A haunting guilt. A family to save. A love that can't be.When Emma Daniels' well-to-do family finds itself destitute, she answers an ad for the Gilbert Company seeking young women to be waitresses at hotel restaurants along remote railroad lines out west. The rules for a Gilbert Girl are strict: work hard, act respectably at all times, and no courting allowed. None of them present a problem for Emma, at least until she meets the hotel's builder, Monroe Hartley. His smile and teasing manner were the last things Emma expected to find on the Colorado frontier. But as intriguing as he is, Emma would be risking her job – and her family's lives – if she allowed his attentions.Building this hotel for the Gilbert Company is the perfect opportunity for Monroe. Not only will it advance his career, it barely gives him a moment to drown in guilt over his wife's death. When Emma arrives, he finds himself drawn to her. But he can't promise her anything, not unless he wants her to end up with the same fate his wife suffered.Giving in to their feelings would mean losing everything, yet they find themselves growing closer as the summer stretches on. When a man who covets Monroe's job discovers their secret and threatens to reveal it, they must each decide whether their love is worth uprooting everything they've worked so hard for.  

Sometimes love can be found in the most unlikely places . . .Grace Daniels arrives in Cañon City, Colorado as a mail-order bride, only to find her intended has chosen another. Alone and lonely, she writes a desperate letter to The Lovelorn, who advises her to look for love in everyday places. But how can a girl who's working all hours as a seamstress just to afford to pay for a room meet a decent man?When Jasper Hill offers a kind girl a position as a seamstress in his general store, he never thought it would lead to anything more. Struggling to remain hopeful after the woman he'd hoped to marry left town months ago, love is the last thing on his mind. Yet he finds himself spending more time in the shop when Grace is there. There's just something about her that he can't seem to ignore.When Grace discovers a cryptic note in a man's shirt, she suddenly becomes someone's target. As the threats against her escalate, Jasper must find a way to keep her safe even if it means he'll never see her again.Like all of Cat's books, Confused in Colorado is a sweet and clean romance that will warm your heart and fill you with hope. You may find some of your favorite characters from Cat's Gilbert Girls series making an appearance in Confused in Colorado. Grace is Emma's youngest sister from the first Gilbert Girls book, Building Forever.This book is part of the multi-author Yours Truly: The Lovelorn series. Each book in the series is a standalone romance and can be read in no particular order.

Can love overcome danger?Remaining in her Virginia hometown won't mend Clara Brown's broken heart. Determined to set her life back in order--and go somewhere she won't have to see her former beau--she answers an advertisement for a mail-order bride. Before she knows it, she's arrived in Crest Stone, a rugged new railroad town nestled between the mountains in Colorado. And when she meets her intended, he's better than she ever could have dreamed--handsome and kind, even if he does seem preoccupied.Roman Carlisle is a cowboy turned livery owner. More than anything, he wants what his brothers have--a family. When Clara answers his advertisement, he's overjoyed to find she's exactly who he wanted. But her arrival coincides with horses going missing from his stable. If he can't find out who's behind the thefts, he'll lose everything he's worked so hard for.Clara is determined to help Roman when she finds out he's losing both horses and customers. But when the horse thieves grow more threatening, Roman is faced with a choice--send back the woman he's come to love, or put her life in danger.

A wanted man. A heart in hiding. A love to free them both.The Crest Stone Hotel is the perfect place for a man like Thomas Drexel to hide. Wanted for crimes he didn't commit, Thomas hopes he can blend in as a handyman at the newly-opened hotel. But his past threatens his future when one of the hotel restaurant's waitresses discovers his identity.Caroline Beauchamp ran from Boston to escape an arranged marriage to a despicable man. She's safe in the hotel, hidden from those who want her to return home. Yet she finds herself drawn to Thomas and compelled to help him prove his innocence, even if she risks her position as a Gilbert Girl to do so.Experience has taught Thomas not to trust women who come from money, but it's not long before he sees there's more to Caroline than he thought. With new guests arriving at the hotel each day, it's only a matter of time before the law finds Thomas and Caroline's family finds her. With their futures on the line, Caroline and Thomas must trust their newfound love and face their pasts before they are pulled apart--forever.

