The Kitchen Marriage by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham

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1888 – Montana

When French immigrant Zoe de Fleur is forced out of her position as household cook for a high society New Yorker, the pretty and talented chef seizes an unexpected chance to head west for a new beginning. She pursues what she thinks is a prestigious job in the frontier’s “finest kitchen,” but instead finds herself in a matchmaker’s agency . . .
 
Isaak Gunderson is one of Helena, Montana’s most eligible bachelors, but he’s too focused on running for mayor and his family’s business to think about a wife and family. His twin brother, Jakob, is supposed to be too busy as well, yet sends for a mail-order bride anyway. Isaak doesn’t want to fuel an ongoing rivalry with his twin, but this tempting newcomer can’t be ignored. If only she’d come to Helena a different way and loving her wasn’t a betrayal . . .

 

Christmas Stitches

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Return to Christmases of yesteryear with three women who use their sewing talents to succeed in the late 1800s. But can love also be stitched into their lives?
 
A SEAMLESS LOVE by Judith Miller
1888 – Pullman, Illinois
Hannah Cooper possesses a special talent for embroidered fancywork and design which secures her a position in the Dressmaking and Millinery Shop in the Pullman Arcade near Chicago. There she encounters childhood friend Daniel Price who is disappointed to learn Hannah is being courted by a Chicago businessman. With two men vying for her attention, will Hannah seek God’s direction or ignore the warning signs He sets before her?
 
PIN’S PROMISE by Nancy Moser
1906 – Summerfield, England
Penelope (Pin) Billings and Jonathan Evers have loved each other since they were children, promising to one day get officially engaged. Both have distinct talents: Pin for sewing dresses and teaching others to sew, and Jonathan—a doctor right out of school—for helping the people of the village. As they become adults and the time to fulfill their promise seems right, a tragic event pulls them apart, making both question their future. Will they discover they are stronger together than apart?
 
MENDED HEARTS by Stephanie Grace Whitson
1890 – Nebraska
Rachel Ellsworth has always been encouraged to pursue her passion for art. She looks forward to taking the Grand Tour on her honeymoon and experiencing the great museums of Europe. But when tragedy strikes, Rachel’s plans are put on hold and she is forced to stay with two maiden aunts in a small Nebraska town where the most exciting things that ever happen are quilting bees and the county fair. Rachel expects her stay in Lost Creek to be temporary—until a letter from home changes everything. How can a budding artist who loves the big city expect to find happiness in the middle of nowhere? 

Magnolia Summer by Melanie Dickerson

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1880 – Alabama

Truett’s hometown needed a doctor, so after finishing medical school, he returned to Bethel Springs. Fighting a secret war with a corrupt lawman wasn’t in his plans, but Sheriff Suggs thinks he’s above the law and can lynch anyone who crosses him. When Suggs threatens his childhood friend, Truett dons a cape and hood and rescues him—placing “the Hooded Horseman” in Sheriff Suggs’s crosshairs.

Celia Wilcox arrives in Bethel Springs, Alabama, in June of 1880. She’s come from Nashville to help her sister care for their younger siblings. She hopes only to be on the small farm for the summer, just until her mother recovers from the shock of Celia’s father’s death. She must return to Nashville to fulfill her dream of opening her own dress shop, especially now, to provide for her family.

The lovely Celia catches Truett’s eye, and he finds himself wanting to impress her. But she flatly refuses to flirt with him or to fall for his—if he does say so himself—considerable charm.

Celia’s growing attraction to the young Dr. Beverly terrifies her, and even if she could marry him, which she cannot, what will happen when Sheriff Suggs discovers Truett is the Hooded Horseman? Will Celia be able to prevent the sheriff from carrying out one last lynching?

Old West Christmas Brides

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It is hard for a woman to make a decent living in the Wild West of the late 1800s, and as the Christmas season approaches, prospects for a happy celebration seem dim.
 
