Book picks similar to
Return to Ruby's Ranch by Rhonda Frankhouser


contemporary-romance
western
freebie
indie-romance

The Whitlock Trilogy


Allen Kent - 2019
    Set in the tumultuous 1860s and 70s of the American frontier, "River of Light and Shadow," "Wild Whistling Blackbirds," and "Suzanna's Song" reflect the energy, tension, romance, and adventure that defined the nation's westward expansion. Kent's talents as a successful writer of best-selling thrillers combines with his intense passion for historical accuracy as he propels the Whitlock family and his readers through Missouri's bloody Mormon Wars, the fracturing years of the war between the states, and the period of greed, prejudice, and courage that shaped the opening of the West.

Dealing with the Duchess


J.R. Salisbury - 2016
    As a widow, she has certain freedoms other women do not. But she has neither the time nor inclination to look for dalliance. She’s much too busy overseeing the very special properties left to her by the late duke—including the elite gaming hell known as Dante’s Inferno. Until another nobleman returns to London and reminds her that she is still a young, passionate woman.The Duke of Evermont, has returned from his sugar plantations in the Caribbean. His life is full running his estates and seeing to his investments. The last thing he’s searching for is a wife. That is until he sees Eleanor again, and other society beauties fade in comparison. The last time he saw her, Eleanor was walking down the aisle to another man. This time, Evermont is determined not to let the beautiful and vibrant lady slip through his hands. Fortunately for him, the duchess turns to him for help—and he’s more than willing to sweep her under his ducal cloak of protection. Whether his assistance is required in shielding her from members of society foolish enough to gamble away their fortunes, or from the heartless schemes of her own father—Evermont will do what it takes to show her their future together is a sure thing.

Hope Eternal Ranch Romance: Three Sweet Contemporary Western Romances


Elana Johnson - 2021
    You'll get HOPEFUL COWBOY, OVERPROTECTIVE COWBOY, and RUGGED COWBOY, all of which feature a cowboy looking for a second chance at life, love, and happiness. These redemptive romances will have you swooning, sighing, and remembering that everyone deserves a second chance to make things right.Hopeful Cowboy: He's struggling to step into his new role as a single dad. She's trying to keep her ranch operational and her heart intact. Can Nate and Ginger build forever out of heartache?Overprotective Cowboy: Can Ted and Emma face their pasts so they can truly be ready to step into the future together? Or will everything between them fall apart once the truth comes out?Rugged Cowboy: He's a cowboy mechanic with two kids and an ex-wife on the run. She connects better to horses than humans. Can Dallas and Jess find their way to each other at Hope Eternal Ranch?Almost 600 reviews on the individual books!From Hopeful Cowboy, Book 1:★★★★★ "Once again, Elana Johnson delivers a spellbinding story full of hope." ~BradTL3, Amazon reviewer★★★★★ "Fantastic book: Elana Johnson starts this series with a very heartwarming story about a participant in a residential reentry program. The plot has enough intrigue and twists to hold your interest and makes one wonder how the characters would work things out in the end. The growth shown in the main characters with trust issues was definitely worth reading." ~Sandy, Amazon reviewer★★★★★ "Simply a great read! I loved this book! I felt as though I was right there on the ranch with them." ~Lynne, Amazon reviewer

Clara's Song


Kitty Margo - 2015
    This much she knows. What she doesn’t know is what other gifts will be revealed when she turns eighteen in a few months. While her grandmother has been diligent in her efforts to prepare her for the inevitable changes to come, Clara can focus on precious little besides the devilishly handsome man she met at her coming out ball. Secure in the knowledge that she has a bright future ahead of her, the future Clara discovers is one that she could never have conjured in her wildest dreams.

A Second Chance Summer


Katharine E. Smith - 2018
    How will he react to her return, and what changes have the intervening ten years meant for them both? Still recovering from a toxic relationship, Alice realises she has allowed life to become too predictable, while Julie has just ended things with the man she was due to marry. The two friends decide to throw caution to the wind; coming back to Cornwall, where they spent a long, happy summer before life got serious. As they return to the same small flat in the centre of town, and seasonal jobs at the Sail Loft Hotel, Alice harbours both hopes and fears of finding Sam, while Julie is determined to enjoy the freedom she’s been missing. A lot can change in ten years, though, as their friend Luke - now a handsome, successful businessman – proves. Back in Cornwall himself to spend time with his seriously ill mum, he and Julie form a close relationship. Alice is worried that her friend is making a huge mistake and, all-but-abandoned, starts to spend time with single mum Casey. Sam, meanwhile, proves elusive but slowly reveals that, although he appears not to have changed at all, the previous decade has been eventful for him, too. It's not all about the boys, though. Alice and Julie's strong, honest friendship will quickly draw you to them. Alice can be opinionated, Julie reckless, but both are quick-witted, funny, warm and ambitious. The county of Cornwall, famous for its rugged coastlines, glorious beaches and picturesque harbour towns, provides a vivid backdrop for the perfectly paced beginning of this cracking new series. Is it possible to relive the best time of your life? Alice and Julie are about to find out. Book Two of the series will be out in Spring 2018 with the final book scheduled for release later the same year.