Penny May would do anything to forget her past, even traveling all the way to the Colorado Territory to become a Gilbert Girl. Learning to be a good waitress wasn't easy, but Penny is happy with her new life and friends at the Crest Stone Hotel. At least until the handsome and infuriating county sheriff arrives in search of his kidnapped sister.Sheriff Ben Young never thought his work could endanger those he loved until a disgruntled outlaw proves him wrong. The last thing he needs now is another impetuous woman in his life, particularly one who goes traipsing about the mountains with little regard to her own safety. But there's something about Penny that draws him to her, and she turns into an unlikely ally.While Penny knows she'll lose the reputation she's fought so hard to regain if she's caught spending time with Ben, she's compelled to help him find his sister—even if she'll lose her heart in the process. After a chance encounter with the outlaw and the kidnapped girl, Penny finds her own life threatened, and Ben must put his feelings for her aside or risk losing both his sister and Penny, forever.

Penny May would do anything to forget her past, even traveling all the way to the Colorado Territory to become a Gilbert Girl. Learning to be a good waitress wasn't easy, but Penny is happy with her new life and friends at the Crest Stone Hotel. At least until the handsome and infuriating county sheriff arrives in search of his kidnapped sister.Sheriff Ben Young never thought his work could endanger those he loved until a disgruntled outlaw proves him wrong. The last thing he needs now is another impetuous woman in his life, particularly one who goes traipsing about the mountains with little regard to her own safety. But there's something about Penny that draws him to her, and she turns into an unlikely ally.While Penny knows she'll lose the reputation she's fought so hard to regain if she's caught spending time with Ben, she's compelled to help him find his sister—even if she'll lose her heart in the process. After a chance encounter with the outlaw and the kidnapped girl, Penny finds her own life threatened, and Ben must put his feelings for her aside or risk losing both his sister and Penny, forever.

She's not the woman he advertised for. He's not the man she expected. Can their marriage survive a danger that won't stay in the past?When Maggie Richmond loses her only means of survival, she agrees to the unthinkable—marriage by proxy to a man she's never met. Her new husband, a young and handsome rancher, sounds ideal, and she's always yearned for adventure. She's not quite what he's advertised for, but she's determined to be a good wife. Even when a gang of outlaws holds up her train, Maggie is optimistic that her new life in the Colorado Territory will be everything she's imagined.Isaac Trenton has always wanted a ranch of his own, and now that he finally has land—and a new wife on the way—he's certain he can leave his past behind him. He's spent years doing things he'd much rather forget, all to ensure his younger brother didn't wind up in a noose. However, he's done with that now, and his new wife will never know about his former life.But when Maggie and Isaac meet for the first time, it doesn't take long for her to realize that the handsome man she's already married to is the same one who robbed her train. And it takes even less time for Isaac to see that rather than the sweet, docile woman he'd requested, he's got a beautiful fireball on his hands.Yet even as their tempers fly, there's something that pulls them together. When Isaac's brother returns with veiled threats, Isaac faces a terrible choice: the only way he can protect Maggie is to return to his old life. When he disappears, Maggie must decide whether her new husband is worth saving.Like all of Cat's books, A Bride for Isaac is a sweet and clean romance that will warm your heart and fill you with hope. Set in the same mountain valley as Cat's Gilbert Girls series, you'll find some of your favorite characters from that series in A Bride for Isaac.This book is part of the multi-author Proxy Bride series. Each book in the series is a standalone romance and can be read in no particular order.

A wanted man. A heart in hiding. A love to free them both.The Crest Stone Hotel is the perfect place for a man like Thomas Drexel to hide. Wanted for crimes he didn't commit, Thomas hopes he can blend in as a handyman at the newly-opened hotel. But his past threatens his future when one of the hotel restaurant's waitresses discovers his identity.Caroline Beauchamp ran from Boston to escape an arranged marriage to a despicable man. She's safe in the hotel, hidden from those who want her to return home. Yet she finds herself drawn to Thomas and compelled to help him prove his innocence, even if she risks her position as a Gilbert Girl to do so.Experience has taught Thomas not to trust women who come from money, but it's not long before he sees there's more to Caroline than he thought. With new guests arriving at the hotel each day, it's only a matter of time before the law finds Thomas and Caroline's family finds her. With their futures on the line, Caroline and Thomas must trust their newfound love and face their pasts before they are pulled apart--forever.

