When the opportunity arises via a newspaper ad, she and her best friend slip away from their oppressive fathers and head for Richmond. Neither can relax until they’re far away from their tiny hometown. With wealthy young widow Lydia Harrison’s help, Josephine and six other young women have a new life waiting in Tarnation, Texas. Michael Buchanan is fairly content running his mercantile and being mayor of Tarnation. The town is dusty and tiny, but it’s growing. He believes it holds all he needs to be happy—except a wife. There are no available women in town, but he hopes Lydia Harrison’s Bride Brigade will offer a woman he can wed. He is immediately attracted to Josephine. But Josephine has every reason to mistrust men in general and politicians in particular. Will her misgivings ruin her chance at happiness?

    Since then, guilt and regret have made him impervious to love. But when he rescues a family of would-be homesteaders attacked by the notorious Deckom gang, one of the sisters shines a light on his cold, locked-down heart.The last thing Brady deserves is happiness, and he fights his unwelcome feelings for Belle. Which is fine with her, since she'll never let herself care for another lawman—even one as wonderful as Brady.Heat level 3/5: contains some violence, minor cursing, and not-so-minor kissing.

     Book One: A Valentine's Choice Book Two: An Irish Blessing Book Three: A Rolling Stone A VALENTINE'S CHOICE Bridget O’Donnell left Ireland, dragging along her reluctant twin sister Alana, to create a better life in the new world. The sisters travel to Sweetwater Springs, Montana, intending to live with their uncle’s family. Upon arrival, their plans are derailed by news of their aunt’s illness. James Whitson, a cowboy on the Thompson ranch, is in town to drop off a letter at the train station. When he meets the twins, he’s immediately smitten with Bridget. Hearing their dilemma, he offers to drive the sisters to the ranch to stay with their cousin who’s married one of the other cowboys. Also visiting the ranch is horse breeder Patrick Gallagher. Bridget is attracted to Patrick, for his dark, handsome looks and magnificent black stallion, but is also drawn to down-to-earth James for his kindness and understanding. Valentine’s Day is coming, and soon Bridget will have to choose between her two suitors. AN IRISH BLESSING Healer Alana O’Donnell travels to her uncle’s home on the prairie outside of Sweetwater Springs to nurse her ailing aunt, leaving her twin Bridget behind at the Thompson ranch. After Bridget rejected his marriage proposal, horse rancher Patrick Gallagher visits Alana, thinking one twin would probably be as good as the other. But Alana’s already in love with the man she left behind in Ireland. An attack by outlaws leads to a second chance at love. But only if they can overcome the hurts of the past and open their hearts again. A ROLLING STONE Abandoned by the father of her illegitimate baby and pretending to be a widow, Catriona O’Donnell leaves Ireland to find her twin sisters in America. She intends to put her wild past behind her and, once united with her sisters, establish roots and make a home for her unwanted child. Moss Callahan has a bad case of wanderlust, drifting from job to job on a quest for new horizons and interesting adventures. On the point of moving on from Sweetwater Springs, Montana, he encounters Catriona, who faints into his arms, forcing him to return to the Thompson ranch. Moss feels responsible for the beautiful widow and her baby, and his attraction to her grows. But his wooing won’t be easy, for Catriona is bitter and wants nothing to do with men, especially handsome rascals who won’t settle down. THE MONTANA SKY SERIES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER Sweet historical Western Romance 1892 Beneath Montana’s Sky 1886 Mail-Order Brides of the West: Trudy Mail-Order Brides of the West: Lina Mail-Order Brides of the West: Darcy Mail-Order Brides of the West: Prudence Mail-Order Brides of the West: Bertha 1890s Grace: Bride of Montana Wild Montana Sky Starry Montana Sky Stormy Montana Sky Montana Sky Christmas A Valentine’s Choice An Irish Blessing A Rolling Stone Painted Montana Sky Glorious Montana Sky Healing Montana Sky Sweetwater Springs Scrooge Sweetwater Springs Christmas Mystic Montana Sky Singing Montana Sky My Girl Bright Montana Sky Montana Sky Justice A Late-B

