From genteel Boston to the wilds of Montana, she is searching for a safe haven for her family—and finds unexpected love. Having lost her beloved husband, a whaling captain, to a watery grave, Molly Gallagher refuses to risk more heartbreak. Determined to keep her headstrong son from following in his father’s footsteps, she agrees to become the mail-order bride of a Montana country doctor. She tells her new husband that she can never give her love to another man; what she doesn’t tell him is that she has a young daughter and a rebellious teenage son. Molly’s ruse might have worked, but Seth Kendrick has secrets of his own: a willful daughter determined to end the marriage before it even begins—and a double life keeping his neighbors safe from outlaws. In an untamed land of vigilante justice, Molly has no choice but to trust this gray-eyed stranger whose stubbornness matches her own, whose kisses unleash flash floods of desire—and who may be the one man in a million who could win her fiery, faithful heart. “A book you will read and remember for a long, long time . . . Wonderful characters light up the pages.”—Rendezvous

The Kansas prairie in 1878 is the setting for this mystery about a girl who gets a new stepmother—a woman who may not be what she appears Ida Kate Deming lives on the Kansas prairie with her father. Once a lonely outpost, Hays City is now a bustling town where the twelve-year-old impatiently awaits the arrival of papa’s mail-order bride. Ida Kate lost her beloved mother when she was ten. Now someone new will share their lives, along with the seemingly endless chores. And the best part is, Ida Kate will have a new mother and a new little brother, as well. But when Caroline Fairchild steps off the train, she doesn’t look at all the way she described herself in her letters. Instead of being tall and thin, she’s short. And her hair is the wrong color. And she definitely isn’t allergic to cats. As Ida Kate races to uncover the truth before her father marries Caroline, a blizzard endangers her new family, and Ida Kate has to figure out where her true loyalties lie. This ebook includes a historical afterword.

Each of these historical novellas is set on the open plains when saying "I do" also most often meant committing to a life of hard work against the backbreaking soil. But, love has the ability to shine over any circumstance and light the bride's eyes with sparkles of hope.

Complications abound as love is encountered by four young schoolmarms in bygone days. In Schoolhouse Brides, one-room schoolhouses by the Lehigh Canal, on the prairies of Minnesota, amid the Blue Ridge Mountains, and in frontier Idaho are the settings for heartwarming lessons in life and love.

The first three books in the Prairie Bride Series are a great introduction to Clear Creek! One of the wackiest towns in the old west, and home of The Cooke Brothers! Three Englishmen taming the Oregon Territory with their fists, their guns, and impeccable manners! His Prairie Princess: Harrison Cooke went to get his mail, discovered it was stolen, and set out after it. But he just wanted to retrieve his mail, not rescue a damsel in distress! Sadie Jones never dreamed the stage would be robbed and she herself taken along with the rest of the loot! After all, being kidnapped was the last thing on her mind that morning. Unfortunately it was the foremost thing that afternoon. Her Prairie Knight: Colin Cooke saw Belle Dunnigan for the first time and thought he'd seen an angel! Until she walked into the arms of her aunt, Mrs. Irene Dunnigan! The self-righteous, cantankerous owner of the mercantile ruled with an iron fist and hated everyone, especially the Cooke family! What a pity Belle was so attracted to Colin Cooke, the one man her aunt hated most of all. His Prairie Duchess: Duncan Cooke was slated to become the next Duke of Stantham! Problem was, he had to get married in the next thirty-eight days or lose it all. Worse, there wasn't a single female around Clear Creek for hundreds of miles. Except one ... Cozette Duprie lived life disguised as a boy for so long, she had no idea how to be a girl. And if her father had any ideas of marrying her off, who on earth would want her? No one. For how could any man want a wife who couldn't utter a word?

Dodge City Brides: USA Today bestselling author Julianne MacLean delivers three breathtaking and passionate full-length novels featuring rugged, alpha-male heroes of the West, all sworn to protect the women they love… A loveless marriage of convenience on the Kansas prairie turns out to be far more than she bargained for… HE’S PART OF THE WEST Briggs Brigman has been burned once before, and the last thing he needs is a beautiful wife who will spend hours in front of the mirror, primping herself. He knows how hard the prairie can be on a woman, and all he wants is a stalwart bride who won’t complain about hauling water from the creek…. SHE’S A CITY GIRL WITH NO IDEA WHAT SHE’S IN FOR… All Sarah MacFarland wants is to escape her fearful life in Boston and start fresh with a new identity. Answering an advertisement for a mail order bride seems like the perfect solution, until she meets her soon-to-be husband—a ruggedly handsome, strapping farmer who leaves her breathless on their wedding night. But is it possible that two tormented souls can find happiness, when all they know is betrayal, and when trust is the only way out of a tumultuous past that simply won’t stay buried? (New Revised Edition: Originally published under the title PRAIRIE BRIDE in 2000) “You can always count on Julianne MacLean to deliver ravishing romance that will keep you turning pages until the wee hours of the morning.” —Teresa Medeiros

1887 Debutante Julia Crawford endures a lifetime of subtle ridicule as the plump, silly daughter of a prominent Boston family. Julia strikes out on her own to gain independence, traveling to the Midwest to marry an aging shopkeeper and care for his mother. Julia finds her new home rough and uncivilized after the sophistication of a big city, while closely held secrets threaten to ruin Julia's one chance at love. Jake Shelling was sixteen and grew up quick when his parents died from influenza on the North Dakota prairie. Left with a half-cleared farm and two young sisters, he spent little time on his own needs . . . until now. At thirty-five, he figured it was high time to have some sons and a mail order bride would suit him just fine. No expectations of love, just a helpmate from sturdy stock, ready for farm life.Will fate and chance play a trick on Julia and Jake?