A necessary lie. A thief in plain sight. A love that breaks the rules.Dora Reynolds is just another Gilbert Girl at the Crest Stone Hotel, and she needs it to remain that way. If anyone found out who she truly is, she'd lose her friends and her position. But when money begins to disappear from the hotel's safe and a handsome new desk clerk arrives, she finds her security—and her heart—under threat.Jacob Gilbert has finally found the opportunity he needs to prove to his father that he's more than the spoiled, carousing youngest son. Someone is stealing from his family's newest hotel, and, under a strict deadline from his father, Jacob promises to find the thief. Presenting himself as Jake James, he takes a job as a desk clerk at the hotel and begins his investigation. He quickly finds an ally in the beautiful but reticent Dora—even though spending time with her means he's breaking the rules at his own family's hotel.But finding the thief turns out to be harder than Jacob thought it would be. As he and Dora begin to run out of time and the hotel grows dangerously close to shutting down, Jacob must choose between his feelings for Dora and his desire to win his father's acceptance. And Dora must decide whether trusting Jake with her heart—and her true identity—is worth risking his rejection and her family's only means of survival.A necessary lie. A thief in plain sight. A love that breaks the rules.Dora Reynolds is just another Gilbert Girl at the Crest Stone Hotel, and she needs it to remain that way. If anyone found out who she truly is, she'd lose her friends and her position. But when money begins to disappear from the hotel's safe and a handsome new desk clerk arrives, she finds her security—and her heart—under threat.Jacob Gilbert has finally found the opportunity he needs to prove to his father that he's more than the spoiled, carousing youngest son. Someone is stealing from his family's newest hotel, and, under a strict deadline from his father, Jacob promises to find the thief. Presenting himself as Jake James, he takes a job as a desk clerk at the hotel and begins his investigation. He quickly finds an ally in the beautiful but reticent Dora—even though spending time with her means he's breaking the rules at his own family's hotel.But finding the thief turns out to be harder than Jacob thought it would be. As he and Dora begin to run out of time and the hotel grows dangerously close to shutting down, Jacob must choose between his feelings for Dora and his desire to win his father's acceptance. And Dora must decide whether trusting Jake with her heart—and her true identity—is worth risking his rejection and her family's only means of survival.

A lonely cowboy. A young widow. A Christmas to remember.Elizabeth Hartley Campbell arrives at the Crest Stone Hotel, widowed and searching for the brother she hasn't seen in seven years. Distraught to learn he's left, she takes a job as a Gilbert Girl at the hotel's restaurant. She quickly befriends the other girls and finds comfort in helping the hotel prepare for Christmas--until a wayward cowboy wanders in from the snow and sits at her lunch counter.Landon Cooper didn't mean to stop at the hotel, and he certainly didn't intend to stay longer than one night. After all, a job that will pay him more money than he could ever make as a ranch hand awaits him in Canon City--if he can stomach the thought of turning outlaw. But it's hard to think straight when Elizabeth is nearby, and he finds himself hanging pine boughs and lugging a tree through the snow for her instead of riding away.Even though Elizabeth fears falling for another cowboy and Landon knows she won't forgive him if she knew what he had planned, they find themselves growing closer. With a blizzard threatening on Christmas Eve, both Elizabeth and Landon will need to learn to trust in love, or be driven apart forever.Forever Christmas is the fifth book in the Gilbert Girls series, but can be read as a standalone novel. Like all of Cat's books, this sweet and clean historical romance will warm your heart and fill you with hope.

A haunting guilt. A family to save. A love that can't be.When Emma Daniels' well-to-do family finds itself destitute, she answers an ad for the Gilbert Company seeking young women to be waitresses at hotel restaurants along remote railroad lines out west. The rules for a Gilbert Girl are strict: work hard, act respectably at all times, and no courting allowed. None of them present a problem for Emma, at least until she meets the hotel's builder, Monroe Hartley. His smile and teasing manner were the last things Emma expected to find on the Colorado frontier. But as intriguing as he is, Emma would be risking her job – and her family's lives – if she allowed his attentions.Building this hotel for the Gilbert Company is the perfect opportunity for Monroe. Not only will it advance his career, it barely gives him a moment to drown in guilt over his wife's death. When Emma arrives, he finds himself drawn to her. But he can't promise her anything, not unless he wants her to end up with the same fate his wife suffered.Giving in to their feelings would mean losing everything, yet they find themselves growing closer as the summer stretches on. When a man who covets Monroe's job discovers their secret and threatens to reveal it, they must each decide whether their love is worth uprooting everything they've worked so hard for.  

