The Gamekeeper’s Reluctant Bride by Elva Cobb Martin

Goodreads ~ B&N ~ Amazon

1815 – South Carolina

She fled from a gilded cage, only to find herself trapped in a marriage of obligation.

Helena Allston had it all—wealth, beauty, and a life of luxury on her family’s plantation. But when her father arranges a marriage to a man she despises, Helena takes matters into her own hands, fleeing on horseback, only to find herself half-drowned and memory-less in a simple cottage. And when her memory returns, Helena ends up back where she began—arranged to marry, this time to the handsome gamekeeper who rescued her.

Could there be more than obligation to this marriage? Or is he only after the Windemere Plantation her father promised him?

Gideon Falconer is at a loss when it comes to the stubborn, beautiful woman he rescued from the Ashley River. His predicament only worsens when he returns her to her family’s plantation, where her father shocks him with a demand that Gideon marry his daughter to prevent a scandal. As a man new to his faith, he feels compelled to do the right thing, but his own secrets and the past left behind in England threaten to complicate matters further.

In a marriage that began as a mere obligation, can Helena and Gideon find the strength to let love and trust conquer all, despite a determined enemy’s schemes to wreck their hope?

The Legacy Of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky

Goodreads ~ Apple ~ B&N ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ Amazon

1912/2012 – England

Two women–a century apart–embark on a journey to healing, faith, forgiveness, and romance.

In 2012, art historian Gwen Morris travels to England’s Lake District to appraise the paintings and antiques of an old family friend, hoping to prove herself to her prestigious grandfather. While at Longdale Manor, she meets David Bradford–the owner’s handsome grandson–who is desperate to save the crumbling estate by turning it into a luxury hotel. When Gwen stumbles upon a one-hundred-year-old journal and an intricately carved shepherd’s staff similar to one in a photo of her parents, she’s left searching for answers.

In 1912, after her father’s death, Charlotte Harper uncovers a painful family secret she can only confess to her journal. She and her family travel to the Lake District to stay on a sheep farm, hoping eventually to find a home with Charlotte’s grandfather at Longdale Manor, but old wounds and bitter regrets make it a difficult challenge. As Charlotte grows closer to shepherd Ian Storey and rebuilds her shattered faith, she must decide whether she will ever trust in love again.

The Vaquero’s Heart by Heather Blanton

Goodreads ~ Amazon

1800s – Wyoming

She wants to steal horses…but at Burning Dress Ranch, only hearts are stolen.

On the run from the law, daring horse thief Pearl Pickett stumbles upon the enigmatic Burning Dress Ranch and its mysterious owner, Miss Sally. Sensing something is amiss with the newcomer, Miss Sally asks Pearl to work with a captivating herd of Arabian horses. Pearl’s sole desire is to lay low for a while, but the allure of these stunning creatures proves irresistible.

Ranch wrangler Rodrigo Garcia is a widower with a young son. Brooding and surly, he’s not happy about taking on a know-it-all female as an assistant. But the sassy woman knows horses, even though she initially tries to hide it. As the two work together, Rodrigo can’t help but soften a little, particularly when he witnesses the bond she is forming with his son, Miguel.

Still, it is a shocking revelation when he realizes Pearl is stealing his heart.

But that may not be all she’s out to steal…

Journey of the Shepherd Woman by Carlene Havel and Sharon Faucheux

Goodreads ~ Amazon

30s – Israel

Saul of Tarsus instigates persecution against followers of the Way, forcing shepherds from Bethlehem to run for their lives. Channah and her family escape to the seaport of Joppa. They hope to make their way to Ephesus where Channah’s husband grew up. However, travel is difficult and sometimes treacherous. When disaster strikes, Channah relies on the mercy of a kind woman named Dorcas. Through many trials, the little family cherishes their goal of finding a place where they can freely worship Jesus.

