Posts with the custom taxonomy term 1865-1880 (US Reconstruction)

Legends of Gold by Mary Connealy

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1874 – California

On a risky treasure hunt in the rugged wilderness, can love trump all odds?

After years of solitude, Tilda Muirhead’s life takes an unexpected twist when she accepts a teaching position at Two Harts Ranch following her cross-country pursuit of two brothers obsessed with a treasure map left by their grandfather. Tilda is now tasked with educating those mischievous MacKenzie boys, who are bent on remaining out west with the rest of their family until they find the hoped-for treasure. Then a man named Ben arrives, claiming to be her own long-lost brother. Raised as an orphan with no memory of her past, Tilda is both fascinated and wary of Ben’s sudden interest in finding her.

The Blacksmith’s Bride by Janis Jakes

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Mid 1800s – Arkansas

A Fresh Life Upended…

Abigail left her bounty-hunting days behind when she married Henry Boudreaux, a local blacksmith. Now, she’s a woman with three children and another on the way. While Henry is away selling his wares, a mudslide destroys their home and community.

She escapes with her children to another town, where she waits anxiously for her husband to join them.

As the Past Pursues…

An angry young man from her past sees her vulnerability as an opportunity to exact vengeance. Determined to protect her children, Abigail heads to Arkansas and the safety of her brother’ s ranch.

Henry tracks Abigail, even as the villain is hot on her trail. Will Henry get there first? Will Abigail be forced to return to a gunslinger’s life? Or, will forgiveness and faith pierce the heart of hatred and turn vengeance into virtue?

Call in the Canyons by Kathleen Denly

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1875 – California

The bandits who murdered her father are back, but can she trust the sheriff to protect her home and her heart?

Sheriff Heath Monroe believed the wrong man, and although California’s most notorious gang leader was eventually brought to justice, Heath’s error shattered the confidence of the people he serves. With reelection looming, Heath is desperate to prove his worth. So when he learns of a new threat to the citizens of California, he doesn’t hesitate to take action, even though he knows the job will endanger the lives of those he cares about—something he swore he’d never do again. Haunted by the ghosts of past mistakes and second-guessing every decision, Heath sets out to put an end to California’s most dangerous bandit gang, once and for all.

Virginia Baker works hard to keep her desert cattle ranch going, and even harder to keep all men off her land. When the bandits who murdered her father return to her valley, memories of a friendship cut tragically short drive her to work with the all-male posse pursuing the gang in search of justice. Despite her determination to remain guarded, Heath Monroe’s steadfast integrity and unexpected humility begin to crack her defenses. But can she rely on the widower leading them, or will his secrets confirm her belief that no man is to be trusted?

A Slight Change of Plans by Denise M. Colby

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A Slight Change of Plans

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1870 – California

She believes she doesn’t matter

Jenny Millard’s hopes for security and stability as a schoolmarm out west are dashed when her schoolhouse closes, and no positions are available nearby. With only enough money for a one-way train fare, Jenny heads to her friend’s home, uncertain of her next step.

His scars have made him an unlovable outcast

Newcomer Ren Lyman prefers to keep to himself, hiding in the back of the blacksmith shop to avoid the stares at the scars left by a childhood accident. When he comes across a lost stranger, he’s surprised when she doesn’t recoil at his appearance and even more so at his eagerness to assist her.

As Jenny settles into the welcoming but small town of Washton, she can’t help but come across Ren, especially since his daily constitutional takes him along the same path. It doesn’t take long for them to form a connection that breaks down the walls erected by years of hurt. But when strange occurrences unsettle the townspeople, it seems their chance at happiness might be at risk.

Will Jenny and Ren discover that they’re enough—for God … and each other?

The Bounty Hunter’s Surrender by Kylee Woodley

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1875 – California

An expecting widow, a rugged bounty hunter, and a set of secrets that might shatter her fragile heart.

