The Preacher’s Wife by Cheryl St. John

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The Preacher’s Wifethepreacherswife

1869 – Colorado and Nebraska

There was nothing remotely romantic about widowed father Samuel Hart’s marriage proposal. Yet Josie Randolph said yes. The Lord had finally blessed the lonely widow with the family she’d always dreamed of. And she was deeply in love with the handsome preacher, whose high ideals inspired everyone. Surely during their long journey across the western plains to his new post her husband would grow to love her.

Each mile brought them closer to home, yet drove them further apart. Samuel didn’t seem ready to open his heart again. But Josie was determined to be not just the preacher’s wife, but Samuel’s wife.

Love’s Rescue by Tammy Barley

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Love’s Rescue (Sierra Chronicles #1)Lovesrescue

1863 -Nevada

A story of loyalty, heroism, and the depths of love.
A Dividing Conflict In 1863, the War Between the States is dividing more than just a nation. To escape the conflict, Jessica Hale and her family flee their Kentucky homestead and head for the Nevada Territory. Her brother, Ambrose, committed to the Confederates, rejoins the Kentucky militia and is disowned by his father. But the worst is yet to come.
The Heroic Kidnapper When Unionists presume the family to be Confederate sympathizers, they set a devastating fire to their home. All alone and then “kidnapped” by cattleman Jake Bennett, Jessica is taken to a ranch deep in the Sierra Nevada wilderness. But, can Jessica overcome her resentment toward Jake for failing to save her family?
The Depths of Love When Jake launches a plan to help Jessica’s brother escape from prison camp, she sees him for the honest, good-hearted Christian man that he is and now knows the depth of his love for her. Through the lingering smoke and smoldering ashes from her ruined home and murdered family, will Jessica see a future with Jake?

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist

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1865 – Washington

In 1860s Seattle, a man with a wife could secure himself 640 acres of timberland. But because of his wife’s untimely death, Joe Denton finds himself about to lose half of his claim. Still in mourning, his best solution is to buy one of those Mercer girls arriving from the East. A woman he’ll marry in name but keep around mostly as a cook. Anna Ivey’s journey west with Asa Mercer’s girls is an escape from the griefs of her past. She’s not supposed to be a bride, though, just a cook for the girls. But when they land, she’s handed to Joe Denton and the two find themselves in a knotty situation. She refuses to wed him and he’s about to lose his land. With only a few months left, can Joe convince this provoking–but beguiling–easterner to be his bride?

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Fragile Dreams by Karen Cogan

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Fragile DreamsFragileDreams

1865 – Confederacy

The Civil war unleashes a bitter battle near Caroline’s home–and in her heart. Parentless, and with a young brother to tend, Caroline blames God and the Yankees for her difficulties. Then, she finds a wounded Union soldier lying in her lawn, and her world is turned upside-down…

Shot and left for dead, Nate thanks God for the Confederate angel who takes him in and nurses him back to health, but dreams of taking her West with him after the war are dampened by her Southern alliances and hardened heart.

Will the war pull them apart, or can Nate’s faith bind them together?

Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy

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1867 – Texas

Let yourself be swept away by this fast-paced romance, featuring Grace Calhoun, an instructor of reading, writing, and arithmetic, who, in an attempt to escape the clutches of a relentless pursuer, runs smack dab into even more trouble with the 6R’s – widower Daniel Reeves, along with his five rowdy sons. When a marriage is forced upon this hapless pair – two people who couldn’t dislike each other more – an avalanche isn’t the only potential danger lurking amid the shadows of Calico Canyon. Will they make it out alive? Or end up killing each other in the process?

I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires by Cathy Gohlke

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I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires (Civil War Series #2)I Have Seen Him in the Watchfiresihaveseenhiminthewatchfires

1864 – Several US States

The bonds linking family and the lines separating enemies have become very blurry for 17 year old Robert. With his father away fighting for the Union, Robert must decide to act alone in order to help his ailing mother, extricate his injured Confederate Uncle, and bring relief to his cousin, Emily.When he unwittingly gets entangled in a Confederate escape plot, Robert must forge his anger and shame into a new determination to save his family. And, perhaps, he must also realize that the saving might not be entirely up to him.Honor and duty to God and country aren’t as clear-cut as he hoped them to be.

