Delia and the Drifter by Melody Carlson

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1884- Colorado

An arranged marriage to save the family from ruin?

Delia Blackstone knows what her mother is up to—she intends to marry her off to an older man who is all fortune and no future. And Delia’s having none of it.

When a mysterious visitor appears on the family doorstep and offers an opportunity for Delia to travel from Pennsylvania to Colorado, Delia knows it is time for her to strike out on her own and discover a new life. Along the way she encounters a handsome drifter who captures her heart. But is he interested in trading his exciting life of adventure for love?

Two murders, a missing will, and a number of puzzling relationships are enough to unsettle anyone—even smart, capable Delia. Who can she trust? And can she trust her heart in matters of love?

The Thief of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep

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1885 – England

There’s Often a Fine Line Between a Criminal and a Saint
 
Constable Jackson Forge intends to make the world safer, or at least the streets of Victorian London. But that’s Kit Turner’s domain, a swindler who runs a crew that acquires money the old-fashioned way—conning the rich to give to the poor. When a local cab driver goes missing, Jackson is tasked with finding the man, and the only way to do that is by enlisting Kit’s help. If Jackson doesn’t find the cabby, he’ll be fired. If Kit doesn’t help Jackson, he’ll arrest her for thievery. Yet neither of them realize those are the least of their problems.

Depending on You by Melissa Jagears

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1884 – Wyoming

Can the joy and hope of Christmas restore their love before it’s too late?

Leah Whitsett’s life was ideal until the disastrous day she nearly died because of her husband’s deceit. When he returns home weeks before Christmas, she knows the best gift she can give him is forgiveness, but how can she relinquish her hard-won independence knowing he plans to turn their family’s life upside down again?

Bryant has always known his wife was a gift he’d never deserved, but how can he provide for her in a town that no longer wants anything to do with him? He longs to atone for the misery he’s put his loved ones through, but when he brings a family member home for the holidays, he and Leah may end up even further apart.

With emotions high and their marriage at stake, will the season bring the hope they need…or are their rifts too large to mend?

To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano

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1886 – New York

After a childhood as a street thief, Gabriella Goodhue thought she’d put her past behind her until a fellow resident at her boardinghouse is unjustly accused of theft. In the middle of breaking into a safe that holds the proof to prove her friend’s innocence, Gabriella is interrupted by Nicholas Quinn, the man she once considered her best friend–until he abandoned her.

After being taken under the wing of a professor who introduced him into society and named him as heir, Nicholas is living far removed from his childhood life of crime. As a favor to a friend, Nicholas agreed to help clear the name of an innocent woman, never imagining he’d be reunited with the girl he thought lost to him forever.

As Gabriella and Nicholas are thrown together into one intrigue after another, their childhood affection grows into more, but their newfound feelings are tested when truths about their past are revealed and danger follows their every step.

The Christmas Husband by Lucette Nel

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1885 – Texas

It was one little lie told only to protect impoverished Naomi Stuart and her daughter. But when Benedict Ramsay — a man she met fleetingly years before who should be in England — arrives in town, all she’d carefully constructed threatens to crumble.

Benedict arrives a stranger in Noelle, hoping to confront the father who’d abandoned him. What he did not expect was to discover he was a married man … to a woman he didn’t even remember meeting. And against his will, Benedict warms to the idea of a ready-made family.

A Heart’s Promise by Linda Ford

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1887 – Canada

Hilda Meyers lost everything on her journey to Canada—parents, husband and baby. The dreams of independence and security her husband espoused seem far too distant now. Especially when a fire halts her successful business. She tends the store for Burnsie while he is away, in exchange for lumber for the repairs.

Miles Cardinal arrives in Willow Creek seeking the father he never knew. Instead of finding a man, he discovers Hilda running the store. Miles is instantly drawn to Hilda, but knows that someone with his history is no good for her. But that doesn’t stop him from falling for the feisty, independent woman.

When Miles disappears without a word, Hilda believes she might lose everything once again. Will Miles prove her wrong?

Nothing Short of Wondrous by Regina Scott

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1886 – Wyoming Territory

It is 1886, and the government has given the US Cavalry control of Yellowstone. For widowed hotelier Kate Tremaine, the change is a welcome one. She knows every inch of her wilderness home like the back of her hand and wants to see it protected from poachers and vandals.

