Saved by the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund

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1849 – Missouri

After her annulment is finalized, Enya Shanahan finds herself caught in a web of scandal and obligation while carrying a secret that threatens to shatter her family’s reputation. Determined to find a suitable marriage for Enya, her father turns to a wily matchmaker to save them from their circumstances.

Sullivan O’Brien, a steamboat captain committed to aiding enslaved people on their path to freedom, is faced with an ultimatum from his father. Forced to marry or lose his livelihood, a marriage of convenience seems to be the only solution. As he and Enya face the trials of their pasts and a city consumed by fire, they must confront their deepest fears and learn to trust in love, even when darkness threatens to engulf them.

Meeting Her Match by Jen Turano

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1889 – West Virginia

Miss Camilla Pierpont, a renowned matchmaker and influential member of the New York Four Hundred, has vowed never to marry after suffering a devastating heartbreak during her debut years ago. However, when she is nearly abducted along the Hudson River, she finds herself rescued by an annoyingly outspoken, albeit fascinating, gentleman who challenges her in a manner she wasn’t expecting.

After learning that Camilla Pierpont has enjoyed success with taking wayward young ladies in hand, Mr. Owen Chesterfield travels to the Hudson River Valley determined to convince Camilla to sponsor his sister, who is in desperate need of social rehabilitation.

Knowing her life is in danger, Camilla agrees to Owen’s proposition and travels with him to West Virginia, finding herself charmed by the less-than-formal attitude of his small hometown, as well as by Owen himself. But danger waits in the shadows, disrupting what she knows would be the most spectacular match she’s ever made–her own.

Wagon Train Promises by Linda Ford

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1880s – Traveling

The heart knows no bounds.

Louise promised her dying mother that she would become a nurse and do her best to relieve suffering of the ill and injured. She sets out on a wagon-train journey for the West where she will provide care to those in need in the untamed territory. Even if she wasn’t already considered beyond marriageable age, her goals allow no room for romance. Seeing the attraction between her traveling companion and Cecil, she goes out of her way to nurture that relationship.

Cecil has always done his best to hide his sorrow at losing his mother and then his grandparents. Instead, he focuses on helping others. He accompanies his father and brother on the wagon train. Once his family is safely across the country, he intends to start a new life without the sad memories of the past and with the love of someone who will hear his heart.

Stranded by a flooding river and forced to work together, Cecil is attracted to Louise’s quiet strength. He finds himself telling her things he’s never told anyone else. But she maintains a distance, reluctant to accept anything more than his friendship. However, his selflessness and warmth awaken feelings she never expected, disrupting not only her own plans but also interfering with her matchmaking efforts.

Can Cecil find a way to convince her that his heart is hers alone? And ultimately obtain the home and belonging he desires?

Dare she surrender to what her heart yearns for, or will she cling to her belief that Cecil and her friend belong together? Can she find a way to keep her promise to her mother, and still accept the sweet love blossoming between herself and Cecil?

Calling on the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund

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1849 – Missouri

Haunted by the death of her sister, Finola Shanahan has resolved that she’s not worthy of a family of her own and commits to spending her days caring for immigrants in the slums. When Finola sabotages yet another unwanted relationship her parents arranged for her, her father calls upon the local Irish matchmaker, who pairs her with successful wagonmaker Riley Rafferty. Finola quickly realizes her usual tricks won’t work on him, however, as she cannot outsmart or outwit the dashing, determined, and daring man.

A candidate in the St. Louis mayoral election, Riley is confident a union with the wealthy Shanahan family will help solidify his chances of winning–and even more assured he and Finola can make a difference together. When a cholera outbreak begins to take St. Louis by storm, they must navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger testing all they know about love and sacrifice.

Match in the Making by Jen Turano

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1888 – Rhode Island

Miss Gwendolyn Brinley accepted a temporary paid companion position for the Newport summer season, believing it would be a lark to spend the summer in America’s most exclusive town. She suddenly finds her summer turning anything but amusing when her employer expects her to take over responsibilities as an assistant matchmaker. Tasked with the daunting prospect of attaining advantageous matches for her clients, Gwendolyn soon finds herself in the employ of Mr. Walter Townsend, the catch of the Season, but a gentleman Gwendolyn finds beyond irritating.