Flame from Within by Shirley Kiger Connolly

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Flame from Within

1864 – Virginia, Louisiana

A journey across the sea begins a journey of healing for Aimée’s soul and a discovery of love and faith she thought she’d never find. When a Yankee-induced fire destroys her family and her home, young plantation-bred Amethyst Rose finds herself on the run. Angry towards God and the men in blue, Amethyst’s only choice left is to move in with her elder and controlling sister, who runs a bordello in The French Quarter of New Orleans-a decision guaranteed to destroy Amethyst’s personal respect and tarnish her family name. With her bitter hatred towards all Yankees plunged into high gear, nothing seems to matter anymore, until, on a riverboat en route to New Orleans, she finds herself intrigued by the presence of not one, but two Union officers. Each in his own way find ways to tug at the heart and soul of this woman lost.

Petticoat Ranch by Mary Connealy

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1867 – Texas

Sophie Edwards is doing just fine alone, until a strange-yet oddly familiar-man rides into her life, insisting on rescuing her and her four daughters. Can she find a way to love a headstrong mountain man? When Clay McClellan discovers his brother has been murdered, he’s bent on finding the killers and seeing them properly hung. But first his Christian duty demands that he marry his sister-in-law. After all, Sophie needs someone to protect her – right? Faith and love help unruly wed newlyweds find common ground and a chance at love on the Texas frontier.

Bittersweet by Cathy Marie Hake

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Bittersweet (California Historical Series #2)bittersweet

1860s – California

Laney McCain has unabashedly had her sights set on Galen O’Sullivan for years. And though Galen has treated her as nothing more than his best friend’s pesky tag-along sister, Laney dares hope that now is the time he will open his eyes and truly recognize the woman she’s become.

But the arrival of Ishmael and Ivy Grubb, squatters on the O’Sullivans’ land, diverts Galen’s attention. Though the Grubbs are crass and uneducated, Galen shows mercy and allows them to stay in exchange for help around the farm. But it becomes a decision he lives to regret….

Sometimes the Journey to Love Is Truly Bittersweet

William Henry is a Fine Name by Cathy Gohlke

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William Henry is a Fine Namewilliamhenryisafinename

1859 – Maryland and North Carolina

Thirteen-year-old Robert is torn between loyalty to his abolitionist father and his mother’s slave-holding family.

After his best friend, WIlliam Henry, is trapped in a deadly scheme to protect secrets of the Underground Railroad, Robert vows never to get involved again. But when he discovers his grandfather’s plan to sell his own son, born of a slave woman, Robert must decide whether to stand idly by or risk everything to help him escape.

“William Henry is a Fine Name” is a coming-of-age story, a tale of friends–and a nation–caught in the chaos of slavery, forced to take a stand.

Desert Star by Linda Chaikin

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1860s – Nevada

In this captivating sequel to Desert Rose, popular novelist Linda Chaikin takes readers out west for a spirited romance.

Callie Halliday glitters as she sweeps across the stage in Virginia City. With her career on the rise, Callie is determined to find a respectable husband. And Rick Delance, a gunfighter with a dangerous reputation, doesn’t fit the bill.

But when someone breaks into Callie’s dressing room and she survives some mishaps, it’s obvious someone wants to harm her. Turning to the only man who can protect her, she contacts Rick Delance. As the actress and gunslinger face danger together, will the young woman’s heart soften? Will she become a glittering star in the desert…or will she follow her heart?

The Color of the Soul by Tracey Bateman

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1860s/1948 – Georgia

A Pandora’s box opens when reporter Andy Carmichael, too light skinned for acceptance by blacks and too dark skinned for acceptance by whites, is sent to Georgia to interview Miss Penbrook, an icon of Southern literature. From her deathbed, the mysterious Miss Penbrook gives Andy journals that reveal a surprising twist – her story and his own meld into one.

