These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas

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1932 – North Carolina

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel’s world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda is stunned to see Fritz’s name in a photograph of an American memorial for German seamen who died near Asheville, North Carolina. Determined to reclaim his body and bring closure to his ailing mother, Hedda travels to the US. Her quest takes a shocking turn when, rather than Fritz’s body, his casket contains the remains of a woman who died under mysterious circumstances.

Local deputy Garland Jones thought he’d left that dark chapter behind when he helped bury Fritz Meyer’s coffin. The unexpected arrival of Hedda, a long-suffering yet captivating woman, forces him to confront how much of the truth he really knows. As they work together to uncover the identity of the woman in the casket and to unravel Fritz’s fate, Hedda and Garland grow closer. But with Hedda in the US on borrowed time while Hitler rises to power in Germany, she fears she’ll be forced to return home before she can put the ghosts of her past to rest.

Angel From the East by Barbara Curtis

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1897 – Idaho

His path to redemption lies in the hands of the citified newcomer who believes the worst of him.

Caleb Morgan has had everything stolen from him—his strength, the job he loved, even his good name. He’s determined to even the score with the man responsible, until he meets the captivating new owner of the Double E Ranch. Though he’s drawn to her compassion, he fears she may never see beyond his supposed wrongdoings, unless he can prove his innocence and reclaim his honor.

Eliza Roberts is a teacher, not a rancher. But if she has any hope of selling the ranch she inherited from her grandfather and continuing on to her new life in California, she needs to restore it to some semblance of order. If only the man her grandfather advised her to trust wasn’t refusing to help her.

When an offer of courtship arises from the current foreman, Eliza sees the practicality in the offer. So why does her heart keep wandering back to Caleb? And why can’t she shake the feeling that something’s not right at the Double E Ranch? Will she have the courage to follow the clues behind the strange mishaps at the Double E—and possibly embrace a different life than she imagined?

When the Avalanche Roared by Lauralee Bliss

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1910 – Washington

Lillian Hartwick has been in the small railroad town of Wellington, Washington, caring for her cousin and assisting the postmaster when February snows bring all train traffic to a halt. Slow-witted but kind Griffin Jones, who works odd jobs for the railway while enduring taunts from other workers, has tried his best to gain Lillian’s interest, but she is engaged and waiting her fiancé’s arrival from California. Predawn thunderstorms on Tuesday, March 1, 1910, trigger a devastating avalanche, sweeping two trains down Stevens Pass. Lillian and Griffin work together to help survivors, including Griffin’s tormentors. In the midst of the catastrophe their feelings for each other grow. But is it enough when Lillian’s fiancé finally arrives in the spring, ready to claim her as his own?

An Honorable Deception by Roseanna M. White

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1910 – England

In the trying art of balancing investigations and love, a detective must determine his priorities when faced with dangerous circumstances that could threaten everything he holds dear.

As the leader of the Imposters, an elite private investigative firm, Lord Yates Fairfax has made an art of concealing his identity. But when his newest client, the beautiful Lady Alethia Barremore, is shot while leaving their meeting, he throws caution to the wind and rushes to her aid. Though Lady Alethia thought she was only looking for her missing former nanny, she has clearly stumbled upon something much more dangerous.

Lady Lavinia Hemming suspects her longtime friends hold more secrets than they’re willing to admit, and when she stumbles upon the truth that they’re the esteemed Imposters, she recruits herself into the firm. While she is happy for the distraction of an investigation, Lavinia’s own family secrets continue to haunt her. And the one thing bringing laughter back into her life–her friendship with Yates–lands her squarely on the disagreeable side of her best friend: his sister.

Tormented by a past she doesn’t dare voice aloud, Lady Alethia does what she can to help her handsome host, her new friends, and the investigators. But as clues lead them deeper into the dark side of society, Alethia, Yates, and Lavinia learn anew that the gentry isn’t always noble . . . even as they fight to hold fast to their own honor.

To Choose the Longshot by Lisa Prysock

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1902 – Kentucky

In a world where wealth and status reign, can true love prevail?

Miss Delia Lyndon, a young woman born into the prestigious Spencer-Lyndon family, is initially enamored with Thaddeus, the son of a prominent local stable owner, when he begins vying for her hand in marriage. She is keenly aware of how a union between the two families would seal their status as one of the most beloved couples from Lexington. However, when Jake, a handsome and charming newcomer, arrives on the scene, he catches her attention, casting doubts and fears in Delia’s heart. Torn between two suitors, Delia must navigate societal expectations, family pressure, and her own desires. Will she choose the man who seemingly has it all – wealth, charm, and a shared background in Kentucky’s elite circles – or will she follow her heart to the humble yet captivating Jake?