Walter Townsend is reluctantly in search of a wife for the sake of his unruly motherless children who cannot keep a governess for long. What he wasn’t expecting was Miss Brinley, an amateur matchmaker who turns his quest for a new wife into a complete and utter debacle. Constantly besieged by society ladies on a mission to win his affection, Walter must find a way to overcome their inundating attention–and his unexpected attraction toward Gwendolyn.

The more time they spend together throughout the Newport Season, the harder it is for Gwendolyn to find Walter a wife when she realizes his perfect match might be . . . her.

Never Romance a Rogue by Regina Scott

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1825 – England

He was supposed to marry her best friend, but he couldn’t say no to her.

No one has ever refused a request from Lady Belle Dryden. Her pretty face and winsome nature almost guarantee it, and the fact that she’s the youngest daughter of the Duke of Wey doesn’t hurt. So she’s certain when she plays matchmaker between her dearest friend, Miss Petunia Bateman, and the charming, mysterious Owen Canady, both will be only too happy to fall in love. After all, Belle feels herself falling for Owen already. A shame a duke’s daughter must marry someone more impressive.

Owen Canady is a gentleman by birth, a pauper by circumstance, and a con man by necessity. Life has taught him he can rely only on his wits and a fast horse to get by. But when he is blackmailed into ferreting out the secrets of the Duke of Wey at a house party at the duke’s lavish estate, he finds his resolve crumbling. Belle is everything that is right and good in the world. He cannot betray her.

As her father’s enemies grow more daring, Belle and Owen must work together to protect all they hold dear. When his own secrets are revealed, can Owen convince the lady who’s never heard no to say yes to him?

The Rancher’s Want Ad Mix-Up by Megan Besing

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1889 – Missouri

A mail-order mistake… Or a made-to-be match?

When Della Mae Wagner’s train arrives in Missouri, she’s shocked to find that the couple who hired her don’t just want a teacher for their grandsons but a wife for their son! After a broken engagement, marriage is not in Della’s plans. And Hank Lamson isn’t pleased—with his parents, with his unexpected guest or with Della’s unfairly appealing smile. But his plans to send her packing are foiled as his family comes to love her…and he feels the walls around his wounded heart start to fall.

Her Darling Mr. Day by Grace Hitchcock

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1883 – Louisiana

New Orleans’ most eligible bachelor insists he’s not on the market . . . but he couldn’t be more wrong.

Jilted in front of all New York, Theodore Day decides to lose himself in his family’s luxury riverboat business in New Orleans and compete against his brother to become the next company head. The brother with the most sales by summer’s end will win the position. Thanks to Theodore’s fame as a suitor in a socialite’s outlandish competition to find a husband, he has become very desirable royalty in Southern society and thus has an advantage.

It took Flora Wingfield’s best work to convince her family to summer in New Orleans, but with Teddy Day a bachelor once again, she’s leaving nothing to chance. Desperate to stand out from all the clamoring belles, Flora attempts a bold move that goes completely awry, only to find it’s her interior design skills that finally catch his notice.

But when Flora’s father’s matchmaking schemes come in the way of her plans, Teddy will have to decide where his happiness truly lies and what he is willing to sacrifice for it.

The Marshal’s Unexpected Bride by Christina Rich

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1868 – Kansas

He sent for a nanny…

and ended up with a mail-order bride.

Marshal Beau Garrett penned a desperate ad for a nanny to wrangle the five unruly children he inherited. So why is this society miss at his jail claiming to be his betrothed? Penelope Parker thought the mail-order bride ad was her salvation when she fled the city and an arranged marriage. Meddling matchmakers may be to blame for the mix-up, but no matter, she won’t go back. With one week to change Beau’s mind, she’ll just hike up her muddied skirts, tame the children and prove to her reluctant groom he needs a wife.

There All Along by Susanne Dietze

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Miss Match—Colorado, 1879

Brainy Grace Perkins applies scientific principles to play matchmaker for the singles in her small town. However, her hypothesis leaves out God’s role and matters of the heart, creating tangled results.

Love’s Reward—California, 1896

It was a joke, offering a monetary reward for the capture of a shy architect’s heart—but the game is on for every female in San Francisco except charity-minded Josie Price, who won’t compete for Daniel Blair’s affections. Just his bank account.

