“COURTING CARRIE IN WONDERLAND,” by Carla Kelly, Sweetwater Books, $9.99, 400 pages (f)
It’s 1904, and Carrie McKay is working with Wylie Camping Company in Yellowstone for the summer while she’s in between semesters at Montana Agricultural College in “Courting Carrie in Wonderland.”
Sergeant Major Ramsay Stiles is a war veteran with a Medal of Honor along with emotional scars. He has been assigned to Fort Yellowstone and is the unofficial “troubleshooter.” He meets the strawberry-haired Carrie as he checks in with the Wylie camp before the summer visitors start to arrive.
As the summer continues, Ramsay ends up with more than one problem on his hands, including complaints about bears and escorting a high-maintenance former musical star, who is the widow of a Cabinet member. And Carrie keeps her head down and works hard in the Wylie kitchen as she battles rumors that seem to follow her.
Ramsay continues to find excuses to either go to the Wylie camp or ways to have Carrie help him solve the problems that pop up in the park.
Ramsay and Carrie aren’t particularly looking for romance and both have to work through a few complications in their lives as they learn to trust each other. There’s plenty of people cheering them on and a few bent on getting in their way.
Author Carla Kelly shares vivid descriptions of Yellowstone. The park is a beautiful backdrop to this historical romance that’s a delightful twist on a summer romance.
“Courting Carrie in Wonderland” has no swearing or foul language, a few instances of minor violence and the described relationships don’t go beyond kissing.
Kelly, who lives in Idaho, is the author of more than 30 novels.
“Courting Carrie in Wonderland” is a Whitney Award finalist in the historical fiction category. The Whitney Awards recognize novels written by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.