Robbing the Races by Tabitha Bouldin

Goodreads ~ B&N ~ Amazon

1940s – Kentucky

The Legend of Locksley might just get Robin and Marian killed.

Robin Locke’s career as a jockey is far more successful than he ever expected. When a groom is found dead in the stables, Robin sets out to right the wrongs of Locksley. Unfortunately, Robin’s rival is dead set on proving him guilty!

Marian Silvers sets out to find a once in a lifetime story that will ensure her career as a reporter withstands the masochistic attitudes of the paper where she works. As she and Robin dig into the groom’s murder, she finds another side to the legend of Locksley…a side he would prefer stay hidden forever.

While the murderer wreaks havoc in their small town, Marian and Robin find that all is not as it seems. And then they become the next targets. They just need to evade the killer long enough to bring him to justice… and perhaps find love along the way.

To Enchant a Lady’s Heart by Robin Lee Hatcher

Goodreads ~ Apple ~ B&N ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ Amazon

1895 – England

He has nothing to offer. She has everything to lose.

Despite the dishonorable circumstances of his own birth, Adam Faulkner has never begrudged his half-brother Sebastian’s legitimate position as the Viscount Willowthorpe. Having a title and everything that goes with it never mattered to Adam—until “everything” became the hand of Miss Eliza Southwick. Adam knows, as the stable manager at Hooke Manor, he shouldn’t hope to wed a well-born miss. After all, enchanting such a lady’s heart would take a true gentleman…something he is not.

Eliza Southwick loves horses more than society and doesn’t care a whit about status or titles. But her father has set his sights on the Viscount Willowthorpe for his future son-in-law and has brought his daughter to Hooke Manor in hopes of arranging a marriage contract. When a spark first kindled during a chance meeting between Eliza and Adam grows stronger, she doesn’t dare tell her father how she feels. He will disown her entirely if she fails to do his will, and the cost of following her heart has never seemed higher.

The Secrets of Emberwild by Stephenia H. McGee

Goodreads ~ B&N ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ Amazon

1905 – Mississippi

A gifted trainer in a time women are not allowed to race, Nora Fenton prefers horses to men. They’re easier to handle, they’re more reliable, and they never tell her what to do. After her father’s passing, Nora is determined to save her struggling horse farm, starting with entering her prize colt into the harness races at the 1905 Mississippi Fair. If she wins, she may have a chance at independence. But when a stranger arrives and starts asking disconcerting questions, she suspects he may have other motives than unseating her in the training job that is rightfully hers.

Silas Cavallero will do whatever it takes to solve the mystery of his father’s death–even if it means training an unwieldy colt for Nora, who wants nothing more than to see him gone. But when mysterious accidents threaten their safety and circumstances shrouded in secrets begin unlocking clues to his past, Silas will have to decide if the truth is worth risking ruining everything for the feisty woman he’s come to admire.

By Way of the Moonlight by Elizabeth Musser

Goodreads ~ Apple ~ B&N ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ Amazon

1940s/Present Day – Georgia

Two courageous young women, tied together by blood and shared passion, will risk everything to save what they love most.

For as long as she can remember, Allie Massey, a gifted physical therapist, has dreamed of making her grandparents’ ten-acre estate into a trauma recovery center using equine therapy–a dream her grandmother, Nana Dale, embraced wholeheartedly. But when her grandmother’s will is read, Allie is shocked to learn the property has been sold to a developer.

Decades earlier, headstrong Dale Butler’s driving passion is to bring home the prized filly her family lost to the Great Depression, but with World War II looming, she’s called upon in ways she never could have imagined. And while her world expands to include new friends and new love, tragedy strikes close to home one fateful night during the Battle of the Atlantic, changing her life forever.

As Nana Dale’s past comes to light in Allie’s search for answers, Dale’s courage and persistence may be just what Allie needs to carry on her grandmother’s legacy and keep her own dreams alive.

