Book picks similar to
Tainted Dreams by Christi Corbett
western-romance
western-historical
historical-romance
historical-fiction
Bountiful Creek: a legendary love story
Steven B. Weissman - 2012
Determined to find a way to build a life with her love, Wilby, Martha focuses her energies on acquiring enough money to buy a plot of land to turn into a small farm. Her obsession takes her far from quiet Bountiful Creek, Virginia, deep into Union territory in Ohio. When war breaks out, she immediately sets her course for home before Wilby leaves to join the Confederate Army; but a wealthy suitor, a gravely ill companion, and a thief challenge her efforts to reach him in time. Yet even if she can successfully overcome her obstacles, her life dangerously parallels an ill-fated legend that threatens to keep her and the man she loves apart forever.
Two Bits for Her King
Rebecca Dawn - 2017
She sees no other choice. She is forced to purchase a husband. With unwavering faith, she reluctantly follows a seemingly crazy prompting to bid on a huge, terrifyingly barbaric Irishman. Within hours of their wedding, she finds herself questioning her decision. He is a criminal with a violent past that she can only guess at, yet she witnesses his capacity for love and loyalty, and decides to trust in that prompting that had led her to choose him. Bought by a crazy lass for two bits. The old fellow with her is just as insane, he keeps calling her ‘Your Highness’. Patrick’s first thought is to relieve her of the money remaining in her bag and escape to find his brother and then a new life, but as the day progresses, he decides she needs him. She needs a husband and father for her brood of wee ones, and he can be that for her. He knows nothing will make up for the decisions made in the past, and after the loss of his own wife and child, he will never be able to love again, but he can protect and care for this family of heartbroken strays. ~The dangers of Frontier life, mail order brides,stepping into the unknown, trying to tame the wild west, struggling to survive and keep their ever growing families alive and well, disappointments, indians, bandits, deaths, and struggling with their own inner demons. The "Frontier Brides of Stormy Valley" series is Wild west romance at it's best! ~Nestled in a picturesque valley in Idaho Territory. The residents of Stormy Valley are a diverse handful of pioneers brimming with courage, strength, integrity and the spirit of adventure. Working together to turn their valley into a thriving community, growing ever richer for the friendships they’ve made and the trials they’ve overcome. ~Two Bits for Her King is the story of how it all began.~
The Gamble
LaVyrle Spencer - 1984
Scott Gandy has always been a gambling man, relying on his lazy Southern charm to smooth a way out of difficult situations. Hoping to make his fortune, he opens a saloon in Proffitt, Kansas. But he soon becomes a target of the prohibition movement, led by the owner of the hat shop next door to his establishment – the enchanting yet volatile Agatha Downing.The saloon keeper and the prim and proper milliner are hopeless adversaries… until the innocence of a child opens their eyes and hearts to each other.
Across a Moonswept Moor
Julie Moffett - 2001
Then a midnight visit to Celtic holy ground slid her into the seventeenth-century—and into the arms of the most gorgeous male she had ever seen. But after one clash with the stubborn man, Fiona longed only for her twentieth-century comforts.Instead she found herself pressed against Ian Maclaren, galloping across moonswept moors to escape death. The hot-blooded barbarian ordered her about as if she were a soldier. But his kisses left no doubt he thought of her as a woman, and soon she knew she would trade a thousand bubble baths for one of his sensual massages and give up chocolate to melt in one of his passionate embraces. For although she had traveled across three centuries into the past, it had taken only a moment for her heart to recognize she had met her match.