A Pony Express Christmas by Margaret Brownley
Stranded alone in Nebraska Territory in 1882 with a broken wagon and two stubborn mules, Ellie-Mae Myers has no way to continue searching for her twin brother along the deserted Pony Express route or of returning home to Kentucky. Could a man on the verge of being hanged be the answer to her prayers?
 
A Wife in Name Only by Rosey Dow
Katherine Priestly seeks a job to help support her mother and brother. A local ranch seeks a cook, but by 1884 standards, the owner, Brett Masten, will only hire a married woman to work among his men. Desperate, Catherine claims she is a married woman at the tender age of eighteen. Will her charade become a barrier to true love and send her home without enough money to buy Christmas presents?
 
Lucy Ames, Sharpshooter by Darlene Franklin
Lucy Ames’ dreams come true when her sharp shooting makes her the star act of Major Paulson’s Wild West Show in 1891. Gordon Paulson is traveling with his parents for one last season before accepting a teaching position at West Texas Christian College. As Lucy’s and Gordon’s love for each other grows, will God weave their gifts and dreams into a single calling?
 
A Badlands Christmas by Marcia Gruver
Noela Nancarrow and her pampered sister have been dragged into the Badlands by their adventurous father to live penniless in a sod house in 1885. When a local rancher invites Noela to a lavish Christmas party, will her holiday spirit return or will she learn a lesson far greater from the experience?
 
Unexpected Blessings by Vickie McDonough
Anna Campbell sets out to deliver two small orphans to their uncle in Texas during December of 1880. Erik Olson knows it’s impossible for those cute little pests to be his brother’s and refuses to accept them—regardless of Anna’s persistence. Little do they know that behind the scenes, Erik’s Uncle Lars and his buddies are doing a little matchmaking, hoping to give the children a father and a mother. 
 
A Grand County Christmas by Debra Ullrick
In 1883, Awnya O’Crean is on the brink of starvation and homeless in the Colorado Mountains. When she goes hunting for food, God places her in the path of Amadeus Josef. Will Christmas with the Josef family teach Awnya how God works in mysterious ways?

Requilted with Love by Carrie Fancett Pagels

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1889 – Michigan

Find humor, family relationships, and romance blossoming at the 1889 Michigan State Fair in Lansing when a quilter finds herself literally falling for a a balloonist!
Quilter Sarah Richmond hopes to win a Blue Ribbon and the cash prize which she’ll put to good use. Sarah has requilted her wedding quilt, having suffered the loss of more than one fiancé in her young life. Grant Bentley provides rides in his balloon at the fair, but Sarah believes he is a grounds worker at the fair. When she discovers he’s involved in such a risky activity, she determines to end their fledgling romance.

 

*This title in paperback here.

The Southern Belle Brides Collection

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Welcome to the Old South where hospitality is king and charm is queen. Can lasting love been found here amidst chaotic life challenges?
 
The Belle of the Congaree by Lauralee Bliss
Columbia, South Carolina—1866
Mason Bassinger reluctantly travels to post-war South Carolina seeking lands his carpetbagger brother can buy. Elisa Anderson barely survives after her family’s plantation was destroyed. She welcomes visits by the handsome and wealthy Mason who makes the cottage by the Congaree feel like a home. But when Mason’s true purpose is revealed, will her heart be broken by betrayal?
 
Thoroughbreds by Ramona Cecil
Lexington, Kentucky—1918
A family tragedy reunites Ella Jamison with her childhood tormentor, igniting surprisingly different sparks. Clay Garrett questions why God would allow him to fall in love with the one woman least likely to return his affections. But when love blooms against all odds, old secrets threaten to destroy it and, in the process, tear an entire family apart.
 
The Marmalade Belle by Dianne Christner
Ocala, Florida—1893
A decade-old note draws Maribelle Sinclair into the arms of Jackson, her childhood hero, but the Cavalry dragoon’s soul appears dark and dangerous as the Florida everglades. Virgil, on the other hand, is sweet as mama’s orange marmalade and optimistically forthright. If hearts are windows, like the glass-bottomed boats on nearby Silver River, Maribelle can trust hers to make the right choice.
 
