Book picks similar to
Adela's Prairie Suitor by Elaine Manders


historical-romance
novella
historical
mail-order-bride

Once Again


Deborah Heal - 2013
    Brett!) so as not to commit career suicide, and keeping the "rewinding time" program secret, so Uncle Sam doesn't turn into Big Brother. Whew!Merrideth Randall’s day job is teaching history at McKendree College. But after hours she turns to her first love, historical research. And she has a tool other historians can only dream of—a computer program that rewinds time! Merrideth makes a virtual visit to the 1780s, hoping to be the first to locate Fort Piggot. Along the way, she gets a first-hand look at the lives of the courageous pioneers of the Illinois Country, who withstood Indian attacks, hardship, and loneliness to settle the rich land. One of the settlers is James Garretson, who risks his life to take the Gospel to the very tribe that wreaked havoc on his family. Merrideth is amazed that he could forgive a crime so huge. And hero or fool, James Garretson is the ancestor of her colleague Brett, a physics professor at McKendree College. With her findings, Merrideth is able to help Brett with his genealogy, but she can’t tell him everything she learned—like that he inherited his black hair and green eyes from James Garretson, or that his aunt’s poetry is eerily similar to the verse Garretson’s wife composed at her spinning wheel. Brett has rock-star status on campus, but amazingly enough, he seems to be pursuing Merrideth—in spite of her firm policy against dating co-workers. She would love to tell him about her amazing program, but he’s not so good at keeping secrets, and she’s determined to keep it safe from those who would exploit it. She has secrets about herself that she’d just as soon Brett didn’t find out either. While discretion is not his strong suit, one virtue he does have is patience, and he’s quite willing to wait for Merrideth to figure things out.

Dianna


Josephine Blake - 2016
    And a savage Indian with a murderous past.A pull here. A tug there. Something is calling out to Dianna Brittler from a distance. While her younger sister begins planning her marriage to the son of a wealthy business man, Dianna discovers a yearning within her soul the likes of which she has never known. Having brushed aside the many suitors presented to her over the course of her adolescence, Dianna refuses to fall quietly into spinsterhood. Her cravings for adventure and change overpower her strong sense of logic and she journeys forth to marry a man she knows only from a handful of letters. This change is good.This is the life for her. Isn't it?Dianna was never satisfied with the life of a socialite in 1885 Manhattan, but life in the Wilds of the Wyoming Territory might be more than she can handle. A violent fiancé and a winter storm will drive Dianna into the arms of a handsome native. Now, the two must choose to fight their growing attraction to one another, or, together, face a world that will never fully accept their love.

Prisoners of Love Books 1-3: Adelaide Cinnamon Becky


Callie Hutton - 2018
    The marshal has no idea what to do with them, and certainly can’t let them back out on the streets. Too dangerous. He tells the women they have two choices. They can either join a wagon train headed to Santa Fe, New Mexico as mail order brides, or be sent to the state prison. When the women agree to his plan, he hires a brothel owner whose business just burned to the ground to chaperone the ladies on the wagon train. A brothel owner as a chaperone? There’s bound to be trouble for Adelaide, Cinnamon, Becky and Miranda with Miss Nellie in charge.

From a Distance


Tamera Alexander - 2008
    and the secret you've spent a lifetime guarding is finally laid bare? Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life.Daniel Ranslett is a man shackled by his Confederate past, and he'll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He's a man of his word, but repaying that debt could reveal secrets from his past he would prefer remain buried.Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth's lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met from a distance.

