Book picks similar to
Charlotte's Summer by Annie Lane


historical-fiction
historical
western
mail-order-bride

Cowboy For Sale


Janet Wellington - 2013
    There she runs smack into Jared Dillon. Tall, dark, and definitely handsome, Jared is the kind of man any woman would want to date--and he's perfect for the bachelor auction. Too bad he's married... Or is he? Single dad Jared loves his young daughter more than anything, and has worked hard to create an idyllic life on his alpaca ranch, just the two of them. The last thing he needs is to get involved with another single-minded career woman used to the big city lights instead of star-filled skies. Pretty Lacey's the kind of woman who is off limits for more reasons than he can count. But why can't he stop thinking about her? Nope. She's just not for him... Or is she? When one of the bachelor cowboys is a no-show at the charity auction, Jared steps in at the last minute and gallantly saves the day. One thing leads to another and Lacey and Jared are off on a romantic Dream Date Weekend at a mountain getaway designed for cozy evenings by the fire and luxurious nights in a four-poster bed.Trouble is, Lacey's not looking for a man, let alone a much-too-hot cowboy. Her career is right on track and she's finally bouncing back from a bad breakup. No matter how he makes her feel, Jared definitely doesn't fit her logical list of "must haves." There's sizzling chemistry, for sure, but she's vowed she'll never fall for another single father again. Losing at love is one thing, but losing the love of a child...that's quite another...and a heartbreak she won't go through again.But....add together: champagne, a hot tub, a dangerous game of twenty-questions, a romantic fire and two lonely hearts...and the delicious trouble begins. Jared knows falling for Lacey isn't the right thing for him or his little girl...but how's a cowboy supposed to resist?

The Bounty


Beth Williamson - 2006
    After three years, the notorious bounty hunter Tyler Calhoun catches up with the elusive lady outlaw. The intensity of their dislike for each other is only matched by the growing passion they cannot seem to control. A loner by nature, a cold hard hunter by choice, Tyler fights his feelings for his prisoner the only way he knows how--by denying them. He's not prepared for how deeply his feelings will run, or how hard it will be to hold her life in his hands. Pursued by two hapless cowboys bent on taking Nicky in themselves, Nicky and Tyler are forced to turn to each other for aid, trust, and comfort as their journey progresses on its rocky road. Caught in a web of lies and murder, they hold on to each other as they travel to Wyoming to confront the man that brought them together. Tyler has to decide if his love for her is worth more than the bounty he was sent to find. Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, some violence.

Crossed Series Box Set


Lacey Silks - 2015
    Get ready to open your heart and read about your favourite book boyfriends as they aim to piece their mangled family’s past, together.From surprise first meetings to daring rescue missions, the Crossed Series brings a balance of romance and suspense.Step inside the secret world of ex-cons who are determined to make things right while finding love at the same time. Fall in love with their unique families, watch them grow and become stronger, and indulge in their sizzling romances.Order the Crossed Series today and get wrapped up in a story that crosses all boundaries of the heart.“The intrigue and suspense of this box set was wonderful. Having the intertwining of the families, the good guys, the bad guys and finding true love through the mess.” ★★★★★ from Cynthia St. Germain“This boxed set goes into my favourites folder and will definitely be re-read many times. .” ★★★★★ from kindle customer“A wonderful journey following an extended family through life changes and discoveries. Love is shown in a manner that covers all love. Familial, romantic, parental and just friendship, love is the thing that keeps us going. I loved this series. Great read.” ★★★★★ from G. PowellNOVELS INCLUDEDCrossed (Book 1)
She’s looking for true love.He’s trying to forget his.And the one connection they share threatens to tear them apart.Layers Crossed (Book 2)
She's a city girl.He's a country boy.And their worlds are about to collide.Double Crossed (Book 3)
She returns home with secrets.He’s determined to help her move past them.But not all secrets are meant to be told.Crossed Off (Book 4)
She abandoned her family to keep them safe.He betrayed his father to keep him out of jail.And their fate is about to throw in a new curveball.

Forsaking All Others


Kari Trumbo - 2019
    Now, faced with the wide world, she must decide if she is truly ready to strike out on her own and take the risk. Rose has fought against the painful abuse of her father and the loneliness of a mother long-dead of a white man’s sickness. When Pete offers her the chance to escape to a new life, she must take it or marry into the same abuse she’s lived for so long. Pete has always helped Rose from the shadows. Being half-white, he’s had to. He has loved Rose for as long as he can remember, but he must prove his worth to her by helping her to freedom and safety. Pete must compete for the right to take Rose to Kansas but his young and impetuous heart steers him wrong. In shame, he abandons Rose, but can never leave her care completely to someone else. When they finally make it to Kansas, Pete comes out of the shadows once again. Once within the safety of a Kansas ranch, can Rose forgive Pete for leaving her? Will Pete remain the brooding half-blood from the reservation, or grow into the man Rose needs him to be?