Debt of Love by Lynn Coleman
Palatka, Florida—1868
Adeline Edwards, a Southern Belle with strong calloused hands from tending cattle, no longer attends balls. Banker, Phineas George Hamilton III, arrives at the plantation to recover the bank’s debt and discovers strong-willed Adeline doubts the bank’s claim. Can they figure out the debt, or will they find balance in love?
 
Hometown Bride by Patty Smith Hall
Marietta, Georgia—1870
Jilly Chastain never lied, but when her mother fabricates a marriage with her childhood sweetheart, Grayson Hancock, Jilly goes along with it, never expecting Grayson to show up, ready to make their make-believe marriage real.
 
Miss Beaumont’s Companion by Grace Hitchcock
Baton Rouge, Louisiana—1892
When lady’s companion Aria St. Angelo is coerced into posing as her political employer’s absent daughter for the evening at the Louisiana Governor’s masquerade ball, she wasn’t planning on falling for Byron Roderick, the most eligible bachelor in the capitol.
 
Above All These Things by Connie Stevens
East central Georgia—1855
Pre-conceived opinions and stubborn pride builds walls of resentment between Annulet Granville, the belle of Thornwalk Manor, and a visiting stranger. Annulet’s parents urge her to find a husband, but she labels Peyton Stafford the enemy. So what is she to do with Christ’s command to love her enemies?

Caught by Surprise by Jen Turano

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1883 – New York

Miss Temperance Flowerdew is on her way to work when a stranger suddenly grabs her off the street and sends her on a Chicago-bound train before she can figure out what happened.

When Mr. Gilbert Cavendish is called upon to rescue a missing woman, he follows the trail to Chicago only to discover that the woman is his good friend Temperance. Before they can discover who was behind the abduction, they’re seen alone together by a New York society matron, putting their reputations at risk.

Gilbert is willing to propose marriage–except Temperance will have none of it. She’s finally stepped out of the shadow of her relations and won’t give up her independence. But when it becomes clear the misunderstanding in Chicago has escalated into a threat on her life and followed her to New York, accepting Gilbert’s help in solving the mystery may lead to more than she ever could have dreamed.

Hope’s Chance by Julane Hiebert

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1885 – Kansas

When Hope Sanford’s papa arranges for her to care for an old maid schoolmarm while he seeks work so he can pay the mortgage on their farm, Hope and her best friend devise a plan to bring him home by Christmas.

Chance Manning, a new cowhand on a neighboring ranch, is assigned to spend the winter caring for the Sanford farm. When he learns he’s a part of the plan the girls have devised, he counters with his own plot.

But when both plans are thwarted and a new option is presented which would allow Hope to stay on the family farm, will Chance lose hope? Will Hope get another chance?

Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof

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1890 – Virginia

After the tragic death of her husband, Aven Norgaard is beckoned to give up her life in Norway to become a housekeeper in the rugged hills of nineteenth-century Appalachia. Upon arrival, she finds herself in the home of her late husband’s cousins—three brothers who make a living by brewing hard cider on their three-hundred-acre farm. Yet even as a stranger in a foreign land, Aven has hope to build a new life in this tight-knit family.

But her unassuming beauty disrupts the bond between the brothers. The youngest two both desire her hand, and Aven is caught in the middle, unsure where—and whether—to offer her affection. While Haakon is bold and passionate, it is Thor who casts the greatest spell upon her. Though Deaf, mute, and dependent on hard drink to cope with his silent pain, Thor possesses a sobering strength.

As autumn ushers in the apple harvest, the rift between Thor and Haakon deepens and Aven faces a choice that risks hearts. Will two brothers’ longing for her quiet spirit tear apart a family? Can she find a tender belonging in this remote, rugged, and unfamiliar world?

The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham

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1881 – Iowa

Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em finally arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the Western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won’t be able to do it alone.