To Tame a Cowboy by Jody Hedlund

Goodreads ~ Apple ~ B&N ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ Amazon

1867 – Colorado

They share a passion to heal what is broken, but it’s their own hearts that need to be made whole.

Brody McQuaid is a broken man, and he knows it. While his body survived the war, his soul did not. Besides loving his little niece, his only sense of purpose comes from saving the wild horses that roam South Park. Ranchers in the area have taken to killing the horses, which are competing with their cattle to feed on the open grass.

Savannah Marshall is a veterinarian on her family’s Colorado ranch. She longs to keep her father happy following the tragic death of her older brother, including marrying a man of his choosing. But days before her wedding, she gets cold feet and disappears to South Park. As she learns more about the destruction of the horses, she joins Brody in an attempt to save the wild creatures. But when Savannah’s family and the resentments of the area cattlemen catch up with them both, Brody and Savannah will have to tame their fears if they’ve any hope to let love run free.

Enchanting the Heiress by Kristi Ann Hunter

Goodreads ~ Amazon

1817 – England

Harriet Hancock likes to make the lives of those around her better whether they like it or not. So, she is surprised when her friend Sophia Whitworth has ideas of her own on how to make Harriet happier–by throwing her together with Sophia’s brother, stable hand Jonas Fitzroy. When Harriet discovers his natural way with words, she hatches a plan that would benefit them both.

Holding a grudge against Harriet for her meddling in Sophia’s life, it is only because of his sister that Jonas agrees to approach Harriet about a possible artistic project. What he doesn’t expect is for her to request his help writing a book.

As they work together, they start to see each other in a different light, but when the truth of Harriet’s schemes is revealed, she’ll find her good intentions for once have gone too far.

Ever Constant by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

Goodreads ~ Amazon

1905 – Alaska

She’s always determined to be the stable, reliable one. But now her commitment may destroy her.

On the surface, Whitney Powell is happy working with her sled dogs and welcoming the new additions to her family through her sisters’ marriages and an upcoming birth. But her life is full of complications, including an estranged father, that have her on the edge of losing control. Growing up, she was the strong sister, and she can’t give that up now.

When villagers in outlying areas come down with a horrible sickness, Dr. Peter Cameron turns to Whitney and her dogs for help navigating the deep snow, and they become close while ministering to the sick together. Peter has long recognized her finer qualities but is troubled by the emotions and secrets she keeps buried within. He wants to help but wonders if she is more of a risk than his heart can take.

As sickness spreads throughout Nome and another man courts Whitney, she and Peter will discover that sometimes it is only in weakness that you can find strength.

To Stand in the Breach by Danielle Grandinetti

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1933 – Wisconsin

She came to America to escape a workhouse prison, but will the cost of freedom be too high a price to pay?

Large animal veterinarian Katy Wells takes her patients’ welfare personally, so it’s no surprise when she stands up to angry farmers planning a milk strike or takes in an injured draft horse to save its life.

But after a visitor from the past discovers her location and reveals a threat, she must choose between her work and her freedom, and whether to trust a man to keep her safe.

Mike by Linda Ford

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1887 – Canada

Mike Hutchings has memories he’d like to erase of being left at an orphanage by his older sister, Ilsa. But now Ilsa is homeless and the child she chose to raise instead of him is appealing for his help. Of course, the child is now grown up just as he is.

Bethany Fieldberg has grown up with a controlling father. But now he is dead and Ilsa’s brother is taking them to the Circle A Ranch. Seeing that a woman runs the ranch, Bethany holds out hope she’ll be allowed to live the life she’s always wanted—free to work with animals, ride horses and enjoy the outdoors.

A visit to the orphanage where he was left, an orphan boy who begs Mike to take him, and life on the ranch put Mike and Bethany in close contact. But can Mike forgive his sister, get over his past and embrace the future? Can Bethany find the freedom she wants? What does the future hold for them? Will love overcome the challenges? Or not?

