The main characters, Margaret Clemens and Matt Eilers aren't exactly a love match. Margaret fell for him five years ago when Matt first came to town, but her lack of feminine grace prevents even a second glance. Raised by her widowed father and his six brothers, Margaret knows cattle as well as any ranch hand, but doesn't know her way around a kitchen or pantyhose.
The townsfolk of Buffalo Valley haven't take much to Matt, viewing him as shallow and conceited, despite his good looks. Margaret doesn't blind herself to his faults even when she proposes marriage, and knows that he accepts for the ranch they will share. Margaret knows there've been other women, but she underestimates the depths of deceit previous girlfriends might represent.
Matt's former girlfriend Sheryl proposes he marry Margaret just long enough to secure their financial future before he divorces her and they marry. Although Matt declines the plan, neither he nor Margaret realize the manipulations they are about to meet.
In addition to these terrific characters, other secondary characters create a wonderful depth. Axel, the little boy rescued from an abusive situation who will be torn from his rescuers and thrust into the foster system. Axel's parents who have their own secrets and flaws. Calla, the senior in high school, who plays one parent against another, not understanding what love really is. Calla's mother, who is pregnant and torn between the man she loves and the daughter who won't share. As characters emerge with their own story, the tapestry becomes rich, imaginative, and a marvelous reflection of life, in its most joyous aspects, as well as most painful.
ALWAYS DAKOTA is a deftly woven tapestry that is at once delicate with subtle nuances and bold with harsh realities. Like life, the resolutions aren't always what we want, but the realities and consequences of our choices are resolved with compassion, at times bringing tears to the eyes. Author Debbie Macomber threads are brilliant, beautiful, tawdry, and ugly, representing the beauty of life, as well as its baser counterpoint. Poignant, moving, compelling, ALWAYS DAKOTA comes very highly recommended.
After Bernard dies, a grieving Margaret offers Matt an opportunity to own a ranch, a dream he has had since he ranched with his deceased father in Montana. They marry, but his past haunts them as his ex-girlfriend claims he left her pregnant, something he does not deny.
The third and final installment in Debbie Macomber's warm Buffalo Valley series is a fine addition to the trilogy. ALWAYS DAKOTA is an entertaining tale that showcases realistic people living and dreaming in a small ranching community in North Dakota. The M&M couple consists of two independent individuals whose relationship seems a bit tepid when compared with that of the townsfolk. Still, Ms. Macomber has written another winning wholesome novel that will send fans of contemporary romance seeking the two previous books (see DAKOTA BORN and DAKOTA HOME).
Harriet Klausner