For Azure Springs Sheriff Caleb Reynolds, securing justice for the waifish and injured Em is just part of his job. He’s determined to solve every case put before him in order to impress his parents and make a name for himself. Caleb expects to succeed. What he doesn’t expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.

The Widow’s Plight by Mary Davis

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1893 – Washington

When Lily Lexington Bremmer arrives in Kamola with her young son, she’s reluctant to join the social center of her new community, the quilting circle, but the friendly ladies pull her in. She begins piecing a sunshine and shadows quilt because it mirrors her life. She has a secret that lurks in the shadows and hopes it doesn’t come out into the light. Dark places in her past are best forgotten, but her new life is full of sunshine. Will her secrets cast shadows on her bright future?

Widower Edric Hammond and his father are doing their best to raise his two young daughters. He meets Lily and her son when they arrive in town and helps her find a job and a place to live. Lily resists Edric’s charms at first, but finds herself falling in love with this kind, gentle man and his two darling daughters. Lily has stolen his heart with her first warm smile, but he’s cautious about bringing another woman into his girls’ lives due to the harshness of their own mother.

Can Edric forgive Lily her past to take hold of a promising chance at love?

My Heart Belongs in Galveston, Texas: Madeline’s Search by Kathleen Y’Barbo

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1880 – Texas

Where is Mrs. Smith’s granddaughter?  Who is the mysterious Mrs. Smith?
 
Pinkerton agent Jonah Cahill is hired by the mysterious widow to find her lost granddaughter, rumored to be living in Galveston, Texas. Though Jonah prefers to travel alone, Mrs. Smith insists that she and her companion accompany him. Madeline Latour, investigative reporter, has been acting as Mrs. Smith’s assistant for several months, and Madeline will not allow anyone—even a Pinkerton agent—to ruin the story of a lifetime. The pair forges an uneasy truce as the investigation grows dangerous.

Is there a bigger story beyond a missing girl to be revealed?

 

To Love and Honor by Heather Blanton

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1890s – Wyoming

Joel Chapman’s spirit is dying a slow, painful death. An amputee, he can no longer fulfill his duties as a cavalry soldier. According to his wife, without two good legs, he can’t fulfill his duties as a husband and provider. In a world of able-bodied men, it seems honor and faith don’t count for much.

Angela Fairbanks is the daughter of a cattle baron known for his iron fist and cold heart. She has no doubt once her father learns she is carrying an illegitimate child, he will banish her from the ranch.

A chance encounter with Joel results in a reckless but compassionate offer: for one day, he’ll play the role of her husband, and then “abandon” her. For the sake of the baby, Angela agrees to the ruse.

But when love weaves itself into the lie, Joel and Angela will discover there’s much more at risk than just their hearts. Faith. Honor. Love. Which one will they sacrifice?

More Than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer

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1894 – Texas

Many consider Evangeline Hamilton cursed. Orphaned at a young age and possessing a pair of mismatched eyes–one bright blue, the other dark brown–Eva has fought to find her way in a world that constantly rejects her. Yet the support of even one person can help overcome the world’s judgments, and Eva has two–Seth and Zach, two former orphans she now counts as brothers.

Seeking justice against the man who stole his birthright and destroyed his family, Logan Fowler arrives in 1880s Pecan Gap, Texas, to confront Zach Hamilton, the hardened criminal responsible for his father’s death. Only instead of finding a solitary ruthless gambler, he discovers a man not much older than himself with an unusual family. When Zach’s sister, Evangeline, insists on dousing Logan with sunshine every time their paths cross, Logan finds his quest completely derailed. Who is truly responsible for his lost legacy, and will restoring the past satisfy if it means forfeiting a future with Evangeline?

Ruffling Society by Kay Moser

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1898 – Texas

Things are looking up in Riverford, Texas in June 1898. Czech immigrant, Sarah Novak, is finally graduating from teacher s college. Surely she will now put aside all that foolishness about being a professional woman and marry Lee Logan. After all, what young woman could ask for more? Lee is a handsome, young banker who will take his new bride off to bustling Fort Worth, Texas, and give her a life of luxury.

