Bücher von Kirsten Osbourne

Francis knew something needed to change immediately. He was only sixteen, but he understood that his family couldn't keep living on bread and beef jerky. In town one day, he noticed an advertisement for a mail order bride, and sent off a letter…after signing his older brother's name. He'd just make sure to tell Andrew that his fiance was coming before she arrived. What could go wrong?Tracy had lived in an orphanage since she was just a few months old. She only had a month before she turned eighteen and had to find a new place to live, complete with employment or a wedding ring. There were no jobs worth taking for a young woman, so she answered a letter requesting a mail order bride. Andrew sounded perfect. She'd meet him, and he'd be thrilled to see her, and they'd live happily ever after. Right?

Grace Quinlan is tired of living under her parents' thumbs. She's done volunteer work for years as a baker, and she feels it's time to spread her wings and open her own bakery. She takes her cousins, who are equally skilled in baking, along with her twin, and they move to Culpepper, Wyoming, where her older sisters have all found love. When lawyer Marcus Wells meets Grace on her first day in Culpepper, he immediately knows she's the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with, despite her propensity for telling him awful lawyer jokes. After spending a few days together, getting to know one another, he immediately asks her to marry. Can she overcome her strict upbringing and find happiness with him? Or will her past haunt them both for the rest of their lives?

When Clara's husband dies and leaves her with two children and a farm she can't run on her own, the bank evicts her small family, and she needs to find a new home fast. She answers an advertisement to be a mail order bride, hoping that the agency will find a place where she can not only be useful, but her children can be loved.Recently widowed Montana rancher, Albert, can't raise his children alone, but won't risk loving another woman. Albert is convinced that he'll never love another woman like his deceased wife. When Clara shows up with two children, he's certain he's made a mistake by taking another woman into his home. Can Clara convince him that together they can be a happy family?

When Millie's friend, Berta, elopes instead of fulfilling her obligations to be a mail order bride, she decides to take her friend's place and be the best mail order bride a man has ever seen. Of course, she can't exactly cook, and she enjoys meddling in other people's lives under the guise of "helping them," but surely, her future husband won't mind that.Connor waits excitedly for his Berta to get off the train in Idaho, knowing that she is the answer to his prayers. She's an excellent cook and a hard worker, just what he needs for his restaurant. He's confused when Millie gets off the train in her place, but he accepts the switch good-naturedly. His bride has married someone else, after all. What could possibly go wrong?

At thirty-four, Julia had given up on love. She had spent sixteen years nursing her sick mother, and now that her mother had passed on, she had no idea what to do with herself. She answered an advertisement to be a mail order bride, knowing she needed a new beginning.Edward, a Kansas farmer, had been alone for six years since the death of his wife. He was sick of eating his own cooking, tired of living in filth, and more than anything, he was lonely. He sent off a letter to try to find a bride, hoping against hope someone would answer it. When Julia stepped off the train, she was nothing like he'd expected her to be. Could a marriage based on mutual loneliness work out?

The happiest day of Esther's life quickly becomes a nightmare when she finds her husband dead in their fields. Now she is pregnant with no way to provide for her unborn child and her in-laws will soon evict her from her home. Becoming a mail-order bride will meet her needs, but will it allow her to find love and happiness?Thomas is surprised to read the letter he receives from a young widow who is pregnant. He agrees to marry her, but wonders immediately what he's gotten himself into. Was marrying a pregnant woman really the best idea?

When Ellen and her sister, Malinda, are forced out of the only home they've ever known by a local banker after the death of their father, they answer an advertisement placed by Harriett Long for mail order brides. Ellen chooses to marry the sheriff of a small town in Colorado while Malinda agrees to marry his brother, a banker. When they arrive, each sister is immediately drawn to one of the brothers….too bad it's the wrong one! They each had specifications for what they wanted in a husband. How will it work when they marry their sisters' indended? Many challenges will affect them as they make their decisions.

In Kirsten Osbourne's captivating novel, "Mail Order Mayhem," the life of a 1880s farmer comes alive with a fiery tale of love, resilience, and unexpected twists. When Maude, a determined young woman from Beckham, Massachusetts, finds herself at a crossroads, she embarks on a courageous journey to Iowa as a mail-order bride, hoping to find love and fulfillment in a rugged land brimming with opportunity. Refusing to marry the man her father has chosen for her, Maude answers the letter of John Powers, a farmer in Iowa. She immediately agrees to marry him and sneaks away in the dead of night to catch a train and leave for her adventure. John Powers is happy in life, but he's lonely. Sending for a mail-order bride seems to be the perfect solution. When Maude arrives, she's everything he hoped for. Will the two of them find their happily ever after? Or will the man her parents wanted her to marry find her?

