The Gold in These Hills by Joanne Bischof

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1902 – California

One wild and mysterious ghost town. Two second-chance love stories. And the century-old legacy that binds them together.

Upon arriving in Kenworthy, California, mail-order bride Juniper Cohen is met by the pounding of the gold mine, an untamable landscape, and her greatest surprise of all: the kind and loving man who awaits her. But when the mine proves empty of profit, and when Juniper’s husband, John, vanishes, Juniper is left to fend for herself and her young daughter in the dwindling boomtown that is now her home.

Juniper pens letters to her husband but fears she is waiting on a ghost. Perhaps worse, rumors abound claiming the man she loves could be an outlaw. Surviving in a ghost town requires trusting the kindness of a few remaining souls, including the one who can unlock the mystery of her husband’s disappearance—and Juniper’s survival depends not only upon these friends but also the strength of heart she must fight to maintain.

Present day. Trying to escape the heartache of his failed marriage, Johnny Sutherland throws himself into raising his children and restoring a hundred-year-old abandoned farmhouse in what was once known as Kenworthy, California, in the San Jacinto Mountains. While exploring its secrets he uncovers Juniper’s letters and is moved by the handwritten accounts that bear his name—and as a love story from the past touches his own world, Johnny might discover yet that hope and resilience go hand in hand.

Gold Rush Bride: Caroline by Linda Shenton Matchett

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1859 – Missouri

She thinks he’s high-handed and out for her gold. He thinks she’s difficult and money-hungry. Will they discover that love is the true treasure?

Scarred in a childhood accident, Caroline Vogel has yet to find a man willing to marry her, so she heads to the Pike’s Peak goldfields to pan enough ore to become a woman of means. When she and the handsome assistant trail boss hit it off, she begins to hope her future may not be spent alone. Then she catches wind of dark secrets from the man’s past, and she’s not sure what or who to believe.

Orphaned as a teenager, Oliver Llewellyn stole to survive, then used his skills for the army during the war. Nowadays, he applies his knowledge to catch dangerous thieves for the Pinkerton Agency, so guarding a young woman during a wagon train journey should be easy. But he didn’t count on the fact she’d angered a man bent on revenge. He also didn’t count on losing his heart.

Gold Rush Bride: Hannah by Linda Shenton Matchett

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1800s – Georgia

A brand-new widow, she’s doesn’t need another man in her life. He’s not looking for a wife. But when danger thrusts them together, will they change their minds…and hearts?

Hannah Lauman’s husband has been murdered, but rather than grief, she feels…relief. She decides to remain in Georgia to work their gold claim, but a series of incidents makes it clear someone wants her gone…dead or alive. Is a chance at being a woman of means and independence worth risking her life?

Jess Vogel never breaks a promise, so when he receives a letter from a former platoon mate about being in danger, he drops everything to help his old friend. Unfortunately, he arrives just in time for the funeral. Can he convince the man’s widow he’s there for her protection not for her money?

Bridge of Gold by Kimberley Woodhouse

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1933 – California

Repairs on the Golden Gate Bridge Uncover a Century-Old Murder

Underwater archaeologist Kayla Richardson is called to the Golden Gate Bridge where repairs to one of the towers uncovers two human remains from the late 1800s and the 1930s. The head of the bridge restoration is Steven Michaels, who dives with Kayla, and a friendship develops between them. But as the investigation heats up and gold is found that dates back to the gold rush, more complications come into play that threaten them both. Could clues leading to a Gold Rush era mystery that was first discovered during the building of the bridge still ignite an obsession worth killing for?

Endless Mercy by Tracie Peterson & Kimberley Woodhouse

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1904 – Alaska

Madysen Powell has always been a forgiving person, but when her supposedly dead father shows up in Nome, Alaska, her gift for forgiveness is tested. With the recent loss of her mother, she searches for answers, leaning on Granny Beaufort, a neighbor in town, who listens with a kind heart. Still, Madysen is restless and dreams of performing her music around the world. The arrival of a traveling show could prove just the chance she needs, and the manager promises more than she ever dreamed.

