Showing results by author "Barbara Goss" in All Categories

As a mail order bride, Hope finds herself married to an outlaw. She is left stranded on the Oregon Trail at about the same time as Daniel’s wife dies of cholera. The wagon train master strongly urges them to join forces and marry. They plan to have the marriage of convenience annulled in Oregon, but a life and death situation reunites them before that happens.

Travis Grayson feels responsible for a serious injury to his long-time friend, Libby. Out of guilt, he proposes, much to her delight. Not long after, he meets Evaline Radcliffe, and she immediately steals his heart. He finds himself in a predicament: he's betrothed to one woman out of duty, and head over heels in love with another. To make matters worse, Evaline eventually discovers his duplicity. Evaline has a problem of her own, and she enlists her father's help in solving it. Her father's solution is to arrange for her to be kidnapped.

Could a child’s dream be a heavenly plan? Millie needs a mama, and her papa needs a horse trainer - how can a six-year-old combine the two and come up with both? The housekeeper assists by mailing an old friend from Pennsylvania for help. Millie tries everything to push the horsewoman and her papa together, but a stranger destroys her plans and shatters their lives. Will Harlan and Elise find simple friendship or eternal love?

Love! Julia Croft never thought she would actually fall in love with the man she set out to mislead. Surely he would forgive her if he knew the truth. Could he be so cold-hearted as to not see what her brother meant to her? Would he see that it was a matter of life and death that brought her to this deceitfulness?

Violet Jeffries meets Gavin McKenzie and she becomes confused and unsure of her love for her fiancé, Miles Croft. She breaks the betrothal and then discovers that Gavin has a hidden agenda. Miles comes to her rescue twice, but keeps his distance from her. Violet realizes her mistake - too late. She's lost the most loving and devoted man, and she fights to get him back. Miles Croft loved Violet with all this heart. He vows to never give his heart away again.

Rance Balcomb finds himself facing a shotgun marriage situation to a woman who doesn't speak a word of English. He practically ignores Elsa until he sees his new wife with her hair down, wearing the new clothes he'd purchased, and he realizes he's married a beautiful woman. He soon discovers he has a rival for her affections and decides it's time to make their marriage real. Her own father, as well as her former love interest, have other ideas.

Two men vie for Amanda. One wanted the beautiful, fiery Amanda for his bride, the other for wealth and pleasure. Traveling to California, Amanda's family dies of cholera. She had prayed that they would live. Amanda is mad at God for letting them die. Eventually, she learns God did listen to her prayers, in a very extraordinary way. Amanda faces many perils on the trail including being captured by Indians and an evil adversary. Once Amanda realizes her true love, she can't find the words to tell him until it's a matter of life or death, or too late.

Jilted by the beautiful Lucy moves Wyatt to find a woman based on her heart rather than her appearance. After a lengthy correspondence, he decides Vera’s the one. Yet, he didn’t want her looks to influence his decision, so he arranged a proxy marriage. Vera, an upright, no-nonsense, lady, is the perfect wife, but could they fall in love? Christmas with Vera’s family in Missouri is a turning point in Vera and Wyatt’s relationship.

Fiona jumps on a train heading west to escape her traumatic past. Through an exchange with a woman on the train she ends up in Hays explaining to Sam Jordan why his mail order bride isn't going to arrive. She is invited to stay with his family where a plot develops in her mind: if she marries her name will change and the law wouldn't find her. Which man should she try to marry, Sam or his minister brother Martin? Events occur that select the man for her. What if he discovers her past? Or, what if she discovers his?

After losing his hearing while firing a cannon during the Civil War, Cody came to Great Bend to nurse his ailing aunt, who dies and leaves him a wealthy man. The people in town, especially the sheriff, treat Cody with cruelty, as they call him deaf and dumb. They refuse to allow him into town to buy food and necessities.

It appears that this time Agatha’s match isn’t going to work. Ethan and Claire can’t seem to find any common ground at all. They decide to end the marriage while they still are able. The town lawyer is out of the state due to a death in the family. Ethan and Claire need to travel to Hays and consult an attorney there. Hays is a 5-day journey on horseback.

When Genevieve leaves town suddenly without saying goodbye, Quill is heartbroken. The preacher sends him a mail-order bride to make up for his loss. The very day the gorgeous Lillian arrives, he gets word from Genevieve about her imminent return and her reason for leaving so quickly. Thus, Quill’s quandary.

Jared stands back and looks at his land with pride and believes he’s done well. That is, until his mother comes for a visit and tells him he needs a wife, but Jared doesn’t think so. Finally, to his relief, his mother leaves to visit his brothers. Jared sits on his porch and looks at the sunset, and suddenly realizes he is lonely. After digging in the trash for the advertisement his mother brought about the mail-order brides, Jared sends for one. What could it hurt?

Dr. Connor Beauregard Van Gates the IV and Elsie Crenshaw use a successful matchmaker to bring them together by using questionnaires to sort out their likes and dislikes. However, a catastrophe occurs, and things get very mixed up. The couple has so many oppositions that Connor is caught rolling his eyes often. What has he done?

Ned was confused about his feelings for the two women in his life. Which one held the key to his heart: the temptress, Ellen, or the sweet Maria? They each stirred him in a different way. He found himself traveling all the way to London, England to find the answer. After attending balls and riding through Hyde Park, he finally discovered whom it was he wanted and needed more than the air he breathed. But claiming her would be another matter entirely.

After Seth’s death Greta finds out she is with child. Seth’s parents pressure their other son, Adam, into a proxy marriage in order to keep the child in the family. Adam loves the sea and fails to arrive in Texas to meet his proxy bride. His father is forced to send the maritime police after him. Will Adam and Greta stick with the marriage? Will they fall in love? Or will Greta continue to obtain an annulment?

Logan Sinclair, a gambler, has an ultimatum from his father to clean up his life and marry, or lose his inheritance. He complies with all but the marriage. His father dies before he can change his will, leaving Logan just weeks to find a bride. Left stranded in a strange town, and forced by necessity to take a job as a saloon woman, Emma Jamison finds herself fired on her first night. She is desperate for a place to go, so she agrees to marry Logan, who needs a wife immediately.

Can true love win against desperation, animosity, and deceit? Eden Jamison decides to become a mail order bride to escape her lonely life, and ends up with an undesirable intended. She manages to escape him by dressing as a lad and fleeing, but in the process, ends up owing a debt she isn’t able to repay—at least with money. Andrew Mayfield vows she’ll walk all the way to Hays with him, doing all the work along the way to repay him. Andrew is furious with “Eddie”, and Eden finds Andrew bossy and irritating. When he discovers her gender, he softens somewhat, and during their travels they grow closer, however, Andrew already has an intended waiting for him in Hays.

Left on the steps of a church as an infant, Laura struggles with her decision to dedicate her life to God. On her way to a mission in Texas, a train robber snatches the novice nun and uses her as a hostage. Jesse Collins, her rescuer, not knowing what else to do with her, takes her home to his family. Never having experienced family life, Laura is touched by it and is confused by her building affection for Jesse. However, someone wants her gone and takes steps to make that happen.

Jeremy Walker is accused of killing his wife. The sheriff's sister, Kate Hammond, applies for the job as his housekeeper in order to try and find the proof they need to hang Jeremy. However, Kate never suspected she'd fall in love with the man. Her new mission is to find out who really killed Helen Walker to clear Jeremy's name. When the real killer is revealed, it sets Kate in a tailspin of grief and heartbreak.