Northern Delights


Claire May - 2017
    Her step-mother, Bertha is a bitter, vengeful woman and the dark bruises on Kate’s arms serve as a daily reminder as to just how bad some days can get. When an opportunity presents itself, Kate decides to take a chance on finding true love and happiness. With the help of her dearest friend, Laura, and the vivacious Mrs Livingston, she soon embarks on a journey that will see her leave Kansas and head north to Montana to become a mail order bride. Ethan Wright knows heartache. At just twenty two years of age, he’s certainly lived through his fair share. Both his Ma and Pa are gone, and now too is his older brother, leaving him the sole guardian of his adorable, yet mischievous young niece, Emily. But Ethan doesn’t know the first thing about raising a little girl. His farm is suffering, and he’s fallen terribly behind on the domestic front. He’s drowning in pots and pans and if he doesn’t do something soon, then little Emily might just be taken away from him for good. So Ethan does the only thing there is left to do, he sends off a letter for Boulder Valley’s first ever mail order bride. Northern Delights is a sweet tale of loss and longing, hardship and grief. It’s a story of romance that defies the common definitions, finding love and beauty in the most unexpected places. “We’ll be each other’s light in the darkest of days.”

A Woman of Fortune


Kellie Coates Gilbert - 2014
     Texas socialite Claire Massey is living the dream—designer clothes, luxury cars, stunning homes. But everything comes crashing down when her charming cattle broker husband is arrested for fraud. Suddenly she finds herself facing attorneys, a media frenzy, and a trail of broken hearts. Betrayed and humiliated, Claire must maneuver incredible odds to save her family—and discover a life worth living. Author Kellie Coates Gilbert delivers a story both poignant and emotionally gripping that celebrates the kind of fortune that lasts.

The Amish Bachelor


Samantha Price - 2017
    Isaac had nearly committed to Mary Lou, but there was something about the new girl that gave him second thoughts. Amish bachelor Isaac Fuller knows where he's headed. As the oldest of seven sons, he will eventually take over the family joinery business. As Isaac tries to find out more about the mysterious Hazel, Mary Lou does everything she can to force him into marriage. When his feelings for Hazel grow, he knows he's in trouble. The problem is, everyone expects him to marry Mary Lou. Being the eldest, he's always done the right thing and been an example to his brothers. When Hazel leaves suddenly due to a family emergency, there's no doubt in Isaac's mind she's the one for him. But how can he end his relationship with Mary Lou without breaking her heart?With Isaac under pressure, will he make the wrong decision? Will Isaac find true love with Hazel? Or will his fears and worries about other people keep him from his happily-ever-after?

Madeline's Match


Annie Lane - 2017
    After reading a very unusual request for a mail order bride, she travels to Conrad, Montana to meet her cowboy groom, whose letter said, "I love surprises more than just about anything else..." According to Seth Lawson, he has a balanced life - working hard all week & playing hard all weekend. Whiskey and him are slowly becoming best friends. But his older brother, Samuel, has had enough of Seth heading down the wrong path - so young Seth is about to get the surprise of his life. ~ A romantic story about finding a place, and a person to call home. ~ About Seasons Sons & Daughters... Just like the first 4 books, it too is set in Conrad, however, 10 years have gone by. Doc Lawson's six children are now just about all grown up, and so too is the garrulous & handsome Earl "Junior" Mason. It's now the youngsters' turn to experience the joy of love and marriage. Matchmaking & mail order brides (and one lucky husband) seem like just the ticket! After all, it worked out just fine for their parents -- what could possibly go wrong? ~ Catch up with the original Seasons brides - Charlotte, Beth, Alice & Belle; their very lucky husbands - Thomas, Earl, Gabe & Simon 'Doc' Lawson; Sheriff Calhoun & his pie-baking wife Louise & the ever-listening & ever-watching, Miss Mabel Clay. Meet new folk too - like Mr. Morton Campbell, a newspaper man with a very theatrical flair. ~ The Seasons Mail Order Bride series: * Series 1 - Seasons * Book One - Charlotte's Summer Book Two - Falling for Beth Book Three - Alice in Winterland Book Four - Spring Belle * Series 2 - Seasons Sons & Daughters * Book One - Madeline's Match Book Two - Hannah's Hope Book Three - Sarah's Choice Book Four - Stella's Fella

