New Releases by Linda Lael Miller

One of America’s best-loved storytellers, Linda Lael Miller sets passions blazing in the unforgettable tale of one young doctor’s efforts to protect the lovely Rachel from his nemesis, the powerful and demanding owner of a lumber empire. Washington’s rowdy lumber camps were no place for an innocent young beauty... When Rachel McKinnon attracts the attention of Jonas Wilkes, she is truly in dire straits. Wilkes, the owner of a lumber empire, has power over most everyone he meets—and now he wants Rachel. Her only hope is Griffin Fletcher. The town’s darkly handsome, unmarried doctor, he once made a promise to Rachel’s dying mother to keep her daughter out of harm’s way. But little did Fletcher know that looking after the lovely Rachel would mean facing down Wilkes, his nemesis. Now the enmity he harbors for Wilkes is about to erupt in a dangerous confrontation...and the young doctor who swore never to love again is suddenly in danger of falling desperately in love with the one woman he swore he would always protect.

Weaving a bright passion with the dark currents of past secrets, bestselling author Linda Lael Miller tells the tale of star-crossed lover bound by Desire and Destiny. Devastated by the loss of her father, lovely Brynne McFarren returned to the Washington coastal town of her youth. Brynne was surprised to discover that her family name had a dark notoriety...and alarmed to be caught in a triangle of sudden desire. Drew Tanner—a wealthy, devil-may-care wastrel—was captivated by her beauty. But his brother Joshua, the intense and powerful head of the Tanner shipping empire, was also drawn to Brynne. Now she must unravel the terrible secret that tarnished her father’s life—a secret that tortures Joshua Tanner’s heart, one that could make her the target of his vengeance rather than his love…

Undercover agent Gideon Yarbro is renowned for stopping outlaws almost before they commit a crime. But now he must stop a wedding—despite the bride''s resistance. Lydia Fairmont will lose everything if she doesn''t honor her betrothal to a heartless banker. Unless she marries someone else instead…whether it''s a love match or not. Determined to honor his own decade-old promise to help Lydia, Gideon carries her off to Stone Creek and makes her his reluctant wife. Forget a honeymoon for "show"—not with a vengeful ex-fiancé on their trail and a hired gun on the loose. But there just might be hope for the marriage…and two hearts meant for each other.

Mojo is trying to enjoy her posh new home, but she''d rather be back living over Bad-Ass Bert''s Biker Saloon, where life was simpler. Her sexy cop boyfriend can''t let go of his past, while her wealthy sister is being blackmailed for secrets in hers. And Mojo''s smack in the middle of it all. As the murders pile up, Mojo is starting to uncover secrets that even the dead don''t want disturbed….

There are barely enough hours for divorced dad Tate McKettrick to run the Silver Spur ranch, do the suit-and-tie thing for his business and run herd on his beloved six-year-old twin daughters. But time stands still at the sight of Libby Remington. When they were high school sweethearts, the wealthy McKettrick couldn''t convince Libby he loved her. But now they''re both back in Blue River, Texas. And cattle rustlers, a manipulative ex-wife and a killer stallion can''t keep him from trying again. Libby has her hands full taking care of her mother—and running the Perk Up Coffee Shop. Caffeine, she needs. Tate McKettrick, with his blazing blue eyes and black hair? No. Oh, heck—yes. But can they really hope for a second chance?

With his two young daughters in tow, ex-rancher Rance McKettrick, swearing off women, returns home to Indian Rock where a free-spirited bookstore owner writes a passionate new chapter in his life.

The sudden death of the town marshal leaves Blue River, Texas, without a lawman…and twenty-five-year-old Dara Rose Nolan without a husband. As winter approaches and her meager seamstress income dwindles, she has three options. Yet she won''t give up her two young daughters, refuses to join the fallen women of the Bitter Gulch Saloon and can''t fathom condemning herself to another loveless marriage. Unfortunately she must decide—soon—because there''s a new marshal in town, and she''s living under his roof. With the heart of a cowboy, Clay McKettrick plans to start a ranch and finally settle down. He isn''t interested in uprooting Dara Rose and her children, but he is interested in giving her protection, friendship—and passion. And when they say "I do" to a marriage of convenience, the temporary lawman''s Christmas wish is to make Dara Rose his permanent wife….