The Wren


Kristy McCaffrey - 2003
    Now, at nineteen, she’s finally returning home to North Texas after spending the remainder of her childhood with a tribe of Kwahadi Comanche. What she finds is a deserted home coated with dust and the passage of time, the chilling discovery of her own gravesite, and the presence of a man she thought never to see again.Matt Ryan is pushed by a restless wind to the broken-down remains of the Hart ranch. Recently recovered from an imprisonment that nearly ended his life, the drive for truth and fairness has all but abandoned him. For ten years he faithfully served the U.S. Army and the Texas Rangers, seeking justice for the brutal murder of a little girl, only to find closure and healing beyond his grasp. Returning to the place where it all began, he’s stunned to encounter a woman with the same blue eyes as the child he can’t put out of his mind.A sensuous historical western romance set in 1877 Texas.2003 CAPA WINNER The Romance Studio ~ Best New Author Traditional2004 Holt Medallion FINALIST ~ Best First Book2004 Texas Gold FINALIST ~ Historical Category“…McCaffrey’s mastery of setting and historic details gives this western gritty realism.” ~ RT Book Reviews“…a heart wrenchingly emotional story…” ~ Coffeetime Romance“The main characters were well matched and the secondary characters were just as good. Don’t miss this incredible read in what is sure to be a great series to follow.” ~ The Romance Studio“Handsome, rugged heroes, strong heroines and a super storyline make The Wren a keeper.” ~ The Best Reviews“…well written…captivated me from the first line to the poignant last.” ~ NovelspotDon’t miss all the books in the series~The Wren: Book 1The Dove: Book 2The Sparrow: Book 3The Blackbird: Book 4The Shiny Penny: Short Story 4.1 (available free exclusively to Kristy’s newsletter subscribers)Song Of The Wren: Novella 4.2 (available free exclusively to Kristy’s newsletter subscribers)The Bluebird: Book 5Echo of the Plains: Novella 5.5

A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida


Dale Cox - 2010
    It tells the story of an angry man named Ben who finds himself alone on a Christmas Eve night in the unique little town of Two Egg. Ben is confronted by a mysterious stranger that has been prowling around his barn at night and his life is changed in an instant. A short quick read, this book is the perfect way to pass an hour or two over the holidays.

Secrets of the Heart


Lee Tobin McClain - 2017
    But when his interfering siblings hire Molly Abbott, a successful food entrepreneur and his high-school sweetheart, he’s livid. The way their relationship ended wasn’t pretty. And although Molly never married, she’s the single mom of an eleven-year-old daughter conceived right about the time of the breakup. Molly’s ideas about farm-to-table, health-conscious Mexican food conflict with Javier’s strong sense of tradition, even as her joyous faith convicts him about his own lapse from the church of his youth. Can a reunion romance bring happiness to two lonely souls who never forgot each other… or will their relationship be derailed by the secrets they both carry in their hearts? Secrets of the Heart is Book Four of the Arcadia Valley Romance series. These inspirational Christian romances all take place in the same Idaho town, with characters you'll come to love and a farm-fresh, sustainable foods focus. Look for a new book each month, including more books about the Quintana Family and El Corazon.

Tender Touch


Charlene Raddon - 1994
    . .Three nightmarish years of marriage has shattered Brianna Wight's sheltered world. Leading her husband to believe she's been murdered, she flees to St. Louis . . . harboring terrible secrets that could be the death of her.The tragic loss of his Indian wife left Columbus Nigh a wanderer; necessity made him a wilderness guide. But now he finds himself drawn to the enigmatic woman who's hired him to lead her westward. Her gentle strength stirs his lonely heart . . . her tender beauty arouses his deepest passions.Would they find love again on a western journey?But the perils of the Oregon Trail pale beside the murderous wrath of the man who tracks them across the harsh frontier. Briana knows the only way to save herself and Columbus is to risk their tender love. Only then can she free herself from the horrors of the past -- and embrace a rapturous future . . .

Reese's Cowboy Kiss: Witness Protection - Rancher Style: Blake's Story


Kimberly Krey - 2014
    Now she must leave her friends and family to enter a protection program on Emerson Ranch. A group of good-looking cowboys awaits her, but Reese has her eye on Blake Emerson, the one man too busy with the ranch to give her a chance. Blake Emerson has no time to go lookin' for love. He's got a ranch to run, positions to fill, and an ache in his heart from love gone wrong. So when he agrees to harbor a witness to help on the ranch, Blake assumes his first two problems are solved. But he never dreamed his new guest would be a woman. One he was destined to lose his heart to. With sparks burning hot and danger around the bend, one question lingers in his mind: Has he only added to his list of troubles, or has Blake just found the woman of his dreams?

