Book picks similar to
Christy by Vivi Holt


historical-romance
romance
western
historical-fiction

An Unexpected Mail Order Bride


Blythe Carver - 2021
    She wants a man. Not some silly boy who plays pranks. She’s not one to wait for life to come to her. She’ll seize it by the horns. And she does just that, ending up in the wild west with nothing but her money and her companion.Nate Winchester and his two boys were abandoned by his wife. She simply up and left them. Who does that? Now, Nate’s had to figure out how to be mother and father to his sons. Lucky for him, he’s got siblings who have helped him. But that’s not enough. Children need a mama.When his sister comes up with a plan for getting him a bride, he’s not interested. Yet, his sister Melissa is persistent.Lo and behold, here comes Theresa Baldwin. A ray of sunshine in his otherwise bleak life.Theresa has no idea that her appearance has been orchestrated by Nate’s sister. She’s thrilled to have found this woodworking, ranching man’s man in the wild west. Until she learns the truth…

Scarred Hearts


Billi Tiner - 2014
    During the War Between the States, her family’s plantation was burned to the ground, killing both her parents and leaving her scarred, both physically and emotionally. Despite facing extreme hardship, she’s grown into a compassionate woman with a heart for helping people. She lives in a small cabin with an old ex-slave and a young boy, who was the lone survivor of a wagon train attack. The three of them have formed a make-shift family that includes a one-eyed cat and a baby fox. Their world changes the day a gunfighter full of bullet holes collapses on their land.

The Love that Unites Us


Carol Colyer - 2019
    Ever since that day, she has dreamt of going back and settling on a ranch. The chance to do so arises when she's headed to Richbrook to start a new life with her fiance. Tragedy strikes again though when he dies and leaves her a deteriorating ranch to operate. But she's not the only one who's going after it! A cruel land developer will play dirty to try and force Elizabeth off her land. When she asks Johnnie to her help, will she unexpectedly find herself falling for him? Will she finally get her happy ending she dreamt of?Johnnie Pratt has spent years traveling and working on ranches. His life has been anything but a piece of cake but he's not one to give up easily. When he receives Elizabeth's letter, he doesn't hesitate for a second to drop everything to go find her. He only expected to help her start her ranch, but when he realizes the danger that she's facing, he'll do anything to keep her safe - even offer to marry her. Can he convince her that everything he does for Elizabeth comes from his powerful feelings towards her?Tragedy is what separated them in the first place but it's also what will bring them back together again. As love blossoms between the two, they'll face the dark memories of their past and their fears in letting their guard down around each other. Will their love help them fight the enemy together so as to claim their well-deserved happiness?"The Love that Unites Us" is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Hills of Nevermore


Janalyn Voigt - 2017
    Shane lands face-down in the mud for his trouble, and there’s talk of shooting him. America intervenes and finds herself in an unexpectedly personal conversation with the blue-eyed preacher. Certain she has angered God in the past, she shies away from Shane. Addie Martin, another widow, invites America to help in her cook tent in Virginia City, the new mining town. Even with Addie’s teenage son helping with America’s baby, life is hard. Shane urges America to depart for a more civilized location. Neither Shane’s persuasions nor road agents, murder, sickness, or vigilante violence can sway America. Loyalty and ambition hold her fast until dire circumstances force her to confront everything she believes about herself, Shane, and God. Based on actual historical events during a time of unrest in America, Hills of Nevermore explores faith, love, and courage in the wild west.

Taming Beauty


Lynne Barron - 2016
     The daughter of an infamous courtesan and a notorious rake, Miss Lilith Aberdeen has fashioned a perfectly lovely life for herself on the fringes of London Society. She’ll not risk her independence or her heart on anything as fickle and frivolous as love. Or even familial affection, for that matter. So how is it she winds up journeying to the wilds of Cornwall to deliver the Earl of Dunaway’s pampered, petulant daughter into the hands of a reclusive baron rumored to be a bit mad? Jasper Grimley, Baron Malleville, has spent more than a decade living in self-imposed exile, tending his lands and waiting for his chosen bride to come of age. When his betrothed is plucked from his grasp mere months before the wedding, he sets in motion a plan to turn the Earl of Dunaway’s plethora of debts and profusion of daughters to his advantage. But even the best laid plans have a tendency to fall to ruin, and Jasper soon finds himself beguiled by the wrong woman. This novel is a frolicsome romp loosely based upon the original French fairy tale written in the eighteenth century rather than the animated version we’ve all come to know and adore. There are naughty bits sprinkled throughout the story, though nothing likely to make the average romance reader blush.

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.

The Patrician


Joan Kayse - 2012
    When his trading empire is threatened by an unknown enemy who not only wants to see him ruined but dead as well, he uses every means to put an end to it. He turns to a beautiful barbarian seer, a slave with hair the color of firelight and eyes that shine like emeralds only to be betrayed into a fate worse than death—slavery.Bryna of Eire lives each day burdened by the yoke of Rome and her own guilt for leading her beloved brother and clansmen into Rome’s clutches. She curses the gift of sight which her master exploits, keeping her under lock and key, telling fortunes and fattening his purse. When an opportunity to be freed of her confinement comes, Bryna takes it, though her instincts warn that lying to the sensual, golden-eyed man that plagues her visions risks her very soul.Betrayed into slavery, Jared labors under the lash envisioning revenge on the seer who sent him into this hell. But when fate throws Bryna into his arms, he finds exacting vengeance a different matter. As they escape, evade bounty hunters and face their pasts, Jared must battle not only his enemy but his heart. Can the differences that separate them draw them together to save their lives and their love?