Crossed Lines by Jennifer Delamere

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1881 – England

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

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

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

 

What the Heart Wants by Virginia Wise

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1730s – Pennsylvania

Outgoing and irrepressible, young Christina has her choice of suitors. But she and her practical-minded older sister, Hilda, have built a thriving life in the rugged Pennsylvania backcountry. Hilda has given up her marriage dreams as foolish—and Christina vows she’ll never marry until she finds her sister a husband. So when two handsome newcomers arrive, Christina engages in a bit of secret matchmaking—with disastrous results . . .

Johan is used to hard work and overcoming obstacles. He’s instantly drawn to Christina’s lively nature—and agrees with her that his serious brother, Wilhelm, would be perfect for Hilda. But Christina’s selfless schemes are keeping her from seeing how much Johan really cares for her. And between mishaps, mistakes, and an unintentional masquerade, Christina and Johan will need to search their hearts to understand themselves, set things right—and embark on a future together . . .

Vying for the Viscount by Kristi Ann Hunter

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1817 – England

For Hudson, the newly titled Viscount Stildon, moving to England from India where he was born and raised was already an arduous enough endeavor. When he learns the fate of the racing empire he inherited along with his title depends upon him getting in the good graces of another stable owner, he’s even more at a loss.

The stable at the neighboring estate has been Miss Bianca Snowley’s refuge for years, and when a strange man appears to be stealing the horses, she jumps to their protection without a second thought. Upon learning Hudson is actually the new owner, she can’t help but be intrigued by the area’s newest eligible bachelor.

Any thought of romance is quickly set aside, however, when Hudson proposes they work together to secure suitable spouses for each other. As their friendship grows, Hudson and Bianca begin to reconsider what they truly want in life. But will societal expectations and the weight of their responsibilities keep them from pursuing their true desires?

A Reckless Love by Beth White

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1870 – Mississippi

In the fine tradition established by her Southern grandmama, Aurora Daughtry has recently orchestrated the marriage of her eldest sister and facilitated her middle sister’s engagement. She also rejoices in her part in transforming the family’s dilapidated plantation manor into a luxurious and lucrative resort hotel. Just when it seems there is nothing left to absorb her considerable talent for managing people, in walks federal deputy marshal Zane Sager.

But Zane is not at Daughtry House for a vacation. He’s tracking a killer and collecting two key witnesses to a federal judge’s murder.

Aurora takes it upon herself to disabuse the cynical lawman of his conviction that the world–and God in particular–is out to get him. But just as she’s on the verge of cracking Zane’s defenses, the man he is after reminds him that no one he loves is safe. Ever.

A Distant Heart by Heather Blanton

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1800s – Wyoming

Two wounded souls. One loving, relentless God.

Welcome to Burning Dress Ranch.

Miss Sally, the mysterious and secretive owner of Burning Dress, established the operation with a very particular mission—to make sure her charges leave with a real skill, and to share the love of Christ with their hurting, wounded souls.

Cecelia Huggins, broken by a bitter, shameful divorce, has come to Burning Dress to take control of her own destiny. She wants to work and learn. She doesn’t want friends, and she certainly doesn’t ever want to fall in love again.

Jax Taylor is foreman of the Burning Dress and he’s the perfect man for the job. Most of the ranch hands are women who are healing from some pretty tough blows. Just like them, he’s pushing past his own hurts and would prefer to drink poison rather than fall in love again.

Miss Sally has had some tough cases before but Cecelia and Jax maybe the toughest. How do you convince two stubborn hearts that the only way to find rest for their souls is to give in to love?

The Matchmaker’s Rogue by Regina Scott

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1804 – England

Grace-by-the-Sea: Where romance and adventure come home.

Polished Jesslyn Chance has one of the most enviable positions in the little Regency coastal village of Grace-by-the-Sea. She is the hostess of the spa, arranging introductions and entertainments and playing matchmaker to the ladies and gentlemen who come to take the waters, promenade through the shops, and dance at the assembly. But when a rogue returns from her past, Jess finds herself suddenly at sea.