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller continues the Orphan Train trilogy continues with this second book about a sizzling romance between the local librarian and a drifter with a price on his head. As the librarian of her frontier town in Idaho Territory, Emma Chalmers is prim and proper despite her unconventional upbringing by the local madam. She wouldn’t even permit Fulton Whitney to kiss her, and they were practically engaged. But when Steven Fairfax landed in her home, wounded by an explosion at a rowdy neighborhood saloon, his lazy smile made Emma’s blood race. Slowly, Steven stilled her fears with his gentle, insistent caresses...until at last, she gave herself unashamedly to the splendid passion that was their destiny. But Emma faces a new terror: the drifter she’s come to love so desperately is a wanted man and his past is about to catch up with him.

“The reigning queen of Americana romance” (Romantic Times), #1 New York Times bestseller Linda Lael Miller charms with this unforgettable Western love story of a runaway bride who wants only to hear three little words from a dashing Oregon lumber baron: My Darling Melissa… When beautiful heiress Melissa Corbin discovers on her wedding day that her groom has a mistress, she begs for a ride out of town on Quinn Rafferty’s private railway car. Determined to prove she’s an independent woman and not just the baby sister to her three older brothers, Melissa makes Quinn a tempting offer: her inheritance in exchange for a marriage that would be in name only—until she says otherwise. But as Quinn’s burning caresses kindle a white-hot desire like she’s never experienced before, the headstrong beauty knows she is falling in love...and won’t admit it until the man she married does first! It’s a gloriously passionate standoff for two proud hearts, a battle of wills too thrilling to resist.

From bestselling author Linda Lael Miller comes the story of a firebrand heroine and a dashing sea captain—an engaging couple that is fiery and tempestuous, but captive to an unspoken mutual desire. Kidnapped and confined in a harem—that’s not the scenario Charlotte Quade envisioned when she prayed for just one grand adventure before sailing home to Washington Territory from Europe. While exploring the ancient, exotic island kingdom of Riz, Charlotte foolishly lost her way. In a dizzying moment, she was snatched, bound up in a sack and unceremoniously dumped... more—completely naked!—in the ship’s cabin of the very same man who had caught her fancy as a young girl in Seattle: Captain Patrick Trevarran. But Charlotte’s dream lover turned out to be no gentleman! He had once gallantly fetched her, as a mischievous teenager, from the riggings of his ship, but now he appraised her with exasperation and quickly packed her off to the harem of a sultan friend. When they were reunited—as much by mercy as by fate—it was clear that Patrick wished merely to tease and trifle with this pretty, rebellious American. But, through their adventure, Charlotte had discovered a provocative man torn between recklessness and devotion, between storm and calm. Now, with all the strength and passion she possessed, Charlotte would chart a course that would sweep them at last to their destiny—a glorious and resounding love.

The New Zealand wilderness is no place for an innocent young girl escaping an arranged marriage.... Shocked by the threat of being forced to marry an aging magistrate, Bliss Stafford flees her New Zealand home. But a chance encounter—and the barrel of her father''s pistol—wed her to Jamie McKenna, a handsome, headstrong rancher whose bold touch inflamed her innocent senses. Yet Jamie''s heart was captive to another—and to a hidden, bitter sorrow. But young, courageous Bliss is determined to face the secrets of his past and claim the radiant prize of a lifetime of tomorrows. Passion, heartache, and the power of romance set New Zealand aflame with Angelfire in Linda Lael Miller''s lush tale of a young woman audacious enough to settle for nothing less than love.

An American beauty is stranded by a shattered promise on Australia’s vast shores from “the most outstanding writer of sensual historical romance” (RT Book Reviews) and the author of One Wish. After sailing to Australia only to find that the man who asked her to marry him has no intention of fulfilling his part of the bargain, Maggie Chamberlain vows to shape a new life for herself in Sydney. Then arrogant, wealthy Reeve McKenna captures Maggie’s untried heart, thrilling her senses with the sweet, dark rush of desire. But Reeve cannot be hers alone, for he is obsessed by his search for his beloved brother James, lost two decades before. Reeve’s fierce hunger for the Yankee beauty is not yet love, and Maggie wants both the breathless pleasure of his passion and the full surrender of his heart—or nothing at all. One of America’s most romantic writers, Linda Lael Miller brings the white-hot passion of Moonfire to the Australian frontier country in this sensuous story of two lovers bound by desire.

