Trout Recipe by Ellen Carey is one of the sweetest love stories that I have read. The story takes place in an era where people were exploring this great country and moving west from the cultured and educated East coast. One of these individuals is Claire Fontaine, a debutante who, although she is promised in marriage to the son of an aristocratic family, heads west to find her destiny and the woman of her dreams. The life that Claire and Gwen share together is the subject of this novel. Carey does a superb job of taking her reader out west to the hustle and bustle of western living. Her description of Gwen’s cattle ranch is so precise that one can taste the dust in their mouth. She is a story teller extraordinaire.

Both protagonists are lovable characters who love each other in a very sweet and genuine manner. It was a joy to be privy to the lives of Claire and Gwen and their family. The story of their life together is spun in such a way that the reader wants to know more about the details of their lives. This was a book that I could not put down once I began reading it. I cannot stop thinking about Claire and Gwen after reading this. They have become part of my life just as the author has allowed me to become part of their lives.

This is a must read for anyone who loves history, the great west and a sweet romance story.