When survival demands courage, love offers hope. New York, 1865. With her brother dead and creditors closing in, Ivy Gallagher faces a stark stay in Five Points and risk everything—or board a train west to marry a man she's never met. Colorado Territory. Cormac Burke isn’t looking for love. What he needs is a partner—someone willing to share the burden of a remote ranch and the brutal winter ahead. His letter to the matchmaker is no promises beyond respect, shelter, and honest work. What begins as a practical arrangement slowly transforms. Amid the snow-capped peaks and harsh beauty of the frontier, Ivy finds not just purpose, but belonging. Yet shadows from her past aren’t finished with her. When a violent man comes calling—claiming Ivy as payment for her brother’s betrayal—she and Cormac must stand together or risk losing everything. In a land where survival depends on trust, can two wounded hearts build a future from the ashes of the past? A sweeping tale of resilience, redemption, and the healing power of chosen family—set against the untamed beauty of post-Civil War Colorado. Perfect for readers who Strong, courageous women who defy the odds Authentic historical detail and rugged Western settings Clean romance with a slow-burn emotional connection Found family and frontier community Mail-order bride romances with emotional depth “What began as a practical arrangement has become something far more precious.”
Author
Rachel Wesson was born in Kilkenny, Ireland but considers herself to be from the capital, Dublin as that's where she spent most of her life. Her dad brought Rachel and her two sisters out every Saturday to give their mother a break. He took them to the library and for ice-cream after. It took a long time for her sisters to forgive her for the hours she spent choosing her books! She grew up driving everyone nuts asking them questions about what they did during the War or what side they were on in the 1916 rising etc. Finally her Granny told her to write her stories down so people would get the pleasure of reading them. In fact what Granny meant was everyone would get some peace while Rachel was busy writing! When not writing, or annoying relatives, Rachel was reading. Her report cards from school commented on her love of reading especially when she should have been learning. Seems you can't read Great Expectations in Maths. After a doomed love affair and an unpleasant bank raid during which she defended herself with a tea tray, she headed to London for a couple of years. (There is a reason she doesn't write romance!). She never intended staying but a chance meeting with the man of her dreams put paid to any return to Ireland. Having spent most of her career in the City, she decided something was missing. Working in the City is great but it's a young person's dream. Having three children you never see isn't good for anyone. So she packed in the job and started writing. Thanks to her amazing readers, that writing turned into a career far more exciting and rewarding than any other. Rachel lives in Surrey with her husband and three children, two boys and a girl. When not reading, writing or watching films for "research" purposes, Rachel likes to hang out with her family. She also travels regularly back home - in fact she should have shares in BA and Aerlingus.
