Book picks similar to
Captive Heart by Michele Paige Holmes


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Fancy Pants


Cathy Marie Hake - 2007
    Stranded in America and penniless, Sydney contacts a relative in Texas who, mistaking her male-sounding name, invites his "nephew" to join him on his ranch. "Big Tim" Creighton, however, is appalled when this mincing fop arrives at Forsaken. He determines he'll turn Fancy Pants Hathwell into a man before the boss returns home. From the get-go, he has "the kid" mucking stalls, clearing and plowing a field, and assisting with a difficult calving. But when Sydney's true identity is uncovered, Tim resents being deceived. Yet in time, he also finds that he doesn't like all the attention Sydney garners now that she's wearing pretty gowns...Together Sydney and Tim will discover the importance of family and what it means to be a man--and a woman--of God.

Table for Two


Sheryl C.S. Johnson - 2012
    But when Jana determines that the move can help her get away from Brad—the overly adoring man in her life who she really doesn’t have any feelings for—she decides to go.When Jana arrives for her new adventure, both Alex and his young daughter, Elise, are easily enamored with her—as is Jeff, the ward member who becomes Jana’s first date in her new town. However, Jana is not so sure about her feelings for any of them. And as she works side by side with Alex to transform a shabby house into a charming boutique, it becomes clear to her that Alex wants more than a friendship. Though Jana resists, she knows she has to work out her confusion before she loses everything that is becoming so dear to her. Will she be able to come to terms with the fact that Alex’s deceased wife, Vanessa, will always be a big part of his life, as well as Alex’s and her differing religious convictions and so many other complications that might not fit at a table for two?

The Measure of Katie Calloway


Serena B. Miller - 2011
    To protect herself and her young brother from her violent and unstable husband, she flees north, finding anonymity and sanctuary as the cook in a Northwoods lumber camp. The camp owner, Robert Foster, wonders if the lovely woman he's hired has the grit to survive the never-ending work and harsh conditions of a remote pine forest in winter. Katie wonders if she can keep her past a secret from a man she is slowly growing to love.With grace and skill, Serena Miller brings to life a bygone era. From the ethereal, snowy forest and the warm cook-stove to the rowdy shanty boys and the jagged edges of the saw, every detail is perfectly rendered, transporting the reader back to the time when pine was king, men were made of iron, and rivers were choked with logs on the way to the sawmills. Readers will have a hard time leaving the Northwoods when they turn the last page.

Love, Jane


Ranee S. Clark - 2017
    Jane has her heart set on serving a mission, and she can't delay telling Sean the news any longer: not only has she quietly submitted her mission papers, but she's also leaving in a month ... for Alaska. Shocked and devastated, Sean struggles to come to terms with Jane's decision. Unable to deny the depth of their feelings for one another, Sean makes a promise to wait for her.Life unfolds for both Jane and Sean, with communications limited to weekly e-mails. But with just a few months left in Jane's mission, Sean's messages stop. When she receives the dreaded "Dear Jane" breakup along with the news that she has been replaced by Sean's former flame, Jane knows the future she envisioned now belongs to another woman. But upon her return home, Jane quickly realizes some things are worth fighting for—perhaps, most of all, a shot at true love.

The Measure of a Lady


Deeanne Gist - 2006
    Both goals prove more difficult than she could imagine as her brother and sister are lured by the city's dangerous freedom and a missionary-turned-gambler stakes a claim on her heart. Rachel won't give up without a fight though, and soon all will learn an eloquent but humorous lesson about what truly makes a lady. *Speak Politely. Even when you're the only respectable woman around, protesting the decadence of a city lost to gold fever. *Dress Modestly. Wear your sunbonnet at all times. Ensure nobody sees your work boots muddied by the San Francisco streets. *Remain Devoted to Family. Protect your siblings from the lures of the city, even against their wishes. *Stand Above Reproach. Most difficult when a wonderful man turns out to be a saloon owner. *Rise Above Temptation. No, not even just a little kiss.... When these rules become increasingly difficult to uphold, can Rachel Van Buren remain a beacon of virtue in a city of vice?

Courting Morrow Little


Laura Frantz - 2010
    Now that she is nearly a grown woman and her father is ailing, she must make difficult choices about the future. Several men--ranging from the undesired to the unthinkable--vie for her attentions, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to a forbidden love that both terrifies and intrigues her. Can she betray the memory of her lost loved ones--and garner suspicion from her friends--by pursuing a life with him? Or should she seal her own misery by marrying a man she doesn't love? This sweeping tale of romance and forgiveness will envelop readers as it takes them from a Kentucky fort through the vast wilderness to the west in search of true love.

A Heart Divided


Kathleen Morgan - 2011
    Still, Sarah Caldwell has misgivings when her father pressures her into distracting a ranch hand while he and her brothers rob the Wainwright place. When it becomes clear that hand is actually Cord Wainwright, Sarah realizes she needs to lay low. But Cord spots her in town and, with the sheriff away, makes a citizen's arrest, dragging her off to the Wainwright ranch until the sheriff's return. As the feud boils over, Cord and Sarah make a most inconvenient discovery--they are falling in love. Can they betray their families for love? Or will their families betray them?Against the beautiful and wild backdrop of the Rocky Mountains comes this sweeping saga of romance, betrayal, and forgiveness from beloved author Kathleen Morgan.

