When Tory Baxter reluctantly comes to Silver Pine, Oregon, to claim an inherited Victorian mansion, she is furious at finding herself stranded over the long Fourth of July weekend. Her disciplined, fast-paced life as a successful financial analyst in Seattle is a far cry from daily life in this sleepy little town, and she doesn't expect to like anything about the place. Her unpleasant initial encounter with Brian Rafferty, a handsome local veterinarian, reinforces that notion at first, but little by little, she finds herself falling under the spell of Silver Pine - and Brian. But Tory and Brian disagree about her plans to sell her house to a developer who wants to make Silver Pine the "new Aspen." Has Brian betrayed her, or is Tory the one who is being less than honest with him?

Born in Washington, Elizabeth C. Main has lived in Oregon for the past twenty years. She earned a degree in English from the University of Wyoming and worked as a substitute teacher for eleven years before moving to her current job at The Book Barn, a small, independent bookstore. She has published several short stories and essays; Richer by Far is her first novel. She and her husband, Bob, live in Bend, Oregon, with a one-eyed dog and a cat. They have two grown children.