Book picks similar to
Cold Night, Warm Stranger by Jill Gregory


historical-romance
western
historical
romance

Noble Intentions


Katie MacAlister - 2002
    This time he intended to marry a quiet, biddable woman who would not draw attention to herself or cause scandal. Gillian Leigh's honest manner and spontaneous laughter attracted him immediately. It mattered little that she was accident-prone; he could provide the structure necessary to guide her.But unconventional to the tips of her half-American toes―toes that one of them was constantly tripping over―his new bride turned the tables on him, wreaking havoc on his orderly life. And worse, demanding he surrender his heart. Perpetually one step behind his beguiling spouse, Noble suffered a banged-up head, a black eye, and a broken nose before he realized Gillian had healed his soul and proved that their union was no heedless tumble, but the swoon of true love.

Sweet Release


Pamela Clare - 2003
    Though Cassie hated the slave trade, her Virginia plantation demanded the labor, and she knew this fevered man would surely die if she left him. But as his wounds healed and his muscled chest bronzed from the sun, Cassie realized Cole Braden was far more dangerous than his papers had indicated --- for he could steal her breath with a glance or lay siege to her senses with a touch.Abducted, beaten, and given a new name, Alec went from master of an English shipbuilding empire to fourteen years of indentured servitude in the American colonies. There, he was known as Cole Braden, a convicted ravisher and defiler of women. And while he longed to ravish the auburn-haired beauty who owned him, he knew his one hope of earning her love --- and his freedom --- was to prove his true identity. Only then could he turn the tables and attain his ... Sweet Release.

Rose


Leigh Greenwood - 1993
    But when she first set eyes on her hero's ramshackle ranch in the wilds of the Texas brush country, and met his utterly impossible brothers, Rose decided even George's earth-shattering kisses weren't compensation enough for the job ahead of her.Never in her life had she seen a place more in need of a woman's touch, or men more in need of a civilizing influence. The Randolph brothers were a wild bunch—carving an empire out of the rugged land, fighting off rustlers and Mexican bandits—and they weren't about to let any female change their ways...not until George laid down the law and then lost his heart to the beguiling spitfire who'd turned all their lives upside down.

Suddenly You


Lisa Kleypas - 2000
    When he appeared at her door, she believed he was her gift to herself, hired for one night of passion. Unforgettably handsome, irresistibly virile, he tempted her in ways she never thought possible, but something stopped him from completely fulfilling her dream.Jack Devlin's determination to possess Amanda became greater when she discovered his true identity. But gently bred Amanda craved respectability more than she admitted, while Jack, the cast-off son of a nobleman and London's most notorious businessman, refused to live by society's rules. Yet when fate conspired for them to marry, their worlds collided with a passionate force neither had expected... but both soon craved.

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.

Come Home To Me


Peggy L. Henderson - 2012
    He enjoys life in the fast lane, with fast cars and even faster women. When he falls in with the wrong crowd and is accused of murder, a stranger’s bizarre offer at a second chance might be his only hope to clear his name.Rachel Parker is highly devoted to her family. A tragedy prompts a daring move to the Oregon Territory for a fresh start in a new land. After meeting the wagon train’s scout, the meaning of a fresh start may be more than she ever imagined. Jake can’t believe he’s been sent back in time to act as scout for a wagon train headed for Oregon, and given the added burden of keeping one emigrant woman safe during the journey. He and Rachel are confused by their attraction to each other. Jake’s ill-mannered, unconventional ways are overshadowed only by his notorious reputation. Rachel’s traditional values and quiet, responsible character are the complete opposite of what attracts Jake to a woman. When their forbidden attraction turns to love, what will happen at the end of the trail?

Short Straw Bride


Dallas Schulze - 1996
    Tired of worrying about who to leave the ranch to when they were gone.Luke could imagine the perfect wife --- biddable, tidy and willing --- and when he saw Eleanor Williams in church one Sunday, he thought she'd do just fine. But little did he know that the practical Eleanor had a mind of her own --- and other ideas about marriage!

Disciplining the Duchess


Annabel Joseph - 2013
    If shes not in the library reading about Mongol hordes, shes embarrassing her family or getting involved in impulsive scrapes. Enter the Duke of Courtland, a man known for his love of duty and decorum. Through a vexing series of events, he finds himself shackled to Miss Barrett in matrimony. But all is not lost. The duke harbors a not-so-secret affinity for spanking and discipline and his new wife is ever in need of it. Will the mismatched couple find their way to marital happiness? Or will the duke be forever Disciplining the Duchess?

Holt's Gamble


Barbara Ankrum - 1990
    Talbot, a ruthless saloon owner, until Clay Holt wins her in a rigged poker game. When Clay tries to collect his winnings, he's attacked by Talbot's men and badly injured.Clay never expected Keirin to take him to the wagon train on which he was due to leave, or that she would lie about being his wife and nurse him back to health while on the trail.But, Keirin isn't interested in a man consumed by avenging his wife's murder. She's pursuing her father, who sold her for a ticket to the California gold fields.However, posing as a married couple, spending night after night together, is fanning Keirin and Clay into a different kind of blinding passion that's blazing the way for Talbot, who will kill to have what's his.

