Angel of the Big Sky

Another enjoyable Superromance by Roz Denny Fox, ANGELS OF THE SKY is actually the first of a two book series, featuring twins Marlee Stein, former navy pilot, and brother Mick Callen. Mick helps run the family business, Cloud Chasers, a business their

grandfather Pappy Jack no longer is able to run on his own, due to problems with memory and age. Marlee is a widow, and arrives with her daughter Jo Beth in Montana to help Mick run the charter air service while he recuperates from major hip surgery.

Marlee has a lot on her plate. The death of her husband Cole is still on her mind, her grandfather is having health issues, and Mick is not able to fly for Angel Fleet, a company that helps transport medically in need people in emergency situations. And on top of that she needs to find time for her daughter. She's also dealing with the aftermath of a custody battle with her mother-in-law Rose, who tried to take Jo Beth away from Marlee. Jo Beth loves her grandmother, but Marlee and Rose never did get along.

Ranger Wylie Ames is one of Mick's regular customers, and is used to having Mick fly in whatever parts Wylie needs. When Marlee takes over for Mick and she encounters Wylie for the first time, she is shocked to find how attractive he is, but she definitely has a hard time getting along with the man, as he is very aggressive and distant and would rather be dealing with Mick. Dean and Jo Beth, however, get along great, despite their age differences (Jo Beth is 5 years old, and Dean is a few years older). The two children form a solid friendship, despite warnings that Wylie had a reputation in regards to his missing wife. Marlee is torn between her attraction to Wylie, the local rumors, and the awful way he treats her every time she has to make a delivery.

As always, this reviewer enjoyed yet another novel written by Roz Denny Fox. She always creates characters that readers get attached to in one way or another. One will find the hero, Wylie Ames, rather irritating and hard to like at first, but that was the author's intent. As the reader (and Marlee) get to know him and understand why he behaves the way he does, it becomes easier to forgive his faults. He’s an interesting character and helps add tension to the relationship.

Marlee is a woman that is used to being in control, and had lived and worked in a world where women had to pull their weight equally with men, at least when she was in the military. Her attitudes carry over into civilian life, making her push herself harder than the average person. Because of her personality, she tends to carry a lot on her shoulders.

The secondary characters are just as interesting. The relationship between the two children, Dean and Jo Beth, is very cute, and the readers will fall in love with them. They are the reason that Marlee and Wylie make an effort to get along, helping aid in their romance. The mother-in-law, Rose, starts out as a formidable character, as seen through the eyes of Marlee, but one will soon find out that there was a reason behind her cold exterior.

One appealing trait of Fox’s novels is her love of the outdoors, and it is apparent in ANGELS OF THE BIG SKY. Her descriptions of the wild Montana land, especially the scenes involving the baby grizzly bear that Wylie is taking care of, will capture the heart of the reader.

It is obvious that there will be another story, as the reader will be left hanging at the end of the novel about the fate of brother Mick as well as Pappy Jack and the rest of the characters. This reviewer certainly felt that there needed to be more, and the second book will most likely resolve some of the questions readers will have.

September 2006