Wildflowers and Kisses: A love story


Jaclyn M. Hawkes - 2014
    Even when she spritzes him with her florist water at their first meeting, Skye is the most refreshing thing that has ever happened to Dr. Gage Garrison. Confident, successful, and seriously disillusioned, when Gage meets Skye one evening at her shop she is like a shot of pure, sweet oxygen to his spirit. So he pesters her until she agrees to go out with him. But later, when he realizes that her dog is a guard dog, that Skye has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and is an expert with a handgun, he begins to wonder what scars she’s hiding behind that beautiful, sweet smile. And what is she so afraid of?

Without a Flaw


Michele Ashman Bell - 2002
    James Dalton is a handsome, successful attorney, while Isabelle is the beautiful, organized wife. Yet, she grows more fearful of her husband every day, and knows she must leave him. But how can she escape from the domineering, violent man who has systematically robbed her of her past, her identity, and her self worth?While James is away on an unexpected business trip, Isabelle receives a letter from a long-lost relative, inviting her to come visit in England. An answer to her desperate prayers, Isabelle realizes that this is her chance to get away.Leaving behind her home and all of her possessions, Isabelle commits one final act. From the banks of an icy river, she watches as her pearl-white Lexus sinks into the raging, dark water. The only way she can truly be free from James is if he thinks she's dead. But as she makes her new home in England, Isabelle lives in a lingering shadow of fear that James will always be after her, that he will never let her go.Without a Flaw is the gripping story of one woman's courage to take back her life, to rediscover her faith in God, and to find peace, acceptance, and love.

The Christmas Bargain,


Shanna Hatfield - 2012
    Calling in a long overdue loan, Luke finds himself reluctantly accepting a bargain in lieu of payment from the shiftless farmer who barters his daughter to settle his debt.Philamena Booth is both mortified and relieved when her father sends her off with the banker as payment of his debt. Held captive on the farm by her father since the death of her mother more than a decade earlier, Philamena is grateful to leave. If only it had been someone other than the handsome and charismatic Luke Granger riding in to rescue her. Ready to uphold her end of the bargain as Luke’s cook and housekeeper, Philamena is prepared for the hard work ahead. What she isn’t prepared for is being forced to marry Luke as part of this crazy Christmas bargain.

A Sensible Arrangement


Tracie Peterson - 2014
    Widower Jake Wythe has secured a job as a bank manager in Denver, only to discover that the bank board wants him to be a married man. With Texas in his roots, he advertises for a Lone Star bride, and Marty answers the call. They both agree they are done with romance and love and will make this nothing more than a marriage of convenience.Marty works to carve out a new life in high-society Denver as Jake works to guide the bank through a collapsing economy. But when money goes missing at the bank and accounting discrepancies point to Jake, he must find a way to prove his innocence. Yet all he wants to do is go back to Texas and own his own ranch. Marty, on the other hand, owns a ranch–one she’s never told her husband about. She hates Texas because it represents the losses in her life. But as the couple grows closer and love begins to bloom, Marty realizes she needs to tell Jake the truth. Can she come to terms with the past and her anger toward God in order to make room for love?

Montana Summer


Jeanette Miller - 2011
    After weathering a lonely childhood, her father’s death, and her mother’s rejection for joining the Church, she is now engaged to someone who appears to be the ideal man: Brad Thompson, an ambitious BYU student who’s stalwart in the gospel. And when Shelby travels alone to Brad’s hometown in Montana while he’s in California, she’s warmly embraced by her future in-laws—with the exception of Cameron, Brad’s resentful brother whose own engagement recently ended in bitter scandal. But as Cameron becomes Shelby’s increasingly frequent companion in Brad’s absence, their initial sparks of irritation become the glowing beginnings of a complicated romance. And as the two explore the breathtaking scenery of Big Sky country, Shelby’s heart pulls her away from her carefully laid plans. Can she have the love she’s always wanted without destroying the family of her dreams?

Out of Control


Mary Connealy - 2011
    She particularly enjoys studying the fossils and formations in the magnificent cave near her father's house. The cave seems plenty safe--until the day a mysterious intruder steals the rope she uses to climb out.Rafe Kincaid is a man used to being in control--of himself, his brothers, and his family's ranch. The last thing he expects is to find a woman trapped in the cavern on his land--or to be forced to kiss her!Rafe is more intrigued by Julia than any woman he's ever known. But when their developing relationship threatens a reconciliation with his brothers, will Rafe have to choose between his family and this new love that could heal his troubled heart and secure his happiness?

Wonderland Creek


Lynn Austin - 2011
    But the happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real one. To top it off, Alice loses her beloved library job because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression. Longing to run from small-town gossip, Alice flees to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the tiny coal-mining town of Acorn, a place with no running water, no electricity, and where the librarians ride ornery horses up steep mountain passes to deliver books. When Alice is forced to stay in Acorn far longer than she planned, she discovers that real-life adventure, mystery--and especially romance--may be far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.

Spires of Stone


Annette Lyon - 2007
    She also told herself that it didn't matter. But when Ben and his two brothers come home after more than two years of serving a mission to the Eastern states, her feelings of heartache and anger also return -- fiercer than ever. And so do Ben's feelings for her. Good-naturedly, Ben's brothers attempt to reunite the two, even as they separately vie for Bethany's younger sister, Hannah. What follows is a charming historical romance complete with wonderful characters and witty dialogue that explores the redemption and power of finding -- and rediscovering -- true love.