Book picks similar to
Heartbreak Trail by Shirley Kennedy


historical-romance
historical
romance
historical-fiction

Mountain Woman


Johnny Fowler - 2010
    After the attack, Kate found the wagon master barely alive. He gave her directions to a cabin owned by a mountain man, Homer Manchester, called Man. Kate worried about spending the winter in a cabin alone with a mountain man, but it couldn't be worse than starvation. Or could it?She finds herself trapped in the wilderness, living with a stranger, fighting for her life against Indian renegades and slave traders. She must learn to adapt to a life she never would have dreamed of living and become a ruthless mountain woman to survive.

Dance With A Gunfighter


JoMarie Lodge - 2011
    She grows up quickly when she witnesses the murder of her family by a gang of outlaws, and vows to make them pay for their crime. When the law won't help her, she takes matters into her own hands. Jess McLowry left his war-torn Southern home to head West, where he hired out his gun. When he learns what happened to Gabriella's family, and what she plans, he knows a young woman like her will have no chance against the outlaws, and vows to save her the way he couldn't save his own family. But the price of vengeance is high and Gabriella's willingness to sacrifice everything ultimately leads to the book's deadly and startling conclusion.This is a harsh and gritty tale of the old West, somewhat reminiscent of Charles Portis' True Grit or Nancy Turner's These is My Words. [This novel was previously published under the pseudonym JoMarie Lodge.]

The Sweetwater Trail


N.L. Campbell - 2013
    Her father’s railroad swindle cost Felicity everything, including her engagement to Edmund Ormond. But Felicity isn’t the demure debutante she appears to be. She rolls up her lace edged sleeves to survive the trail to the Oregon Territory, a journey of 2,000 miles of trial and error, where every mile travelled is drier than the one before. Where the game is scarce and the graves common, and life depends on keeping the oxen alive.Rye Jones, with eyes as cold as a Kansas river crossing, studies her at night over the campfire. How much of her father’s deceptive wiles did Felicity inherit? The wagon train leader invested in the Garrety-Brown Railroad and lost his medical practice, his wife and his child. But Rye is drawn to Felicity by her determination to leave her past in the prairie grass.Felicity must choose: a scratched out existence in the Oregon wilderness with Rye or escape to a life of ease in New York with Edmund.

Unbroken Hearts


Anna Murray - 2008
    She desperately grabs at her only chance for honest work -- at the Mineral Creek Ranch, owned by handsome Cal Easton. While working as a nurse to Cal's mother, a stroke victim, she learns that Cal is a man haunted by the past and cursed by a deadly enemy bent on destroying his family and his successful ranch operation. And Sarah also hides a secret past, which Cal must uncover and reconcile before they are free to love.

Legend of the Dawn


J.R. Wright - 2012
    Louis for the North Country even sooner than he expected to go. At seventeen, along with a female companion and an elderly father figure, he is literally running for his life.With the law pursuing him and the wilderness unforgiving, he finds himself caught up in a survival system that has nothing to do with civilization or laws.Then the unthinkable happens, the love of his life is taken from him. It is during the pursuit of her captors that Luke finds a strength and determination that will shape his moral existence for the remainder of his life.This is a trilogy of books that spans the lives of Luke McKinney and Breanne Bruyere, their undying love, through hell and high water, for over fifty years.Daring, thrilling, romantic, historic... What else is there? UNFORGETABLE!

Shooter's Cross


Colby Jackson - 2010
     While up in the mountains, he discovered a wilderness plagued by nature and haunted by superstition, but one that he thought he could tame with his experience and strong back. He didn't know he was going to have to kill to keep the home he planned for his family, but he didn't let that stop him. Sam had been looking for a home for his family for years. That search had been interrupted by the Civil War. Now Sam is putting down roots, and not even the Devil himself can stand in the way.

An Unwilling Husband


Tera Shanley - 2014
    Her fancy gowns and proper manners have no place in the dusty, cruel land inhabited by Indians and rough cowboys. And her fiercely independent streak constantly gets her in trouble. When tragedy strikes, there’s only one person she can turn to--her childhood friend, Garret Shaw--but he’s disgusted with her Society ways. With his ranch under attack from the land-grabbing Jennings, the last thing Garret needs is to be saddled with a high-falutin’ lady. Even if she is his friend’s daughter and her kind ways tug at his hardened heart. Duty to her father forces them to wed, but he knows sure as anything, when the chance comes along, she’ll go back to Boston. No matter how much he wants her, loving her is not a risk he can take. Will Maggie choose a life of luxury and ease over struggle and hardship with an ill-mannered cowboy? Only her heart can answer. CONTENT WARNING: A potty-mouthed proper lady, a reluctant bridegroom and all kinds of trouble.88,573 Words

The Lady and The Cowboy


Catherine Winchester - 2013
    When she inadvertently argues with her new business partner on her first day though, things don’t look hopeful.Sam Wakefield doesn’t know what to make of the refined and timid woman who now shares his house along with his mother. What he does know, is that he much prefers the firebrand who confronted him the first time they met, and he can’t help antagonising Ruth in the hope that she’ll resurface.Ruth is just about ready to give up on her dream when her beloved horse, Angel, arrives from England and Sam realises that they may have more in common that he thought. Angel could prove to be the key in reviving his dreams of one day breeding racehorses, while the one place that Ruth isn’t timid, is in the saddle.As they come to trust each other, Sam teaches her about ranch life and love but someone else has their eye on the Wakefield Ranch, someone who could ruin everything for them.

