A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Fordham

No Comments on A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Fordham

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1880 – Dakota Territory

Six years ago, a shocking secret sent Agnes Pratt running in search of a new start. She found it in Penance, a rugged town of miners and lumberjacks in the Dakota Territory, where she became Miss Aggie, respected schoolteacher and confirmed old maid. But the past has a way of catching up with people.

When childhood friend and former sweetheart James Harris accepts a position as the town doctor, Aggie’s pleasantly predictable days suddenly become anything but. James wants to know why Agnes left behind the life they had dreamed of creating for themselves–but he is the one person who can never know.

In the shadows of the Black Hills, can a healing light be shed on the past? Or will the secret Agnes can’t seem to outrun destroy her chance at happiness?

Fan-favorite Rachel Fordham brings to life the dusty streets of an 1880s frontier town in this story that affirms where you come from matters far less than where you’re going.

Hope in Cripple Creek by Sara Turnquist

No Comments on Hope in Cripple Creek by Sara Turnquist

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1890s – Colorado

Tragedy strikes Katherine Matthews and the small town of Cripple Creek, Colorado. An epidemic teams her with an old enemy, Wyatt Sullivan, the town’s doctor. In the midst of desperation and death, Katherine has decisions to make. But she has no idea to what extent they will affect her daily life and livelihood.

The town is turned upside-down when the gold miners go on strike. The owners bring in outside reinforcements, ready to break the resolve of the Western Federation of Miners. Everything in an upheaval, Katherine faces a crisis of faith and hard choices. Will life ever be normal again?

At Love’s Command by Karen Witemeyer

3 Comments on At Love’s Command by Karen Witemeyer

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1893 – Texas

Haunted by the horrors of war, ex-cavalry officer Matthew Hanger leads a band of mercenaries known as Hanger’s Horsemen who have become legends in 1890s Texas. They defend the innocent and obtain justice for the oppressed. But when a rustler’s bullet leaves one of them at death’s door, they’re the ones in need of saving.

Dr. Josephine Burkett is used to men taking one look at her skirts and discounting her medical skills. What she’s not used to is having a man change his mind in a heartbeat and offer to assist her in surgery. Matthew Hanger’s dedication to his friend during recovery earns Josephine’s respect, and when she hears of her brother’s abduction, he becomes her only hope for rescue.

Matt has stared down ruthless outlaws, betrayal, and injury, but when a bossy lady doctor crawls under his skin, his heart is tempted to surrender. And when she is caught in the crossfire, he may have to sacrifice everything–even his team–to save her.

The Green Dress by Liz Tolsma

No Comments on The Green Dress by Liz Tolsma

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1886 – Massachusetts

When Harriet Peters came to Boston in 1882, the Robinson family took her in like one of their own, and Harriet became closer to Lizzie Robinson than her own siblings. Now, four years later, Lizzie is deathly sick, failing quickly just like several others in her family have done over the past few years. How can so many in one family die from the same mysterious illness? Harriet doesn’t have answers, but she is determined to help the family, bringing in a new-to-the-neighborhood doctor, Michael Wheaton.

As Harriet and Michael close in on the answer, putting their own lives at risk, can the cause be found before anyone else dies?

The Damsel’s Intent by Mary Davis

No Comments on The Damsel’s Intent by Mary Davis

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1893 – Washington

Can Nicole learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

Nicole Waterby has lived her whole life in the hills away from town due to her grandfather’s mistrust of people. But now he’s passed away, and Nicole is left to care for her two younger cousins. Feeling inadequate to handle the responsibility, she heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband. She doesn’t realize women don’t wear trousers, buckskins, or carry a gun. She has a lot to learn about being a lady if she’s going to catch a husband. And the quilting circle is just the group of women to help her.

Rancher Shane Keegan has drifted from one location to another to find a place to belong. He longs to have a family of his own but feels doomed to live a life alone. When Nicole crosses his path, he wonders if he can have love, but he soon realizes she’s destined for someone better than a saddle tramp. Even though he knows there’s no future for him with the intriguing mountain girl, he still steps in to help her at every opportunity.