Refused a guide by Congress, Lieutenant William Prescott must enlist Kate’s aid to help him navigate the sprawling park and track down the troublemakers. But a secret from his past makes him wary of the tender feelings the capable and comely widow raises in him. As they work together to protect the park and stand firm through injustice and tragedy, they may just find that two wounded hearts can share one powerful love when God is in control.

Legacy of Honor by Renee Brumbaugh Green

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1882 – Texas

He’s been raised to carry on the legacy.

After her mother’s untimely death, Emma Monroe’s dreams to become a teacher are dashed. She takes a job as maid and cook at the local Stratton Ranch, where she endures humiliation and hardship in order to provide for her ailing father and younger brother. Only Riley Stratton, her childhood friend and heir to the Stratton fortune, sees her heart. When she’s asked to care for Skye, the young half-Indian girl most family members refuse to claim, Emma finally finds the purpose she craves.

Riley Stratton has it all, or so it seems. Growing up as the youngest son of the rich and powerful John Stratton, Riley stands to inherit a legacy of greatness in the Stratton Ranch. On the surface, his family looks like they have it all, but manipulation, deceit, and an ever-present quest for power leave him desperate for change. Yet his father has made it clear: do things the Stratton way, or face alienation and disinheritance.

As Riley and Emma choose between honor, dreams, and expectations—not to mention the love they can no longer deny—their first steps prove how quickly the situation can spin into danger. When their best efforts threaten the lives and hopes of those closest to them, it becomes clear the decisions they make will change the course of their lives forever. 

Forever by Your Side by Tracie Peterson

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1880 – Oregon

After years of schooling on the East Coast, Constance Browning returns to Oregon and the reservation where she grew up with her missionary parents. She is accompanied by Thomas Lowell, her best friend and colleague, and together they embark on a project to catalogue the native peoples of Oregon for the Bureau of American Ethnology. But Connie and Tom have another purpose–to prove her parents are not involved in a secret conspiracy to goad the oppressed tribes into a doomed war.

Connie finds life on the reservation much bleaker than she remembered, and she is glad to have Tom by her side. But she also becomes reacquainted with Clint Singleton, the government agent on whom she had a crush as a girl. Now that she’s back, Clint finally seems interested in her, but Connie is no longer sure of her feelings. As tensions on the reservation rise and war looms ever closer, Connie and Tom search for whoever is truly behind the uprising. With danger unfolding amid shocking revelations, Connie will also have a revelation of the heart.

A Heart’s Delight by Linda Ford

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1887 – Canada

Marriage of convenience? Not to this man.

Laura has been lied to before and vows to guard her heart. Especially from the likes of Cody Remington who seems not to take life seriously for one minute.

Cody was erreneously charged with murder. And the one woman he trusted—the woman he thought he loved—left him to hang. Trusting a woman is a mistake Cody doesn’t intend to repeat.

Neither Cody nor Laura can turn away from two abused and hungry children. When they are stranded overnight caring for the children, the townspeople insist they must marry.

How can Laura marry a man she can’t trust? Can Cody overcome his past to become the man Laura needs?

Bride by Blackmail by Debbie Lynne Costello

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1880 – South Carolina

A broken heart, a controlling father, and an intrusive Scot leave Charlotte Jackson reeling. Accused of stealing an heirloom pin, she must choose between an unwanted marriage and the ruin of her family name. With the futures of her three younger sisters at stake, as well as her own reputation, Charlotte must navigate through injustice to find forgiveness and true happiness. Eager to find the traitor that caused the death of his brother, Duncan Mackenzie comes to America and attempts to fit in with Charleston society. But when the headstrong Charlotte catches his eye, Duncan takes on a second mission—acquiring the lass’s hand. After being spurned several times, he uses unconventional ways of winning her heart.

Breath of Water by Connie Stevens

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1886 – North Carolina

In 1886, near the hot mineral springs in the Appalachian highlands of North Carolina, the fifth generation of the Chappell family honors the traditions and heritage handed down over the years by their ancestors. Orphaned at the age of seven, Dulcie Chappell was raised by her grandparents to believe the only thing more important than family and the land was the Lord. Being caretakers of the land, raising their sheep, and producing fine woolen goods are part of Dulcie’s birthright. Above all else, she is dedicated to taking care of her grandparents.