Daniel Beaufort arrives in Nome, searching for his own answers after the gold rush leaves him with only empty pockets. Still angry about the death of his loved ones, he longs to start fresh but doesn’t have high hopes until he ends up helping at the Powell dairy making cheese. Drawn to the beautiful redhead with big dreams, will deceptions from the past tear apart any hope for the future?

Almost a Bride by Jody Hedlund

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1863 – Canada

Always close, but never a bride.

Longing to find true love, Kate Millington arrives in British Columbia on a bride ship. With countless men waiting to snag a bride, Kate has no trouble getting engaged. It’s staying engaged that’s the problem. After traveling to the remote mining town of Williamsville to marry her newest fiancé, she finds herself single again.

As the prosperous owner of a gold mine, Zeke Hart has everything he’s ever wanted except for a wife. At Kate’s arrival, he takes it upon himself to protect his childhood friend from the men clamoring to court her. The more he renews her friendship, the more he wants to win her for himself. But as much as Kate admires Zeke, she’s resolved not to marry someone who doesn’t share her faith.

When Zeke begins receiving anonymous threats, he unwittingly puts them both in grave danger. In the midst of peril, the past rises up to haunt them both, and Zeke realizes the fight for Kate’s affection may be his biggest challenge yet.

Morgan’s Medicine by Julia David

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1851 – California

In 1851, being kidnapped off of a ship might be the worst thing for an innocent young woman. For Emery, she thought it was her salvation until the kidnappers only took her and left her younger sister on the ship.

When angry miners seek revenge on the greedy baron, Arnold Snider, who stole their savings, they believe they have kidnapped his wife. It’s simple if he gives their gold back, he can have his wife back. But how will the trade work when they realize they’ve taken the wrong woman?

Keeping the mistaken identity to herself, Emery is left with a recluse miner. Will the secret help her get her sister free or land her back in the hands of the cruel Arnold Snider, a man she despises?

Doctor Morgan Hastings wants to take his mining friends by the neck. How could they ride off leaving a young woman on his porch, shackled and bound? How can he help her when she looks at him like he’s the enemy? Why won’t she let him help her get back to the ship, to her husband? Just when Morgan can’t stand the confusion any longer, Emery does something that shocks even a doctor recovering from the war.

Minute by minute choices, gripping emotions, and surrender. Can Morgan and Emery heal from the past in time?

Will a thread of faith be enough to see the light and love that awaits them?

Truitt’s Truth by Julia David

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1849 – California

With the California Gold Rush of 1849, the toughest man in town, Truitt, is ready to face the truth. Putting his fighting career aside, he needs to get out of Hangtown. The unruly mining town named after the night his father was unjustly hung.

But mudslides and Truitt Emerson do not mix. Now he’s stranded with two ladies from back east that his boss expects delivered to Hangtown all in one piece. One lady he would leave to the Indians, the other beauty clutching a silly case has him looking back to watch her every move.

When Cassidy O’Ryan was pulled from her Irish Grandparent’s home as a child, her beloved violin became her prized possession. Unwilling to heed her father’s wishes by marrying his business colleague, she promises to travel to the gold rush town of Hangtown to wed her cousin she’s only met as a child. What she didn’t promise was that she wouldn’t trade places with her ladies maid and pursue her love of singing and violin in the new state of California.

The young women had months to plan the switch. It shouldn’t be a problem until her cousin sends Truitt Emerson to pick them up and escort them to Hangtown. Truitt is not only the town boxer, but he’s also her cousin’s bodyguard. The sudden desire to trust in this handsome stranger is unusual.

Until Truitt burns her beloved violin.

Cassidy now has her own fight to find her truth, her freedom in this rough mining town.

Neither Truitt or Cassidy are prepared for the compelling attraction that’s desperate for an honest future.

Can the truth prevail or is it too late?

Waltz in the Wilderness by Kathleen Denly

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1850 – California

She’s desperate to find her missing father. His conscience demands he risk all to help.