Will love stand a chance while both Nicole and Shane try to be people they are not?

Pretending to Wed by Melissa Jagears

No Comments on Pretending to Wed by Melissa Jagears

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1884 – Wyoming Territory

It’s a match made in heaven…as long as they don’t fall in love!

The ranch Nolan Key has spent decades working for, even lost a leg for, is now his—or at least it should be. But an absurd clause in his father’s will means he’s in danger of losing the place to his lazy, undeserving cousin. Nolan finds himself scrambling to save his home—by proposing marriage to the town laundress.

Corinne Stillwater’s hands have betrayed her. Numb from hours of doing the same work over and over, her hands will only heal, according to the town doctor, if she gives up the laundry and marries. But she’s been stung repeatedly by love before, so that is one remedy she can’t swallow.

When Nolan offers Corinne a marriage in name only, how can she refuse? Such a partnership could give them the security they seek, but what if the ranch isn’t as secure as they believe, and their lives—and dreams—aren’t quite as compatible as they thought?

Pretending to Wed is the second book in the Frontier Vows Series by award-winning Christian romance author Melissa Jagears. If you like marriage of convenience stories that deal with the nitty-gritty of making a relationship work, you’ll love this authentic romance set in a time gone by that tackles issues still relevant for today.

An Impossible Price by Davalynn Spencer

No Comments on 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.

What Momma Left Behind by Cindy K. Sproles

1 Comment on What Momma Left Behind by Cindy K. Sproles

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1898 – Tennessee

Worie Dressar is 19 years old when influenza and dysentery ravage her Appalachian Mountain community in 1898, leaving behind a growing number of orphaned children with no way to care for themselves. Worie’s mother has been secretly feeding a number of these little ones on Sourwood Mountain. But when she dies suddenly, Worie is left to figure out why and how she was caring for them.

Plagued with two good-for-nothing brothers–one greedy and the other a drunkard–Worie fights to save her home and the orphaned children now in her begrudging care. Along the way, she will discover the beauty of unconditional love and the power of forgiveness as she cares for all of Momma’s children.

Storyteller and popular speaker Cindy K. Sproles pens a tender novel full of sacrifice, heartache, and courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

The Black Rose by Naomi Musch

No Comments on The Black Rose by Naomi Musch

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1893 – Wisconsin

Logging has reached its golden era in the growing state of Wisconsin, and twin sisters Jesilyn and Corianne Beaumont enjoy a comfortable life with family in the bustling, Great Lake city of Superior—until jealousy incites Jesi to seduce Cori’s fiancé, certain she can claim his heart. When things don’t go as planned, a flight and fall from grace lands her in a boom town brothel where a fresh start is denied her.

Camp preacher Paul Winter longs to offer hope in the carousing lumber and mining towns of northern Wisconsin, but his successes have been few, and he’s begun to question his calling. Then his ministry is challenged in an unexpected way when he meets a lost and broken red-head he calls Pie Girl. Though willing to offer rescue, he’s never had to battle his own longings quite this way before.

Meanwhile, stung by Jesilyn’s betrayal, Corianne finds refuge in refusing to forgive, but bitterness might separate her from a second chance at happiness.

When tragedy causes fresh sparks between them, will love fail forever? Or is there a way for both women to begin new lives—and find budding love blooming in places neither of them expects?

Rocky Mountain Redemption by Lisa J. Flickinger

No Comments on Rocky Mountain Redemption by Lisa J. Flickinger

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1898 – The Rocky Mountains

A Rocky Mountain logging camp may be just the place to find herself.

To escape the devastation caused by the breaking of her wedding engagement, Isabelle Franklin joins her aunt in the Rocky Mountains to feed a camp of lumberjacks cutting on the slopes of Cougar Ridge. If only she could out run the lingering nightmares.