James and Virginia Chappell grieve over their granddaughter’s resentment toward God, but they persist in praying she will soften her heart. They’ve been as faithful as the mountains that never move to teach her about her heritage, but James wonders if inheriting a piece of land is merely inheriting a lot of hard work. Dulcie can’t do it alone after they are gone, and she doesn’t show any interest in courting.

Gavin DeWitt was taught making money is what equates to success, so achieving the goals set for him by his ruthless uncle is his focus. The slow pace in the sleepy, backwoods community of Hot Springs, North Carolina is vastly different from the life he has led in Philadelphia. Uncle Arnold claims these mountain people are ignorant and backward, but when Gavin encounters the Chappells, he is taken aback by the things they value. Distracted by the quiet, simple lives they lead, Gavin explores the possibility of pursuing choices beyond his uncle’s demands.

When the Chappell’s land and legacy are threatened by the predatory tactics of a land speculator, Dulcie vows to maintain possession of their property. Confronted by adversity, they tenaciously cling to their ageless faith in the God who has promised to never leave them alone. Will their passion for the Lord, family, and land be enough? Or will an outsider beguile his way into the community under the guise of benevolence and defraud them of their heritage?

A Heart’s Blessing by Linda Ford

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1887 – Canada

Two wounded hearts. Two children in danger.

Delcie Morton might be young, but she’s old enough to be responsible for her cousin’s orphaned children. To protect them from their evil uncle, she flees west to Willow Creek. As she settles into her new life running a bakery, she finds it difficult to let down her guard.

Ryder Remington has lost everything. His wife and child are dead. His brother has narrowly missed being hung for a murder he didn’t commit. All he wants is to be left alone so he can forget the past. But when he is wrangled into helping at the cafe, he quickly finds himself in too deep with Delcie and her charges.

When the children are snatched, it is as if Ryder’s past is repeating itself. Can he change the future and earn Delcie’s trust? And more… her heart?

Her Only Hope by Julia Ridgmont

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1882 – Oregon

Running from her father’s murderers might keep her safe for a while, but it won’t protect her heart.

Alexandra Carter was supposed to marry Jacob Mahoney. At least, that was what her younger self believed when he worked in her father’s blacksmith shop years ago. At that impressionable age, she could have watched his well-muscled arms perform such manly work for hours. But then he suddenly disappeared and she became her father’s assistant, and in the process, discovered that females could do the work just as well, if not better.

Then, one fateful day, when everything falls apart, the only way Alexandra can escape immediate danger is to disguise herself as a young man–and find Jake. But where did he go? And what will she tell him when she finds him? If he knows that someone is after her, and possibly him, too, will he be willing to put his life on the line?

Jake Mahoney thinks he’s found his niche in the small town of Hope Hollow, Oregon. As the town’s blacksmith, folks trust him to perform quality work in a timely manner–and he’s able to deliver. That is, until a skating accident leaves him incapacitated. When a young apprentice offers his assistance, it seems that fate is smiling on him. But why does he seem so familiar? And what is he hiding?

By the time he discovers the answers to those questions, it might be too late.

A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Fordham

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1880 – Dakota Territory

Six years ago, a shocking secret sent Agnes Pratt running in search of a new start. She found it in Penance, a rugged town of miners and lumberjacks in the Dakota Territory, where she became Miss Aggie, respected schoolteacher and confirmed old maid. But the past has a way of catching up with people.

When childhood friend and former sweetheart James Harris accepts a position as the town doctor, Aggie’s pleasantly predictable days suddenly become anything but. James wants to know why Agnes left behind the life they had dreamed of creating for themselves–but he is the one person who can never know.

In the shadows of the Black Hills, can a healing light be shed on the past? Or will the secret Agnes can’t seem to outrun destroy her chance at happiness?

Fan-favorite Rachel Fordham brings to life the dusty streets of an 1880s frontier town in this story that affirms where you come from matters far less than where you’re going.

A Heart’s Yearning by Linda Ford

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1887 – Canada

Jenny has a secret dream that she’s nurtured since childhood. It’s a simple dream. She longs to have a family of her own. But Jenny has always been told she’s far too pretty to make a good wife. Her beauty attracts the wrong kind of attention and after an evil man tries to force himself on her she flees west.

Orphaned. Unwanted. Finn has always wanted to belong, but after being taken in by a neighboring family, he learned that the only way to protect himself was to keep his mouth shut and work hard. He stays alone in the mountains with only his mule for company.