Eliza Brooks is haunted by her role in her mother’s death, so she’ll do anything to find her missing pa—even if it means sneaking aboard a southbound ship. When those meant to protect her abandon and betray her instead, a family friend’s unexpected assistance is a blessing she can’t refuse.

Daniel Clarke came to California to make his fortune, and a stable job as a San Francisco carpenter has earned him more than most have scraped from the local goldfields. But it’s been four years since he left Massachusetts and his fiancé is impatient for his return. Bound for home at last, Daniel Clarke finds his heart and plans challenged by a tenacious young woman with haunted eyes. Though every word he utters seems to offend her, he is determined to see her safely returned to her father. Even if that means risking his fragile engagement.

When disaster befalls them in the remote wilderness of the Southern California mountains, true feelings are revealed, and both must face heart-rending decisions. But how to decide when every choice before them leads to someone getting hurt?

Christmas in Cripple Creek by Sara R. Turnquist

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1890s – Colorado

Katherine and Wyatt have settled into a well-earned, comfortable life together. Until an unexpected attack threatens to bring an end to their happily-ever-after. And on the cusp of the town’s yuletide merriment.

As they come to grips with their new circumstances, they begin to realize the difficulty is far from over. And new challenges arise.

What will become of their family? Of their Christmas?

A Destiny in Defiance by Heather Blanton

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1800s – Colorado

A battle is brewing in Defiance. The cost of victory may be a good man’s soul…

When a campaign of violence and murder turns from targeting his empire to his family, Charles McIntyre resurrects old demons to stop a dangerous enemy. But absolute power, it has been said, corrupts absolutely. Can he wrestle the forces of darkness for control of Defiance without giving into them?

Matthew Miller knows the line between love and hate is as thin as a razor’s edge. When he finally accepts Naomi’s heart will always belong to McIntyre, his own thirst for power turns to a dark quest for vengeance. Now, all he wants is to make her suffer.

The Golden Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse

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1849 – California

The Daughters of the Mayflower series continues when Olivia Brighton finds herself widowed and working her brother’s restaurant in San Francisco during the height of the rush for gold. Even though she receives at least twenty marriage proposals a day, she will never marry a gold miner. Her brother’s friend Joseph Sawyer has gotten caught up in local politics and the plight of Chinese in forced labor. The more Joseph gets pulled into investigating crime in the city, the less Olivia sees of the compassionate man. And just when she thinks she could love again, a fire threatens to steal all hope.

Hell-Bent on Blessings by Heather Blanton

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1850s – California

Left bankrupt and homeless by a worthless husband, Harriet Pullen isn’t about to lay down and die. Finding a temporary home for her children, she heads to the gold rush town of Blessings, California to start over. One carefully planned step at a time, she’s going to make a home for her family, regain her financial independence, and build a new ranch–bigger and better than the one she lost. God help the man who ever gets in her way again.

Jason Meredith, an old friend, has a few things he’d like to say to Harriet, especially now that she’s a widow. He might have better luck surviving a bear attack, though, than thawing her frozen heart. He’s got his work cut out for him, but Jason’s a patient man. At least, he used to think he was…
BASED ON A TRUE STORY!

In the Land of White Nights by Bonnie Leon

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1869 – Alaska

Anna or rivers of gold–which will captivate his heart?

The lure of the nineteenth-century gold rush calls to Erik, a civil-war veteran. He and Anna, his Aleutian bride, set sail for a new life together in Sitka.

Anna stands strong against the adversities of the new land with its unfamiliar culture and fearsome challenges. She fights the prejudice of others, while growing her newfound faith in the white man’s God.

When forced to move farther north and begin again, Anna refuses to give up, allowing nothing to stand in the way of her family’s happiness. They discover joy as well as heartache in the Alaskan wilderness. But will Erik’s love of gold put all they’ve worked so hard for in jeopardy?