Rodeo and Juliet by Linda Ford

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1884 – Montana

Rodeo has never been closer to achieving his dream of buying his own ranch. But when his trick horse—his partner in every performance—falls for the lovely Juliet and refuses to leave her side, Rodeo’s plans go up in smoke. How can Rodeo persuade his stubborn horse to change his mind? Especially when Rodeo finds himself drawn to Jules, too…

Juliet is the careful twin, content to play it safe. She’s not interested in Rodeo—or his horse. But the more time she spends with the stubborn cowboy, the more she realizes there are hidden depths he doesn’t show anyone else. But feeling compassion for the man doesn’t mean she’s falling for him… does it?

Rodeo needs Jules’s help to convince his matchmaking horse to perform. Can these two put aside their pasts and embrace a future that fulfills dreams they won’t admit to?

Winning the Gentleman by Kristi Ann Hunter

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1817 – England

Aaron Whitworth hasn’t had control over most aspects of his life, but he’s always taken pride in being an honorable businessman and better-than-average horseman. When both of those claims are threatened, he makes the desperate decision to hire the horse trainer of a traveling circus as a temporary jockey for his racehorses.

Sophia Fitzroy knows that most horsemen don’t take her seriously because she’s a woman, but she can’t pass up the opportunity to get away from the tumultuous world of travel and performing. As she fights for the right to do the work she was hired for, she learns the fight for Aaron’s guarded heart might be an even more worthwhile challenge.

As secrets come to light and past vulnerabilities are confronted, will Aaron and Sophia sacrifice their former dreams and forge a new one together–against all odds?

In Sheep’s Clothing by Pegg Thomas

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1702 – Connecticut

Yarrow Fenn, the talented spinster sister, was passed over when her intended walked out on her years before. She’s content with her life – for the most part – until Peter Maltby arrives in town. A journeyman fuller, Peter comes to Milford, Connecticut, not to woo the young women, but to rise to the rank of master fuller and return to Boston for some unfinished business. When their lives intersect over an orphan lamb, sparks are kindled. But their budding romance will have to survive revealed secrets when someone else shows up in Milford.

Embattled Hearts by Pegg Thomas

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1861 – Wyoming

After her mother’s death, Alannah Fagan is left in the care of a brutal stepfather. When he demands that she marry his youngest son, her only hope is to escape. Together with Conn Fagan, her younger brother, she flees their westbound wagon train with no plan other than to survive.

Stewart McCann left northern Virginia behind to take the stationmaster job at the Pony Express’s Horseshoe Station in Wyoming territory at the start of the Civil War. He has struggled with that decision ever since. When he discovers a battered young woman and her brother, he is once more thrust into the midst of a fight.

Can two wounded hearts—with the help of a one-eyed Pony Express mount—support each other when faced with decisions that could cost them both dearly?

Breath of Water by Connie Stevens

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

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?

An Impossible Price by Davalynn Spencer

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

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.

The Chisolm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

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?

Heavenly Lights by Barbara M. Britton

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1573 BC – Israel

Noah bat Zelophehad has tended her father’s herds and flocks since she was a girl. With God’s gift of land, she plans to make her sisters wealthy with livestock. But when a conniving clansman takes a liking to the bold shepherdess, his scheme may snatch her from the fields she loves.

Only one person understands Noah’s gifts with the animals—Jeremiah, the mute shepherd who has been her field companion for years. After the walls of Jericho collapse, God stays silent in the battle of Ai, leaving Jeremiah wounded and Noah’s marital status in jeopardy. But, Noah remains faithful to God and her animals and trusts that she will be able to forge a future with her sisters, even when enemies abound.

Will the daughters of Zelophehad be able to settle their land together, or will Noah get left behind, trapped in the tent of a troublemaker?

Hope Unchained by Carol Ashby

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

106 – Dacia ( Romania)

Can the deepest loss bring the greatest gain?