When Finn’s long-ago sweetheart dies and leaves her only son in Finn’s custody, he realizes his mountain life is no place for a child. He needs a wife. After an accident, he finds himself being forced to marry the beautiful Jenny. He’s been shackled to a family that didn’t want him once before. What if it happens all over again?

The Black Midnight by Kathleen Y’Barbo

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1889 – England

Two Series of Murders Seem Mysteriously Connected…

Three years before Jack the Ripper began his murderous spree on the streets of London, women were dying in their beds as The Midnight Assassin terrorized the citizens of Austin, Texas. Now, with suspicion falling on Her Majesty’s family and Scotland Yard at a loss as to who the Ripper might be, Queen Victoria summons her great-granddaughter, Alice Anne von Wettin, a former Pinkerton agent who worked the unsolved Austin case, and orders her to discreetly form a team to look into the London matter.

The prospect of a second chance to work with Annie just might entice Isaiah Joplin out of his comfortable life as an Austin lawyer. If his theories are right, they’ll find the The Midnight Assassin and, by default, the Ripper. If they’re wrong, he and Annie are in a bigger mess than the one the feisty female left behind when she departed Austin under cover of darkness three years ago.

Can the unlikely pair find the truth of who is behind the murders before they are drawn into the killer’s deadly game? From Texas to London, the story navigates the fine line between truth and fiction as Annie and Isaiah ultimately find the hunters have become the hunted. 

Line by Line by Jennifer Delamere

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1880 – England

Alice McNeil resolved at a young age to travel through life unencumbered by love or marriage, free to make her own decisions. A seasoned telegrapher, she’s recently acquired a coveted position at an important trading firm, but when the company’s ambitious junior director returns to London, things begin to change in ways Alice could never have imagined.

For Douglas Shaw, years of hard work and ingenuity enabled him to escape a life of grinding poverty. He’s also determined to marry into high society–a step that will ensure he never returns to the conditions of his past.

He and Alice form a friendly relationship based on mutual respect, but anything deeper is not in their plans. However, when Alice accidentally raises the ire of a jealous and vindictive coworker who’s intent on ruining her life, Alice and Douglas are forced to confront what is truly important in their lives. Will their growing bond give them the courage to risk finding a better way?

Levi’s Blessing by Linda Ford

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1886 – Canada

Levi Hooper is the youngest brother and tired of being ‘the kid.’ No one takes him seriously. Not even the girl he hoped to marry.

Zola Minor needed an escape from a controlling relationship. She found one by moving west with her parents. When her father falls ill, the family stops to rest near the Coulee Crossing Ranch—Levi’s home.

While Zola finds a freedom she’s been seeking in the open spaces and big sky, she also clashes with Levi. In the best way possible. She is both attracted to and afraid of the young rancher. She sees what his brothers can’t. Levi is a mature young man with a generous heart. A heart she’s afraid she can’t resist.

But Zola’s family never planned to stay. When her pa is strong enough to continue the journey, she faces a tough choice: leave the rancher behind? Or take a chance and trust him with her heart?

The Green Dress by Liz Tolsma

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1886 – Massachusetts

When Harriet Peters came to Boston in 1882, the Robinson family took her in like one of their own, and Harriet became closer to Lizzie Robinson than her own siblings. Now, four years later, Lizzie is deathly sick, failing quickly just like several others in her family have done over the past few years. How can so many in one family die from the same mysterious illness? Harriet doesn’t have answers, but she is determined to help the family, bringing in a new-to-the-neighborhood doctor, Michael Wheaton.

As Harriet and Michael close in on the answer, putting their own lives at risk, can the cause be found before anyone else dies?

Pretending to Wed by Melissa Jagears

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1884 – Wyoming Territory

It’s a match made in heaven…as long as they don’t fall in love!

The ranch Nolan Key has spent decades working for, even lost a leg for, is now his—or at least it should be. But an absurd clause in his father’s will means he’s in danger of losing the place to his lazy, undeserving cousin. Nolan finds himself scrambling to save his home—by proposing marriage to the town laundress.

Corinne Stillwater’s hands have betrayed her. Numb from hours of doing the same work over and over, her hands will only heal, according to the town doctor, if she gives up the laundry and marries. But she’s been stung repeatedly by love before, so that is one remedy she can’t swallow.

When Nolan offers Corinne a marriage in name only, how can she refuse? Such a partnership could give them the security they seek, but what if the ranch isn’t as secure as they believe, and their lives—and dreams—aren’t quite as compatible as they thought?