And when Sarah finally marries Lee, Victoria Hodges, that red-haired, trouble-making, bohemian artist from Europe, will be forced to admit that Sarah cannot change tradition-bound Riverford.

But moments after Sarah receives her diploma tragedy strikes Riverford, forcing Sarah and Victoria to work together in order to save the town. Can love blossom amidst conflicting cultures and backgrounds.

 

Reluctant Bride by Linda Ford

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1887 – Dakotas

Agnes Bland is alone and anxious to keep it that way. She’s learned the hard way just how crushing it can be to trust in someone else. She has a second chance at family when she is made guardian to three little girls. But when the boarding house refuses to rent to them, Agnes and the girls have nowhere else to go.

Nels Hanson has an empty house. Built for his intended–who jilted him and married another–the house sits empty. Until Agnes and the girls fill up the structure–and his life–with their giggles and tears. Nels never expected to feel like this again. Alive. Maybe even in love. When tongues start wagging about Agnes living in his house, he decides a marriage of convenience isn’t the worst thing in the world. Until Agnes rejects his proposal.

Agnes would do anything to keep the girls. Anything but marry Nels. Marriage would make her too vulnerable. She can’t trust Nels with her heart… can she?

Love’s Silver Lining by Julie Lessman

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1885 – Nevada

Desperate to escape an arranged marriage to a womanizer, twenty-two-year-old Maggie Mullaney flees New York for Virginia City, Nevada with her Aunt Liberty, two spunky suffragists intent on bettering the life of women. Fresh out of nursing school, Maggie hopes to devote herself to serving others rather than just one man, a goal quickly affirmed when she encounters Blaze Donovan, a womanizing cowboy who both riles and rouses her pulse. But when Aunt Liberty’s parent’s house burns down, she and Maggie are coerced into staying at the ranch of Liberty’s ex-husband, Finn McShane, who just happens to be the uncle of the cocky cowboy Maggie had hoped to avoid.

If there’s one thing twenty-nine-year-old Blaze Donovan can’t abide, it’s respectable women who spout piety and prayer, so when he butts heads with perky Maggie Mullaney at St. Mary Louise Hospital, he wants to stay as far away from her as he possibly can. Unfortunately, she now lives in the bedroom next to his in his uncle’s ranch house, a revolting development that sends Blaze to The Ponderosa Saloon more than usual. But when Maggie interferes in Blaze’s life by converting his favorite “disrespectable” girl, Blaze is determined to make her pay. Only problem is—the price HE has to pay may be a little too steep for his heart.

To Claim Her Heart by Jodie Wolfe

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1893 – Oklahoma

In 1893, on the eve of the great race for land, Benjamin David prays for God to guide him to his ‘Promised Land. Finding property and preaching to the lost are his only ways of honoring his deceased fiancée. He hasn’t counted on Elmer (Elsie) Smith claiming the same plot and refusing to leave. Not only is she a burr in his side, but she is full of the homesteading know-how he is sadly lacking.

Obtaining a claim in the Cherokee Strip Land Run is Elsie Smith’s only hope for survival, and not just any plot, she has a specific one in mind. The land’s not only a way to honor her pa and his life, but also to provide a livelihood for herself. She’s willing to put in whatever it takes to get that piece of property, and Elsie s determined to keep it.

Her bitterness is what protects her, and she has no intentions of allowing that preacher to lay claim to her land . . . or her heart.

Baby on Her Doorstep by Rhonda Gibson

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1884 – Texas

Laura Lee has longed for a child of her own—but she never expected one would suddenly appear on the school steps. With a note begging her to raise the baby girl, the teacher must find a new home since there’s a rule against children in the boardinghouse. Her only option is becoming a temporary live-in nanny for a rancher.