Rome’s conquering army took Ariana’s family and freedom, but nothing can take her faith in Jesus. When she rescues a tribune’s wife from certain death, her reward is freedom and a chance to free her brother and sister. But first she must catch up with the slave caravan before they vanish forever, and tracking them from Dacia to the coast seems impossible for one woman alone.

Discharged from the legion with a hand crippled by a Dacian knife, Donatus faces a future without hope. When the tribune asks him to escort Ariana on her quest, it’s the only work he can find. It means four weeks with a Dacian woman and a gladiator bodyguard, but it takes money to eat. A man without options must take what he can get.

But a lot can happen in four weeks. Even battle-hardened men can be touched by love and forgiveness, and it’s easier to face an enemy with a sword than to face the truth. When his moment of truth comes, what will Donatus choose, and what will that mean for both of them?

Journey to Joy by Anne Perreault

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1837 – Massachusetts

Can she find joy where there has only been defeat and dishonor?

Tricked into indentured servitude, Joy Richards finds herself working for an abusive innkeeper. Her life is so destitute, she feels God has forsaken her. After one last desperate cry to God, a kind stranger steps in to take her away.

Can she trust this new circumstance?

Andrew Lloyd-Foxx abhors injustice. He can’t walk away from it. When he steps in on the young woman’s behalf, his own life is turned upside down. Burdened with his own loss, he has no room for anyone else.

Will the journey prove too difficult?

The Seamstress by Allison Pittman

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1788 – France

It is the best of times . . .

On a tranquil farm nestled in the French countryside, two orphaned cousins—Renée and Laurette—have been raised under the caring guardianship of young Émile Gagnon, the last of a once-prosperous family. No longer starving girls, Laurette and Renée now spend days tending Gagnon’s sheep, and nights in their cozy loft, whispering secrets and dreams in this time of waning innocence and peace.

It is the worst of times . . .

Paris groans with a restlessness that can no longer be contained within its city streets. Hunger and hatred fuel her people. Violence seeps into the ornate halls of Versailles. Even Gagnon’s table in the quiet village of Mouton Blanc bears witness to the rumbles of rebellion, where Marcel Moreau embodies its voice and heart.

It is the story that has never been told.

In one night, the best and worst of fate collide. A chance encounter with a fashionable woman will bring Renée’s sewing skills to light and secure a place in the court of Queen Marie Antoinette. An act of reckless passion will throw Laurette into the arms of the increasingly militant Marcel. And Gagnon, steadfast in his faith in God and country, can only watch as those he loves march straight into the heart of the revolution.

Their Wyoming Courtship Agreement by Stacy Henrie

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1902 – Wyoming

The Sweetheart Arrangement

After two broken engagements, Isobel Glasen’s determined to stay single—until a runaway horse makes her an accidental entrant in the Ride for a Bride race. And her ex-fiancé’s brother is the winner. With a successful business and a cozy apartment, Isobel has a life as carefully constructed as the beautiful gowns she designs. But now a fake courtship may be the only way to quell town gossip.

New to town, Alec Russell aims to get his veterinary clinic off the ground. Though he once secretly pined for Isobel, he’s determined to escape his brother’s shadow and find a woman who chooses him first. But could time spent together provide a second chance—and turn pretense into the perfect match?

Song of the Shepherd Woman by Carlene Havel

Goodreads ~ B&N ~ Kobo ~ Amazon

30s – Israel

Avram has spent his life raising sheep in the hills around his native Bethlehem. Old age finds him cynical, peculiar, and perhaps dangerous. After Avram and his mute wife Yael reluctantly accept responsibility for an unwanted child, the girl’s charming innocence endears her to the couple. When Channah is a young teen, her stepfather unexpectedly appears and demands custody, taking her away to an arranged marriage. The young woman hopes for a kind husband, cherishing the dream of someday having her own child to love. Meanwhile, an old friend persuades Avram to investigate rumors of a miraculous healer. What the old shepherd discovers challenges everything he has ever believed.