Elaine had spent over half of her life walking with a cane and being treated as if she were made of glass. When she sees no other option, she sneaks out and goes to see the owner of the mail order bride agency in Beckham. She picks out a man who seems perfect for her, and travels to Kansas City to be his bride.Colin goes to lunch at the restaurant in town to consider sending off for a mail order bride when he notices a beautiful woman limp into the establishment. During his unashamed eavesdropping, he hears that she's a mail order bride who is being rejected by the man she's come to marry. He jumps up immediately and asks the beautiful girl to be his bride. Will they be able to make things work? Or will her insecurities keep them from ever being truly happy?

Dallas Gustafson thought she'd seen Culpepper, Wyoming in her rearview mirror for the last time, but when her father tells her he needs her to come home while he's on his death bed, she sucks up her pride and complies. Back in the town where she grew up with people who teased and tormented her, she finds herself face-to-face with the only boy she ever loved. Austin James still carries a torch for the girl he loved as a boy, even though he's almost thirty. When she comes into his bar one summer night, he can't let her leave without telling her how he feels. When her father dies a short time later, he knows he has to do whatever it takes to get her to stay in Culpepper permanently. Will he be able to convince her they were meant to be together? Or will they both spend the rest of their lives without love?

Rikki Dobson has spent her whole life living in her famous sister's shadow. When she moves to Culpepper, Wyoming to recover from a harrowing experience, it's the last place in the world she expects to find love. Working at a bakery with three loving women makes life easier, but she's still afraid of the world around her. When Pastor Benjamin, the handsome new associate pastor sits beside her in church, she doesn't know whether to be happy or frightened.Ben Norton isn't looking for love. He's happy with his new job as assistant pastor and counselor for a small church in Culpepper. He's met the beautiful Rikki a couple of times, but it isn't until he sits beside her one morning that he realizes there is something more to her than meets the eye. Will Rikki be able to overcome her fears? Or will the two of them spend the rest of their lives alone?

Madelina is the youngest daughter of a Norman conqueror and a woman of power. Her own power is insignificant enough in her eyes that she trains to be a healer under the expert tutelage of her mother. When a child is brought to the castle where she lives, she knows she doesn't have the skills to heal him, and her mother's powers-and her own-will need to be revealed to a handsome knight.Alexander Lain is the seventh son of a seventh son, and as such he has luck on his side in everything he does. When he finds a peasant child burning with fever, her parents burning in a hovel nearby, he takes the child, hoping to find someone who can heal her. He's pointed toward the castle and Lady Lina, and he takes the child there, finding it convenient that his errand was taking him to the same place. What he sees in his first hour in the castle astounds him, but it doesn't keep him from an attraction for the young lady there. Will he be able to convince her-and her father-she's meant to be his bride? Or will his luck finally run out?*Note this romance contains a mild sex scene*

Samantha has been a single mom since her husband died. She decides that she isn't going to date again. When sexy Nick Boston and his son, Connor, come into her life, she isn't sure what she should do. She ends up allowing him to get too close and before she knows it, she has a full-fledged relationship going. Is this really the best thing for her and her son?

When Joni Kley finished her degree in social work, she didn't feel like she could immediately quit her job as assistant manager of Kelsey's Kafé on River's End Ranch. Now that she is free to look around for something else, she's not sure where she wants to go. She loves Idaho and the ranch, and can't imagine living anywhere else, but there aren't exactly a lot of social work jobs in town. When a new cowboy shows up at the ranch, she's intrigued about the stories he tells her about the boys' ranch where he was raised and still works.Max Logan sees Joni as soon as he arrives at River's End Ranch. She not only gives him warm coffee, but she takes him to the store and makes him buy winter gear-something he's never really needed at the ranch he works for in Texas. It doesn't take him long to realize he wants to take her home with him, and he suggests she apply for a job at the McClain Boys' Ranch. Will she be able to go with him and live happily ever after? Or will his past come between them?

Sammy Ross has always been content with her life as a midwife in Culpepper, Wyoming. About to deliver her sister's first child, she feels slightly lost that she isn't having children of her own. When a new bookstore opens in town, she immediately seeks it out, hoping for enough romance novels to take her out of her funk and make her normal again.Barry Hamilton has been on the rodeo circuit his entire adult life. All of his injuries have made it so it's not prudent to keep up the dangerous lifestyle, so he moves to Culpepper and opens a bookstore. During his first week open, a woman walks into the bookstore declaring her love for its owner, and he knows as soon as he looks at her that she's meant for him. Will he be able to convince her that they belong together? Or will Sammy help everyone around her have babies and never have any of her own?