Widowed single father Clint Shepard needs a nanny for his daughter immediately—even if hiring Laura means he’ll have to find someone else in a few months when school starts up. But after spending time with her and the little girl she’s raising, he starts falling for them, and wishing their arrangement could be permanent.

My Heart Belongs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado: Millie’s Resolve by Rebecca Jepson

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1888 – Colorado

Millie Cooper, fisherman’s-daughter-turned-nurse, flees a painful entanglement with the wealthy Drexel family who summered near her childhood home in Nantucket, only to encounter them again six years later in Glenwood Springs. The serenity of her mountain hideaway in a town with healing springs is disrupted when she faces caring for the elderly mother and the expectant wife of Stephen Drexel, the man she’d once loved—at the request of his brother John, the man who’d kept them apart. Will Millie forgive the wrongs she feels were done to her, or will she come to see them as a blessing in disguise that leads her to greater joys?

 

Second-Chance Bride by Linda Ford

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1886 – Dakotas

America was supposed to provide a new life, but Freyda has found only bitterness since making the treacherous journey from Norway. With her husband now deceased, her survival is in her own hands. If she can manage the two stubborn horses her husband left, she can manage the homestead too. But the horses prove unmanageable and she has no choice but to strike a reluctant bargain with her near neighbor. In exchange for his help, she will care for his two little boys.

Ward has known nothing but pain and disappointment in his relationships with women. It makes it difficult to trust his pretty neighbor, but he can clearly see she won’t survive without his help. And even he must admit that his sons need tending while he plants his crop. He never expected to need Freyda’s softness, too.

Freyda wanted to prove that she didn’t need anyone else. The more she is forced to work with Ward, the more she begins to realize that maybe God didn’t intend her to be alone. But Ward’s walls of distrust and past hurts are high–maybe too high for her to scale. Can she, and two little boys, open his heart to love again?

The Love Knot by Karen Witemeyer

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1895 – Texas

Claire Nevin identifies herself in many ways: Irish immigrant, apprentice healer, and most importantly, sister. When her troubled sibling sends her an unexpected package by rail, the gift and the man who delivers it threaten to redefine Claire’s life once again. Fighting to hold on to all she’s built, will she lose what matters most?

Found in Paperback in Hearts Entwined

The Tangled Ties That Bind by Mary Connealy

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1883 – Colorado

While running from an angry buffalo, two friends, who always wanted more, reunite. Connor has returned home determined to pursue the woman he never stopped caring about. But Maggie wants to be a city doctor, and he is a rancher through and through. Will either be willing to give up their dream? Or will they both have to give up the love of a lifetime?

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Bound and Determined by Regina Jennings

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1885 – Oklahoma

As punishment for his recklessness, Private Bradley Willis is ordered to help a retired cavalry officer move a herd across Indian Territory. No one told him he’d be herding camels or that the captain’s daughter would join them on the trail. Despite the mysterious incidents halting their progress, Bradley has to get this herd to Texas–or lose his commission.

Found in Paperback in Hearts Entwined

An Unexpected Redemption by Davalynn Spencer

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1881 – Colorado

He doesn’t need her sass. She doesn’t need his approval. But they both need a second chance.

Abandoned by her faithless husband for the Dakota gold fields, Elizabeth Beaumont returns to her hometown determined to prove she’s not the impetuous girl she once was. Armed with a new skill and old determination, she’s intent on making it on her own. Discovering that the new sheriff lives downstairs in the same boarding house wouldn’t be nearly so frustrating if he’d stay out of her affairs, quit calling her Betsy, and stop making her wonder if she could love again.

Sheriff Garrett Wilson’s first attempt at law enforcement cost an innocent bystander his life, so he exchanged his deputy’s badge for a drover’s bedroll. Now he’s back wearing a star in a Front Range cow town, hunting an arsonist and falling for a woman who wants to know the secret behind his deepest scar. He can run again from his painful past, or he can stay and fight for the town that needs him and the woman who’s worked under his skin and into his heart.

