Come along on a romantic journey jam-packed with all the angst of marriages founded upon practical choices as well as coercion. Meet nine couples who barely know each other before they find themselves suddenly married to please family, to stem the tide of gossip, to save the land and joined for life. But can love grow when duty comes before romance? 

All's Fair by Gina Welborn

September, 1904 / Wathena, Kansas

No two people are more ill-suited than Miss Coral Davies and Dr. Jack Kent. Jack loves tradition and stability. Coral loves change. To top it all off, their orchard-owning families have hated one another for decades. When a mudslinging in the middle of town lands them—and a dozen family members—in jail amid the apple harvest, Coral and Jack have a choice. Marry and free everyone. Or all of them spend the next ninety days in jail for causing a public disturbance. Can Coral and Jack overlook the odd (and humorous to everyone else in town not named Davies or Kent) beginning of their marriage to see God’s blessing in disguise?

The Substitute Bride by Angela Bell  

London, England, June 1865.

After seven seasons in London society, spinster Gwendolyn—Gwen Brandbury, remains unmarried. However her parents form a scheme to get her married to Lord Elliott Carlyle—a deception really. Lord Carlyle does not discover the deception until after the wedding when he lifts the bridal veil to kiss his bride and discovers Gwen instead of Cynthia, her sister. Furious, he takes his substitute bride to his country home, Briarcliff Park.

Bridal Whispers by Angie Breidenbach 

Saint Paul, MN March 1900.

After being away for nine years, nurse Maila Holmes is headed home to Fergus Falls after receiving notice of the flu epidemic at home and her family very ill with the flu. Many have died during the flu epidemic, including her cousin Rose. Store owner Burton Rutherford—Rose's husband—meets Maila at the train depot and takes her to his store in town. They will travel to her family's homestead in the morning when it is safer to travel. Weeks later, due to some gossip, Maila and Burton find themselves in a potential scandalous situation and must marry. Can Burton get over the loss of his beloved Rose and learn to love his bride Maila? Will Maila forever struggle with feelings of being unwanted and unloved, even by her family, chasing after allusive dreams that may or may not make her feel loveable?

Mule Dazed by Lisa Carter 

Hitching Post, Montana Territory 1885

Sheriff Braxton—Brax Cashel is about to arrest the cowboy—no bigger than a little feller who was responsible for setting the mules loose from the corral. When the little feller turned around Brax got a shock, as did the little feller—“crazy hair?” The little feller was no little feller but was in fact Harriet—Hattie Brimfield—or crazy hair as he nicknamed her because of her wild, untamed hair—from the Bronco B ranch, who always got into trouble when they were kids in Wyoming Territory. Hattie couldn't believe young Brax grew into such a handsome man...a handsome man who was arresting her. Well, nothing's changed, she was still getting into trouble—again and Brax was there to get her out of it—again....well not this time. She finds herself locked in the local jail. Due to a situation at the jail, Hattie's five brothers demand Hattie and Brax marry immediately.

The Sweetwater Bride by Mary Conneally 

Montana July 1897

Rancher Tanner Harden is proud of his property in the Rockies and hopes to prosper there. Due to the drought his streams have dried up, so he goes out in search for much needed water for his cattle herd and hears a scream followed by gunfire and another scream—a woman's scream. But there is no woman up here. No trail in sight, only solid rock reaching over fifty feet and no way up it. His horse finds a trail and up he goes on a barely visible trail. He goes through a crack in the stone and a beautiful green mountain valley opens up before him. Amazed, he travels on and finds buildings and a lone woman—looking as wild as the land—standing in front of one of the buildings. Debba McClain was shocked to see someone coming into her valley—she doesn't go out of her valley so doesn't know anyone.

Highbrow Hoodwink by Rebecca Jepson

Aspen, Colorado 1883

21 year old Katie Dupont works as a serving girl at the very busy local hotel's dinning room. This day was no different, however there was a mysterious, wealthy-looking man sitting in the shadows watching her. He looked so familiar, but she couldn't place him. What he told her was a shock and put fear into her heart—her past lead him here. No way was she going to agree with what he proposes—his planned deception. What can she do?

Not So Pretty Penny by Amy Lillard

Cooper, Kansas 1867

After much prayer, Penelope—Penny Pinehurst knows what she must do...she marches into the Sheriff's office and informs Sheriff Riley, “I am in need of a husband—today”. To, in fact, buy a husband from one of his prisoners set to for the gallows to help bring in a crop on her farm. Of the three prisoners, she chose George Washington—Wash Brannock for her husband. Wash was now married, free from jail. He planned to go ofter the person who framed him once he fulfilled his part of the bargain—plant and bring in the crops for Penny. However, he didn't plan on his heart falling for Penny. Penny's neighbor, who insisted that they marry...as he wanted her land...was shocked when he learned of her marriage. Then a man shows up on the farm which brings an unexpected situation and Wash has to decide if he will follow up on his plan or to forgive.

The Colorado Coincidence by Kathleen Y'Barbo

San Francisco 1878

Illegitimate son of the Duke of Crenwright, Mack McCoy, packed his bags in preparation to leave the city he has come to love and head to Denver. His half-brother, Colin, wants him to never return to England and threatens to harm someone Mack loves dearly if he does.

Callyville, Colorado, Gloree Lowe has buried her husband and her babies and still grieves for them. Her husband told her to marry again if something happened to him and even wrote to his cousin to come and marry her. She is about to loose her cabin and properly if she doesn't pay the bank what she owes soon. Three unsavory characters want her properly and are willing to get it one way or another and only gives her a couple days to leave. A stranger—Mack—shows up just in time and they leave. Of course Gloree thinks Mack is the man her husband said would come. But the men come back and after a shoot out, they are dead. Mack and Gloree take the men into town to the sheriff, things get even more confusing as he too thinks Mack is the man Gloree's husband sent for. Before he knows it, Mack and Gloree are married. But Gloree's troubles are not over yet. It seems others in town want her ranch too.

Railroaded into Love by Rose Ross Zediker

Montana 1895.

Noah Manning is now a missionary preacher on the railroad chapel, Emmanuel where he also lives. He is excited to start his new—single—life as a traveling preacher. But he didn't expect his brother, Seth, to show up with a young woman in hand-cuffs, wanting her to stay on the train with Noah.

Molly Callahan's brother, Cass, had dumped her at the saloon to live and work after their parents died in the influenza outbreak five years ago and left town. Seth says that Cass is a cattle rustler and is hoping having Molly along at the trains next scheduled stop will bring Cass out of hiding so he could arrest him. Noah's supervisor will allow Molly to stay with Noah if they are married and performs the wedding.

Review

I love Westerns and I adore the Marriage of Connivence theme so this collection was a big hit with me as all the writers are talented and love stories engaging. 

Each story is like a course of a meal. You can read a little bit at a time when you have time and have the best time. 

This collection does fall into the Inspirational sub genre but because of the historical setting the weaving of the religious into the plot fits well. 

I love the  Mary Conneally piece the best because of the mixture of utter competence and aloneness in the heroine. The hero just doesn't know what to do with her and the animals are awesome. So good. 

Amy Lillard supplies another of my favorite tropes in saving a man from the noose and a plain Jane.  Much tender fun here. 

Rebecca Jepson's take unwed mother trying to do the best for her child is not to be missed. 

These are my very favorites but they are all wonderful. 

I was given this book for my honest review. So, there you have it.