A sensually thrilling novel from one of America’s favorite storytellers, bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, Wanton Angel captures the blazing passions inside a daring woman’s heart. Her free spirit carried her far away—but her passionate heart never left home... When Bonnie McKutchen left her wealthy husband in a storm of heartache and betrayal, she fled New York with nothing but the dress on her back. Eli McKutchen finally caught up with her in a Washington mining town, outraged to find his beautiful wife dancing for money in a gaudy saloon. Yet as his temper flared, so did his passion...for nothing could extinguish Bonnie’s blazes once she set them. Tormented with desire by his every touch, Bonnie yielded to the wild delight of her husband’s embrace. Time and again she vowed to resist, and was sweetly defeated. But with savage pride, she denied her love...even at the risk of losing him forever!

The first novel in the romantic Orphan Train trilogy is a beloved historical classic about a woman who must choose between her family and her one true love—by #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller. In his arms, she discovered how tender—and how bold—true passion could be… Lily Chalmers wanted only two things from life—a farm of her own, and to find the sisters she hadn’t seen since they were all little girls heading West on the orphan train. She certainly had no desire for a husband. Yet proud, innocent Lily had no idea what desire meant until she met Major Caleb Halliday, a man who could ignite her very being with a single touch…a glance…a whisper. Sheltered in his arms, Lily rode the crest of a wild, helpless passion. And though she struggled against her own willful heart, she knew she could never choose between the dazzling man who had claimed her love so completely, and her bold, long-cherished dream…

In 1883, Willow Gallagher, newly married to railroad baron Gideon Marshall, finds herself torn between her love for Gideon and her loyalty to her family when she learns Gideon is on a mission to capture Willow''s outlaw brother.

With every irresistible tale, bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, named by RT Book Reviews “The Most Outstanding Writer of Sensual Romance,” has stirred our hearts and swept us into a far-off time and place. Now she weaves her first contemporary romance, set in a wild land that shimmers with all the heat and tantalizing mystery of love itself—the fiery story of a spirited heroine, a headstrong rancher, and a timeless passion that could not be denied… “She who loves and runs away, lives to love another day” was Jacy Tiernan’s credo. Only this fair-haired beauty had never loved again after Ian Yarbro. Ten years ago, she had fled her beloved Australian homestead with a shattered soul. Ian,the rugged sheep rancher who’d awakened her young heart to the most exquisite pleasures, had sired the child of another woman. Unable to forgive him, Jacy ran off to New York to live with her wealthy divorced mother, leaving behind all dreams of happiness. Now Jacy had returned to Corroboree Springs to care for her ailing father. And Ian was waiting, his heart as hard and defiant as the great Outback. Jacy knew she dared not love this proud and brooding man. Yet she also knew they could not deny the fevered passion that still blazed across them like bushfire. And when her father made a final wish that she and Ian wed, and unite their lands to ensure the future, Jacy realized she could no longer run. This time she would have to stand her ground and find the courage to turn a bitter clash of wills into a true bond...and Ian’s burning hunger into the sweet, everlasting ecstasy of love.

Linda Lael Miller’s rich imagination, robust humor, and stirring sensuality have earned her accolades as one of the “twentieth-century maestros” (The Paperback Forum) of romantic fiction. Now she creates a tale of love so compelling it soars—through the heart of the Old West, and through time itself. Seven-year-old Keighly Barrow never forgot the night she spied a boy her own age at her grandmother’s Redemption, Nevada, mansion. He was staring at her from an antique mirror in the ballroom, standing among gaudily dressed women in an old-time western saloon. Keighly could only discover that his name was Darby Elder—and that he lived a century ago. Twenty years later, engaged to be married, Keighly inherited her grandmother’s house. Back before the ballroom mirror, she faces a handsome cowboy whose roguish air radiates trouble. Keighly senses the spirit of Darby Elder—along with an electric charge of passion passing through the glass...and into her heart. But old news clips declare this outlaw son of a local madam would die in a shoot-out. Keighly’s magical connection to Darby is too strong not to try and save his life or, if history will not bend, to love him as fiercely as the fleeting moments will allow.