Pretending to Wed is the second book in the Frontier Vows Series by award-winning Christian romance author Melissa Jagears. If you like marriage of convenience stories that deal with the nitty-gritty of making a relationship work, you’ll love this authentic romance set in a time gone by that tackles issues still relevant for today.

An Impossible Price by Davalynn Spencer

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1885 – Colorado

He has to choose – keep his secrets or the woman he loves. He can’t have both.

With no husband of her own, midwife Sophie Price lives to keep others calm in their hour of need. But when a handsome horse handler steps off the train with a fiery stallion, he brings anything but calm as he looks her dead in the eye and clear through to her soul.

Clay Ferguson returns to the place he once called home, hunting a fresh start and the one woman who could draw him back. If he can hide his battered heart and the brutality of his past, maybe she’ll take another look and give him a second chance.

Both bear scars from their fathers. Both fight for life. Together, they may learn that love is worth its impossible price.

A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy

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1885 – India

It’s 1885, and all Nora Shipley wants, now that she’s graduating from Cornell University as valedictorian of the entomology program, is to follow in her late father’s footsteps by getting her master’s degree and taking over the scientific journal he started. The only way to uphold her father’s legacy is to win a scholarship, so she joins a research expedition in Kodaikanal, India, to prove herself in the field.

India isn’t what she expects, though, and neither is the rival classmate who accompanies her, Owen Epps. As her preconceptions of India–and of Owen–fall away, she finds both far more captivating than she expected. Forced by the expedition leader to stay at camp and illustrate exotic butterflies the men of the team find without her, Nora befriends Sita, a young Indian girl who has been dedicated to a goddess against her will.

In this spellbinding new land, Nora is soon faced with impossible choices–between saving Sita and saving her career, and between what she’s always thought she wanted and the man she’s come to love.

Storing Up Trouble by Jen Turano

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1886 – Chicago

When Miss Beatrix Waterbury’s Chicago-bound train ride is interrupted by a heist, Mr. Norman Nesbit, a man of science who believes his research was the target of the heist, comes to her aid. Despite the fact that they immediately butt heads, they join forces to make a quick escape.

Upon her arrival in Chicago, Beatrix is surprised to discover her supposedly querulous Aunt Gladys shares her own suffragette passions. Encouraged by Gladys to leave her sheltered world, Beatrix begins working as a salesclerk at the Marshall Field and Company department store. When she again encounters Norman on a shopping expedition, he is quickly swept up in the havoc she always seems to attract.

But when another attempt is made to part Norman from his research papers, and it becomes clear Beatrix’s safety is also at risk, they soon discover the curious way feelings can grow between two very different people in the midst of chaos.

Blaze’s Hope by Linda Ford

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1886 – Canada

Blaze Hooper has honored the promise he made to his dying mother to take care of his brothers. He’s the responsible one. But sometimes being the responsible one isn’t enough. When he sees Emma for the first time all grown up, it’s as if he’s struck by lightning. The wild, tagalong young girl he remembered is gone. In her place is a woman grown.

Emma came West to find peace after the death of her parents. As she begins to heal and rediscover herself, she realizes how much of her real self she has hidden to try to please others. No more.

Blaze can’t help but be attracted to Emma as she blooms into a confident, independent beauty. When Emma’s former fiance shows up and threatens her safety, Blaze is there to protect her. He just wasn’t expecting to find out that she’s now a wealthy woman—a woman far out of his reach.

Emma desires the things money can’t buy: a home and a family. She thought she might find them with Blaze, but his distance confuses her. Is there hope for their future?

Tomorrow’s Shining Dream by Naomi Rawlings

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1885 – Texas

She needs to learn how to flirt. He needs to forget she exists. Then she asks him for help finding a husband… What could possibly go wrong?

Charlotte Westin has always been more comfortable in a saddle than a ballroom. That wouldn’t be a problem, except her father owns the largest ranch in Texas—and he insists she marry a wealthy city-slicker worthy of a cattle baron’s daughter. There might be someone out there who’d love her for who she is instead of her money, but she’s been fooled by a sweet talker before, and her family is still suffering because of it.