The Lady of the Garter


Marisa Dillon - 2014
    Garter knight, Sir James, is charged with bringing dissenters to justice. Determined to fulfill his vows, he’s unprepared for Lady Elena, a girl from his past.   Lady Elena defies her family and disguises herself as a squire to reunite with the man she’s always loved. She might be able to wield a sword, but she still possesses a woman’s heart.   Thrust into a world of danger and family rivalry, James and Elena face the ultimate test.   Can James avenge his father’s death and find passion, or will his Garter oaths hold him to a life of service without love?

Prince in the Mist


Claudy Conn - 2011
    He is a royal Fae, immortal and endowed with more than eye candy looks. He is a being with immeasurable powers but life for him lacked something—so he looked around, and found... humans.Watching their lives and interactions, from another dimension filled him with feelings he had thought long lost in the ennui of immortality. The more he watched--the more addicted to their antics he became. An affection for the human race grew inside the heart Fae are not supposed to have, and it was inevitable that he began to have preferences with regards to them.In 1314, when Scotland’s rule was in jeopardy and the British were about to take more than they should, he chose a side--and then he saw her, and nothing would ever be the same for the prince ever again…

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

Ante Up


Caroline Lee - 2019
    Augustus King. He's got the brains and the muscle to keep the townspeople cowed, so no one stands up to him.Except The Black Ace.This masked vigilante swoops out of the hills with six-guns blazing, protecting the town from Mr. King's machinations and economic ruin. He's a local hero, a folk legend, and everyone—including Regina Vickers, the daughter of the town doctor—would love to know is identity.With her father under King's control, Regina is the only doctor available when Hart's grandfather falls ill. At his ranch outside of town, he's handed the opportunity to spend more time with the woman he's always loved.But between King's suspicions, a sick grandfather, the arrival of a mysterious child, and Hart's midnight masquerades as The Black Ace, there's not going to be anything "typical" about this courtship at all. If Hart wants to play such a dangerous game, it's time for him to ante up!******The Black Aces series is the sequel to the Sunset Valley series. If you've been anxious to discover all you can about this mysterious vigilante, you're in for a wild ride!

Chasing the Butterfly


Jayme H. Mansfield - 2014
    Ella's journey is portrayed through a heartbroken child, a young woman's struggles during the tumultuous times surrounding World War II, and as a reflective adult. Through a series of secret paintings, her art becomes the substitute for lost love—the metaphor of her life. But when her paintings are discovered, the intentions of those she loves are revealed.

Engaging The Enemy


Heather Boyd - 2012
    A widow and mother, Mercy is lonely and floundering to keep the estate afloat. When she discovers the existence of Leopold Randall, her husband’s estranged cousin, Mercy immediately offers to help him locate his missing siblings if he helps her return the estate to order.Leopold has returned to Hampshire for only one purpose—to learn the fate of his missing siblings. Unfortunately, the current duchess is clueless and out of her depth. Her struggle tugs at Leopold’s sense of duty and her bold nature tempts him unbearably. When Leopold discovers their lives are forever entwined, he vows to protect Mercy and her innocent son.

Cross her Heart


Jo Noelle - 2020
    The last thing she wants is to fall in love with a cowboy. Oops!Ida Turner was supposed to pass along her father’s directions to the trail boss. Instead, she packs her wagon with silk dresses and joins the cattle drive up the Chisholm Trail from Windward, Texas, to the railhead in Kansas. Contrary to what she thought would be a grand adventure, the trail is fraught with dangers, threatening her life.Robert Conley only learned about the change of plans for the cattle drive two days before they were to leave. Now, half his crew is new, he’ll be on the trail for months instead of weeks, and the beautiful, infuriating woman who is an albatross around his neck doesn’t know she’s riding with an outlaw—and he has to keep it that way.How can Ida overcome Robert’s secretiveness and earn his respect and trust? Will Robert risk opening his heart and his past to gain Ida’s love?

To Have and To Hold


Charlene Raddon - 1997
    . . A widow with two children, Tempest Whitney has had to mortgage everything to repay the money her husband had stolen. But even as she struggles to hold onto her Utah homestead, a scheming rancher buys up her debts, demanding she either get off his land or marry him. Then a dark-haired stranger shows up, claiming to be her dead husband . . . A man without a past . . . Buck Maddux spent two years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Now a deathbed promise has brought him to Tempest's homestead. A man without roots, he doesn't plan to stay—or to feel so fiercely protective of this feisty beauty he saves from a hated marriage of convenience. Suddenly, Buck years for a home, a family, a lasting love. But what can he offer Tempest? The surprising answer lies in the forbidding canyons of an ancient Anasazi tribe, where fortune and danger await—along with a passion more precious than gold….