Periwinkle Perkins is determined to become an independent woman. After the death of her father and departure of her sister Prim, Peri knows that she can’t live off the generosity of her aunt forever. Tasked with caring for her invalid mother while her older sister tries to establish a new home for them as a mail-order bride, Peri sets out to find the money her recently deceased father has hidden. If she can only find Pa’s stash Periwinkle can take her mother to Needful Texas to join her sister and set up a home of her own. Always a hopeless romantic before Peri now wishes only for the security of a steady income to provide for her mother, but will she find the funds she needs or be stranded while her sister seeks a man who is willing to accept a fully formed family? Desperate times called for desperate measure and Peri know she is up to the task.

The loss of her father has left Primrose Perkins in need of a way to provide not only for herself but also for her mother and sister. With a new and wonderful sense of freedom to discover who she can be, her decisions could be the answer to all of their troubles. Will she be able to find a way to ensure that her family will be cared for by answering an ad for a mail-order bride, or will deception lead her astray? Needful Texas is a growing town with growing troubles. Rowdy cowhands, drunken parties, and wealthy ranchers who don’t think they need to become a part of the community. How can Prim, find a home and the help she needs in a town with more men than is good for it?

Teddy Lewis has waited long enough to receive his mail-order bride, but she is nowhere to be seen. As impatience mounts, the young cowman doesn’t let an opportunity go to waste when an emergency calls Olive Hampton away, leaving the newest arrival in Needful, Texas entirely on her own. Amanda Antonia has lost everything she ever owned and loved when her mother remarries, scandalously soon, after the death of Amanda’s father. Seeking a new start in life and a loving protector of her own, she is soon tossed into the wilds of Texas, utterly unprepared for rowdy cowboys, roaming cattle, and riotous romance.

Adele Fortuna is not happy with her father’s plans to foist her and her sisters off on Needful husbands, but what choice does she have. Since her mother's death, she has managed to keep the household together, but with steadily decreasing funds, something has to be done. If Adele can find a well to do husband in the dusty town of Needful, Texas, perhaps her sisters will not have to suffer the indignities of being sold to the highest bidder. Despite her father’s desperate play, Adele knows that he only wants his children to have a safe home where they will be provided for once he is gone. Can a young woman’s determination to marry well bring more hope and happiness to Needful, or will all dreams be dashed in the harsh light of the real world?

Elizabeth Beechen only wishes to leave the pain and sorrow of loss behind and find a new life in Needful, Texas. Prepared to be a mail-order bride, she sets out on her journey only to find that the situation in the tiny town has changed and she needs to adjust quickly. Mustering a positive attitude and determined to love her new home, despite its growing pains, she finds friendship in the course of adversity. Can she learn to trust God enough to believe that the man He has waiting for her won't suffer from the same vices her father did, leaving her alone and lonely for the rest of her life?

Olga Fortuna loves pretty clothes, sewing, and anything to do with fashion. When her father brings her and her sisters to Needful, Texas to find husbands, she soon discovers that she enjoys making clothing for others more than the idea of wedded bliss.

Patience! Mrs. Crane has always hated her name for she simply had none. Impatient to wed, she had ended up alone, raising a son on her own in a changing world. Her son had obviously taken after her as well, marrying the first girl who caught his eye. Now, living in Needful, Patience Crane could guide her son and his new wife on the right path. But first, she needed to know that the family was all it seemed and what better opportunity to know the truth than to spend time with the family patriarch, Phineas. Phineas Fortuna has known sorrow in his life. A simple soul trying to do his best in a changing world he recognizes the pain in others as he struggles to find his way in a new town. With all of his sweet daughters wed, he finds he has a good deal of time on his hands and offers friendship to Mrs. Crane, his daughter’s mother-in-law. Will two unlikely souls find joy once more?