Book picks similar to
The Stranger by Elizabeth Lane


western
historical-romance
historical
western-romance

The Wedding Raffle


Geralyn Dawson - 1996
    True, the thrice-widowed beauty's elaborate plan to lure him to her remote ranch is a little unethical, but she'll make it up to him. Or so she thinks.Captain Luke Prescott, a renowned ex-Texas Ranger and bona fide hero, can't help but find his suspicions (among other things) aroused by the town's mysterious widow. But when he wins Honor's raffle for a valuable racehorse and arrives to collect, he soon discovers he wants a different kind of prize altogether. Honor doesn't want to sacrifice her heart, but Luke has the means to force her hand. After all, he holds the winning ticket.

Sunrise Song


Kathleen Eagle - 1996
    Now a tragic crime has brought Michelle Benedict into his life. A beautiful woman seeking the truth, it is her courage and indomitable spirit that rekindle the lost fire in Zane's heart — drawing them into a decades-old mystery of a lost boy, a dark place, and a daring passion. For in the beautiful, terrible secrets of a shrouded past, another love holds the key to their destiny together — and to a promise of devotion, desire, and honor that must stand for all time.

Lonestar's Lady


Deborah Camp - 2017
    His name fit him perfectly. It fed every fantasy that Gussie Horton had conjured about Indians and forbidden love. His neighbors whispered that he was a murdering half-breed, which was true. But Gussie believed in second chances, and more importantly, her heart told her to believe in Max Lonestar. Was she a fool to hitch her wagon to his star? Would he be her one true love or her final downfall?

The Chef's Mail Order Bride


Cindy Caldwell - 2015
    She'd been raised to bake in her parents' bakery, and after their deaths, she had planned to carry on the family tradition. Devastated to find out she was losing her family's business, she needed something to do to support herself. When she received a letter from her twin sister's husband in Arizona Territory, suggesting she come out to be the bride of his best friend who was opening a restaurant, it seemed like the perfect solution to her problems. Tripp had gone to the best culinary school in the country, and he knew exactly how to create the perfect meal. He spent hours and hours coming up with just the right menu for his restaurant, only to be told he couldn't get a loan for it unless he married. When his best friend came up with the solution of sending for his baker sister-in-law, it only made sense. Her ideas of the perfect menu were different than his, though. Would the two be able to stay together long enough to convince the bank he was a good risk? Would Sadie be able to convince Tripp that the two of them belonged together after all?

Caine's Reckoning


Sarah McCarty - 2007
    Caine Allen is a hardened Texas Ranger, definitely not the marrying kind. But when he rescues a kidnapped woman and returns her to town, the preacher calls in a favor. One Caine's honor won't let him refuse. From the moment he beds Desi, Caine knows turmoil will follow. Desi might have the face of a temptress, but she also has a will of iron and while she needs his protection, she's determined that no man will control her again. They establish an uneasy bond, but it isn't enough for Caine. He wants all Desi has to offer. He wants her screams, her moans, her demands...everything. Yet there's still a bounty on Desi's head, and keeping her sexually satisfied is proving easier than keeping her alive.

Train Station Bride


Holly Bush - 2012
    Julia strikes out on her own to gain independence, traveling to the Midwest to marry an aging shopkeeper and care for his mother. Julia finds her new home rough and uncivilized after the sophistication of a big city, while closely held secrets threaten to ruin Julia’s one chance at love. Jake Shelling was sixteen and grew up quick when his parents died from influenza on the South Dakota prairie. Left with a half-cleared farm and two young sisters, he spent little time on his own needs . .till now. At thirty-five, he figured it was high time to have some sons and a mail order bride would suit him just fine. No expectations of love, just a helpmate from sturdy stock, ready for farm life. Will fate and chance play a trick on Julia and Jake?

Reese


Lori Handeland - 2001
    Mary hires Reese, the mysterious, and reluctant, leader of a band of deadly Confederate veterans, to protect them.Reese is haunted by the war and what he did during it. The only constant in his life are the five men willing to come to his side whenever he calls them.Though Mary prides herself on managing everyone and anything, she can't manage Reese or her feelings for him. Reese doesn't believe he is worthy of loyalty and devotion; he certainly isn't worthy of love. In Rock Creek, with Mary, he learns differently.

The Courtship of Izzy McCree


Ruth Langan - 1998
    So she traded her lonely Eastern existence for life in a mountain cabin with her rugged mail-order husband and his brood. But could she ever put her haunting secrets behind her and become a 'real' wife?Between raising four children and training wild stallions, Matt Prescott had no idea how to court a woman again. Especially not a shy beauty like Isabella. Yet when he looked into her blue-green eyes he saw strength - as well as a pain that mirrored his own - and knew he'd somehow find the way to her heart.