Mail Order Bride And The Gift of Children (A Western Historical Romance Book) (Evergreen Frontier)
Florence Linnington - 2020
Oregon Trail Dreamin' Series
Kathleen Ball - 2018
She takes her horse and rides to Independence Missouri to join a wagon train and start a new life. Mike Todd, the Wagon Master doesn’t allow single women to have their own wagons. It causes fights and distractions. Susan solves her problem by marrying Clancy Willis in name only. Unfortunately Clancy’s true nature doesn’t take long to show and Susan finds herself married to a drunkard. Along the trail, once again, Susan is forced to marry another man in name only and this time it is Mike Todd. As soon as they make it to Oregon they plan to have the marriage annulled but their hearts become hopelessly entangled. Mike Todd has two brothers to raise. They are guides on the wagon train and he decided long ago he’d raise them and forget about having a wife and child of his own. Both vow to sacrifice their hearts’ desire to give the other happiness. Will they come to realize their lives and love have only just begun? A Lifetime to Share Eli Todd is a tall, handsome captain of a wagon train bound for Oregon. Life has taught him if he allows people into his heart, he ends up losing them. Amelia Cruthers is a pretty, young woman with a limp. She's a hard worker who starts out the trip to Oregon with her parents, until they try to leave her behind. In shock, she watches them cross a river by ferry without her. Thankfully, the kind, strong Eli Todd takes her with him. Admiring her spunk and work ethic, he gives her a job cooking for the crew. After a fall from his horse, Amelia tends him and he realizes she is sweetness on earth. Her parents demand he marry Amelia, since she spent time alone with him, nursing him. Eli figures why not? He won't be home most of the year anyway, and Amelia could have a safe place to live on his ranch. What could possibly go wrong? Amelia never thought to be married. She'd been told her hip was too hideous for a man to look upon and that she couldn't have children. The distance they try to place between them doesn't work, leaving them both hurt with longings that could never be fulfilled. But there are secrets, and when they realize they'd been lied to, do they take the leap at a lifetime to share? A Love Worth Searching For Jed Todd has been looking for Lily since the day she was abducted along the Oregon Trail. This time he is the wagon master. Word comes that his trapper friends have found and bought Lily for him. He rides fast and fierce to get to her and is relieved to find her in one piece. The way he felt about her before she'd been stolen wasn't a figment of his imagination. From the moment he saw her again, he knew his love was real. Lily isn't well received by the others on the wagon train and realizes that having a relationship with Jed would only hinder him in life. He'd never be accepted in polite society. Once in Oregon, she plans to leave for Washington territory to live alone. Attempts on her life and the life of a young girl make Lily realize that she and Jed share a love worth searching for. So Many Roads to Choose It’s finally time for Smitty to settle down after all of his trips on the Oregon Trail. He has Lynn and a houseful of orphans but he also had a wife, he’s always been faithful to. Brenda lied and said she was with child, Smitty’s child over ten years ago. It’s time to dissolve their marriage.
The Trap
Mary Jane Staples - 1993
The house was owned by Henry Mullins, big, burly, and a hard drinker. Henry made life hell for his four stepchildren who looked half-starved and frequently got bashed. Seventeen-year-old Kitty was the one Jamie felt most sorry for. She took the brunt of Henry Mullins' bad temper whilst trying to protect her sisters and brother. When Mullins suddenly died - in somewhat suspicious circumstances - Kitty realised they could be in trouble. If she wasn't careful the authorities would take the younger children away - split the family up. She wasn't having that, not after all they'd gone through, and nice, kind Jamie Blair was the one to save them. Too late Jamie found himself with a ready-made family and a stubborn and fiery young termagant called Kitty who was determined not to let him go.
The Waverly Women Series
Marion Chesney - 2014
Beaton—including The First Rebellion, Silken Bonds, and The Love Match. The First Rebellion (Book 1): The Earl of Tredair had had his fill of silly misses, and he despaired of finding anyone extraordinary—that is, until he met Miss Fanny Waverley. She and her two sisters had been raised to encourage poor females to stand up against the iniquities of the male sex! The beautiful and farouche Miss Fanny, however, found it hard to think of all men as cruel and lustful beasts—how could she, when now she found herself longing to kiss one of the most hated of his breed! Silken Bonds (Book 2): Frederica chafed at her restricted life as Mrs. Waverly’s adopted daughter, though she did agree with Mrs. Waverly’s philosophy. She knew that until men stopped preferring lisping dimwits over intellectual equals, Frederica would be better off without them. Still, the recent elopement of her sister sparked a fire in Frederica’s well-educated head. So it was that she was ripe for Lord Harry Danger’s charms, and he in turn was smitten from the moment he rescued her from a pack of drunken thugs. Now if he would only treat her as his equal—and stop his incessant flirting! The Love Match (Book 3): By day Felicity championed women’s rights, but by night she dreamed of romance. She was the secret author of a scandalous new novel—the tale of a lady “rake” and her passionate exploits. Yet one titled gentleman grew more and more intrigued with this headstrong young woman, and Felicity would soon learn that real life could be infinitely more interesting (and stranger) than fiction. About the Author M.C. Beaton is the pen name of bestselling novelist Marion Chesney. She is a prolific writer of historical romances and small village mysteries. Born in Scotland, the author began her writing career as a fiction buyer for a Glasgow bookstore and has worked as a theater critic, newspaper reporter, and editor. The author has written under various names, most notably as M.C. Beaton for her Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin series. She has also written under the names Sarah Chester, Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Marion Gibbons, Jennie Tremaine, and Charlotte Ward. The author lived in the United States, but now splits her time between the Cotswolds, England, and Paris, France. About the Series Waverly women pursue their aspirations no matter what the obstacle. They may marry if the cause seems to suit the purpose, or they may flirt until their heart is content—or perhaps until the gentleman who has until then proven to be the most elusive of all is clearly within reach. No matter what the obstacle, none is too big for a Waverly woman. These are books of dreams, lessons, fanciful thoughts, and most of all, tales of girls grown now to women who won’t settle for anything less than their full dreams, impossible as they may seem at the outset.
