To Love a Man

Baltimore journalist Lisa Collins leaves her sheltered existence for Africa where the current civil war is supposed to be miles away. Despite assurances of safety, violence explodes around her and Lisa flees a massacre scene only to race headlong into the arms of Sam Eastman, an American mercenary. Sam's a reluctant rescuer and saving the beautiful blond interferes with his mission, but his conscience won't let him abandon her to die at the hands of revolutionaries. When his battle plans go awry, the two are forced to run for their lives and Sam finds that his survival depends on the strength and bravery of the woman that he once thought was a useless butterfly. But even if the two can get out of Africa alive, is there any future for a tough soldier and a pampered rich girl?

To Love a Man is Robards's first foray into contemporary romance after a successful career writing historicals. The internal differences between a heroine raised in the lap of luxury and a hero brought up in foster homes and trained on the battlefield are underscored by their physical differences--she's small and feminine, while he's rugged and fiercely masculine. Their characters, however, are equally stubborn and brave with hot tempers that are evenly matched. There's action aplenty in this adventurous story, with hot love scenes in the African brush, as well as in opulent bedrooms, and endearing secondary characters. To Love A Man firmly establishes Robards as an author who moves easily between subgenres. --Lois Faye Dyer