Charles Bailey, camp foreman and Stony Creek’s itinerant pastor, develops a reputation to match his new nickname — Preach.  However, an inner battle ensues when the details of his rough history threaten to overcome the beliefs of his young faith.

Amid the hazards of camp life, the unlikely friendship growing between the two surprises Isabelle. She’s drawn to Preach’s brute strength and gentle nature as he leads the ragtag crew toiling for Pollitt’s Lumber. But when the ghosts from her past return to haunt her, the choices she will make change the course of her life forever—and that of the man she’s come to love.    

Storing Up Trouble by Jen Turano

No Comments on Storing Up Trouble by Jen Turano

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1886 – Chicago

When Miss Beatrix Waterbury’s Chicago-bound train ride is interrupted by a heist, Mr. Norman Nesbit, a man of science who believes his research was the target of the heist, comes to her aid. Despite the fact that they immediately butt heads, they join forces to make a quick escape.

Upon her arrival in Chicago, Beatrix is surprised to discover her supposedly querulous Aunt Gladys shares her own suffragette passions. Encouraged by Gladys to leave her sheltered world, Beatrix begins working as a salesclerk at the Marshall Field and Company department store. When she again encounters Norman on a shopping expedition, he is quickly swept up in the havoc she always seems to attract.

But when another attempt is made to part Norman from his research papers, and it becomes clear Beatrix’s safety is also at risk, they soon discover the curious way feelings can grow between two very different people in the midst of chaos.

Tomorrow’s Shining Dream by Naomi Rawlings

No Comments on Tomorrow’s Shining Dream by Naomi Rawlings

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1885 – Texas

She needs to learn how to flirt. He needs to forget she exists. Then she asks him for help finding a husband… What could possibly go wrong?

Charlotte Westin has always been more comfortable in a saddle than a ballroom. That wouldn’t be a problem, except her father owns the largest ranch in Texas—and he insists she marry a wealthy city-slicker worthy of a cattle baron’s daughter. There might be someone out there who’d love her for who she is instead of her money, but she’s been fooled by a sweet talker before, and her family is still suffering because of it.

With an old friend-turned-enemy returning to town and cattle rustlers running roughshod over the county, Sheriff Daniel Harding knows the last thing he should be thinking about is a woman… especially the one woman he’ll never be able to marry. Then Charlotte Westin asks for his help, and Daniel can’t refuse. Until he finds out exactly what she wants…

When Charlotte comes to Daniel with a plan to find herself a husband, Daniel is forced to face his feelings for her—as well as some past mistakes of his own. But as the rustlers grow more dangerous, Charlotte’s father takes drastic steps to engage her to a man she doesn’t love. And Charlotte and Daniel soon find themselves caught between the burdens from their pasts and others’ expectations. Will they let their past choices ruin their dreams? Or will Charlotte and Daniel embrace God’s forgiveness and forge a happy future for themselves?

A Christmas Wish by Diana Brandmeyer

No Comments on A Christmas Wish by Diana Brandmeyer

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1886 – Illinois

She vowed to marry for love. He promised his daughters a mother for Christmas. Time is running out for both of them.

A handshake between two men changes Alma Pickens’ life. Alma’s father promises her hand in marriage with a wedding due before Christmas. How can she keep her vow to her mother and still honor her father? With only Roy’s dimples to capture her attention, Alma can’t conceive of loving a man in four weeks time.

Widower Roy Gibbons’ young daughters want a mother for Christmas, and desperate to grant their wish, he said yes without thinking. With Christmas right around the corner, time is running out. When Dr. Pickens offers his daughter in marriage, Roy reasons as long as Alma can cook, clean, and keep the youngsters in line, it’s a fine arrangement.

Will Roy keep his promise to his girls? Will Alma keep hers to her mother? When both people have conflicting promises to keep, who will get the Christmas gift?

Set in the year 1886 in Southern Illinois, this sweet inspirational novella will tug at your heartstrings as this little family wins your heart. 

The Chisolm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo

No Comments on 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?