Jake Williams is determined to prove his worth in the competitive world of horse racing. Despite his humble beginnings as a farmer, he refuses to be intimidated by his rival’s malicious attempts to sabotage his chances, both on the racetrack and in winning Delia’s affections. With his trusted steed, Horizon, by his side, Jake faces each challenge head-on, guided by his unwavering faith.

When mysterious events begin occurring leading up to the annual Phoenix Stakes horse race, Delia must look beyond appearances and uncover the truth that lies beneath.

Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna White

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1902 – England

The Nutcracker and Edwardian-Era England combine to weave a magical tale of love and friendship at Christmastime.

As the beloved stepdaughter of the Earl of Castleton, Lady Mariah Lyons cherishes her home at Plumford Manor, but her idyllic world will be threatened when the estate passes to Cyril Lightbourne, a childhood friend she hasn’t seen or heard from in years. Once, Mariah dreamed their friendship would kindle into something more, but that was before she heard Cyril was courting the cruelhearted Lady Pearl. Now Mariah is willing to welcome him as a friend and pray he will be the heir her stepfather needs, but she’ll keep her heart locked safely away from anyone with such poor taste.

Cyril Lightbourne has long avoided returning to Plumford Manor, yet he reluctantly arrives in time for Christmas. When his friendship with Lady Mariah reignites, he finds himself caught between his affection for her and her family’s misunderstanding of his attachment to Lady Pearl. Then, more trouble arrives in the form of a Danish lord on a mission to win Mariah’s hand by Christmas. Will the magic of the holiday season help lead to the discovery of true love, or will duty to country leave all longing for what could have been?

Through Dust and Ashes by Lynnette Bonner

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1853 – Oregon

A Cherished Betrothal by Denise Weimer

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1775 – South Carolina

Canterbury Bells by Lisa Prysock

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1912 – England

Princess Eden is doomed to settle for an arranged marriage, but when she embarks on her grand tour to meet the British duke recommended to her parents by King George V, she didn’t imagine she would find Lockhart so attractive. Satisfied by the arrangement, she and the duke have tea under the watchful eyes of her travel companions. She completes the tour and returns to King’s Crossing to plan a summer wedding.

Unfortunately, Gilbert Lockhart, the Duke of Edgington, is in debt up to his ears, most of it inherited by the necessary updates to modernize the family seat, Chapel Hill Manor. A marriage to Eden includes a handsome dowry if he agrees to marry the intriguing princess. But when he arrives at King’s Crossing to formally begin the courtship, he soon realizes he made a mistake sending Eden a letter meant for someone else he can never marry. Then the unthinkable happens, and Miss Ethel Culpepper follows him, determined to win him back!

A Writing Upon the Sand by J M Kirkley

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1900 – Texas

Twenty-year-old Emily Cleburne seizes the offer to become governess, but chasing her dream places her in the path of the deadliest hurricane in American history.

Emily is desperate to succeed after her father thrusts her from home with no lifeline. With little experience, what she lacks in confidence, she makes up for in grit.

Nathan Chambers, a reporter with a secret, pursues Emily’s affections. Drawn in, Emily agrees to keep what he reveals confidential, thereby threatening her position, and clashing with her integrity. Colin Hensleigh, a young minister, challenges her while proving himself a trusted friend.

Emily’s alarm grows as the catastrophic storm bears down on the island. She cannot foresee what will happen and who will survive.

When the storm reduces Emily’s plans to rubble, adversity tests her character and faith in unimaginable ways. Will the teacher stand firm when all else gives way, or will she fail the test?

The Uncertainty of Fire by Stephanie Daniels

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1871 – Illinois

What price will she pay for following her heart?

Sixteen-year-old Whimsy Greathart would rather fight against Chicago’s child labor practices than attend her privileged family’s high society events. And a very public social blunder only strengthens her resolve to use her influence for good.

On the night of the Great Chicago Fire, her tenderhearted choice leads her into danger and results in life-changing consequences.

With her world turned to ash, she must rely on the mercy of poor relations to rebuild her future and is forced into the very labor system she wished to fight against. As Whimsy staggers under the weight of street gang violence and hazardous working conditions, a chance at deliverance persuades her to make a promise. One she intends to keep. But now she must determine whether it’s God’s heart she’s following or her own.

The Prince’s Pier by Lisa Prysock

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1811/1911 – Canada

Will an inheritance and destiny ruin everything, or make room for love?