From bestselling author Linda Lael Miller comes the tale of a brooding crown prince, a castle filled with intrigue, and a high-spirited beauty headed for trouble—and love. Sweepingly romantic and deliciously spicy, this enchanting story shows once again why Romantic Times Book Reviews named Linda Lael Miller “The Most Outstanding Writer of Sensual Romance.” A visit with Bavia’s royal family was supposed to be the stuff dreams were made of for Annie Trevarren, an American girl abroad. Instead it was turning into a disaster. First Annie impetuously crawled onto a castle roof and had to be rescued by Crown Prince Rafael St. James himself. Then her dearest friend, the prince’s sister, Phaedra, balks at an arranged wedding. The peasants rebel. The throne totters. Worst of all, Annie is losing her heart. Alas, Prince Rafael is no knight in shining armor. His former mistress has moved into the castle, and his notorious temper is flaring. But when fate brings Annie and her prince together in a secluded cottage, she can see his stern gaze soften. And his fleeting caresses...is Rafael seducing her? A future with him is highly improbable—but a life without him is unthinkable. Rafael may intend to offer her a lesson in passion, but she’ll teach the arrogant prince a better one: nothing is a greater ruler than love!

After twelve years, the headstrong Annabel McKeige is back in the frontier town of Parable, Nevada. Back to face the husband she left behind...the son she never saw grow to manhood...and the home where her heart broke when she lost a beloved daughter. But her intentioins regarding their marriage are soon clear -- even if her motives are not. Gabe McKeige loved Annabel too fiercely to let a chance like this slip away. But the iron-willed rancher is also too proud to beg -- he didn''t twelve years ago, and he won''t now. So, Gabe sets out to woo Annabel the only way he knows...with passion-filled kisses and sensual touches that conjure the sweet firestorm of their marriage bed. And Annabel is finding that the man she once left is unbearably hard to resist....

Beloved New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller delivers an emotion-packed novel of love set against the breathtaking backdrop of the American West. When Susannah McKittrick leaves Nantucket for the boomtown of Seattle, she is hardly looking to strike it rich; she is headed west to care for a newborn left motherless after Susannah’s cousin died. Although the rigorous trip depletes all of her savings, Susannah is certain she is doing the right thing. She is less sure when she meets the infant’s father, wealthy businessman Aubrey Fairgrieve—who seems embittered toward love and marriage, and indifferent toward the precious baby Susannah is so eager to care for. Gradually, Susannah discovers that Aubrey’s marriage to her cousin was far from perfect—and she comes to see the brusque but handsome man in a new light. But when Aubrey makes her a most practical offer, it is a far cry from the heartfelt proposal Susannah desires. If he truly wants to win her hand, he will have to learn to trust once more—and sweep her away with the bold passion of a man in love.

New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller gave readers "a gift to treasure" (Romantic Times) with her acclaimed Springwater Seasons novels. Now, once again capturing the spirit of early America, she delivers a marvelous tale of love, family loyalty, and passionate desire on the Western frontier -- where fairy tales sometimes do come true. She was the only child of a rich and powerful rancher. He was the son of a drunken ne''er-do-well. But when eleven-year-old Luke Shardlow rescued eight-year-old Charity Barnham from drowning, she promised him one wish...any wish his heart might desire. Fifteen years later, Charity and Luke meet once more, but the gulf between them seems as wide as ever. Charity is engaged to a neighboring rancher her father has chosen for her. Luke still seems to be a Shardlow to the core -- a drifter, maybe even an outlaw, on a road to nowhere. But things are not always what they appear, for Luke has a few secrets to hide. And as a sweet, sensual passion begins to grow between them, Luke and Charity discover that the only wish either of them long to fulfill is to spend a sweet eternity in each other''s arms -- no matter the cost.