Hope in Defiance by Heather Blanton

No Comments on Hope in Defiance by Heather Blanton

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1800s – Colorado

Hope Clark has fought hard to convince the town of Defiance that a woman doctor is good for what ails them. But when certain physical challenges present themselves, hard facts spur her own doubts, crushing her self-confidence. And if she can’t stay, if the city is really where she belongs, what about the people she has come to love, especially a certain cowboy?

Lane Chandler’s never been in love before and isn’t exactly sure what his heart is telling him about Hope. After all, she’s a doctor and he’s just a cowboy. Or so Dr. Edward Pratt happily keeps reminding him. 

Lane wonders if Hope could truly be happy practicing in a remote mining town. Pratt believes she would be more fulfilled serving in a Philadelphia hospital. With him.

In the end, nothing but true love will give Hope the freedom to choose her own path.

Storm’s Promise by Julane Hiebert

No Comments on Storm’s Promise by Julane Hiebert

stormspromiseGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1898 – Kansas

Storm Dawson wakes up in a strange house with a bullet in his chest. At once, his journey West to become a better man comes to a halt. When he meets his rescuer—Promise Harding, the daughter of the ranch’s owner—he senses a familiarity he can’t explain, but somehow he knows he will one day claim her for his bride. He’s given permission to court Promise on one condition: he must find his shooter and uncover the reason he was targeted.

Promise had dreamed about the man she would one day marry, and when she comes face to face with Storm Dawson, her dream man suddenly becomes reality. But then he leaves the ranch without explanation.

Storm imparts on a journey he could never have imagined, one that will open his eyes to God’s hand of guidance and test the desire of his heart. Can he keep one promise without losing the other? And will Promise wait for his decision?

Hope Springs Eternal by Julia Ridgmont

No Comments on Hope Springs Eternal by Julia Ridgmont

hopespringseternalGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1882 – Oregon

Carving out a new life in Oregon isn’t for the faint of heart. Neither is becoming a mail-order bride.

For 35-year-old Susannah Eversoll, starting over after her husband’s suicide, not to mention betrayal, is what she feels the need to do. So she arranges for herself and her grown daughter, Melissa, to become mail-order brides farther west in the town of Hope Hollow, Oregon. But Susannah will be starting over in more ways than she planned. Although he is kind and caring, David didn’t tell her that his children are young and exhaustingly unruly. And when pushed to her breaking point, a freak accident wipes away her memory. Who is she? Who are these people? Where does she belong?

David Stratton’s hopes for the future died along with his wife two years ago. Now he’s the doing the best he can to raise his rambunctious and sometimes quarrelsome children, but he needs help. More than that, though, he’s lonely. Now that he’s found Susannah, he isn’t about to let her go. When Susannah loses her memory in a skating accident, a stranger appears, threatening their marriage with claims Susannah can’t explain. Can David unravel the mystery that shrouds his wife? Will Susannah regain her memory in time to save their marriage? Or will the love that had begun to blossom between them shrivel up and die in the wintry storms ahead?

The Bride Who Declined by Susan Page Davis

No Comments on The Bride Who Declined by Susan Page Davis

The Bride Who DeclinedGoodreads ~ Amazon

1885 – Texas

Rachel Paxton turns down a mail-order proposal, but a few months later she learns the man she rejected has died–and left his ranch to her in his will. To claim her inheritance, she must leave Boston and live on the Texas ranch for a month.

The Blizzard Bride by Susanne Dietze

No Comments on The Blizzard Bride by Susanne Dietze

blizzardbrideGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1888 – Nebraska

Abigail Bracey arrives in Nebraska in January 1888 to teach school…and to execute a task for the government: to identify a student as the hidden son of a murderous counterfeiter—the man who killed her father.
 
Agent Dashiell Lassiter doesn’t want his childhood sweetheart Abby on this dangerous job, especially when he learns the counterfeiter is now searching for his son, too, and he’ll destroy anyone in his way. Now Dash must follow Abby to Nebraska to protect her…if she’ll let him within two feet of her. She’s still angry he didn’t fight to marry her six years ago, and he never told her the real reason he left her.
 