The death of Aubrey Willot’s wealthy but abusive husband left her with an unborn child, an empty chateau, and the last name of a criminal. When she learns he double-crossed a ruthless business associate, she’s forced to accept the protection of the handsome and daring bounty hunter tasked with finding her late husband’s fortune. Though Aubrey swore never to trust another man, she can’t help but be drawn to the bounty hunter’s rugged charm.

After a tragic mistake cost him everything, Nathan Reed spent years running from his past. Now, he needs funds to care for his orphaned niece, and quickly. The chance to retrieve a set of stolen documents offers an opportunity he can’t resist. He’ll find those papers and claim the reward, even if it means deceiving the alluring young widow.

As danger rises, Aubrey’s strength, honesty, and compassion break down Nathan’s defenses, daring him to embrace a future he never imagined—a loving wife and a family of his own. But when his secrets are exposed, will his chance at redemption and Aubrey’s heart slip through his fingers?

Saving the Mountain Man’s Legacy by Misty Beller

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1870 – Montana

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Sampson Coulter is determined to undo his disastrous mistake that is jeopardizing his family’s future. Now he’s deeply embedded in the corrupt mining empire of the ruthless Mick McPharland, and has earned the trust of Jedidiah, the brutal right-hand man. The threat reaches much farther than his own family, and he knows he must dismantle the operation from within…or die trying.

Grieving the loss of her mother, Grace Hampton is shocked to discover a newborn baby on her doorstep. When she seeks help from her father, Jedidiah, she never imagines he’ll force her to marry Sampson Coulter, the kind man who only gave her a ride to town. Though her father has always been willing to pass her off, at least she has Sampson’s promise to protect her and the baby. It doesn’t hurt that he’s the most handsome man she’s ever seen.

Marrying Jedidiah’s daughter adds an impossible complication to Sampson’s mission. It seems he can’t have it all—redemption for himself, justice for the victims of the corruption, protection for the innocent…and a life with the woman and babe he’s coming to love.

Embers of Truth by Avrie Swan

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1871 – Wisconsin

A fiery heroine teams up with a gruff detective to catch a thief, but the real danger may be trusting each other.

With her family nearing destitution and her home on the brink of foreclosure, Carina Clarke has little left to lose. Yet in one fateful evening, the 1871 Peshtigo Fire destroys the last of all she holds dear and separates her from her sister and friend. Carina vows to find them—even if it means moving to a different city and taking up work at a textile mill while she searches.

Oliver Ramhurst is determined to make his father proud of his work as a Pinkerton detective. His assignment to capture a thief at a textile mill in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, could be the opportunity he needs—if the feisty Miss Clarke will stay out of his way. When the clever woman offers to help him ferret out the culprit, Oliver reluctantly agrees. But does she want more from him than she’s saying?

As the danger grows and they draw closer to discovering the true identity of the thief, Carina and Oliver realize that nobody is who they seem. Carina must decide who can be trusted and who may be a villain in disguise—for when the hour grows dark, trust may be the only thing that can save her.

Tempest at Annabel’s Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright

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1874/Present – Michigan

Where the lighthouse no longer illuminates, ghostly lore and legends emerge . . .

1874
A battered woman awakens atop a forgotten gravesite by Lake Superior’s southern shore. Identified only by the locket around her neck inscribed with the name Rebecca, she seeks refuge with an elderly lighthouse keeper. But as Rebecca struggles to remember who she is, she finds herself haunted by the lingering memories of Annabel, a mysterious woman who perished in the lake’s unforgiving waves years earlier. With the spirit of Annabel seemingly reawakened, and an unknown adversary on the hunt to silence Rebecca once and for all, more is at stake than reclaiming her own memories. Rebecca must reclaim Annabel’s as well.

Present Day
Author and researcher Shea Radclyffe escapes to the lighthouse outside a historic Michigan mining town to seek clarity about her failing marriage. Instantly drawn to the lighthouse’s landlord, Shea contends with the legend of Annabel’s vengeful ghost and a superstitious community that has buried the truth about a current murder. As the secrets harbored around Annabel’s lighthouse unravel, Shea must navigate a fight between torn loyalty, self-discovery, and the haunting forces of love.