Always an adventurer, Larkin Denby left Grace-by-the-Sea to right the wrongful death of his father. Now he’s back on a mission: to identify the mysterious Lord of the Smugglers who allegedly sails from Grace Cove and takes England’s secrets to France. But Grace-by-the-Sea is the perfect little spa town, run by the still oh-so-perfect Jesslyn Chance. When the village’s future is threatened, Jess must work with Lark to solve the mystery and protect the town’s own. In doing so, the matchmaker of Grace-by-the-Sea may just find that the best match for her is the rogue who stole her heart years ago.

The Telegraph Proposal by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham

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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?

Matchmaker Bride by Diana Brandmeyer

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1887 – Illinois

She’s the best matchmaker in town… Or is she?

Emmie Mueller is ready to join her family in Kansas as soon as her grandmother sells the boarding house. Her grandmother won’t leave until the bachelors living in the boarding house have a new home. Emmie has a plan to use her matchmaking skills to find wives for the men. Tables are turned when the bachelors attempt to match her with the newest man in town.

Wagon Train Matchmaker by Linda Ford

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1848 – New Mexico

Mary Mae Clark has learned the hard way not to trust what a man says. Broken promises have made her wary and now she only wants to return to Santa Fe to help her friend Sophia keep her wee son.

Warren Russell has been freighting on the Trail for four years. He likes it that way. No ties. No family. No love. He doesn’t deserve it after his neglect of his wife and small son resulted in their deaths.

But the accidental death of his best friend on the trail leaves Warren as guardian to the man’s ten-year-old niece, Polly. He gratefully accepts Mary Mae’s help with the child but only while they are on the trail. Then he and Polly will move on. Only Polly has other ideas. Matchmaking ideas…

Can Polly match Mary Mae and Warren in time for her to have a family for Christmas?

Frontier Matchmaker Bride by Regina Scott

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1875 – Washington

Successful Seattle matchmaker Beth Wallin has her most challenging assignment yet—find Deputy Hart McCormick a bride. Beth’s still smarting after the handsome lawman spurned her affections a year ago. But if she finds Hart a wife, Beth will gain favor with the city’s most influential women…and perhaps free her own heart, as well.

Marriage is the last thing on the deputy’s mind. After tragically losing his sweetheart, he vowed never to love again. But as sweet, spunky Beth introduces him to potential fiancées, Hart finally feels a spark…for her! The stubborn bachelor will be Beth’s first matchmaking miss, unless they can both admit that she just might be his perfect match.

Love from Afar by Penny Zeller

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1880s – Montana

Meredith Waller has an excellent reputation as a wedding dress seamstress in the frontier town of Ellis Creek in 1880s Montana Territory. There’s just one problem: all of the wedding dresses she has sewn have been for others. The eligible bachelor options—or at least decent eligible bachelor options—are next to nil in Ellis Creek, and Meredith worries spinsterhood is God’s plan for her.

Gabe Kleeman has recently returned to Ellis Creek after spending three years in Missouri assisting his uncle’s family with rebuilding their farm. Things haven’t changed much in Ellis Creek while Gabe was away. One thing hasn’t changed for certain: Gabe’s affection for Meredith Waller, a woman he’s admired from a distance since their former school days. But Meredith doesn’t know Gabe exists, and if Gabe doesn’t figure out a way to use the mouth God gave him to let her know his intentions, Meredith may never know.

When secret love letters are written in a clandestine plot to bring two lonely hearts together, will love from a distance finally bloom into matrimonial bliss for Gabe and Meredith?

(This novella originally appeared as part of the Secret Admirer Romance Collection).

Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas by Janice Hanna

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1800s – Texas

In the German community of Poetry, Texas, Belinda Bauer spies an opportunity. The tiny town is filled with loggers and railroad men in need of wives, so she sets herself up as a marriage broker. She writes little poems to be printed in newspapers all over the country, and, one by one, women begin to arrive in Poetry. There’s only one problem: Belinda doesn’t have a clue what she’s doing and all the brides marry the wrong men! One client is particularly unhappy. Georg Kaufman, the local barber, has lost more than one prospective wife to Belinda’s fumbled attempts. For some reason, she just can’t seem to find Georg’s perfect match, though it’s not for lack of trying. Is there a poetic ending in store for Georg and for Belinda herself?