The California Gold Rush Romance Collection by Various Authors

The California Gold Rush Romance Collection

Rush to California after the 1848 gold discovery alongside thousands of hopeful men and women. Meet news reporters, English gentry, miners, morticians, marriage brokers, bankers, fugitives, preachers, imposters, trail guides, map makers, cooks, missionaries, town builders, soiled doves, and more people who take advantage of the opportunities to make their fortunes in places where the population swelled overnight. But can faith and romance transform lives where gold is king?

All That Glitters by Lisa Flickinger

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1898 – Alaska

The world has gone plum crazy over gold; men and women alike would do almost anything to make their fortune. Leaving behind her family and a dying father, Ginny Connor follows the cunning Logan Harris up North to strike it rich. Twenty-year old Vivian Connor embarks on a cross-country chase to rescue her sister Ginny and they are both led into the chaos of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Meanwhile, Ben McCormack leaves his farm to retrieve his intended bride from a rowdy tent town on the Alaskan coastline. Ben’s path inadvertently entwines with Vivian’s and he finds his heart tugging him in a different direction.

Danger and disappointment plague all their journeys to the far North. Will Vivian find her sister in time to return home to see their father? Can Ginny forgive herself for the decisions she’s made? Will Ben find the lifelong love he searches for? When the world listens only to the call of gold, redemption and love become scarce treasures.

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In Golden Splendor by Michael K Reynolds

In Golden Splendor: An Heirs of Ireland Novel

1849 – California

Irish immigrant Seamus Hanley is a lost soul, haunted by his past as a U.S. Army deserter and living alone in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains in 1849. But after witnessing a deadly stage coach crash, he finds purpose in the scattered wreckage — a letter with a picture of a beautiful and captivating woman named Ashlyn living in San Francisco at the height of the Gold Rush. Moved by her written plea for help, he abandons all and sets out on an epic journey across the wild and picturesque American frontier. While being pursued by those who want to hang him, Seamus encounters fascinating characters including a young Pauite Indian who makes the ultimate sacrifice in helping Seamus to cross the snowy Yosemite Valley. Battered but changed for the better, Seamus reaches San Francisco on Christmas Eve as the city burns in the tragic fire of 1849. But there is little time for rest, as an even greater, more harrowing adventure involving Ashlyn is about to begin.

A Long Way Home by Margaret Brownley

A Long Way Home

1849 – California

THEY WERE FROM OPPOSITE WORLDS…

Libby Summerfield can’t wait to get out of Deadman’s Gulch—a lawless mining town filled with gunfights, brawls, and uncivilized mountain men—men like Logan St. John. Stranded there with a new baby, the pretty widow tries to make the best of it. But she vows to return to the refinement of Boston as soon as the weather clears and the stage resumes its run. Maybe then her heart would stop quickening at the thought of Logan’s gentle touch.

…AND IN AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION

Logan St. John knows Deadman’s Gulch is no place for a woman—especially one who single-handedly turns him into a church-going family man. Of all the crazy things! The sooner she and her precious baby leave for Boston the better. But how could he stand to lose this spirited woman who tamed this wild western town—and melted his heart of stone forever?

Ellenvale Gold by Amanda Deed

1854 – Australia

It is the time of Australia’s harsh rogue-filled goldrush of the 1850s when Miss Penelope Worthington suddenly finds herself orphaned, isolated and alone. With a large sheep station to run single-handedly, she has little option but to enlist the aid of a mysterious, but sinister stranger. But who is the more treacherous? Gus-the scruffy, trespassing, ex-convict who co-incidentally shows up looking for work just when she desperately needs a farmhand or Rupert-the handsome, wealthy neighbour who would willingly marry her at the drop of a hat and solve her apparent dilemma? Repeatedly, her faith is tested as she faces the unforgiving elements, deceit, lies and uncertainty. But where and how will it all end? But…is it the end? Will vengeance return or will Penny’s faith prevail?