    Love Takes Courage.He’s known her his whole life, but he never really knew her until she revived in him emotions he thought had died on the Civil War battle fields.The Civil War is over, but the battles continue. Callum Latimer returned from the war to a life he didn’t want and with inner battle scars he can’t heal. Banner Payne clutched desperately to the remaining shreds of the life she’d known, but she is losing her grip. Brought together by bad luck and cruel twists of fate, Callum and Banner forge a partnership they hope will keep them afloat even as neighboring Texas ranchers go under and their land is snapped up by opportunists. Fate smiles on them and Callum and Banner find the missing pieces of themselves in each other. Healing begins as their hearts are awakened. Now they must remain strong in their determination to forge a more peaceful existence and not be poisoned by the bitterness of a country still divided.

    everything a romance should be--funny, tender and charming." ~Jill Barnett, NYT Bestselling Author"I really loved this book!" ~Kat Martin, NYT Bestselling Author

    Then Shay's world is truly shaken be lovely Aislinn Lethaby, a hotel worker who impulsively steps in to rescue him from danger! Is she a sweet distraction from his serious duties--or the answer to his lonely heart?

    He was a lawman who had turned in his badge after failing to protect the innocent. Two unmistakable callings. One unmistakable love. READERS' FAVORITE FIVE STAR REVIEW Idaho Territory-1888 She was a doctor seeking justice for her town. He was a lawman who had turned in his badge after failing to protect the innocent. Idaho Territory-1888 DREAMS OF AN EDUCATED WOMAN Kat Meriwether left her hometown of Snowberry in Idaho Territory as a tomboy with a saucy reputation as a fighter of bullies, but she returns as an educated woman polished by four years in Boston. Throughout those years she's kept her mind on her studies, avoiding romantic entanglements that might hinder her from achieving her goals. NIGHTMARES OF AN EX-TEXAS RANGER Jonathan Winthrop, is a haunted man, running from his own tormented past. Snowberry offers him a chance to start over, but lawless men are changing the once peaceful town, and innocents will die without a defender. LOVE CAN ALTER THEM ALL Young medical school graduate, Dr. Kat Meriwether, doesn't like what she finds upon returning home, but she also finds a good man whose sense of justice is as strong as hers. Together they would find not only their unmistakable callings, but an undeniable love.

    Willow Creek may be a sleepy little frontier town but the characters who live there are as untamed as the land itself! Book 1: The Lawman On the run from her ex-lover… Jilted by a no-show husband… And now mistaken for a whore in the Diamond Back Saloon… Abigail Thornton doesn’t think things can get any worse. That is until a single slap to a man’s face starts a barroom brawl that lands her in the last place she expected to be. Book 2: The Outlaw Sarah Hartford always dreamed of a grand adventure. She just never expected to find it in the arms of an outlaw. Book 3: The Gambler Emmaline Hunt only had one thing she could call her own. A piece of land that held a secret not even her drunken stepfather knew about. When he gambles it away in a high stakes poker game, Emmaline hatches a plan to get it back. She wants her land, and Tristan Averys money, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get them. All she has to do is convince him she’s there to stay, outwit him, find a way back home and not let a single soul know she has a gold mine bursting at the seems with untapped wealth. Book 4: The Rancher Laurel Montgomery wanted a new life, one that didn’t include a man. She’d had enough of their pretty lies and broken promises but one night of reckless abandon weeks before taking a job as the new schoolteacher in Willow Creek would come back to haunt her. The man she thought to never see again turns out to be the father of one of her new students. A man so handsome and rugged he takes her breath away. Too bad she’s sworn off men forever. If only the stubborn man would take no for an answer.

    Marshal Lucas McKenna has brought down some of the most notorious outlaws in the West. Now he’s on a personal mission: hunting the woman who killed his brother. Antoinette Sutton is running for her life. The evidence against her is overwhelming—and no one will believe the truth about what happened. Lucas captures the dark-haired beauty in Colorado, but before he can take her back to Missouri to stand trial, the two are snowbound in a remote mining town. During the firelit nights of a Rocky Mountain winter, lawman and prisoner are caught in a dance of danger…and desire.An RWA RITA Award Finalist: Best Historical Romance of the Year"Fast-paced and poignant. One of the best romances of the year." -The Oakland Press"Refreshing. Capable and strong characters, true emotion...this is a much better offering in the western romance department than many I have read, and if you've been looking to try a novel in this genre, I recommend this one." -AllAboutRomance.com"Shelly Thacker's masterful handling of complex emotions is as impressive as her storytelling ability. This fresh, intriguing, sensual tale is just what romance readers are looking for. 4-1/2 stars (highest rating)" -RT Book ReviewsOriginally published by Dell under the title Into the Sunset. This Author's Preferred Edition has been revised by the author and includes new scenes never before published.