All Dash wants is to protect Abby, but when a horrifying blizzard sweeps over them, can Abby and Dash set aside the pain from their pasts and work together to catch a counterfeiter and protect his son—if they survive the storm?

Double Jeopardy by Donna Schlachter

No Comments on Double Jeopardy by Donna Schlachter

Goodreadsdoublejeopardy ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1880 – Colorado

Mining, murder—and a mock marriage?

New York City socialite Becky Campbell inherited more than a speck of her father’s wanderlust. Now his murder bequeaths her a mystery, a ramshackle homestead, and a silver mine.

Zeke Graumann signs on as Becky’s foreman to keep his portion of his family’s ranch. He shares the workers’ reservations about a woman boss, especially one who burns water and prances around in dungarees. Even though she did look awful good in the dungarees.

Then a series of accidents add threat to tension. Can Becky trust Zeke, find her father’s killer, and turn her mine into a profitable venture? Will Zeke be forced to give up his ranching dream to win Becky’s heart?

Gift of Hope by Shanna Hatfield

No Comments on Gift of Hope by Shanna Hatfield

Goodreadsgiftoflove ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1892 – Oregon

A tender gift given can warm even the coldest heart…

When his affections are spurned by the girl he plans to wed, Graydon Gaffney rides off in the swirling snow, determined to stay far away from fickle females. Then a voice in the storm draws him to a woman and her two sweet children. Despite his intentions to guard his emotions, all three members of the DeVille family threaten to capture his heart.

Giavanna DeVille holds the last frayed edges of her composure in a tenuous grasp. In a moment of desperation, she leaves her sleeping children in her cabin and ventures out into a storm to release her pent-up frustrations where no one can hear her cries. Much to her surprise, a man appears through the blinding snow. He gives her a shoulder to cry on and something even more precious. . . hope.

Can the two of them move beyond past heartaches to accept the gift of hope for their future?

The Major’s Daughter by Regina Jennings

No Comments on The Major’s Daughter by Regina Jennings

Goodreadsthemajorsdaughter ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1889 – Oklahoma

Caroline Adams returns to Indian Territory after tiring of confining society life. She wants adventure, and when she and her friend Amber come across swaggering outlaw Frisco Smith, they find his dreams for the new territory are very persuasive. With the much-anticipated land run pending, they may just join the rush.

Growing up parentless, all Frisco Smith wanted was a place to call his own. It’s no wonder that he fought to open the Unassigned Lands. After years of sneaking across the border, he’s even managed to put in a dugout house on a hidden piece of property he’s poised to claim.

When the gun sounds, everyone’s best plans are thrown out the window in the chaos of the run. Caroline and Frisco soon find themselves battling over a claim–and both dig in their heels. Settling the rightful ownership will bring these two closer than they ever expected and change their ideas of what a true home looks like.

More Than a Pretty Face by Karen Witemeyer

No Comments on More Than a Pretty Face by Karen Witemeyer

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

Found in paperback in Serving Up Love

1902 – Texas

Rosalind Kemp became a Harvey Girl five years ago to get away from Texas and the repercussions of a youthful indiscretion. When an unexpected assignment lands her in Gainesville, she hides behind fake spectacles and strict professionalism to discourage male attention. Yet not even a prudish disguise can dissuade local attorney Caleb Durrington from pursuing her. His gentle, persistent wooing tempts her to let down her guard, but when her secret is exposed, will Caleb turn away from her shame? Or will his love give her the courage to finally face her greatest folly?

Intrigue a la Mode by Regina Jennings

No Comments on Intrigue a la Mode by Regina Jennings

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

Found in paperback in Serving Up Love

1898 – Kansas

Willow finds herself drawn to the hotel’s new busboy, Graham, but little does she know he’s a railroad heir working undercover to track down criminals using his trains. As he sets out to find the truth, another truth soon becomes equally urgent–will the Harvey Girl he has come to love care for the railroad heir as much as she cared for the lowly busboy?