Beloved Hope by Tracie Peterson

belovedhope Beloved Hope

1850 – Oregon

Hope Flanagan survived the massacre at the Whitman Mission, but at terrible personal cost. Safe now in Oregon City, she lives with her sisters, Grace and Mercy, and Grace’s new husband, Alex. As she spends her days tending their flock of sheep, Hope’s mind and soul are slowly healing. Yet, though she was once surrounded by suitors, she has no interest in giving her heart again after the man she loved died in her arms.

Hope’s precarious new peace is shattered when those responsible for the massacre are captured and put on trial. She is asked to testify against them, but she’s not sure she can bear to relive the events of those horrific days.

As Hope struggles to free herself from the pain of her past, Lance Kenner, an Army lieutenant, brings an unexpected ray of light into her life. But what will Lance think of her if he learns the truth behind her anguish? And what secrets lie in his past?

A Convenient Risk by Sara Turnquist

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1800s – Old West

He never imagined her heart would be so hard to reach.

Forced into a marriage of convenience after her husband dies, Amanda Haynes is determined she will never love again. Not that it bothers Brandon Miller. He needs her husband’s cattle. She needs financial stability and long-term support for her son and herself. But she never expected to care so much about the running of the ranch.

Butting heads over the decisions of the ranch, adding to her frustration and grief at her loss. Her wellbeing is soon threatened as their lives become entangled with Billy the Kid and his gang.

What has she gotten herself into? What kind of man has she married? Is there any way out?

Building Benjamin by Barbara Britton

buildingbenjamin Building Benjamin: Naomi’s Journey

BC – Israel

Love Grows Where God Grafts the Tender Shoot. Naomi desires to dance well enough to catch the eye of a wealthy landowner. Her father needs a substantial bride price due to the deaths of her brothers at the hands of the tribe of Benjamin. But when Benjamites raid the Ephraimite feast and capture young girls, Naomi is bound and carried from her home by Eliab, a troubled shepherd who needs a wife. As Naomi awaits rescue, she finds Eliab has a strong faith in God and a just reason for abducting her. A reason that affects all the tribes of Israel. The future of the tribe of Benjamin hangs in the balance, but if Naomi follows her heart and stays with Eliab to rebuild his lineage, she must forfeit her family and become a traitor to her own tribe.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

The Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1890 – Virginia

Raised amid the fame and mystique of the Big Top, Charlie Lionheart holds the audience in the palm of his hand. But while his act captivates thousands, it’s away from the spotlight where his true heart lies. Here he humbly cares for his pride of lions as if they were his brothers, a skill of bravery and strength that has prepared him for his most challenging feat yet—freeing an orphaned infant from the dark bondage of a sideshow. A trade so costly, it requires his life in exchange for hers, leaving him tarnished by the price of that choice.

As the circus tents are raised on the outskirts of Roanoke, nurse Ella Beckley arrives to tend to this Gypsy girl. All under the watchful eye of a guardian who not only bears a striking resemblance to the child, but who protects the baby with a love that wraps around Ella’s own tragic past, awakening a hope that goodness may yet reign. When their forbidden friendship deepens, Charlie dares to ask for her heart, bringing her behind the curtain of his secret world to reveal the sacrifice that gave hope to one little girl—boldly showing Ella that while her tattered faith is deeply scarred, the only marks that need be permanent are his own.

Save

Save

Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason

irishmeadows Irish Meadows

1911 – New York

Brianna and Colleen O’Leary know their Irish immigrant father expects them to marry well. Recently he’s put even more pressure on them, insinuating that the very future of their Long Island horse farm, Irish Meadows, rests in their ability to land prosperous husbands. Both girls, however, have different visions for their futures.