Pride of Honor


Andrea K. Stein - 2020
    She must ensure her marriage to a “suitable gentleman of the ton” before her twenty-first birthday or she’ll be destitute, per the terms of her ducal grandmother’s will. Close to having her own poems published, Sophia has her hopes dashed each time by someone revealing her secrets. That same someone so desperately wants her to fail the terms of the will, they’re willing to commit violent acts to ruin her reputation. Captain Arnaud Bellingham has ascended the ranks of the Royal Navy in spite of his half-French heritage by proving himself at the Battle of Algiers and with the West African Squadron. He seeks a simple marriage of convenience to a mature woman, a widow who has been his sometime mistress the last several years. The very thing he does not want, an exotic Italian innocent, literally falls into his life when he rescues her from kidnappers, although she disputes she needed saving. And now, honor and duty dictate he has to waste the rest of his leave guarding her through the mad whirl of the Season.

Sinful Pleasures


Kristi Jun - 2018
    Giles, she cursed the day she let a man dictate her life...Amelia Knight was given the chance to start anew in Scotland to live with her wealthy grandmother but not without a price. She must never reveal her past to anyone and must marry for a title to have access to her very large inheritance. To secure a husband, she heads to the glamourous Regency London with a plan to ensure her independence and risks everything she vowed never to do: fall in love.Born to privilege, he is forced back to London to remedy the family debt and shame and to fulfill a deathbed promise to his beloved brother...Emotionally scarred and devastatingly handsome, Richard, the Earl Blackthorn, saw the horrors of a broken marriage first-hand. He has no plan to marry or remain in London. When an heiress devises a plan that will ensure their freedom from marriage in two years and pay off his inherited debt, he agrees to marry. Until an unknown threat forces him to face the one question he isn’t willing to consider and open his heart to new possibilities.

After I Fall


Melissa Sercia - 2020
    The man I thought I’d spend forever with is gone and I’m alone…until I meet him. Ozi. My new boss. He’s sexy, mysterious, and owns me with just one look. But he’s used to getting what he wants. And that makes him dangerous.OziI’m rich, immortal, and alone. And I like it that way. Until I meet her. I should stay away from Raven. But I can’t. Every time she’s near, I want to taste her blood in my veins and feel her body in my bed. I want to own her and destroy her. To break her and then put her back together with my bare hands. But I know I will be the one broken in the end.Raven and Ozi have sworn off love, but when their paths cross, the chemistry between them is undeniable. Drawn to each other’s dark sides, they can’t seem to stay away. But when Ozi’s ex comes back into town to settle an old score, the odds shift and the danger becomes real, pitting Raven in the middle. Now Ozi must decide what he’s willing to risk to protect Raven from the threat of his past coming back to haunt him. Her safety or his heart.When lust turns into obsession, can it ever become love?This is a standalone book in the Immortal Billionaires series.WARNING: This book contains graphic content and is meant for 18+ readers only

Set Free


Kelly Collins - 2015
    He’s running from his failed marriage. Can a ramshackle ranch inspire a second-chance romance?Mickey Mercer is determined to leave her past mistakes behind bars. Fixing up the rundown family ranch could be the perfect way to get back on the straight and narrow and make her late father proud. But when her vindictive ex sabotages her every move, she reluctantly accepts a stubborn cop’s offer of protection and finds herself falling head over spurs into his strong arms.Detective Kerrick McKinley may take his vow to serve and protect a little too seriously. While his blue-blooded passion put an end to his marriage, it also compels him to guard a newly freed ex-con from her dangerous stalker. But the more time he spends with the sexy and spontaneous horse rancher, the more he’s itching to get back in the saddle…In the face of old fears and new dangers, can Mickey and Kerrick find the courage to risk it all for a chance at true love?Set Free is the first installment in the compelling Second Chance Series of contemporary romance novels. If you like headstrong characters, fiery chemistry, and rustic ranch settings, then you’ll love Kelly Collins’ pulse-pounding romance.