A Wyldhaven Christmas by Lynnette Bonner

No Comments on A Wyldhaven Christmas by Lynnette Bonner

A Wyldhaven ChristmasGoodreads ~ Amazon

1890s – Washington

Multiple townsfolk report thefts, and Sheriff Reagan Callahan is stumped as to who the culprit might be. Meanwhile, the women of the town are busy planning Christmas surprises for their menfolk—but not without challenges.
The boots Charlotte wants to buy for Reagan are too expensive. Dixie goes into labor early, misses the deadline to pick up Doc’s sleigh, and her order is canceled. The saddle Liora ordered for Joe is stolen. And the horse Jacinda bought for Zane is wilder than a grizzly! Zoe has no idea what gift to get for her friend, Wash Nolan. And Aurora can’t figure out why Parson Clay isn’t thrilled with the puppy she got him.

Through it all, Kin Davis is there, lending a helping hand to each family in need. He sure will miss Wyldhaven when he leaves, but he’s made up his mind, and nothing will convince him to stay—except maybe the new banker’s niece.

Christmas in Cripple Creek by Sara R. Turnquist

No Comments on Christmas in Cripple Creek by Sara R. Turnquist

Goodreads christmasincripplecreek~ Purchase ~ Sample

1890s – Colorado

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

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

What will become of their family? Of their Christmas?

A Glimmer of Hope by Julia Ridgmont

No Comments on A Glimmer of Hope by Julia Ridgmont

Goodreads aglimmerofhope~ Purchase ~ Sample

1881 – Oregon

She’s traveling west to help her mother begin a new life as a mail-order bride. What she doesn’t know is that she is about to become a mail-order bride, too.

Melissa Eversoll Burgess’s hope of a wonderful life with her first husband went up in smoke the day she married him. Not only was his abuse difficult to take, but she also learned that he was deeply involved in crime—on the very day he died. Now that they’re both widowed, Melissa and her mother are ready to start over in a place called Hope Hollow. When she is introduced to a handsome farmer and informed that she is to be his mail-order bride, she doesn’t know whether to hug him…or slap him.

Garret Pearce came to Oregon three years ago to claim land and nurse a broken heart. Though he’s smitten with Melissa from their very first meeting, he’s not about to fall into that trap again. That is, until it becomes obvious she needs his protection. Entering a marriage of convenience may not have been in his plans, but now that he’s got a wife—and a pretty one at that—he realizes that keeping his heart from being torn in two is going to be the challenge of his life. One that he just might lose.

Will Melissa and Garret get a second chance at love?

Welcome to Hope Hollow, Oregon, a place where hope abounds for the downtrodden and weary, and where peace and love abide amidst life’s trials.

Garnet’s Gift by Kimberly Grist

No Comments on Garnet’s Gift by Kimberly Grist

garnetsgiftGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1890s – Texas

Twenty-two-year-old Garnet Adams longs to marry and have a houseful of children. Forced to support her widowed mother, she embraces her role as a teacher, although the Carrie Town board of education’s rules for female teachers leave no opportunity for a social life. She contents herself playing the violin at church.

Tall, bearded, and rough around the edges, Deputy Noah Scott would rather hunt than socialize. Garnet thinks he’s a rude, insensitive drifter, and Noah’s sure the last person he’d want to court is a schoolmarm–especially with her unladylike sneeze. As the needs of her students bring them together, opposites seem to attract until a certain Christmas present derails their future.

A Destiny in Defiance by Heather Blanton

No Comments on A Destiny in Defiance by Heather Blanton

AdestinyindefianceGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1800s – Colorado

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

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

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

The Hope of Christmas Past by Stephenia McGee

No Comments on The Hope of Christmas Past by Stephenia McGee

hopeofchristmaspastGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

Late 1800s/Time Travel – Tennessee

When a mysterious painting offers her a trip to the past, will Isla find new hope for her future?