Innocent Deceptions


Gwyneth Atlee - 2002
    He's my brother, not my conscience. How do I tell him that it seems my own name, Charlotte Randolph, has come to mean "liar" and "traitor"? I'm supposed to be a good Southern woman, spying for the Confederate cause, and yet ever since Union soldiers took over my home, it's been difficult to remember that they're the enemy. I know Captain Ben Chandler, the general's aide-de-camp, suspects that I have secrets. What if he discovers the truth about little Alexander? What if he finds out that I take information to the Rebels? And what if he realizes that my interest in him is more than polite? Now that I've written it down, it's impossible to deny --- I've fallen in love with a Union officer ...

Pillar of Fire


Karah Quinney - 2012
    They race deep into the primeval forest leaving behind everything they have ever known. Together they forge an unbreakable bond that will guide them on their quest to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Their only hope lies within the heart of an outcast warrior and the only woman that he will ever love. It will take bravery, tenacity and great strength to face untold dangers. They will choose to fight for the freedom of their people or simply cease to exist.

Widow Woman


Patricia McLinn - 1998
    Hiring Nick Dusaq has nothing to do with the fierce pull between them and everything to do with saving her land.The solitary cowboy recognizes a kindred heart scarred by cruelty. He would ride away – he should ride away – if only her ranch didn’t need him so damned badly. Her ranch—not the widow woman like none he’s encountered before—is the only need he’ll let himself consider.Passion as powerful as the harsh beauty of the land around them bonds Rachel, the widow woman devoting every bit of her strength and courage to holding onto her Wyoming Territory ranch, and Nick, the loner cowhand with dreams of his own.Yes, they have passion. But does it hold the promise of healing and love or the destruction of dreams?- - - - -“A richly textured Western about a strong woman, a dark tormented man, and a love as fierce and irresistible as the Wyoming wind.” -- Mary Jo Putney, New York Times bestselling author“One of the most entertaining and interesting western historicals I’ve read in a long time.” -- The Romance Reader "A moving confirmation of the healing power of love" -- Romantic Times "Incredibly powerful" -- 5 Star review "Wow!... a romance that sizzles!...Powerful love story... Excellent!" -- Rendezvous"Splendid!" -- Bell, Book and Candle"An unforgettable read" -- 5 Star review

MacLain's Wife


Jillian Hart - 1999
    Re-issue. Approximately 70,000 words (about 250 printed pages).The Sheriff and the OutlawPolly Brown was nothing like typical women whose only dream was to marry and start a family. The daughter of a notorious outlaw, Polly grew up wearing six-guns and learning to ride horses and cook over an open fire. But while being pursued by an enemy with a grudge, Polly decides her best option is to pose as a mail-order-bride. In the disguise of a proper lady, she knows there is no way her enemy will recognize her. Little does Polly know that the husband waiting for her is the handsome sheriff of Indian Trails.Sheriff Ben MacLain isn't a man to be easily fooled. He quickly realizes that Polly is not who she says, but Ben after seeing how quickly his daughter has taken to Polly, he finds himself in on hurry to send her away. Instead he tries to strike a deal: marriage or jail. With outstanding warrants for Polly's arrest, Ben knows this may be his only chance to convince Polly to stay, and although he plans to have a marriage of convenience for the sake of his daughter, the passion that draws the two together cannot be denied.

Suddenly a Bride


Cynthia Thomason - 1999
    A devastating tornado destroys Abigail Chadwick's homestead and kills her beloved father, leaving her with grief, five orphans, and the challenge of rebuilding her farm alone. She wasn't prepared for the miracle that showed up on her doorstep in the handsome form of Sam Kelly, a stranger who was just passing through. When he decides to stay and help her, Abby discovers that Sam's gentle kindness might mend more than just tattered buildings. But what about the mystery that surrounds his past? Can she really believe he'll stay?Homespun Hearts is a story about faith, family, and believing in miracles, set in America's heartland by award-winning author, Cynthia Thomason. Homespun Hearts was awarded the National Readers' Choice Award for best long historical romance.

Much Ado About Marshals


Jacquie Rogers - 2011
    She does not want to be a farm wife, but that’s what her parents want. So what better solution to her dilemma than to marry the new marshal?Cole Richards is honest, forthright, and stuck in a situation where he must lie and deceive or he and Bosco might end up as honored guests at a necktie party. That’s why he plays along with being the town marshal. He didn’t count going toe to toe with a lady detective who has marriage on her mind.

Liberty Belle


Patricia PacJac Carroll - 2012
    A jilted bride, a wayward sheriff, a small boy, outlaws, and a gallows provide plenty of action, romance, and hope. Liberty Longstreet was left at the altar, but that wasn’t the worst of her day. She awakens to the fact that she needs to declare independence from her controlling mother. Wanting her freedom and to find a man of her choosing, Libby leaves home for faraway Denver. She just doesn't count on being robbed, falling for a wayward sheriff, or being accused of murder. Sheriff Wade Calder throws down his badge in a quest for revenge. Instead, he takes responsibility for his enemy’s young son. Wanting only to be free, Wade runs into Libby, and she wins what is left of his heart. Unfortunately, he has nothing to offer her until he picks up his badge. His honor is restored, but it may cost Libby her life. Together they learn the cost of freedom and the wealth of forgiveness.