Golden Gate Gazette by Various Authors

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1860 – San Francisco

In 1860 in San Francisco, when newspaper workers strike, four women take the task of reporting the news in a man’s world while skirting danger and romance. Amy’s allegiance is questioned when arson fires seem linked to her family. Jennie’s curiosity gets her into the middle of a murder investigation. Helen makes a printing mistake that hurts an innocent man. Penney attempts to prove her value as a writer could cost her life. When the newspaper stories hit the stands, will these four women’s faith-and lives-endure to grasp the hand of love?

Land of My Heart by Tracie Peterson

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1864 – Montana

Adventurers, families, outlaws…all driven west in the 1860s by a longing for endless blue sky along with wild and wide-open spaces. When Dianne Chadwick urges her family to move west to her uncle’s ranch in the Montana Territory, she has no idea that her new life in the rugged frontier–and even within her uncle’s home–will not be the idyllic adventure she expects. But first she has to survive the arduous wagon journey with the help of guide Cole Selby, whose heart seems to be as hard as the mountains he loves.

 

 

Desert Rose by Linda Chaikin

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1860s – Nevada

Jack Halliday struck it rich in the 1860 silver boom in Virginia City! As Annalee and her mother travel to join him in Nevada, their joy turns to ashes. They’re unprepared for the savage mountain winter that traps them in a desperate struggle for survival.

At this critical moment, lawman Brett Wilder arrives in town. He’s looking for the gunslinger who crippled his father—and he suspects Jack.

When Annalee and Brett meet as they each search for Jack, they must face what they believe about the sovereignty of God, justice, and mercy. They also must discover whether their growing love for one another will melt like snow into an icy mountain stream or bloom like a rose in the desert.

Fire by Night Lynn Austin

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1861 – Virginia

Two young women in a land shattered by war test the limits of their strength.

Lovely Julia Hoffman has always enjoyed the carefree life of her well-to-do Philadelphia family. But when she fails to attract the attention of Nathaniel Greene, a fierce abolitionist, she shocks her family by becoming a Union nurse. Will that be enough to win Nathaniel’s heart?

Phoebe Bigelow, from western Virginia, has always been a misfit, and when her brothers join the Union army, she also enlists–under false pretenses.

Soon, both have their eyes opened to the realities of war and suffering. Neither is quite ready for the demands of her new life, but their journeys of sacrifice and love are sure to change them in unexpected ways.

Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin

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Candle in the Darkness (Refiner’s Fire, Book 1)candleinthedarkness
 1860 – Virginia

CAUGHT in a nation splitting apart.

ANGERED by those who would enslave others.

EMBOLDENED by a passion to make a difference.

TORN between the one she loves and a truth she can’t deny.

Here is Caroline Fletcher’s story.

Candle in the Darkness, Book One in the Refiner’s Fire series, tells the story of a timid southern girl who finds her voice as she begins to tell the truth about the atrocities around her. A short stay in the North confirms her abolitionist feelings, but when she returns to the South she finds herself torn between her home, a beloved suitor who doesn’t share her feelings, and the principles she knows are true. Standing for right may mean standing alone. Does she have the courage?

Edge of Honor Gilbert Morris

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1865 – Arkansas

Quentin Larribee is a surgeon–one of the best. But in the confusion of one of the Civil War’s last, desperate skirmishes, the hands devoted to healing bring death to William Breckenridge, an enemy soldier in the act of surrendering. Now the deed haunts Quentin.

A bright future lies before him, with marriage to the lovely Irene Chambers and eventual ownership of her father’s prosperous medical practice. But it cannot ease Quentin’s troubled conscience. Honor compels him to see to the welfare of the dead man’s family.

Quentin moves from New York City to the little town of Helena, Arkansas, where he attempts to save the wife of Breckenridge and her children from financial ruin. But in trying to solve one problem, he creates another, falling in love with the widow of the man he killed–a woman who knows nothing of his terrible secret.Two women beckon Quentin–one to a life where his gift as a healer can prosper beyond his wildest dreams, the other to a truer but impossible love.

