Regina Scott: A Distance Too Grand

By Kelly Bridgewater

Meg Pero has been assisting her photographer father since she was big enough to carry his equipment, so when he dies she is determined to take over his profession--starting with fulfilling the contract he signed to serve on an Army survey of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in 1871. What she doesn't realize is that the leader of the expedition is none other than the man she once refused to marry.

Captain Ben Coleridge would like nothing more than to leave without the woman who broke his heart, but he refuses to wait even one more day to get started. This survey is a screen for another, more personal mission, one he cannot share with any member of his team.

As dangers arise from all sides, including within the survey party, Meg and Ben must work together to stay alive, fulfill their duties, and, just maybe, rekindle a love that neither had completely left behind.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

What is better than a novel that takes a reader back to the early survey and settlements of some of our great American Wonders? Regina Scott has decided to do that with her American Wonders Collection series. In the novel A Distance Too Grand, Scott takes readers on a journey to the depths and heights of the Grand Canyon. As someone who has personally never seen the Grand Canyon, it sounded wonderful. The writing is wonderful. Scott does a fabulous job at describing what the Canyon appears like with a variety of word choices. As for the plot, I, personally, wasn't wowed by it. There was a predictable romance with a predictable bad person trying to ruin the expedition. Overall, the plot didn't seem to really do anything. Take some pictures here. Take some there. Survey a little ground. Move to another sight. Fight some romantic feelings between Ben and Meg. Then back to the fort to explain their findings. And another thing that bothered me is that Ben's mother couldn't stand Meg because she was afraid Meg just wanted to marry Ben for his name and career, which would make her an asset to society, but in a blink of an eye, Ben's mother accepts and adores Meg. Now it is okay for Meg and Ben to marry. AAAH!! Bothered me a lot. As for a spiritual thread, I don't remember much about conversations or an opportunity for any of the characters to change. Who readers meet at the beginning of the novel is the same person you encounter at the end. Overall, A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott held the promise to be a wonderful, exciting book, but for me, it fell extremely short. If you enjoy this idea than Karen Barnett has a series entitled Vintage National Parks Novels that were well-written and captured my attention more.

I received a complimentary copy of A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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About the Author:

From Amazon

Regina Scott started writing novels in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know it, she didn't actually sell her first novel until she'd learned a bit more about writing. After numerous short stories and articles in magazines and trade journals, and a good kick in the backside from her husband, she got serious about writing. Since then, she's had published more than 40 clean historical romances for adults and young adults. Her traditional romances have earned praised from reviewers and readers alike. Booklist calls her work "quietly compelling" and "impeccably written." Huntress Reviews says, "Regina Scott delivers," and "I will always buy a book with Regina Scott's name on it."

Regina Scott is the author of the Frontier Bachelors series set in pioneer Seattle (The Bride Ship, Would-Be Wilderness Wife, Frontier Engagement, Instant Frontier Family, A Convenient Christmas Wedding, Mail-Order Marriage Promise, His Frontier Christmas Family, and Frontier Matchmaker Bride). She is also the author of more than two dozen sweet historical romances set in Regency England in such series as Fortune's Brides, Uncommon Courtships, the Everard Legacy, the Master Matchmakers, and the Lady Emily Capers. She has twice been awarded best book of the year for her type of story from industry favorite RT Book Reviews.

Regina Scott has learned to fence, driven four-in-hand, sailed on a tall ship, and dressed as a Regency dandy, all in the name of research, of course. She makes her home in the Puget Sound area of Washington State with her beloved husband. Find her online at her website www.reginascott.com, the blog she shares with author Marissa Doyle at www.nineteenteen.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorreginascott, and on Goodreads at www.goodreads.com/reginascott. (Taken from Amazon.)