A lonely cowboy. A young widow. A Christmas to remember.Elizabeth Hartley Campbell arrives at the Crest Stone Hotel, widowed and searching for the brother she hasn't seen in seven years. Distraught to learn he's left, she takes a job as a Gilbert Girl at the hotel's restaurant. She quickly befriends the other girls and finds comfort in helping the hotel prepare for Christmas--until a wayward cowboy wanders in from the snow and sits at her lunch counter.Landon Cooper didn't mean to stop at the hotel, and he certainly didn't intend to stay longer than one night. After all, a job that will pay him more money than he could ever make as a ranch hand awaits him in Canon City--if he can stomach the thought of turning outlaw. But it's hard to think straight when Elizabeth is nearby, and he finds himself hanging pine boughs and lugging a tree through the snow for her instead of riding away.Even though Elizabeth fears falling for another cowboy and Landon knows she won't forgive him if she knew what he had planned, they find themselves growing closer. With a blizzard threatening on Christmas Eve, both Elizabeth and Landon will need to learn to trust in love, or be driven apart forever.Forever Christmas is the fifth book in the Gilbert Girls series, but can be read as a standalone novel. Like all of Cat's books, this sweet and clean historical romance will warm your heart and fill you with hope.

She saved him from his grief. But when danger arrives, can he face his fears to save her?Ivy Grant needs to leave Illinois as quickly as possible with her late sister's children. With no other options, she answers an advertisement requesting a proxy bride. Surely the children's cruel uncle—the one who wants to marry Ivy so they may raise the children together—will never find them in the wilds of Colorado. But when they arrive in the town of Crest Stone to stares and whispers, she fears she made the wrong choice.Homesteader Andrew Chisholm lost his wife over a year ago. He's blamed himself—as has everyone else in town—for her accident. Overcome with loneliness, he advertises for a proxy bride, a woman to marry him sight unseen, before the gossip from the townsfolk can drive her away. When Ivy replies, he accepts, thinking he might also be a help to her and the children she's caring for. But when she arrives, he's consumed with guilt. How can a man still grieving learn to love another? He'll keep Ivy at a distance, not only to protect his heart, but also to protect her.But Ivy and the children soon collapse the walls Andrew has built. As Ivy gets to know the man she's married, she finds a fierce protector and a kind man. Their love for each other grows, but so does the danger that's followed Ivy. Andrew must face down the memories that haunt him if he wants to keep his new family safe. If he can't act, he'll lose those who have made his life worth living again.Like all of Cat's books, A Bride for Andrew is a sweet and clean romance that will warm your heart and fill you with hope.This book is part of the multi-author Proxy Brides series. Each book in the series is a standalone romance and can be read in no particular order. You might recognize characters who appeared in Cat's earlier book in this series, A Bride for Isaac, and in her Gilbert Girls series.

An unwanted family legacy. A town in danger. A love to conquer the past.Edie Dutton left Kansas with nothing but a few pieces of clothing, a handful of stolen bills, and a forged letter of reference. Since then, she's found a home as a Gilbert Girl at the Crest Stone Hotel. Even despite her transgression at the hotel last fall, she has a second chance to live the life she wants. She could live happily in this valley forever, as long as she has a garden and some good books to read. But Edie Dutton is not her real name, and arriving along with all the newcomers to town comes word that her past may be on its way to put her future in jeopardy.Fremont County Deputy James Wright has landed the perfect opportunity--keep peace in the growing town of Crest Stone. If he succeeds, he'll set himself up nicely to be elected town marshal. More than anything, he wants to do his uncle's memory justice. But unlike his uncle, he'll never let himself be distracted by a woman. That proves to be difficult when he meets the kind and unassuming Edie Dutton. Not only does she manage to cure the headaches that have plagued James his entire life, she reminds him of home. And she makes it awfully hard to focus on the work he's supposed to be doing in Crest Stone.it isn't long before trouble moves closer to the valley. The rumor is that opposing gangs of outlaws from Kansas are behind it, stoking Edie's worst fear. She knows her new life--and her growing relationship with James-- are in danger. But when the outlaws escalate their crimes, James's life hangs in the balance. Edie must choose whether to forfeit everything she has, including James himself, in order to save his life. And when James discovers her true identity, he'll have to decide if love is worth giving up everything he's worked for.On the Edge of Forever is the sixth book in the Gilbert Girls series. Like all of Cat's books, this sweet and clean historical romance will warm your heart and fill you with hope.