A reluctant groom. A determined bride. Can love overcome pride and past troubles in Radford Springs, Texas?

Bear Baldwin is crushed when he receives a wire notifying him that the woman with whom he has corresponded for almost a year has passed him off to her friend. Do the two women think he’s like an old shirt to be handed down? His mother urges him to give the substitute fiancée a chance, but his pride is stung and he hasn’t decided.

Tabitha Masterson is certain whatever awaits her in Radford Springs, Texas will be better than what her brother and that awful William have in mind in Boston. After her father’s death, her brother has become a tyrant. She escapes to start her new life in Texas, but trouble can’t be far behind. She believes if she’s married when trouble arrives, she’ll be safe. But her fiancé is reluctant to accept her as a substitute for the mail-order bride he’d courted.

As Bear Baldwin struggles with his pride and the unexpected arrival of Tabitha Masterson, a substitute mail-order bride, both must navigate misunderstandings, family pressures, and looming dangers. Tabitha hopes marriage will protect her from the threats chasing her from Boston, but Bear’s hesitation threatens their chance at happiness.

Will they find trust and love in a town where second chances are hard won?

Perfect for readers who love sweet western historical romance, mail order bride stories, Texas frontier romance, reluctant groom tales, strong heroine stories, second chance love, and uplifting novellas.