Marrying Miss Marshal


Lacy Williams - 2011
     Danna Carpenter is town marshal. And a darn good one. Even if she has to handle saloon brawls and rustlers alone. Who needs deputies anyway? All right, she’d welcome the help if any of the men in town would offer it. When a bank robbery goes bad, she has no choice but to accept the help of a city slicker... He’s on a quest for revenge. Chas O'Grady came West in search of cattle rustlers and found himself on the trail of a killer--one who took everything from him. Crossing paths with the pretty marshal was happenstance, but he can't leave her deputy-less when she’s facing such grave danger. Everything changes when Chas and Danna are stranded together in a snowstorm. The town council forces a marriage. And attraction turns to something more... Will Chas give up his quest for revenge? Or will he lose the woman he loves forever? MARRYING MISS MARSHAL is a Wild West marriage of convenience story. This book was originally published in 2011 by Harlequin's Love Inspired Historical series line. It has been re-edited and now includes an extended epilogue.

Married In Montana


Kirsten Osbourne - 2015
    She knows her mother will never move on with her own life as long as Savannah is single. Savannah goes to see a matchmaker, specializing in setting up couples who meet at the altar. At first, she thinks Scott is a dream come true, but his blundering soon makes her crazy. Scott, a Montana bison rancher, doesn't have time to find a wife. His work is all-encompassing. Besides, he tends to have a hard time getting women to go out with him more than once. When he runs into a matchmaker he's known all his life, he tells her about the problems he's had to see if she can help him. When he meets Savannah at the altar, his heart stops for a moment. She's exactly what he's looking for. Will their diverse backgrounds keep them apart? Or will they be able to work through their differences to make their marriage a loving relationship?

An Unexpected Widow


Carré White - 2013
    After arriving by wagon to the howling wilderness of the unexplored west, they settled on land, built a home, and began what they thought would be a long and prosperous life together. After an accident leaves Frank without feeling in his legs, the dream of self-sufficiency suddenly slips away, but even more tragedy is on the horizon for Hannah.Once widowed, she struggles to cope with her loss, relying on those her husband had hired, especially Nathan Weaver, a no good gambler and drunkard. While the tenuous hold she has on her sanity crumbles, her connection with Nathan becomes something far greater than she could have ever imagined, but her family would be scandalized if she married such a man.One should never judge a book by its cover, and Nathan, although rough around the edges and crude, has his heart in the right place, and it belongs to Hannah…if only she could see it.This is the first book in The Colorado Brides Series, chronicling the lives of the Hoffman sisters and their adventures in finding love out west.

Bride of Paradise


Katie Crabapple - 2013
    Just weeks later he receives a letter from the president's wife and a woman he's never met, informing him a bride has been found. Although uncertain whether he really wants to marry, he agrees, thinking she may be the one God has selected for him. He is hopeful that the woman will be the help-meet God has chosen to lift his lonely heart.When Kristen meets her future husband, Samuel, they both find the other lacking. Will they be able to get past their first impressions of one another and become an effective team serving God together?

Ruby


Juliet James - 2014
    The good news is she's traveled to Pittsburgh and found a good job as a schoolmistress. The bad news is, the school's owner, the portly, whiskey-breathed Mister Murphy, has developed wandering hands, and Mrs Murphy's preparing to leave to visit her sister for a month in New York.Ruby sees an advertisement in the Matrimonial News and takes a desperate chance, writing away to the handsome Six-feet-four James Drinkwater.Will James be the answer to Ruby's plight? Is the handsome Montana man all that he seems? Or will someone else come to Ruby's rescue, so together they can find true love?The Come-By-Chance series consists of:Book 1 - RubyBook 2 - EmilyBook 3 - VioletBook 4 - KateBook 5 - Rose ~ Due out December 2014 ~Book 6 - Emmy-Lou ~ Due out January 2015 ~

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.

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.