    To help quell the riots against Chinese immigrants that have settled in Durango, Angie relies on her education and wits in appealing to the governor for assistance. The governor sends help in the form of Lance Kincaid, a charismatic gentleman who became a ranger to avenge the murder of the woman he loved. While working to resolve the current upheaval, Lance catches the trail of the murderer. Nothing will stop him from catching the killer and bringing him to justice, except perhaps Angie, the mysterious woman who looks eerily like his lost love.

    An unknown future. An unending love. Determined to tame her younger brother’s rebellious streak, McKenna Ashford accepts her cousin’s invitation to move west, and to begin again. But she quickly discovers that life in Copper Creek, Colorado, is far from what she expected. Shouldering burdens beyond her years, McKenna tries to be the parent Robert needs, instead of the older sister he resents. But an “untimely inheritance” challenges her resolve at every turn, while also offering a second chance to restore her sense of trust—and perhaps even her heart.  U.S. Marshal Wyatt Caradon is dedicated to bringing fugitives to justice, yet years of living on the trail have taken their toll. When his path intersects with that of McKenna, he comes face-to-face with a past he never wanted to relive—and the one woman who can help him find the future he’s been longing for.As McKenna struggles to let go of her independence and Wyatt considers opening his heart again, they discover an inheritance beyond imagination. But it will come at a price.

    They swore to be best friends forever, but could that love be rekindled and save them both after life had treated them both so badly? Mariner Jones was the new Marshall sent to clean up the town and Jenny Carson had thrown herself into building the ranch for her son after a blow that sent her into a dark place. Friendship kept them on a quest to find the truth, put them all in danger, made them fight for what was right. But could that friendship be love that had never really gone away? "The Marshall's Second Chance" is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after. Get This Book FREE With Kindle Unlimited!

    But there is no romance in being pursued by a man who wants her dead for educating the children of former slaves. Unlike the heroines she reads about she doesn't have a trusty companion to rescue her...until she literally runs into A.J. Adams, a former Confederate cavalry officer. Now, she just has to convince A.J. he really is the honorable man and hero depicted in the dime novel she is reading.Branded a "traitor" for more than ten years, scarred by harsh treatment in an inhumane prisoner of war camp, A.J. Adams wants revenge. Allison Webster's arrival into his life provides the bait to destroy the men who murdered his wife and daughters and kidnapped his little brother. The men pursuing Allison are the very same men he has sworn to kill. Falling in love and admitting he might actually be a hero means surrendering his need for vengeance. Surrender is not part of A.J.'s battle strategy.

    A family to save. A love that can’t be.When Emma Daniels’ well-to-do family finds itself destitute, she answers an ad for the Gilbert Company seeking young women to be waitresses at hotel restaurants along remote railroad lines out west. The rules for a Gilbert Girl are strict: work hard, act respectably at all times, and no courting allowed. None of them present a problem for Emma, at least until she meets the hotel’s builder, Monroe Hartley. His smile and teasing manner were the last things Emma expected to find on the Colorado frontier. But as intriguing as he is, Emma would be risking her job – and her family’s lives – if she allowed his attentions.Building this hotel for the Gilbert Company is the perfect opportunity for Monroe. Not only will it advance his career, it barely gives him a moment to drown in guilt over his wife’s death. When Emma arrives, he finds himself drawn to her. But he can’t promise her anything, not unless he wants her to end up with the same fate his wife suffered.Giving in to their feelings would mean losing everything, yet they find themselves growing closer as the summer stretches on. When a man who covets Monroe’s job discovers their secret and threatens to reveal it, they must each decide whether their love is worth uprooting everything they’ve worked so hard for.Building Forever is the first book in the new Gilbert Girls series. Like all of Cat's books, this sweet and clean historical romance will warm your heart and fill you with hope.

    Dedicating his life to bringing criminals to justice, he's on the trail of Tyler Boone, an escaped outlaw and killer.Jake and Maddie lock horns when Jake shows up at Maddie's homestead and announces he's staying until he captures Tyler. But living in close quarters exposes emotions and feelings they had both thought long dead, and brings danger, sorrow and love, forcing them both to question the past, and eventually, to trust in the future.