West of Forgotten by Lynda J. Cox

Oh. My. Goodness.

I loved this story!! My breath was stolen and my heart shattered over and over again.... But put back together so beautifully and perfectly!

Definitely a story not to be missed! Not only that, but there's a deeper message woven in the pages that many a heart needs to hear....and believe.

Harmonica Joe's Reluctant Bride by Sarah J. McNeal

With a little bit of magic and twists, we're immediately catapulted back in time 100 years with Lola, landing disoriented and discovering we've just been wed. And not only that, but we already have enemies after us! Time travel always makes for a disorienting and twisted story - trying to figure out how to adjust and deal and what happened and what we want to have happen. Lola and Joe are no exception. Joe's got to come to terms with the woman he married who he thought he knew and his own secret demons chasing him, while Lola's got to come to terms with not only figuring out her present but letting go of her past and discovering who she truly is. And then they both have to deal with the growing feelings between each other.

With twists and turns, attitude and laughter, tears and surprises, I adored watching all the puzzle pieces fall together and seeing how it all worked out in the end to deliver a swoony happily-ever-after.

Prodigal Gun by Kathleen Rice Adams

You know those movies where someone opens a forbidden book or door or game and gets sucked into it? Yup, it happened to me! :) One minute I was in 21st century American heartland, settling down on the deck to start a new book, and the next minute I was transported to Texas, 1877, right before a range war really stirred up the dirt. I was not prepared for the intensity of emotions and connection I would encounter while I experienced this story.

Jessie amazed me with her strength, her grit, her loyalty, her faith, and her unending desire to claim hold of her dreams. Mason's sharp-edged presence called to me (just as much as he called to Jessie) and made me want to help him heal and let go of things and grab hold of his deepest desires. He coincidedly melted me and shattered me with every "Mockin'bird" he uttered. These two lived and breathed out their love for each other, although sometimes to the point of frustration. haha!

Prodigal Gun delivers a captivating story filled with love and passion. KRA has this way of using words to bubble and boil and build her world around you, bringing the characters and setting to life. It's a overwhelming journey you don't want to miss out on.

Outlaw Heart by Tanya Hanson

Outlaw Heart shares the sweet story of Bronx and Lila finding themselves, as well as each other, when life looks bleak. Themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and restoration are shared throughout.

Lila has a heart of gold and unconditional love for the outcasts. She also carries multiple heavy burdens given to her by her late husband, all of which she learns to come to terms with. Bronx has a desire to rebuild his life and fix past transgressions, but struggles with feeling lost and overwhelmed. When Lila and Bronx meet, they both struggle with the instant connection, and despite the burdens and worries and fears, still can't help but reach out to each other.

With some help from unlikely sources and some surprises mixed into the multiple uncertainties, Bronx and Lila prove what strength and beauty and faith they have in themselves and each other, delivering a sweet and much deserved happily ever after.

Holt's Gamble by Barbara Ankrum

LOVED this story!!

From beginning to end, the wonder and drama and surprises kept me glued to the pages! Almost everything I love about a HWR was included in this story in such a wonderful way!

I'm quickly becoming a Barbara Ankrum fan!

Dearest Darling by Andrea Downing

Whew, baby!! Talk about getting swept into a story and not expecting the swiftness nor the depth of it! I thought I knew what I was getting into, but this short story delivered with do much more!

I adored watching the slow burn build and Emily and Daniel discovering how much their worlds collided. Emily made me want to slow down even more and appreciate my surroundings and not be afraid to leap into the scary unknown. Daniel swept me away with his honor and respect and desire to do right, even though what he thought was what his heart wanted got flipped upside down and shaken up. There's even a touch of fairytale sweetness included that makes it all the better.

I simply enjoyed the way the story flowed and took me on a charmed ride. If you want a short story that you can sink into and live in for a couple of hours, you won't be disappointed with Emily and Daniel.

Lawless Love by Andrea Downing

Secrets and a lawman who's needing a change? Sign me up! Once I got started I knew I didn't want to stop. Dylan and Lacey meet under some hilarious circumstances and I couldn't help but want to have some fun sass like Lacey. Her strength and determination to protect and provide for her family shone through the story. Dylan proved himself to be a man of honor while learning that sometimes, justice sees in shades of gray. I enjoyed spending time with Dylan and Lacey and watching them figure out their hea ending.

Under a Mulberry Moon anthology

A Family For Polly by Jacquie Rogers

A Family for Polly is an adorable story about a woman who grew up out of a rough childhood to adopt two children who were considered "cast-offs". Her heart was so big and beautiful - determined to do whatever it took to keep her children and give them a safe place to grow up -- even if it meant getting a husband before she found the man of her dreams. Ford was awesome in how he rolled with everything thrown at him and proved himself to be the man Polly dreamed of, and loved Polly and her kids so easily. The kids (Noah and Evie) stole my heart! I was impressed with how I was expecting a short story and ended up with a novella which delivered a full story feel!


The Lady Lassoes an Outlaw by Charlene Raddon

SQUEE!! I totally fell in love with Aurora and Garret's story! Many of the favorite things I love in a western were wrapped up so pretty in this story: tough and tenderhearted hero, strong and vulnerable heroine, awesome family, surprises and twists, danger, believable love story and a delightful happily-ever-after. I was again surprised in how full and detailed and complete it felt for a novella -- making this one of the best kind of novellas to enjoy!

*The rest are on my tbr list

A Change of Heart by Callie Gardner

Simply adorable and addicting!

Canyon Crossing by Kristy McCaffrey

What do you get when you mix a little bit of adventure, a little bit otherworldly, a little bit of laughter and a tiny bit of a surprise? You get Angus and Annabel's happily ever after story! Quite literally I was pulled into the story on page one and enjoyed watching Annabel break through to Angus's heart and Angus fall to Annabel's charms. This is a cute short story that makes you smile sweet.

Mallory: The Mail Order Bride by Hebby Roman

Mallory and Will's story kept me engrossed! Themes of acceptance and forgiveness as well as consequences to lies and unwise choices are weaved into this entertainingly sweet story. 

You get to experience alot of Will's duties and struggles as the fort commander along with Mallory's struggles to find where she fits in and figure out her future, and if it could include Will. Their love story is a slow-building journey that has several trials to work through to find their happily-ever-after. 

I enjoyed going back in time and seeing history come to life through their story - although the judgement and prejudice of the time and "society" still makes me struggle and hurt at times.

If you like sweet (clean) stories that have little nuggets of wisdom written into the pages, and love a mail order bride story that has a few twists, this is a book for you!