Hildy Nybo is a passionate environmentalist, admired for her expertise and leadership. But the real Hildy is a deeply disturbed recluse who buries herself in work to maintain her sanity, which is fraying at the edges.

Traumatic events rise to haunt her when she’s forced to return to the Washington State fishing resort of her childhood. Hildy takes residence in one of the resort cabins while overseeing a government reclamation project to preserve aquatic life in the Elwha River. There she meets Luke Rimmer, a widower trying to recover from a personal disaster that led him into alcoholism.

What follows is a fairly predictable storyline. A budding romance between Hildy and Luke suffers under her psychological problems. Keys to her recovery may lie in the depths of the river she’s trying to save.

It’s Cheryl Grey Bostrom’s passion for nature and her excellent narrative powers that set this novel apart from other romances. We find ourselves drawn into Hildy’s ecological world, replete with the power and dangers of the Elwha, and the coterie of friends and family who understand and support Hildy and Luke. Hildy’s devotion to a pet canary deepens our understanding of her personality and the repressed love in her soul.

There are some imperfections. We learn little about the aftermath of a terrible truck accident and the victim’s identity. We get only a murky image of the grandfather central to events in Hildy’s past.  On the positive side, Bostrom handles the sexual aspects of her story with good taste. There’s not a single offensive word in the book, refreshing in today's world. I’m comfortable recommending this four-star novel to romantics and nature lovers alike.

Chevron Ross's novels include Weapons of Remorse, The Seven-Day Resurrection, and The Samaritan's Patient. Click here for more information.