Montana Lawman Rescuer by Linda Ford

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1891 – Montana

After a stagecoach robbery nearly kills her and the small boy she’s traveling with, Emily Smith can’t remember who she is or where she’s going. Lost and with only wisps of her memory, she must rely on the handsome, dark-eyed sheriff who saved her.

Jesse Hill protects his heart as fiercely as he protects the small Montana town of Bella Creek. How did Emily’s kindness and beauty get past his armor? But Jesse knows well his own tainted past—one that means he could never marry a woman like Emily…even if her love could prove his redemption.

Abandoned Bride by Linda Ford

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1886 – Dakota

Elin Hanson has traveled across the ocean from Norway as a mail-order bride. But when she arrives in the Dakota Territory, she finds the man she has planned to marry has abandoned her–and left her to care for his young son. Another unwelcome surprise is her betrothed’s partner, who only wants her off the ranch. With nowhere else to go, Elin strikes a bargain: she’ll stay on as housekeeper until her missing groom arrives.

Sam Andrews has his hands full running his ranch and trying to track down the no-good thief rustling his cows. The last thing he needs is a woman and little boy getting in his way. As he gets to know the fiery Elin, a friendship begins to develop. A friendship that could easily turn into something more. But Sam’s past has taught him the dangers of opening his heart, and he hardens his against Elin.

When Elin’s groom-to-be comes home, she must make the choice: settle for a loveless marriage? Or hold out for love?

Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer

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1888 – Kansas

Abigail Brantley grew up in affluence and knows exactly how to behave in high society. But when she is cast from the social registers due to her father’s illegal dealings, she finds herself forced into a role she never imagined: tutoring rough Kansas ranchers in the subjects of manners and morals so they can “marry up” with their mail-order brides.

Mack Cleveland, whose father was swindled by a mail-order bride, wants no part of the scheme to bring Eastern women to Spiveyville, Kansas, and he’s put off by the snooty airs and fastidious behavior of the “little city gal” in their midst. But as time goes by, his heart goes out to the teacher who tries so diligently to smooth the rough edges from the down-to-earth men. How can he teach her that perfection won’t bring happiness?

A Borrowed Dream by Amanda Cabot

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1881 – Texas

Catherine Whitfield is sure that she will never again be able to trust anyone in the medical profession after the town doctor’s excessive bleeding treatments killed her mother. Despite her loneliness and her broken heart, she carries bravely on as Cimarron Creek’s dutiful schoolteacher, resigned to a life without love or family, a life where dreams rarely come true.

Austin Goddard is a newcomer to Cimarron Creek. Posing as a rancher, he fled to Texas to protect his daughter from a dangerous criminal. He’s managed to keep his past as a surgeon a secret. But when Catherine Whitfield captures his heart, he wonders how long he will be able to keep up the charade.

With a deft hand, Amanda Cabot teases out the strands of love, deception, and redemption in this charming tale of dreams deferred and hopes becoming reality.

The Heart’s Appeal by Jennifer Delamere

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1881 – England

Strong-minded and independent Julia Bernay comes to London to study medicine and become a doctor–a profession that has only just opened up to women. She witnesses a serious accident, and through her quick actions saves the life of an ambitious young barrister named Michael Stephenson.

Coming from a family that long ago lost its money and its respectability, Michael Stephenson has achieved what many would have thought was impossible. Hard work and an aptitude for the law have enabled him to rise above his family’s stigma and set him on the path to wealth and recognition. But his well-laid plans are upended when the accident brings Julia into his life.

Michael soon discovers he’s met a woman every bit as stubborn and determined to make her mark on the world as he is. Sparks fly–but will they find common ground?

Husband by Arrangement by Angel Moore

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1881 – Texas

After Rena Livingston’s secret fiancé leaves her pregnant and unwed, her mayor father insists upon a marriage of convenience to Sheriff Scott Braden. Though his motivations are as much about protecting his political career as her reputation, Rena is grateful the standoffish sheriff agrees to the arrangement. At least her child will grow up without the burden of her shame…

Scott believed his one chance at love fled with his ex-fiancée, but caring for Rena and her unborn baby exposes a vulnerability he vowed he’d never allow again. When the upcoming election stirs nasty gossip, though, Scott must choose between his commitment to the town and his growing love for Rena and the baby.