Edge of Honor is an unforgettable novel of redemption and honor, where good is found in the unlikeliest places and God’s unseen hand weaves a masterful tapestry of human hearts and lives.

Heart of the Sandhills by Stephanie Grace Whitson

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1860s – Minnesota

Married for a little more than a year, Genevieve LaCroix Dane Two Stars and her beloved Daniel Two Stars dream of making a happy home in a safe place. But Dakota Indians living in Minnesota in the aftermath of the Dakota War face hostility that seems to grow stronger every day. When Daniel is offered work as an army scout in the West, the couple leave Minnesota in hopes of finding a new home. But then tragedy strikes again, and this time it threatens the Two Stars’ love for one another and their faith in God. After all they’ve been through, will the Two Stars’ find what Gen prays for? “All we want is a place to be … just a place to be.” Is it too much to ask?

 

 

 

Edge of the Wilderness by Stephanie Grace Whitson

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1863 – Minnesota

Genevieve LaCroix has survived the Dakota War, but her broken heart cannot seem to mend. Can Daniel Two Stars really be dead? Caring for a widower’s children gives her new purpose, but when Simon Dane proposes marriage, Gen cannot bring herself to accept. Simon begins a ministry to the suffering Dakota Sioux imprisoned at Camp McClellan, and Gen sees a side of the man she cannot ignore. If Daniel really is gone, what could be better than working with Simon to bring reconciliation to the frontier? Gen eventually learns that while obedience to God can sometimes require painful choices, it can also yield healing and unexpected joy. Will she say yes to Simon’s proposal? And what will happen when she learns that Daniel Two Stars is alive?

 

Valley of the Shadow by Stephanie Grace Whitson

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1860s – Minnesota

“I won’t go, and you can’t make me!” As the daughter of Good Song Woman and a French trader, eighteen-year-old Genevieve LaCroix wants nothing to do with her father’s plan to see his daughter educated by the white missionaries at Renville mission. Forced there against her will, Gen eventually finds friendship. When she meets a wounded Dakota warrior taken in by the missionaries, love blossoms. Gen and Two Stars are just beginning to find their way in the new world controlled by whites when the Dakota War of 1862 drags them both into the valley of the shadow of death. Risking everything to protect missionary friends and children, the couple are forced apart. Will their love survive? Will they?

The Dixie Widow by Gilbert Morris

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1862 – Washington DC

At the conclusion of The Last Confederate, almost twenty-four thousand Union and Confederate soldiers had fallen on the field of battle at Sharpsburg, making it the bloodiest day of American history. Among the casualties for the South was Captain Vance Wickham, husband of Belle Wickham. She was a daughter of Sky and Rebekah Winslow, and now the tragedy of war makes its dreaded call upon the Winslow family. In The Dixie Widow, Belle Wickham’s sorrow turns to anger and bitterness, then finally to blind hatred for the North. She declares in steely voice, “I live for only one purpose: to see the Union destroyed,” and vows to remain a widow until the Yankees are whipped. Belle is persuaded to travel to her Winslow relatives in the Washington, D.C. area and spy for the Confederacy–at the risk of her own life. Taken into the home of her grandfather, Captain Whitfield Winslow, she is in a strategic position to secure secret information to pass to the South. But an even greater tragedy awaits the Winslow family.

 

The Last Confederate by Gilbert Morris

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1860 – Virginia

At the conclusion of The Reluctant Bridegroom, the marriage of Sky and Rebekah Winslow prefaces a new chapter for another generation. What had seemed an impossibility is now coming to pass: God’s transformation of the Winslows into a warm and loving family. Making their way back from Oregon City, they now settle and prosper on a plantation in Virginia. Several years after their return from the West, a young Northerner named Thad Novak makes his way to the Winslow plantation and is taken on as a hired hand. What caused him to specifically seek out the Winslows? Should this Northerner be trusted? And with young ladies in the home, what are his motives? While the nation totters on the brink of war, both Thad Novak and the Winslows face conscription into fighting for a cause they do not support, and directly against Winslow relatives from the North!