night, Trader Donavon is out making his rounds. He stops by Uncle Charles' house to demand that the rent for the last few months be paid. Uncle Charles demands to have more time and sends Trader out into the storm, then he heads to bed. Falon is cold and trying to sleep in front of the fireplace when Trader comes back, because he's become lost in the storm. Falon gives up her place in front of the fire to him, so that he can be warmed and falls asleep at the table. When she wakes up in the morning to her Uncle's terrifying face, she's completely warm and has slept well for once, then she realizes that while she was a sleep, she somehow has moved from the table to Trader Donavon's arms. Her furious Uncle demands that Trader make an honest woman out of Falon, because she's been compromised. This makes her happy, because she's been secretly in love with Trader for a long time. He agrees reluctantly to marry her and carries her away from her terrible uncle. This is a take on the classic tale Beauty and the Beast. It was fine. I liked the characters. Of course, the uncle is a conflict point of the story, and both Falon and Trader have to overcome their own personalities to realize that they are both in love with the other. I can't say that I liked this one as much as A Better Reason to Fall in Love. Still it was a good story and a very quick read.