A Cowgirl's Dream


Edith Mackenzie - 2020
    Neither is love …Frankie’s not interested in romance. Her goal of becoming a champion barrel racer requires her full attention. So when the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself, she’s willing to chase it halfway across the globe. Now, with her dream so close she can almost taste it, staying focused is more important than ever. Nothing will stand in her way—especially not the annoyingly handsome Brazilian bull rider who seems so determined to rope her heart.Everything Luciano’s ever wanted is finally within reach. Fame, fortune, validation that he’s the best in the world…it will be his. But when he meets a feisty Aussie who sets his soul on fire, he's forced to realize there’s one more thing he’ll need in order to truly be happy—and that’s Frankie. Now all he has to do is convince the cowgirl of his dreams to give him a chance…When the road to happily ever after gets rough, will Frankie find the courage to trust in love and ride off into the sunset with Luciano? Or will they always be destined to go their separate ways?A Cowgirl’s Dream, book 1 in the Barrels and Hearts series, is a clean and wholesome contemporary romance featuring a commanding cowboy with a heart of gold, and a tough, smart, cowgirl heroine who isn’t afraid to go after exactly what she wants. HEAs are always guaranteed. Download your copy today and let the wild ride begin…

Holder of the Horses: a Family's Legendary Journey Through Life


Lisa Slater - 2019
    He belongs on his family’s rugged Montana ranch, following in the respected footsteps of both of his grandfathers and his father. Convincing his mother he should forgo experiencing life outside of the ranch, and all of the possibilities that come along with the rest of the world, was another story. Maybe because she knows a little something about the cost of staying. Amara Morris, affectionately referred to as “Grams”, and Jonny share a close connection; a zeal for Morris ranch. Over a late-night snack, Grams shares with him a twine bound book written in her own hand. Inside is a story she had never fully told anyone. Her story. And a legend. Join the tantalizing journey through the trials of life, and ranching, where countless decisions leave a wake of lasting discoveries and loyalties - and gut-wrenching sacrifices - in this merciless land of beauty and splendor. Holder of the Horses will leave you fulfilled, and breathless. Check out www.slaterlife.com for more novels by Lisa Slater

Healing the Heart of a Cowboy


M.J. Andrews - 2019
    Fleeing from everything and nothing all at the same time. She stumbles her way to Silverton, TX in hopes that her past won't find her. By day one she has pissed off a hot broody cowboy, one deceased pant suit and her favourite heels are missing one heel. When the local doctor offers to help her settle in by offering her to stay on the family ranch, she's grateful. Until she finds the pissed off and delicious cowboy is the doctor's brother and her new landlord. Remington doesn't have time for distractions. He closed himself off from all possible happy endings after a devastating heartbreak. He's done taking crap from anyone and letting his heart get hurt. When a prim and proper woman pushes his buttons, he has no problem telling her to haul the stick out of her rear. Thinking he would never have to see her again, he doesn't think much of it. Until his sister volunteers his ranch to the feisty woman who is all attitude packaged in one tempting little firecracker. When Aubrey's past follows her to Silverton, will the McGuire's step up to help her and will Remi find his heart in the process? Will they take the risk or will the option be ripped from their hands?

Ava- Brewing Chemistry: Rosalind Brewery Series Book 1


Palmer Jones - 2020
    Deploying without having one night, one kiss, would be a major regret.”Ava Sanderson doesn’t “do” casual dating.She wants to date one man, not a dozen. Sleep with one man, not a dozen.And after switching from her decade long career in chemistry to co-owning Rosalind Brewery with her two best friends, swearing off all forms of dating is easier than taking the risk. Because when Ava falls for a guy…she falls hard.Jake Rossi needs a distraction for the next two months before he deploys back to the dessert or to wherever the Army wants to send him. A couple of months as a maintenance man at the Rosalind Brewery seems like an easy job.Until he meets Ava.The woman is wicked smart, doesn’t have a clue about construction, and fights him at every turn. Jake can help- if she lets him.But that’s not all Jake wants. He wants a date.One date before he deploys.Before he leaves Asheville and never returns.Brewing Chemistry: Ava, Book One in the Rosalind Brewery Series, is a full-length romance novel full of laughter, sexy bits with a hunky soldier, and a satisfying happily ever after.Rosalind Brewery Series:1) Ava2) Reese (release date 8/14/2020)3) Frankie (release date 9/4/2020)Other Series by Palmer JonesA Southern Kind of LoveO'Keeley's Irish Pub

The Art of Catching a Marquess


Emma Linfield - 2019
    And she comes with a scheme. Pressured by an arrangement made by his father, Benedict Dixon, Marquess of Easkerton begrudgingly agrees to pay court to one Lady Harriet Bennet. However, the lady he sets eyes upon is unlike any other he has ever met. But secrets have a way of coming to light, no matter how deep one buries them. When Georgiana suddenly disappears, realization dawns on Benedict: he has been courting an entirely different lady all along.

Never a Lawman


Rachel Bird - 2018
    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.