The Edge of Light


Ann Shorey - 2009
    And when Samuel's unscrupulous brother takes over the family business, Molly must head out on her own, leaving her old life behind. It's a dangerous journey, but somehow she must find a way to make a living, keep her family together, and fend off some over-eager suitors.

Wasted


Suzannah Daniels - 2014
    It was part of his job after all, and he needed the tips—badly. When Lexi Swafford plopped her pretty little tail down on the bar stool, Mason offered her a drink. He had no idea that he would soon be working with her or that he’d be letting her room with him until her new apartment was ready.In fact, once Lexi Swafford landed in Creekview, Tennessee, life as Mason Cambridge knew it would cease to exist…because after a night of drinking away the agony of his loneliness, one touch from her would change everything.WASTED is a new adult contemporary romance recommended for adult readers due to mature content.It is the first book in the WHISKEY NIGHTS series. Since each book in this series will focus on a different couple, they can be read as stand-alones. Many readers may prefer to read them in order for maximum enjoyment.WHISKEY NIGHTS series order:Wasted #1Ignited #2Deceived #3Betrayed #4Seduced #5 (Release date to be announced.)

Close to Home


Suzanne Ferrell - 2012
    I’m Lorna Doone. Yep, spelled just like the cookie and I own the Peaches ‘N Cream Café here in Weston. You might think nothing much happens in a small mid-western town, but as my friend Harriett says, things aren’t always what they appear. Take our girl Emma for example…”Emma Lewis has a lot on her plate. The single mother of two precocious twin boys and an aging mother who is having trouble getting through each day, the last thing Emma needs is a man in her life, especially a doctor. So when the town’s doctor goes on vacation and his handsome nephew takes over, Emma is shocked to not only find him standing in her bedroom, but accusing her of being a neglectful parent.Clint Preston came to Westen for the year to fill in as the town doc while his uncle took a long needed vacation. Clint also needed a sense of peace and calm to try to find his passion for medicine burned out by long shifts in an urban hospital’s ER. Angered to find two boys in his clinic with broken wrists and no accompanying parent, he is determined to confront their mother. The feisty redhead he meets quickly dispels his belief that she’s a neglectful mother, but he can see her situation is more critical than she wishes to face and finds himself volunteering to help care for her sons and the remodeling of her home.As Emma and Clint forge a relationship among the slightly off-beat characters that inhabit Weston a menace from Emma’s past threatens her and her sons. Clint and Emma join forces to prevent the loss of either boy and the love they’ve discovered in each other’s’ arms.

Upon a Midnight Dream


Rachel Van Dyken - 2012
    Stefan, the future duke of Montmouth, no doubt thought his words were welcomed but he couldn't have been more wrong. Oh, he was handsome as a pagan Norse god, but that was unimportant when her life as well as those of her family hung in the balance. With less than six weeks left, Rosalind has stopped believing in the fairy tale, the prince on the white horse, and the stolen kiss that would awaken her from her worst nightmares. Resigned to her fate, she waits for the inevitable curse to run it’s course. "We must marry at once!" Stefan declared, fully expecting Rosalind to be delighted that he had come to save her, but he was sorely mistaken. Rosalind was no simpering docile female; she was a fiery temptress with a stubborn streak only matched by his horse, Samson. Insulting, infuriating, intoxicating and alluring enough to drive a man mad. Stefan found himself thankful for the curse that required him marry her, thankful for the betrothal contract he had so recently tried to release her from...With the fortitude of a sailor shipwrecked, abandoned, and a solider warring for his life Stefan decides to lay siege to the greatest prize, Rosalind's heart.

Sentence of Marriage


Shayne Parkinson - 2009
    Her life seems mapped out for her by the time she is twelve. Amy dreams of an exciting life in the world beyond her narrow boundaries. But it is the two people who come to the farm from outside the valley who change her life forever, and Amy learns the high cost of making the wrong choice.

Capturing the Cowboy's Heart


Lindsey Brookes - 2011
    But life isn’t done...it sends him Lacy Dalton. She’s a reporter.He hates reporters.She’s pushy.He hates pushy.She’s sexy.He...well, he just won’t let himself think of her that way.The more Lacy learns about Cade’s past, the more she finds herself wanting to prove to him that not all reporters are bloodthirsty vultures. But her growing attraction to him puts not only her heart in jeopardy, but her life as well, because someone is out to ruin Cade and will do anything to make that happen.Show more Show less