Miss Margaret Wright, fondly called Maggie, grew up on King’s Crossing near Prince Edward Island in a comfortable farmhouse near Raleigh Point Castle. The daughter of the master farmer tasked with managing the farmland for the royal family at the turn of the century, she and her sister have reaped the benefit of a good education, fine tutors, piano lessons, and ultimately, finishing school.

While some part of Maggie has longed to find acceptance among the nobility who frequent the glamorous Prince’s Pier, she has largely remained content with her lot in life, taking in sewing for ladies of noble birth, destined to marry a farmer like her father. Will stunning news received on her twentieth birthday along with unexpected events change everything as she meets the man of her dreams and finds herself swept into a crisis of not only the heart, but turmoil and subterfuge surrounding her identity

Double the Lies by Patricia Raybon

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1924 – Colorado

In the second installment of Patricia Raybon’s critically acclaimed mystery series, amateur detective Annalee Spain races the clock to solve the murder of a handsome young pilot before she is framed for the crime—and before his dashing twin falls head over heels for her, tempting her promised heart.

On a cold spring night in 1924, Annalee Spain offers her new fancy lace handkerchief—a gift from her pastor boyfriend Jack Blake—to a young woman crying in a Denver public library. But later that night, when police find the handkerchief next to the body of the young woman’s murdered husband, Annalee becomes the number one suspect, and her panic doubles when she learns that Jack has gone missing.

With just days to solve the murder before the city’s Klan-run police frame her for the crime, Annalee finds herself hunting for clues in the Colorado mountain town of Estes Park. She questions the victim’s wife and her uncle, a wealthy Denver banker, at their mountain lodge, desperate for leads. Instead, she finds a household full of suspects and even more burning questions. Who keeps threatening her, why can’t she find Jack, and will a dangerous flirtation be her undoing? Her answers plumb the depths of the human heart, including her own, exploring long-buried secrets, family lies, even city politics—all of which could cost the young detective her fledgling love . . . and perhaps even her life.

Honey from the Rock by Lynnette Bonner

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1898 – Washington

Cora Harrison would like nothing more than to find a godly husband and enjoy the blessing of being a wife and mother. That’s why she’s happy when the new young doctor sets about to ask if he may escort her to dinner. However, the doctor is right in the middle of his request when who on earth should walk in but Kin Davis, Wyldhaven’s rogue traveler. The man she’s fought to forget with every ounce of her being for the past two years. Of course Kin would turn up with that annoying smirk right at this moment! The man is as incorrigible as a rock! So why does the strength in her legs instantly fail and her heart take to flight?

When Kin Davis walks into Dixie’s Boardinghouse and finds the town’s new doctor fawning all over Cora, irritation surges. Despite that, Kin holds no hope of attaining ‘Missionary’ Cora’s interest. She’d never fall for a scoundrel like him. Besides, he has to look after Isaiah Coleman, the kid he rescued from the streets of Seattle. And there’s his law practice to set up. He doesn’t have time to court a woman, no matter how pretty she might be or how pleasurable her company.

That’s what he keeps telling himself until Isaiah’s enemies follow him to town and Cora is put in the crosshairs. It’s then that Kin realizes Cora means more to him than life itself.

A Hope and a Prayer by Julie Lessman

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1945 – France

She’s in love with her best friend. He’s in love with her cousin. But when the war reveals a gift so rare, will they be saved by a hope and a prayer?

As Head Nurse at 2d Hospital in Nancy, France, Lieutenant Hope Dennehy is known for her healing touch, especially when it comes to mending the wounds and spirit of her best friend, Lieutenant Bren O’Neill. When Hope’s cousin breaks Bren’s heart, Hope is always there, helping to heal him with a friendship so anointed and deep, it threatens to break her heart too.

Flying high as a daredevil aeromedical evac pilot in the European Theatre, “Lieutenant Love” O’Neill crashes and burns when the woman he loves falls for another. Depending on the support and prayers of Nurse Hope Dennehy to save him, Bren re-evaluates his free-wheeling lifestyle when he witnesses the heinous atrocities of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Suddenly nothing in life is as important as taking care of those he loves … or is it? Battling demons from his past, Bren learns that only one thing can truly save him from himself.

Crossed Lines by Jennifer Delamere

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1881 – England

Emma Sutton knows she should be satisfied with her position at London’s Central Telegraph Office. But ever since she was orphaned young, she’s longed for a family of her own. Things look up when an emergency at work throws a handsome engineer into her orbit and he later sends Emma the love note of her dreams.