. . . demanding vengeance for secrets that should have drowned a century before.

Love and Order by Jennifer Uhlarik

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1873 – Colorado

Wanted: Family, Love, and Justice

Separated as children when they were adopted out to different families from an orphan train, the Braddock siblings have each grown up and taken on various jobs within law enforcement and criminal justice.

Pinkertons Callie Wilson and Joe Trenamen come to Cambria Springs to stop a killer. But when evidence points to a ghost from Callie’s childhood, she must choose between two men she loves.
 
Falsely accused, bounty hunter Rion Braddock vows to prove his innocence. Former flame Maya Fellows and dime novelist Lucinda Peters both offer help, but is either beauty truly on his side?
 
In her first solo case, attorney Andi McGovern defends Rion, but the infuriating prosecutor, Daniel Littrick, outwits her. Following a hunch could win her case—or leave Andi dead.
 
Can these couples stop the true culprit and right the greatest injustice of Callie, Andi, and Rion’s lives?

The Carpenter’s Schoolmarm by Kimberly Burkhardt

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1878 – Kansas

She’s running from her future. He’s hiding from his past.

Forced into an arranged marriage by her father, Samantha Baxter flees from the clutches of her fiancé and finds sanctuary in the small town of Cooperton, Kansas, as the new schoolmarm. Although she attracts the attention of some of the single men in town, Samantha remains cautious, knowing any romantic relationship could put that man in danger of her fiancé and his fury if he ever tracks her down.

Michael Brooks finally has enough money to purchase the land where he will build his future home. He can put his criminal past behind him and find peace in the solitary life of crafting furniture for the people of Cooperton. That is, until he meets the new schoolmarm. She stirs a dream inside him he didn’t know he wanted. A wife and family to call his own.

Despite her efforts, Samantha finds herself drawn to Michael, unable to deny her growing love for the handsome carpenter. But when his past and her future collide, will the two be able to trust in each other and in God’s plan? Or will their secrets keep them apart?

Leftover Mail-Order Bride by Regina Scott

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1877 – Washington

What’s a mail-order bride to do when she’s left at the altar?

Victoria Milford had spent much of her life caring for ailing relatives, so it wasn’t a stretch to agree to marry a near-stranger in Washington Territory for a chance at a life of her own. But the man who had proposed marriage wed another while she was enroute. The local minister’s wife assures her that bachelors abound on the frontier. Surely it isn’t too much to ask that one might prefer Victoria?

The leader of the family ranch, Jack Willets is determined not to let his parents’ insistence on finding true love sway him. What he needs in a bride is a lady who can work beside him. When the local minister’s wife introduces him to Victoria, he’s immediately drawn to her sweet nature. But can a city girl ever really feel comfortable in the country?

Between a boisterous, matchmaking family and dozens of other suitors chasing after Victoria, she and Jack may have their hands full as they discover being leftover just means the perfect love can come along.

When the Sky Burned by Liz Tolsma

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1871 – Wisconsin

A Tornado of Fire and Embezzlement Sweep through a Community 
 
Promising painter Mariah Randolph longs to have her canvases displayed in the world’s best museums, and Hollis Stanford, the heir of a railroad tycoon, is her ticket to success. The railroad’s bookkeeper, Jay Franklin, discovers discrepancies and is convinced that Hollis is stealing from the company. But any proof of his dirty dealings go up in smoke when fire utterly destroys the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, October 8, 1871.
 
The fire leaves Mariah blind, but Jay befriends her and even helps her to start painting again. But a trip to Chicago to return Hollis’s daughter to him could put both Mariah and Jay in more danger than even the fire that devastated the town and their lives.

Redeeming Rupert by Susan Pope Sloan

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1866 – Alabama

In the aftermath of the Civil War, a young woman’s fight to save her family’s legacy leads her to an unexpected alliance.