Lucille, A Lucky Bride
Hildie McQueen - 2017
Lucille Ash travels west with her mistress expecting to continue a life of servitude. However, her entire existence changes upon arriving in Montana. No longer a maid, she is free to make choices about her future. One thing she’s certain of is that she will never choose the infuriating Tobias as her husband. Through the haze of sorrow after losing his mother, Tobias Hamilton still notices the stunning new woman in town and decides to marry her. When he announces his intentions, the feisty woman swiftly rejects him. How to convince her of his true feelings when he is not sure himself? Although transformation can happen, sometimes it takes more strength than one can ever imagine.
The Tenderfoot Bride
Cheryl St. John - 2002
She's young. Timid. And entirely inappropriate for the hardships and workload she's hired to handle. And she has secrets...
Solitary Horseman
Deborah Camp - 2016
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.
Last Chance Mail Order Bride: Violet's Cowboy (Westward Wanted Book 4)
Crystal Anne Tilden - 2014
She felt it was foolhardy for a woman to leave everything behind to marry a man she had never met. However, when her greedy fiancé Ned jilted her for a rich woman, her friend convinced her to answer an ad. Soon she was exchanging letters with a nice widower who wanted to wed her. For months, they wrote to each other. All his letters were charming, except the last one. It contained an ultimatum: marry him now or never. He could wait no longer. She wrote back that she would come right away, but she did not. Instead, when the time came, she turned in her ticket to Texas and posted an apologetic letter to the widower breaking off their engagement. When Ned heard Violet stayed, he accused her of holding a torch for him and offered to make her his mistress. Violet scoffed at his lewd offer and his vile conceit. In a flash he was in her face, pointing out that a strong-willed 27-year-old servant was too old, too poor, and too disagreeable to find a husband in man-starved postwar Georgia. He predicted she would live out her life, a spinster dwelling in the servants’ quarters while she pined away for what might have been. That was all it took for her to pen another letter asking the widower to forgive her fickleness, and informing him she was on her way. There was no way Ned was going to ruin her dreams. She left on the very next stagecoach bound for Texas. Her fury kept her doubts and fears at bay for some time, but when the road got rough as they travelled farther and farther into the frontier, she regretted leaving Atlanta. When she really thought about it, being a spinster seemed like a pleasant carefree lifestyle and the servants’ quarters a safe haven. Her rationalization was for naught; it was too late to turn back. Certain she had left the frying pan for the fire, she stared out the window of the stagecoach as it rattled down the bumpy dirt road heading to her uncertain future. What if the widower would not have her? This is the second edition. Each book of the Westward Wanted Series can serve as a stand-alone novel because the main characters do not carry over from the previous books. In each, new main characters take up the torch while the lives of many of the former characters continue to develop within the story. Last Chance Mail Order Bride: Violet’s Cowboy is a sweet Western romance by Crystal Anne Tilden, author of the Best-Selling Christian Westerns: Mail Order Bride: Savannah’s Cowboy, Nobody’s Mail Order Bride: Adeline, and Mail Order Bride: Carrie and the Cowboy.
Mail Order Ruby
Teresa Ives Lilly - 2020
To escape that lifestyle, Ruby answers a mail order bride ad of a man in Waterhole, Texas looking for someone with upstanding morals to help clean up his town.When Ruby arrives in town, dressed in a saloon gown and toting her younger brother, Timmy, Seth thinks he's been duped and the last thing he wants is a child in his life, having recently lost his own.Will time spent together prove to him that Ruby is who she said she was and can Seth learn to love again?
Cherish
Catherine Anderson - 1998
He is now a rugged, respectable rancher, but it's a solitary life. Then Fate leads Race to an earthbound angel—lost and alone' the sole survivor of an outlaw attack—and even his hardened heart is moved. He sweeps the ivory-skinned beauty into his arms and carries her away from danger.
A Woman to Cherish
When innocent Rebecca Morgan wakes up in a stranger's embrace, her life has been changed forever. Race's touch makes her blood sing and stirs up emotions in her she never knew existed. But this man has a fearsome reputation. And though her life may depend on him, can she trust him? Is it love she sees in her rescuer's dark eyes.?
Harper's Bride
Alexis Harrington - 1997
But what is considered a practical payoff soon becomes a passionate romance, as the woman discovers a warm heart behind the prospector's cold exterior. And when the deadbeat dad returns to collect what he feels is rightfully his their lives will change forever!