Lakota Surrender


Karen Kay - 1994
    Tahiska, a Lakota warrior, arrives at a Kansas cavalry outpost to avenge his father's murder, but when he finds the beautiful Kristina Bogard there, his rage is replaced by desire.

Scarred Mail-Order Bride and the Widower


Amelia Rose - 2020
    Desperate for a brighter future, she responds to a mail order bride ad, and soon the Deputy of Daisy Creek is her shimmer of light in the darkness.Deputy Bill Paulson knows grief too. When his wife died in childbirth, he thought he would never find happiness again. Encouraged by his sister, Bill finally begins his search for a wife: he knows his children need a mother, and Jill’s letters are a beacon of hope.Jill finally makes the journey to Daisy Creek to meet the deputy. With her anxiety about her scars and Bill’s grief about his wife, their union is a gamble for both of them, and they’re surprised by their instant connection.But no matter how strong a bond, sometimes reality is hell-bent on testing it, and events soon show that the pair’s trials aren’t over. With a crisis that triggers each of their worst fears, the couple is thrown into turmoil.But they have one thing they didn’t have before: each other. Could it be that this is enough to get them through?Scarred Mail Order Bride and the Widower is a heart wrenching story of two lost souls determined to find love and correct the course of their future.

His Lady Bride


Shelley Bradley - 2000
    So he threw down his sword and walked away, to live a solitary life, cultivating a reputation as a sorcerer. But his prized tranquility was shattered when the villagers brought him a bride. Gwenyth de Auburd was a raven-haired beauty too impudent to ignore and too tempting to resist. When the war raging around them sucked Aric into his past again, he also fought a losing battle against his undeniable desire for the luscious, willful maiden . . . only to learn that he had come to cherish as his wife. Contains mature themes.

After The Ashes


Cheryl Howe - 2003
    After the death of her mother, she follows her younger brother out west, hoping for a fresh start with her last living relative. Instead she finds a ruthless bounty hunter looking for the brother she knows she must protect at all costs. She doesn't expect the price to be losing her heart to a man who promises her nothing but shared passion.Christopher Braddock wants information more than the bounty of a bumbling kid who got mixed up with the outlaw Braddock has been searching for since the war. But when his prey's sister tries to throw him off her brother's trail, Braddock isn't noble enough to not let her try. What he doesn't expect is the spark that brings his body, and worse, his numbed emotions back to life. His unexpected feelings for Lorelei has Braddock crossing the line from bounty hunter to outlaw. He'll do whatever it takes to keep Lorelei safe, including breaking her heart.

The Marriage Bed


Stephanie Mittman - 1996
    Set on the Williamson Farm in 1897 Wisconsin, we are introduced to Olivia and Spencer on their wedding night.  Spencer's life has been beset with tragedy; Olivia is his second wife and a poor consolation prize for a man whose family was torn from him by Scarlet Fever.  Olivia has been a friend and neighbor to him throughout his life and she has been in love with Spencer for as long as she can remember.  Now she only wants to make him happy again and to help replace some of what he has lost.  Fighting his growing love for Olivia, Spencer makes terrible and hurtful mistakes, pushing Olivia away before he is finally able to court his wife and to accept the love she offers-- and to give love in return.

Eden Creek


Lisa Bingham - 1991
    Readers looking for a poignant, charming tale will find their wish fulfilled in EDEN CREEK.”—Romantic Times After a devastating betrayal leaves Ginny Parker broken and alone, she hastily agrees to marry a man she’s never met and start a new life in Eden Creek, Utah. Orrin Ghant only wants a woman to help raise his three daughters, and a companion with whom to share life in the Utah wilderness. But upon the arrival of Ginny, he soon finds his new wife has brought with her more than he could have hoped. As they slowly settle into their new lives together, Orrin never expects to fall so deeply for Ginny’s sweet smile and gentle charm, nor does Ginny expect to find such comfort in Orin’s strong embrace and the tranquility of Eden Creek. But while their marriage of convenience blossoms into true love, secrets from the past loom over them, testing the bounds of their fragile new beginning.

Night in Eden


Candice Proctor - 1997
    After being transported to a penal colony in New South Wales while pregnant, Bryony gives birth to her child, then loses it to fever. Captain Hayden St. John collects her from the prison so that she can become a wet nurse for his son. Grief stricken over the loss of his wife, Hayden is bitter and untrusting. Bryony, fearful and angry at her fate, finds much to resent in Hayden, but his child offers her a new will to live. Although Hayden and Bryony fight their attraction, their union is so deeply passionate that it seems nothing can threaten their happiness until Bryony's past comes to haunt her.