Hannah Whitfield has given up on her own dreams of love and marriage, dedicating herself wholly to her family’s welfare. But when a ruthless carpetbagger threatens to seize Whitfield Hall, Hannah’s last hope lies with the elusive trustee named in her late father’s will. Desperate to secure her brother’s inheritance, she steels herself to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Rupert McNeil, haunted by the loss of his loved ones, has vowed never to marry. Following in his uncle’s footsteps, he becomes the go-to person for those in need. When he inherits his uncle’s farm and the responsibility to help save Whitfield Hall, Rupert finds himself at a crossroads, torn between his own legacy and his duty to others.

As Hannah and Rupert’s paths intertwine, a marriage of convenience seems to be the answer to their problems. But with a scheming relative lurking in the shadows, will their newfound alliance be enough to safeguard both their inheritances? Can love blossom amidst the challenges they face, or will the wounds of the past prove too deep to overcome?

The Bandit’s Redemption by Kylee Woodley

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1875 – California

A holdup gone wrong, a reluctant outlaw, and the captive she’s sworn to guard.

Life in the American West hasn’t been easy for French refugee Lorraine Durand. She has precious few connections and longs to return to her native land. So when the man who rescued her from a Parisian uprising following the Franco-Prussian War persuades her to help him with a deadly holdup, she reluctantly agrees. Despite his promises otherwise, the gang kidnaps a man, forcing Lorraine to grapple with the fallout of her choices even as she is drawn to the captive she’s meant to guard.

Jesse Alexander must survive. If not for himself, then for the troubled sister he left behind in Los Angeles. At the mercy of his captors, he carefully works to earn Lorraine’s trust, hoping he can easily subdue her when the time comes. But as they navigate the treacherous wilderness and he searches for his opportunity to escape, he realizes there may be more to her than he first believed.

With danger lurking at every turn, they must decide whether to trust each other enough to plan a combined escape or risk falling prey to the gang’s devious schemes.

Heart of Beauty by Danielle Grandenetti

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1871 – Montana

How can a beauty save a beast?

When Caleb Orson’s prize stallion escapes his ranch, Sal Beauregard rides to the rescue, revealing her true identity as a one of the few eligible females in town. She’d do it again if it meant saving an animal from the cruel retaliation of Brendan Doran. The man has no respect for women or God’s creatures.

But the sun’s early setting strands her at Caleb’s ranch. Worse, Sallie’s father unceremoniously leaves her there under Caleb’s protection. However, Doran refuses to lose again to Caleb—first a horse, now a woman. He wants Sallie as his wife, and not even the reclusive ogre of a cowboy can stand in his way. No matter Sallie’s opinion.

Choosing to make the best of a difficult situation, Sallie takes over the gentling of Caleb’s stallion. She believes she can reach Caleb as well. Only, the first blush of friendship grows into something … more. Something that threatens the desires of Caleb’s enemy. And if Doran cannot have a beauty like Sallie, neither can a beast.

Whispers of Fortune by Mary Connealy

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1875 – California

In a land of gold and grit, can two hearts uncover the true treasure?

Brody MacKenzie arrives at the Two Harts Ranch on a mission to find his runaway brothers, worried they may have fallen into harm. Instead, he discovers them thriving at the ranch’s school and orphanage under the care of Ellie Hart, a woman with a heart as resilient as the land she calls home. His options limited, Brody reluctantly takes on the role of ranch doctor, and he forms an unexpected bond with Ellie, who’s kept a steady eye on Brody’s two rapscallion brothers. When the boys show him a mysterious journal that has been guiding their travels and may hold the key to a lost treasure, Brody and Ellie are captivated by the possibility of a thrilling adventure.

With winter approaching and his brothers threatening to bolt again, Brody and Ellie race against time to decipher cryptic clues and unearth the hidden fortune. But along the way, old adversaries resurface, threatening their newfound affection and the safety of those at the ranch.

Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret by Misty Beller

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1870 – Montana

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Miles is the youngest of six brothers, and he’s spent most of his life helping guard the family’s secret: a sapphire mine hidden deep within the Montana mountains. With threats from a past enemy looming, a survey team’s arrival stirs suspicion—until he meets Clara Pendleton, whose presence captivates him.