With an old friend-turned-enemy returning to town and cattle rustlers running roughshod over the county, Sheriff Daniel Harding knows the last thing he should be thinking about is a woman… especially the one woman he’ll never be able to marry. Then Charlotte Westin asks for his help, and Daniel can’t refuse. Until he finds out exactly what she wants…

When Charlotte comes to Daniel with a plan to find herself a husband, Daniel is forced to face his feelings for her—as well as some past mistakes of his own. But as the rustlers grow more dangerous, Charlotte’s father takes drastic steps to engage her to a man she doesn’t love. And Charlotte and Daniel soon find themselves caught between the burdens from their pasts and others’ expectations. Will they let their past choices ruin their dreams? Or will Charlotte and Daniel embrace God’s forgiveness and forge a happy future for themselves?

A Christmas Wish by Diana Brandmeyer

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1886 – Illinois

She vowed to marry for love. He promised his daughters a mother for Christmas. Time is running out for both of them.

A handshake between two men changes Alma Pickens’ life. Alma’s father promises her hand in marriage with a wedding due before Christmas. How can she keep her vow to her mother and still honor her father? With only Roy’s dimples to capture her attention, Alma can’t conceive of loving a man in four weeks time.

Widower Roy Gibbons’ young daughters want a mother for Christmas, and desperate to grant their wish, he said yes without thinking. With Christmas right around the corner, time is running out. When Dr. Pickens offers his daughter in marriage, Roy reasons as long as Alma can cook, clean, and keep the youngsters in line, it’s a fine arrangement.

Will Roy keep his promise to his girls? Will Alma keep hers to her mother? When both people have conflicting promises to keep, who will get the Christmas gift?

Set in the year 1886 in Southern Illinois, this sweet inspirational novella will tug at your heartstrings as this little family wins your heart. 

The Chisolm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo

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1889 – Texas

Stubborn Hearts Clash on a Cattle Drive

Eliza Gentry’s pursuit of marriage to the son of her family’s sworn enemy has cost her greatly. Furious at his daughter’s choices, her father sends her off with the cattle drive heading toward Fort Worth and the Barnhart ranch, but under the watchful eye of Wyatt Creed, a Pinkerton man he has hired to see to her safety. With danger at every turn—not the least of which to his heart—can Wyatt Creed keep his focus with Eliza Gentry around? Is the Chisholm Trail a place for falling in love or a place to die at the hands of cattle thieves?

Cash’s Promise by Linda Ford

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1886 – Canada

Mail-order bride? Try mail-order disaster. Theresa’s late husband was a liar and abuser. Now that he’s dead, she’s alone and very pregnant. The last thing she wants is another man in her life.

Cash Hooper has known his share of loss. After being rejected by a former sweetheart, he has no interest in risking his heart again. When searching for his missing horse, he discovers Theresa on her own and dangerously injured. He can’t leave, not when she needs so much help. He determines to stay long enough for her to recover, then he’ll take her to Willow Creek so she can start a new, independent life.

Theresa’s baby arrives early and Cash’s tenderness and kindness stir emotions she thought long dead. After what she’s been through, she knows how men can pretend to be one thing while hiding their true nature. She isn’t about to trust her fate to anyone but herself and God.

Cash starts to fall for Theresa and her little one. But past rejection haunts him. How can he be worthy of Theresa’s love and trust when his past tells him otherwise?

Can Cash and Theresa let go of the past to embrace the future?

Jake’s Honor by Linda Ford

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1886 – Canada

Connie has always been the plain one. The responsible one. The dutiful one. She always stood in her beautiful cousin’s shadow, but now her cousin is dead. Connie is left to pick up the pieces and do right by her little niece, Megan, which means delivering the girl to her father. But nothing is as it seems. Jake denies being the father. Worse, the attraction Connie once felt for the enigmatic rancher still exists, though she has always been invisible to him.

Jake Hooper lost his mother, his father, and then his sweetheart, who left him without so much as a word of explanation. When Connie shows up with a child she claims is his, he knows it can’t be true.

Jake determines to take Connie and Megan to Fort Macleod. They aren’t his responsibility. And after all the loss he has suffered, he can’t bear to open his heart again.

But the more time they spend together, the more one charming little girl and her fiery aunt sneak into Jake’s heart. Will he be able to cut ties and leave them on their own? Or will his honor—and his heart—require a different answer?

The Mail-Order Standoff by Various Authors

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Four Mail-Order Brides Get Cold Feet.
 
Marriage plans are put on hold in the Old West when four mail-order brides have second thoughts. How will their grooms win their trust?
 