Megan Barrows has always loved her job and her home in Culpepper, Wyoming, but lately she's been unsettled. She feels like her life is stagnating and it's time to move onto something more. Her daily battles with Bob Bickel, the proprietor of Bob's Burger Barn, are all that keep her going sometimes. The man is testy and difficult…and handsome and sweet.Bob Bickel has finally achieved his dream of owning a restaurant with all of his own recipes on the menu. He's having a difficult time perfecting a taco burger, so he enlists the help of Megan, the most faithful customer he has. Together they work to perfect the burger several of the pregnant women in the area crave, while learning more about each other. Will Bob's worries of the future keep him from taking a chance with Megan? Or will the two of them work through their issues to find out what a true partnership could mean?

The daughter of a peasant, Matilda goes to work at the Lain castle, away from her parents for the first time in her life, her mother's admonishments to stay away from the men of the castle still ringing in her ears. With barely enough time to put her things away, she meets the son of the family, who makes it clear he is very interested in her. Afraid to trust him, she follows his commands and finds herself engaged to him within the week.Robert Lain has always known that he would someday meet the woman who was just right for him and together they would raise seven sons. When he sees Matilda dusting his home he knows that she is the woman he's waited his entire life for. Will he be able to convince her that his feelings for her are more than lust? Or will they have their sons without ever feeling the closeness both of their parents enjoy?Warning: There is a short mild sex scene in this book.

When Katie Gabriel lost her husband, and had to bury him on the Oregon Trail, she thought her life was over, but she knew she had to keep going, if only for her children. After her daughter fell into the North Platte River as they were crossing, and the most unlikely man in the entire company jumped in after her, she knew she had to keep the man alive. It was only natural for her to take care of him while he was ill and start feeding him and his children after he was well because he'd lost his wife on the trail as well.George Bedwell was no longer respected by the people of his wagon train because of his propensity for yelling and losing his temper but spending time with Katie Gabriel made him feel like he should be a better person. It didn't take him long to fall in love with her, and he decided to become a good man because it would please her. When he proposed marriage, she told him he had to prove that he could refrain from yelling at people.Will George manage to learn to control his temper and marry the woman of his dreams? Or will he revert to his old ways as soon as she says, "I do?"

Gabriella Tanner has her life planned out. She's going to get her CPA and she's going to work in an office playing with numbers for the rest of her life. Instead, through a series of circumstances, she ends up at River's End Ranch, auditioning for the lead role in a television series. She's immediately captured by the place, even though she's afraid of mountains.Noah Andrews has worked at River's End Ranch since he finished high school, and the ranch has always been a part of his life. When he's bribed to take a beautiful actress around the ranch, he doesn't expect feelings for her to grow. She doesn't have long on the ranch, so he's determined to make the most of the time they have.Will he be able to help her overcome her fears? Or will they end their fledgling relationship as soon as she heads home?

Jane Davies-a new pregnant widow on the Oregon Trail-spends too much of her time thinking about what could have been. To help herself as well as others, she offers to help a family with three young children whose mother has passed by cooking their meals for them. Her only intention is to help the other family. Soon she finds herself falling in love with the three children in the family she helps.Matthew Henderson cannot believe his bad luck. His wife was the first of their company to die on the trek to Oregon, and now he's gotten a bad ankle sprain going down Big Hill. He can barely keep his family alive without being injured, and now he must do it when he can't walk.When Jane Davies offers to cook for his small family, Matthew jumps at the chance, and quickly asks her to be his wife-in name only.Will the two strangers be able to come together and form a real relationship? Or will they spend the rest of their lives together with no love between them?

In this novella Best friends, Kyla and Erik, have sat together on the bus every day for their four years of high school. A week before graduation, Erik talks Kyla into making a deal with him to agree that if they are both virgins at the time of college graduation, they will take care of their "problem" with each other. Will they actually go through with it? Will they even like each other in four years?

This novella tells the story of Katie and Ryan.After the death of Katie's brother and sister in law, she must join forces with the only man she has ever had a crush on. The two need to find a way to come together to give their niece a stable life. Will Katie be able to get over her shyness and deal with Ryan? Or will they need to find a way to share custody?

Karlan Culpepper has worked his entire adult life, and most of his youth, to build up the ranch he knew he would someday inherit. When his grandfather dies, and the terms of his inheritance include he and his three brothers marrying within six months, and at least one of them having a baby on the way within the year, things get trickier. Contacting Dr. Lachele Simpson, a professional matchmaker, seemed the only way to go! Hope, the oldest of the Quinlan Quadruplets needs nothing more than to get out from under her parents' roof, and take her sisters with her. She feels stifled, and she wants more than anything to marry. After a long weekend of testing, the four sisters embark on a road trip that would change their lives. Hope quickly agrees to marry Karlan, one of the four brothers waiting for her and her sisters in Wyoming. Will they be able to make their marriage work? Or should they have waited to get to know one another a little better like all their siblings had?