Clara Pendleton joins her uncle on a survey team tasked with mapping the coming railroad’s path, only to find herself entangled with the enigmatic Coulter family. When her uncle’s accident leads them to find refuge in the Coulter home, Clara is irresistibly drawn to Miles Coulter and his quiet strength. This feels like the haven she craves…until a series of mysterious attacks endanger everyone on the ranch.

As Christmas approaches, a sleigh ride through a snowy wonderland fans the growing spark between Clara and Miles into a flame, but a broken runner leads Clara to discover the family’s secret. Now she’s faced with an impossible choice: betray the man she’s coming to love or risk the lives of his entire family—and her own uncle.

A Song of Deliverance by Donna Wichelman

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1872 – Colorado

Born into the Irish system of landholding that favors the moneyed class, Anna Sullivan has no dowry and no chance of marrying the man she loves. Poor and heartbroken, she flees Ireland to tend to Uncle Liam’s house in Colorado and take on her deceased aunt’s sewing business.

But when Anna arrives in Georgetown, she discovers a mine disaster at the Singing Silver Mine has killed her uncle. Orphaned and destitute again, she gathers her faith, courage, and ingenuity to establish a life in the community. Only one person stands in her way—the mine’s owner.

A wealthy, grief-stricken widower of European nobility, Stefan Maier threw his energies into making his mark as a silver mining baron in Colorado when his wife and child died at sea, emigrating to America. Now, everyone blames him for the mine disaster that killed nine men. But how does he convince the lovely and opinionated Irish woman of his innocence?

Will Anna’s heart soften towards Stefan? Will Stefan prove himself worthy of Anna’s affections? Each will have to risk everything to attain what they want and need most—love.

Seeking Simon by Susan Pope Sloan

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1865 – Georgia

When a mysterious stranger claims to be her fiancé, the fight to save her land turns into a battle for her heart.

Daviana Spalding dreams of leaving Georgia in search of a place where she can prove her worth as more than a claim to land. And when a handsome and kind stranger wanders onto the farm in need of help, she can’t help but see him in those dreams too. Yet those are only daydreams…until the Freedmen’s Bureau shows up threatening to take their land, and her guest steps forward claiming to be her betrothed.

Simon McNeil is a man haunted by his past and his time in a Confederate prison, seeking redemption and a fresh start back in Alabama. But his journey home is delayed when a bout of malaria keeps him bedridden, depending on strangers for help. As Daviana nurses him back to health, Simon is drawn to her strength and beauty, and when her home is threatened, he steps in to help.

When their fake engagement becomes real, Simon and Daviana must confront their feelings for one another as they face escalating threats that could tear them apart. And when a long-lost friend returns, all their plans could come crashing down.

Pretending to be the Mountain Man’s Wife by Misty Beller

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1870 – Montana

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Determined to find his missing brother and stop the elusive mastermind behind the theft of his family’s sapphires, Gil Coulter embarks on a solo mission to the remote town near where the criminal is rumored to reside. As Gil scours the surrounding wilderness for the thief’s hidden lair, the last thing he expects to find is a captivating and vulnerable young woman.

Confined to a remote catacomb of caves and the mountain wilderness around it, Jess McPharland is surrounded by brutal men employed in her father’s illicit mining operation. Her last attempt to escape only made things worse and confirmed a secret she can’t hide much longer. She’ll soon be forced into a life more horrific than what she’s known. Jess will do anything to break free before her fears come true.

When she encounters Gil on the hidden mountain trail—and he’s seeking the very criminal she calls Father—she must convince this stranger to pose as her husband and help her escape. And she has one card to play—she knows where his brother is.

As Gil and Jess navigate the treacherous landscape—and people—they find themselves caught in a web of danger, deception, and unexpected attraction. With each passing moment, the stakes grow higher, and the line between pretense and truth blurs. Will the love growing between them be enough to survive Jess’s secret and lead them to the justice Gil seeks, or will her father’s greed destroy everything they’ve risked their lives to protect?