Three Words and a Kiss by Sondra Kraak

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1892 – Washington

Cameron Wallace thrives as both the blacksmith and the minister in his community of Pine Creek. Out of the fires of a chaotic childhood, he’s forged a peaceful life filled with safe relationships and predictable routines. But when the smithy he’s been renting is sold out from under him, the impulsive woman who buys it stokes the embers of emotions he’d rather keep unlit—and even has the audacity to lend a helping hand to his smithy work.

Samantha Klein has never been afraid to push boundaries when it comes to helping those whom society—and God—have overlooked, be they orphans, immigrants, or injured animals. When her latest attempt to aid a group of Chinese women lands her in a newspaper scandal, her high-society family sends her packing from Seattle. Setting out on her own, she purchases the Pine Creek smithy and hatches another plan for helping her immigrant friends. But only weeks after arriving in Pine Creek, her plan turns to ashes, and she’s overwhelmed by needs she can never hope to meet, including her own need to be seen and cared for. And the one who seems to understand her is the man who won’t let her anywhere near his heart, no matter the attraction that burns between them.

As Cameron struggles to find a new normal, and Samantha yearns for someone to share her burdens, old hurts and dangerous secrets make them both terrified to admit that what they need—and what God has planned for them—just might be each other.

 

Temporary Bride by Linda Ford

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1885 – North Dakota

Lena Stevens has lived through more than her share of troubles. After losing her mother and father when she was young, Lena learned that every kindness came with obligation. Now a widow with a small child, Lena has lost the one thing she had left: her house. She has no desire to be a burden on her neighbor, even if the man was foolish enough to promise her late husband to watch out for her. But when propriety demands a marriage, Lena makes Anker vow to annul it come spring.

Anker has longed for a wife–but not like this. A forced marriage. A pretend marriage. He will do what he must to protect Lena and Charlie throughout the winter. But as days stretch into months, his admiration for the spirited young woman begins to turn to something else. Something more…

Anker and Lena both had their reasons for wanting a temporary marriage. But when spring arrives, will they regret their vow to end the union?

Love’s Bright Tomorrow by Naomi Rawlings

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1884 – Michigan

Aileen Brogan wants a place to call home. After leaving Ireland for America and losing her father and brother within a year of each other, she feels lost and alone. No matter how hard she tries, she just doesn’t seem to belong in the quaint town of Eagle Harbor. However, Sheriff Isaac Cummings is determined to help her fit in—into town and into his arms—if only she’ll say yes to his courtship. But if he knew her secrets, he’d surely rescind his offer.

Isaac is determined to serve the people of Eagle Harbor in a way that will do his family proud, but he’s haunted by past mistakes. When a band of criminals threatens his beloved town’s safety, he doesn’t want to fail the people he loves like he did four years earlier. But if he doesn’t turn out to be the hero the town needs, what chance does he have of winning Aileen’s resistant heart?

When old wounds reopen, can Isaac and Aileen figure out how to move past their brokenness and find the promise of a bright tomorrow?

The Rancher’s Temporary Engagement by Stacy Henrie

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1898 – Wyoming

The Pinkerton agent that Edward Kent hired is intelligent, capable—and unexpectedly female! Though shocked to learn that Maggy Worthing will be investigating the threats to his Wyoming horse ranch, Edward needs to find the culprit. And if that means a temporary engagement to give Maggy a cover story, he’ll play along with the feisty detective.

Maggy always gets her man—at least when it comes to solving crimes. The young widow refuses to marry again and land under another husband’s thumb. Unmasking Edward’s enemies will earn her a longed-for promotion…but the heart has its own mysteries. Could working together with the handsome English aristocrat spark a real and loving partnership?