This is one book where, when you reach the end you just sigh purely in pleasure of a 'happy ending'. 
 I think this book will remain one of my favourites purely on the basis of the 2 main characters' relationship. I really loved how Cord's and Anne's inner strength just came across through the words. Going through what they did from the start, you've just got to love characters who come out strong and fighting. 
 I absolutely adore Anne. Her determination to make Cord realise that she would never leave him, and her methods of proving that were not only amusing but inspired. (view spoiler)[The fact that she bets her money so that she ends up losing it all, only to backfire was hilarious. (hide spoiler)] 
 Cord... the poor guy is so misunderstood, even by his own family (those idiots!) that my heart just went out to him. The times when he feels he is so undeserving of Anne but thinking up of reasons of why should stay with him for just a little bit longer each time, was endearing. (view spoiler)[Then near the end... when he claims: "...he wondered if maybe just occasionally the gods designed a woman fit for a king or a prince and then gave her to an ordinary man. Maybe they did such a thing once in a while, knowing an ordinary man would treasure her more, love her better. Maybe they even let him keep her - for a while." was the best feeling ever. (hide spoiler)] 
 I love the dynamics of Anne and Cord's relationship. They just understood each other from the first moment they met (well that was the feeling I got). Cord lets Anne have the freedom she needs yet guards her in such a way that she isn't caged or curbed. Protective and possessive in the perfect way. I love male characters written so well. 
 Now then... the main characters' families. I hated them! I mean can people seriously be so stupid as to not think for themselves? This I'm referring to Anne's mother and brother, and Cord's brothers! I'm not going to discuss Anne's mother and brother at all, except to say that I'm glad they see the light. However, Cord's brothers... 
 *Sigh* 
 I honestly felt like whacking the brothers upside the head - preferably with a frying pan. Especially Frank. How insolent, cold-hearted, 
 stupid 
 can one person be?! At times of his stupidity I was thinking: "Oh come on! Even I can reason out what happened!" 
 I totally loved when Anne's actions and words started to keep driving home the truth. Frank and Ephraim were so blind to their brother's actual character no matter how many times other people in the novel pulled the blinders from their eyes - they just refused to accept Cord as a decent man. (view spoiler)[In this sense you just can't help but love Anne for giving them a wake up call they so deserved. Especially as these 2 dimwits continued to believe Cord was abusing Anne. What does the woman have to do to show them that the guy loved her? Arggh! (hide spoiler)] 
 Gotta say though that I'm so happy that there were such gems of characters in the novel. Noah, Dr Craig, the LeClerc's, Henry Adamson, and of course Martha (Ephraim's wife) - there are more (can't remember the names, lol). 
 Most other characters did redeem themselves i.e. Cord's family members and Anne's brother and mother. But I felt that where Martha was slightly doubtful of Cord in the beginning, she just gave off the vibe that she believed in Cord; she had trouble believing that he could ever be abusive or wrong. You could tell she loved him like a son. I think she and Noah were the most down-to-earth characters after the protagonists. It also makes for such a good reading. 
 The beginning of the book is a heartache. The first few chapters makes your heart reach out for Cord and Anne, and it keeps doing that as we get to learn more about them. At the same time you also end up smiling and laughing at their antics and Anne's thorough set downs of people (have I mentioned I 
 absolutely adore 
 her?). One of the most strongest (physically and mentally), lead female character I've seen in books. I admire her. 
 She and Cord make such a perfect couple. Can't say more than that. 
 To go through the adversities they do right from the beginning of the book starting with Anne's heinous father (evil!) - and ending with him; and come out strong, resilient and most importantly as one, is brilliant. But then again, it is also right from the beginning we see that they were always one, and the snippets we get into their lives shows exactly where and when they became tied together. 
 I'm sure that this will be one of those books that I'll keep coming back to when in need of a good read, and when I'm feeling like I need a person like Cord in my life, haha! 
 Yeah, he's one of those storybook boyfriend/husband a girl wants to end up with in real life *sigh*.