Mitchell Harris’s sharp wit and facility with a pen have enabled him to thrive despite serious obstacles. That the woman of his dreams works just one floor above his should make life perfect. But a childhood accident has left Mitchell convinced he’ll never draw a woman like Emma Sutton’s attention. When his best friend–who once saved his life–falls in love with Emma, too, and asks for help writing her love letters, Mitchell is torn between desire and loyalty.

Believing the writer of the letters is the answer to her prayers, but confused over her growing attraction to Mitchell, Emma’s heart must decide where to call home.

 

Songs in the Night by Lynnette Bonner

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1890s – Washington State

Aurora McClure would like nothing more than to march into Parson Preston Clay’s church and give him a kiss that would knock him into the next county. But since she’s not that kind of woman, and he’s shown little inclination toward her, she’s decided to run instead. Leaving town will be infinitely better than remaining where she will need to continue fighting her feelings. If only she had peace about the decision!
 
Parson Preston Clay sits at his desk and glares at newcomer Kane Carver, who’s just asked for permission to call on Aurora McClure. His jaw aches. He’s been suffocating his feelings for Aurora for years because his calling requires long hours with low pay and it’s not the kind of job for a family man. Yet . . . staring at Kane, he realizes if he doesn’t act, he might lose Aurora forever.
 
But just when he sets aside his hesitations, a woman from his past—his distant and nefarious past—rides into town. And though he’s far from the same man he once was, she hasn’t changed a bit. She thinks he’s running a con and wants him to use his safecracking skills to help her break into the bank. When he refuses, how far will she go to ensure his cooperation? And how much will Preston be willing to compromise when she takes Aurora captive?
In the darkest hours of the night, he desperately cries out to the only One who can help him. The One who gives songs in the night.

Take the next stagecoach to Wyldhaven, where the coffee’s perked hot, the sheriff likes his apple pie fresh from the oven, and adventure invariably waits just around the next river bend.

The Scarlet Pen by Jennifer Uhlarik

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1876 – Ohio

Enjoy a tale of true but forgotten history of a 19th century serial killer whose silver-tongued ways almost trap a young woman into a nightmarish marriage.

In 1876, Emma Draycott is charmed into a quick engagement with childhood friend Stephen Dee Richards after reconnecting with him at a church event in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. But within the week, Stephen leaves to “make his fame and fortune.” The heartbroken Emma gives him a special pen to write to her, and he does with tales of grand adventures. Secret Service agent Clay Timmons arrives in Mount Pleasant to track purchases made with fake currency. Every trail leads back to Stephen—and therefore, Emma. Can he convince the naive woman she is engaged to a charlatan who is being linked a string of deaths in Nebraska?

To Find Her Place by Susan Anne Mason

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1943 – Canada

In the midst of WWII, Jane Linder pours all her energy and dreams for a family into her career at the Toronto Children’s Aid Society. As acting directress, Jane hopes for a permanent appointment so she can continue making a difference in the lives of troubled children. But if anyone were to find out she is divorced, everything would change.

Garrett Wilder has been hired to overhaul operations at the Children’s Aid Society. He hopes to impress the board members with his findings and earn the vacant director’s position. A war injury ended his dream of taking over his parents’ farm, but with the security of the director’s job, he’d be able to contribute financially and help save the family business.

Despite their competing interests, feelings begin to blossom between them. But then Jane’s ex-husband returns from overseas with an unexpected proposition that could fulfill her deepest desires. Suddenly at a crossroads, can Jane discern the path to true happiness?

Castle of Refuge by Melanie Dickerson

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1378 – England

In this Ugly Duckling retelling, New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson brilliantly crafts a high-stakes, encouraging tale about the power of love.

Ever since she was a child, Audrey wanted her life to be extraordinary. But as the daughter of a viscount born in late fourteenth-century England, the only thing expected of her was to marry—until an act of malice by her sister, Maris, four years ago damaged her face and her prospects. Though Maris was sent away, twenty-year-old Audrey is still suffering the scars of her sister’s cruelty. When her father announces his plans to marry off his damaged daughter and bring Maris home, Audrey decides to flee in search of her true destiny.

However, life outside her home is dangerous, and she soon finds herself attacked, sick, and in desperate need of help. She is taken in at Dericott Castle to be nursed back to health. While there, she decides to keep her identity a secret and work as a servant in the castle. But she doesn’t count on falling in love with the young and handsome Lord Dericott, who lost his arm several months earlier and bears scars of his own.

Meanwhile, Edwin—Lord Dericott—is curious about the new, well-educated servant’s identity. All he knows is that he’s quickly becoming smitten with her. When the man Audrey’s father wanted her to marry comes looking for her, she and Edwin must make life-changing decisions about what to believe and whether or not love is truly worth trusting.