Gold Rush Baby by Dorothy Clark

1898 – Alaska

She didn’t come to Alaska for its gold. Viola Goddard is seeking something much more precious—a fresh start. Now, entrusted with the care of an abandoned baby girl, Viola is finding new purpose and joy. And when missionary Thomas Stone is injured while saving little Goldie, Viola insists on nursing him back to health. What she mustn’t do is confess her growing regard for his strength and gentle compassion. Her shameful secret could destroy his ministry. Unless this little gold rush town can give them both a chance to heal, to hope and to trust.

The Snowflake by Jamie Carie

1897 – Alaska

Christmas – Ellen Pierce and her brother are determined to reach the Alaska gold rush. But when ice stalls their steamship, all seems lost, until Buck Lewis makes a decision: he’ll lead all who dare to follow on foot toward Dawson City. Buck is determined to leave behind a heartbreaking past. No amount of ice or weather will stop him. But he never counted on a woman joining a dangerous wilderness trek–or on falling in love with her. As their journey unfolds and Christmas approaches, Ellen and Buck discover that the greatest gift of all can’t be wrapped in paper and tied with a bow. It comes from, and is received in, the heart.

Golden Days by Mary Connealy

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1898 – Alaska

Amy Simons’s small size belies her remarkable strength-strength that makes her thrive in the wild Alaskan frontier. But is she strong enough to accept her father’s fate and move on with her own life and love? Braden Rafferty just wants to get away-away from the pain of failing his wife and losing her. Maybe hard work in the cold Alaskan mountains will numb his aching heart. But he didn’t expect to find another needy woman along the way, another woman who will depend on him for strength. Will Braden realize that Amy wants his heart more than his help? Will they both see that the bonds of love are strongest?

Snow Angel by Jamie Carie

1897 – Alaska

When Noah Wesley heard the faint sound outside the door of his remote Alaskan mountain cabin during a violent nighttime blizzard, it was no less than the voice of God that urged him to take a closer look, soon to discover his snow angel.

Unconscious and more than half frozen to death, her name, as Noah would later learn after boldly saving her life, was Elizabeth, a beautiful young woman, fragile yet fierce, and intent on discovering gold like so many others in that region during the late 1800s.

But why Elizabeth was so drawn to the gold, and why she would chase it even through a pounding storm that no man would dare face, was a secret to be shared with no one else, not even at the inviation of Noah’s deep blue trusting eyes.

Ashes and Ice by Tracie Peterson

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1898 – Alaska/California

When heartache and loss invade Karen Pierce’s carefully ordered world, she is devastated. Her plans and dreams for the future seem distant and unattainable, and she is bound by a promise to care for two young adults who are struggling with a loss of their own. Continuing their journey north to the goldfields seems their only option, and Adrik Ivanov agrees to be their guide. With a late start and the constant threat of winter hastening their pace, Adrik wonders at the wisdom of their decision. But he longs to prove his commitment and growing love for Karen, who has pushed aside his advances in the past. Inspired by the beautiful and rugged landscape, Karen thrives under the difficult conditions of their trek. As her heart begins to journey back to the core of her once-solid faith, will she dare to embrace the love offered to her?

Picture Rock by Stephen Bly

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1906 – Nevada

The hot desert winds and gold mines of Goldfield, Nevada make California’s cool valley breezes and peaceful farms seem like heaven on earth. And though O. T. Skinner constantly dreams of moving west, he and his family are still in the sin-filled boomtown. They don’t have much, but they do have each other.

O.T. loves his strong-minded, independent wife who takes care of their family as well as the miners who depend on her warm meals and friendly nature. But the days in her café are long, and Dola Mae is finding out the hard way what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a helping hand–and she can only pray it doesn’t become permanent.

Dola Mae knows she is blessed to be married to a man who’d do anything for his family and friends, no matter the risk; but she’s terrified she’ll lose him. Her fear may become reality when O.T.’s generosity puts his life–and the lives of his loved ones–in jeopardy one too many times.

Through it all, the Skinners remain a portrait of virtue and strength, making them the rarest of treasures in a town built on gambling all for a little gold.