Rose didn't expect to even see anyone else in her apartment complex's laundry room on a Friday night. She was usually there all alone. Imagine her surprise when a good looking man walks in and starts doing his laundry.Alex wasn't looking for a commitment. He just needed to do the month's worth of laundry that he'd let pile up. How was he supposed to know that his dream girl would be there?

Jennifer Olson is a recently reformed mean girl. She moved to River's End Ranch for a new job that would include a new start. No one there knows of her history. She decides to contact a matchmaker who will introduce her at the altar after concluding she is incapable of being kind for long enough to truly get to know a man and marry him. It seems to be the only way she has even a chance at love and a family. Maynard Butts has spent his entire life trying to live above the name he has been given. When he lands a job as the lead actor for a television show, he decides to contact someone who will introduce him to his future bride at the altar. He doesn't want someone to reject him for his name or marry him for his fame and fortune. When he sees Jennifer walking down the aisle toward him, he's sure that everything will work out. But will she ever tell him what she's hiding from him? Or will they always have a distance between them?

Penelope Brainerd left the antebellum south for a new adventure on the Oregon Trail against the advice of everyone who knew her. After her best friend-a slave-was sold to another family to keep the girls from being so close, she knew that she could never abide living with slavery. Determined to make it on her own, she is one of two unmarried women in her wagon train from Independence, Missouri to Oregon Territory.From their first day on the trail, Herbert Jensen has his eye on the beautiful Miss Brainerd. He watches her as she manages to weather the hardships of life on the trail after being a privileged debutante from the South. Helping where he can, he hopes she'll eventually see him as more than just a fellow traveler.When he changes her broken wagon wheel, he sees an opportunity to speak to her and get to know her. Will he be able to convince her that she is meant to be his wife? Or will they both continue their journey alone?

Finally, the caravan is finishing up their almost nine month journey and going home to Clover Creek. As they get close, Henrietta is filled with excitement. She knows she's going where she needs to be. Her pa and brothers are her responsibility, but she doesn't mind. It makes her feel good to do for others. The one thing in her life that bothers her was that the young man she's had her eye on since Independence, has yet to show any interest in her.After a few words from Henrietta's brother, Roy finally gets the courage up to ask Henrietta's father, the former captain of their company, if he may court his daughter. He's had his eye on Henri since they were still in Missouri. They begin to court quickly, and they marry as soon as he has a shelter built for them to last through the winter.Roy is genuinely surprised at how good a cook he's married, but he sees it causing problems for his mother and sisters, who can manage not to kill people with their meals, but that's about it.Will he be able to reconcile his love for Henri and still be close to his family? Or will they have to live together with no love for the rest of their lives?

Betty Meeks likes nothing more than to hide from the world with her nose in a good book, but on the Trail that's a little harder than usual. No longer wanting to be a burden on her sister and her family, Betty begins taking her meals with a friend who cooks for the bachelors in camp. When one of the men asks her to walk after supper, she decides to do so, no matter how difficult her shyness makes it for her.Dr. Malcolm Bentley is attracted to Betty as soon as he realizes she is part of the company going west with him. When she tells him how difficult having her along makes things for her sister, he immediately asks her to marry him.When their wedding night is interrupted by a medical emergency, they take in a little girl who has been conditioned to believe she needs to earn her keep.Will their marriage be the idyllic romance the two of them have in mind? Or will they just keep encountering hardships on the Trail?

Joy Quinlan has spent her entire life trying to be the personification of her name. When she moves to Wyoming with her three sisters, she is determined to keep looking happy, as she always has. She worries that none of the four exciting Culpepper men will be interested in her, but sexy Kolby makes a beeline for her as soon as they meet. Kolby Culpepper has known for years that his heart must remain removed from any relationship. When he spots Joy sitting on his mother's sofa, he knows she's the Quinlan Quad for him, but he becomes more determined than ever to keep from loving again. Will this unlikely pair be able to see past their hang-ups? Or are they destined to spend the rest of their lives without love?

Sadie Beckham missed her best friend, Grace, terribly. Her friend had gone to a town in the west called Clover Creek as a mail-order bride, and though Sadie knew Grace was looking for a husband for her, it seemed it would never happen.Stanley Gabriel had lost the love of his life, leaving him with three small children. His mother helped as much as she could, but it was difficult to be a full-time farmer and a part-time father. He needed someone who would marry him in name only. Someone he would never love.When Sadie received a telegram from her friend Grace inviting her to come to Clover Creek as Stanley's mail-order bride, Sadie jumped at the chance. Upon meeting him, she was unsure she was doing the right thing.Together, Sadie and Stanley must find a way to create a family full of love. Sadie was certain Stanley could ever love again.Would she be able to convince him that he both loved and needed her? Or would Sadie spend the rest of her life in a loveless marriage?