Right on Time by Angela Breidenbach
Montana, 1883
Could two people be less suited than an English gentleman and a western gal who is used to giving the orders? From the wild Montana Territory to the refined Kentucky horse farms, can Timothy prove worthy of Tara’s heart?
 
Pistol-Packin’ Bride by Margaret Brownley
Prickly Pear, Texas, 1885
Attorney Ben Heywood didn’t expect to get shot on his wedding day—and certainly not by his mail-order bride.
 
The Bride Who Declined by Susan Page Davis
Boston, Massachusetts, 1885
Rachel Paxton turns down a mail-order proposal, but a few months later she learns the man she rejected has died—and left his ranch to her in his will.
 
Twice the Trouble by Vickie McDonough
Cactus Creek, Texas, 1888
When Connor McLoughlin and his cousin Brian order a pair of mail-order brides, they think they’re getting two sweet Irish lasses. But what they get is a stage load of shenanigans.

Hope Springs Eternal by Julia Ridgmont

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1882 – Oregon

Carving out a new life in Oregon isn’t for the faint of heart. Neither is becoming a mail-order bride.

For 35-year-old Susannah Eversoll, starting over after her husband’s suicide, not to mention betrayal, is what she feels the need to do. So she arranges for herself and her grown daughter, Melissa, to become mail-order brides farther west in the town of Hope Hollow, Oregon. But Susannah will be starting over in more ways than she planned. Although he is kind and caring, David didn’t tell her that his children are young and exhaustingly unruly. And when pushed to her breaking point, a freak accident wipes away her memory. Who is she? Who are these people? Where does she belong?

David Stratton’s hopes for the future died along with his wife two years ago. Now he’s the doing the best he can to raise his rambunctious and sometimes quarrelsome children, but he needs help. More than that, though, he’s lonely. Now that he’s found Susannah, he isn’t about to let her go. When Susannah loses her memory in a skating accident, a stranger appears, threatening their marriage with claims Susannah can’t explain. Can David unravel the mystery that shrouds his wife? Will Susannah regain her memory in time to save their marriage? Or will the love that had begun to blossom between them shrivel up and die in the wintry storms ahead?

The Blizzard Bride by Susanne Dietze

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1888 – Nebraska

Abigail Bracey arrives in Nebraska in January 1888 to teach school…and to execute a task for the government: to identify a student as the hidden son of a murderous counterfeiter—the man who killed her father.
 
Agent Dashiell Lassiter doesn’t want his childhood sweetheart Abby on this dangerous job, especially when he learns the counterfeiter is now searching for his son, too, and he’ll destroy anyone in his way. Now Dash must follow Abby to Nebraska to protect her…if she’ll let him within two feet of her. She’s still angry he didn’t fight to marry her six years ago, and he never told her the real reason he left her.
 
All Dash wants is to protect Abby, but when a horrifying blizzard sweeps over them, can Abby and Dash set aside the pain from their pasts and work together to catch a counterfeiter and protect his son—if they survive the storm?

Double Jeopardy by Donna Schlachter

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1880 – Colorado

Mining, murder—and a mock marriage?

New York City socialite Becky Campbell inherited more than a speck of her father’s wanderlust. Now his murder bequeaths her a mystery, a ramshackle homestead, and a silver mine.

Zeke Graumann signs on as Becky’s foreman to keep his portion of his family’s ranch. He shares the workers’ reservations about a woman boss, especially one who burns water and prances around in dungarees. Even though she did look awful good in the dungarees.

Then a series of accidents add threat to tension. Can Becky trust Zeke, find her father’s killer, and turn her mine into a profitable venture? Will Zeke be forced to give up his ranching dream to win Becky’s heart?

The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock

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1887 – New York

Will Edyth prove her sanity before it is too late?
 
On Blackwell’s Island, New York, a hospital was built to keep its patients from ever leaving.
 
With her late parents’ fortune under her uncle’s care until her twenty-fifth birthday in the year 1887, Edyth Foster does not feel pressured to marry or to bow to society’s demands. She freely indulges in eccentric hobbies like fencing and riding her velocipede in her cycling costume about the city for all to see. Finding a loophole in the will, though, her uncle whisks Edyth off to the women’s lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. And Edyth fears she will never be found.
 
At the asylum she meets another inmate, who upon discovering Edyth’s plight, confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World. Will either woman find a way to leave the terrifying island and reclaim her true self?