He longed for freedom and land. She longed for a man who would love her. In 1849, their parents’ death from cholera, forces Swedish immigrants Ingrid Swanson and Lars Nelson to wed so they can rescue their four siblings from an orphanage and adoption. But that’s the least of Ingrid’s worries. She agrees to a fake marriage, in name only, until she can earn enough money for passage back to Sweden and her fiancé, Christof, before he finds out. Lars’ heart shatters after the death of his fiancée, Mary, Ingrid’s sister, which forces him into a marriage of convenience with the quick-witted but unhappy Ingrid, and tosses his life further into trepidation. To make a living, Lars purchases a farm on the frontier prairie, and he and Ingrid work together building a log cabin, making a home for their grieving siblings, and solving constant problems, including another rescue. He knows Ingrid’s intention to return to Sweden. Yet, after weeks together, Ingrid’s advice and help prove invaluable, and her charming ways capture his heart. Lars sets a plan in action to win her love and convince her to stay. But when her fiancé arrives in the U.S., unexpectedly, who will she choose? Could hidden feelings have turned into disguised love? Or will Lars suffer yet another loss?