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 Rancher's Virgin Acquisition


Lynda Chance - 2012
    Alone and terrified, she is rescued by Luke Butler, a rancher who knows only one way. His way.When Luke Butler finds Emma Martin, he has no other choice but to bring her back to his ranch. Soon, his life is turned upside down by a female who doesn’t know how to mind and who doesn’t know how to stay put.The battle that follows is a clash of wills, a test of tempers, and a lesson in love.Excerpt:Luke glanced at Emma and gave her a pointed look that meant she was to stay where she was. Then he turned and escorted the sheriff out the door."You're not using your brain, man,” the sheriff argued."Not your concern," Luke responded sharply."She's too soft, Luke. She needs people around her, not just a bunch of rag-tag ranch hands. Let her go back to town with me. I'll keep her safe, I'll see to it that Emma has--"Luke cut him off. "Stop talking," he growled in a hiss. "She's not up for discussion. You lost your chance to keep her safe when you sent me out there to find her. You need to forget she's here. Emma doesn't exist for you anymore. Don't say her name, don't even think about her.""Jesus Christ, Luke. You're not even acting sane." "Don't push me. I'm the only help you've got this side of Silver Creek. You need to move on about your business. You know I'd never hurt her. Soothe your goddamn conscious with that and finish the job you need to be doing. Find the scum that did this. Find 'em and hang 'em high because I don't like the thought of them being alive after seeing her face."The two men glared at each other before the sheriff turned and mounted his horse.Luke hesitated only a moment before he slammed back into the house and prowled to the chair where Emma was still sitting. He pulled her up and with a jerk, she stumbled against him.His arms reached out and encircled her."It'll take half an hour before the sheriff is too far away for one of my men to chase him down and bring him back. So you've got that long to decide." One steely arm was wrapped around her back, the other traced a line down her spine and then up again in a smooth caress."I thought I'd already decided.""You need a little more understanding of the situation before you can make a proper decision."Emma was pleasantly shocked by the intimacy of his touch and held enthralled as she stood in the circle of his arms. She remained mute and concentrated on her breathing that seemed to be rushing in and out of her lungs as if she were completely out of oxygen."Fair warning, Emma-girl," his smooth voice was brutal."Warning?" she managed to ask."I feel inclined to make sure you understand how it’s gonna be while you still have the opportunity to leave. Like I said, in half an hour or so, that option will be taken away from you.""I'm sure." Her voice was hesitant and didn't sound sure at all."Yeah?" His gaze slipped to her mouth and his already dark eyes grew stormy. "Let's hear you repeat that in a few minutes."Emma had no other warning before his mouth fell on hers.

Dreaming of You


Jennifer McNare - 2013
    However, the innocent young beauty has no idea what her new husband will demand of her, once they are legally wed. It isn’t long however, before Melody discovers that the widowed earl had a purpose in choosing her for his bride, the daughter of an impoverished country baron. Impotent and childless, Charles is in desperate need of an heir, in addition to someone he can force into going along with the heinous scheme he has concocted.Gavin Montrose, son of the wealthy Duke of Rutherford, is as charming as he is handsome. However, unbeknownst to him, he is also the man Charles Cavendish has selected to father his heir. Abducted from the grounds of his family’s country estate, he awakens to find himself in the midst of a nightmare. Assuming that he has been abducted for ransom, Gavin is stunned to learn of his mysterious abductor’s true purpose. To gain his freedom and protect his family from harm, he must father a child he will never meet, with a woman whose name he will never know and whose face he will never see. Desperate to safeguard the people they love, both Melody and Gavin have no choice but to go along with the insanity that has been forced upon them or suffer the unbearable consequences. Compelled to meet in absolute darkness in the bedchamber of an isolated cottage, their identities a fiercely guarded secret, they will develop a bond neither of them had anticipated and discover a passion more powerful than either of them could have possibly imagined. But dare they call it love?Years later, when fate intervenes and Gavin and Melody’s paths inadvertently cross…

Never Seduce a Scot


Maya Banks - 2012
    No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions. Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.

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?

The Dragon Lord


Connie Mason - 2001
    Lord Dragon, one of King John's fiercest knights, brought the news that Rose's father was dead and revealed that he had been commanded to marry the traitor's widow or daughter and claim the estate.Rose was certain that neither her grieving mother nor Starla, her twin sister who longed to become a nun, could bear to wed Lord Dragon. But it was equally clear that their new lord had no wish to bind himself to a defiant maiden like Rose. Convincing the Dragon that Rose was the name of the sweet-tempered, biddable twin he was inclined to wed was accomplished in a matter of moments.Fortunately the deception did not have to last long. Indeed, before the hour was over, fiery Rose had subdued her true nature long enough to convince the Dragon it was her sister he'd wed—and had seen her mother and gentle sister on their way to the sanctuary of a nearby convent. Though she feared the Dragon's wrath when he discovered her pretense, Rose was content with the fruit of her labors—and pleased to have taken at least this small vengeance against her unwanted overlord.She'd be surprised to realize that the Dragon was already wondering if he'd been too hasty in sending the spitfire to the convent and taking the timid twin to wife—for he is a man of powerful passions who would find the spirited Rose a perfect match.