Brianna, a quiet girl with a quick mind, dreams of attending college. Vivacious Colleen, meanwhile, is happy to marry–as long as her father’s choice meets her exacting standards of the ideal groom. When former stable hand Gilbert Whelan returns from business school and distant relative Rylan Montgomery visits Long Island during his seminary training, the two men quickly complicate everyone’s plans.

As the farm slips ever closer to ruin, James O’Leary grows more desperate. It will take every ounce of courage for both sisters to avoid being pawns in their father’s machinations and instead follow their hearts. And even if they do, will they inevitably find their dreams too distant to reach?

To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander

To Win Her Favor

1869 – Tennessee

A gifted rider in a world where ladies never race, Maggie Linden is determined that her horse will become a champion. But the one man who could help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing forever.

An Irishman far from home, Cullen McGrath left a once prosperous life in England because of a horse racing scandal that nearly ruined him. He’s come to Nashville for a fresh start, hoping to buy land and begin farming, all while determined to stay as far away from thoroughbred racing as possible. But starting over proves harder than he’d wagered, especially when Maggie Linden’s father makes him an offer he shouldn’t accept yet cannot possibly refuse.

Maggie is certain that her mare, Bourbon Belle, can take the top purse in the inaugural Peyton Stakes, the richest race ever run in America. Maggie only needs the chance to prove it. To give her that chance–and to save Linden Downs from being sold to the highest bidder–Maggie’s father, aging, yet wily as ever, makes a barter. His agreement includes one tiny, troublesome detail–Maggie must marry a man she’s never met. A man she never would have chosen for herself.

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson

huntressofthornbeckforest The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest

1363 – Germany

A beautiful maiden who poaches to feed the poor.

A handsome forester on a mission to catch her.

Danger and love are about to unite in Thornbeck Forest.

The margrave owns the finest hunting grounds for miles around—and who teaches children to read, but by night this young beauty has become the secret lifeline to the poorest of the poor.

For Jorgen Hartman, the margrave’s forester, tracking down a poacher is a duty he is all too willing to perform. Jorgen inherited his post from the man who raised him . . . a man who was murdered at the hands of a poacher.

When Jorgen and Odette meet at the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries.

The one man she wants is bound by duty to capture her; the one woman he loves is his cunning target . . . What becomes of a forester who protects a notorious poacher? What becomes of a poacher when she is finally discovered?

West for the Black Hills by Peter Leavell

westforblackhills West for the Black Hills

1873 – Dakotas

Philip Anderson keeps his past close to the vest. Not many people in Mitchell, a small town in the Dakota Territory, would understand him living with the Sioux Indians who rescued him as a boy. Haunted by the murder of his pioneer parents as they traveled west in their covered wagon, he knows it wasn’t Indians who killed them, and his many unanswered questions about that night still torment him.

His only desire is to live quietly on his western homestead and raise Arabian horses. Until he meets Anna, a beautiful young woman with secrets of her own. Is it his eery and unusual wolf eyes that draw Anna to him? Romance was not part of his plan. Can Philip open his heart and tell her he’s in love before it’s too late?

With Anna a pawn in the corrupt schemes brewing in Mitchell, Philip is forced to become a reluctant gunslinger even as his inner battle gets in the way. Will Philip’s uncannily trained horses and unsurpassed sharpshooting skills help him free Anna and find out what really happened to his family out there in the frontier wilderness?

A Pony Express Christmas by Rhonda Gibson

A Pony Express Christmas

1860 – Colorado

When Jake Bridges suddenly finds himself the guardian of his orphaned niece, he knows he needs a wife. What does a stock tender at a pony express station know about raising little girls? A marriage of convenience to the child’s caretaker is the most practical solution. A mail-order marriage seems like Leah Hollister’s last chance to know the simple joys of family life. But then she receives word that her would-be groom is dead. Now Jake proposes she marry him. She knows love isn’t necessary. Yet the more she learns of sweet Molly’s kindhearted uncle, the more she dreams of a true partnership with the man who has unexpectedly captured her heart.