On the brink of aging out the foster system, the last thing Isla Laird wants is to spend Christmas in an old-fashioned plantation. What’s the point of bonding with her foster mom when it’s too late to ever be adopted? But when a mysterious painting suddenly thrusts her into the nineteenth century, Isla is forced to face hurts and memories she’s long tried to bury. With time running out and her heart in tatters, can God use an impossible miracle to bring Isla hope for a new future?

Christmas Bride by Linda Ford

No Comments on Christmas Bride by Linda Ford

Goodreads christmasbride~ Purchase ~ Sample

1884 – Montana Territory

Josh Kinsley’s parents have not heard from him in two years. He’d headed west to escape a broken heart but is now a prisoner in a mine. He plots and plans his escape. But he must act before he is ready to flee his prison when a young woman is brought, kicking and screaming, into his captor’s cabin. Knowing what horror awaits her, he knows he must make an immediate escape and take her with him. He will help her because it’s the right thing, but he has no intention of falling in love again.

Katie Webster is alone in the world. At home, marriageable men are scarce. All she wants is her own home and family, so agrees to be a mail-order bride. Instead, she ends up being a pawn in a gambling game. The future looks very dire. Being grabbed by a man and hurried into the woods seems every bit as risky. She will never again trust a man but going with Josh seems preferable to what awaits her in the cabin.

As Josh and Katie are forced to survive winter in the wilderness, they must learn to trust each other. But will their adventures help them admit their growing feelings or will the danger keep them apart?

The Telegraph Proposal by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham

No Comments on The Telegraph Proposal by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham

telegraphproposalGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1888 – Montana

In the rough and rugged Montana Territory, the journey to true love is filled with unexpected twists—and sweet rewards—for daring frontier women who faithfully believe every heart has a home . . .
 
With the help of the Archer Matrimonial Company, Yancey Palmer has finally put Hale Adams, the man she’s loved for ten years—sometimes not wisely or well—behind her. Yancey is so sure of her love for the man the agency matched her with, she readily promises a friend that she’ll help Hale with his mayoral campaign without chasing him.
 
Hale has also engaged the services of the matrimonial agency. He’s so pleased with one lady, he requests that she join him in Helena to commence a sixty-day courtship. But instead, the Archer ladies arrive in town to reveal the true identities of both Hale’s and Yancey’s matches: each other.  Can they look past their misunderstandings and hurt to see that they are still a perfect match?

Joline’s Redemption by Vickie McDonough

No Comments on Joline’s Redemption by Vickie McDonough

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1893 – Oklahoma Territory

Joline had lofty dreams of love and luxury, but after her husband leaves her and she makes a series of fateful decisions, Jo has fallen as far as any woman can. Bereft of all hope and with the threat of losing her son, Jo seeks refuge at her sister’s home. Jo has a long list of secrets to keep and has to look over her shoulder, as the man she’s running from may show up anywhere, anytime. Is it possible that God can redeem Jo, and give her hope for a happy future?

Unwrapping Hope by Sandra Ardoin

No Comments on Unwrapping Hope by Sandra Ardoin

unwrappinghopeGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1896 – Illinois

She chose the wrong man once. Can she trust her instincts now?

Phoebe Crain, an accomplished pianist, lives in near poverty to protect her five-year-old daughter from scandal. When Phoebe receives a handcrafted cigar box by mistake, her desperation to give the child something special for Christmas drives her to suggest a trade with Spence Newland, a man she views as no more principled than her daughter’s late father. But the more time she spends with the department store heir, the more Phoebe struggles to keep up her guard against him.

Spence believes the cigar box will help him gain a reclusive investor’s financial support for his proposed five-and-ten-cent stores, demonstrating his ability to manage the family fortunes. Yet he hesitates to bargain with a widow who mistrusts him for no apparent reason…until he meets a charming little girl at the train station who awaits the arrival of a prince.

Will a betrayal in Phoebe’s past and Spence’s unraveling plans derail their hope for happiness and keep a child’s fairy tale from coming true?