After the war, Jewel Eberhardt has few choices for a beau, so she writes to a Mail Order Bride agency. From Pike’s Bluff, Colorado, Dirk Walker writes her back. Nervous and self-conscious, he sends Jewel the train fare, praying it will be a good match. When they meet, he fears she’s far above him—a fine woman too good for the likes of him. Yet, he marries her and takes her home to his ranch. Jewel’s new husband is everything she’s dreamed of – kind, generous, handsome, thoughtful – but he’s emotionally distant, almost cold. Determined to make him proud of her, Jewel works hard to win his affection. Dirk must ride to Denver to purchase more cattle. Uneasy about leaving his new wife behind with Will, his cowhand whom he’s not sure he can trust, he rides out anyway. When the cowhand later attacks Jewel, she fights him off and fires him. That next week, someone is stealing their cattle. Jewel gives chase, if only to identify the rustler for the marshal. It’s Will. He shoots her in the shoulder. Injured, Jewel rides hard for town and runs smack into Dirk coming home. Dirk rides out to find Will; he now loves Jewel and is bent on defending her. When he finally locates Will, a deathly fight ensues. Jewel, now tended by the doctor, waits nervously, praying her marriage won’t end before she has the chance to declare her love to her new husband.

Rachel Newsome is desperate to leave home, where she’s treated worse than a servant. If only she can have her own home, somewhere far away from her demanding, heartless mother. She finds her chance when she learns about becoming a Mail Order Bride. Eager for a new beginning, Rachel travels west to marry Carson Gordon. Carson Gordon has good reason to worry. When his new bride arrives, she’ll discover what he neglected to tell her. But how in the world could he possibly describe his shrewish mother and cantankerous aunt? What’s more, how could he admit that the two old biddies live with him? Upon arrival, Rachel quickly learns the truth. She is immediately thrust into a situation far worse than the one she escaped. Add to that a vicious outlaw who will stop at nothing to get his way. Does true love have any chance of growing amidst such hardship? Will Rachel find the strength within herself to not only survive, but to thrive?