With this enchanting tale, Linda Lael Miller begins a delightful series centered around a bustling Montana stagecoach stop. For one young widow, Springwater Station is the place where dreams are waiting to come true—and love is about to bloom. Evangeline Keating came west because she had to: after her husband’s passing, she needed to build a new life for her young daughter, and marrying a stranger from Montana Territory was her best chance. After a difficult winter journey, she arrives at an isolated outpost called Springwater Station. But the handsome man who’s come for her is not her husband-to-be, and Evangeline soon finds herself thrust into a most inconvenient—and highly improper—arrangement. Scully Wainwright never intended to be left alone with his ranching partner’s fiancée. But his partner’s not due back until spring, and he can’t leave a defenseless woman and her child unguarded—not with wolves and Indians threatening. Biding his time with the lovely Evangeline begins to feel dangerously close to setting up a real home. But as a reckless passion sparks between them, Scully and Evangeline discover a destiny—and a passion—as boundless as the open frontier.

Linda Lael Miller created magic in five novels set in Springwater, Montana—and in the delightful characters whose lives and hearts entwine in each of her enchanting tales. Now, come back to Springwater for an unforgettable holiday—and join in the tears and the smiles when a prodigal son returns to find love at long last. Come home to the heart of a frontier town… When Jack McLaughlin drifted into Springwater, he carried little more with him than his bitter memories of the Civil War and the shattering secret of a promise betrayed in the heat of battle. Wounded soul-deep, and fearing the wrath of his own parents, Jack has hidden his identity and come to Springwater to see his mother and father from afar, even if he can’t bear to face them. Taking odd jobs and keeping a low profile, Jack finds a safe haven at the town’s new rooming house. Olivia Darling had never done anything impulsive—until she left the east and opened a boarding house in Springwater. But still an outsider at heart, and struggling to make a success of her business, Olivia finds herself turning to the other newcomer in town, the rough-hewn and embittered man she’s taken in. As the Christmas season brings them together, Olivia finds in Jack’s arms a passionate sweetness she never knew existed. And with the stunning revelation of Jack’s true identity, all of Springwater witnesses a heartwarming reunion that will change their lives forever.

It’s romance in the West with New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller’s McKettrick family series! In this special bargain bundle, read about two generations of McKettrick women as they find passion and happiness with the men they love.... In A McKettrick Christmas, it’s 1896 and Lizzie McKettrick is heading home for Christmas—until an avalanche halts her train and strands her with Dr. Morgan Shane. Working side by side to help the survivors, Lizzie and Morgan’s bond grows stronger. But will they find their way home in time to celebrate a McKettrick family Christmas? A century later, Meg McKettrick longs for a baby—husband optional. Her former flame Brad O’Ballivan wants to give her that child, but wants Meg’s heart and hand in marriage, too! Will Brad win Meg’s love, or will she do things her way in The McKettrick Way?

Stone Creek veterinarian Olivia O''Ballivan communicates easily with animals, but men are another story. Especially rugged architect-turned-rancher Tanner Quinn. Olivia''s uncanny bond with his daughter Sophie''s pony, Butterpie, has him questioning her sanity, while she wonders if he''s not just a drugstore cowboy. Then twelve-year-old Sophie conspires with Olivia to get Tanner into the spirit of Christmas with all the trimmings, including a tree-lighting ceremony and a man named Kris Kringle in a sleigh driven by seven reindeer…and a donkey. But will a holiday miracle transform the globe-trotting Tanner into a rancher—and family man—for all seasons?

In this entrancing conclusion to her Orphan Train trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller bewitches with a sensual tale of the oldest Chalmers sister, who dares to risk everything in pursuit of a dream… Caroline Chalmers may seem like a staid schoolmistress, but when her promised husband is arrested for a crime that he says he didn’t commit, she walks boldly into a Wyoming frontier saloon and asks former Confederate raider Guthrie Hayes to help her plot a jailbreak. Caroline believes she wants married life with a respectable man—and the disreputable, wildly handsome Guthrie certainly doesn’t fit the bill. But when he kisses her, she is flooded with a shameless passion that leaves her shaken to the core…and longing for more. Guthrie’s hard-won hopes for his future don’t involve helping a naive girl on a foolhardy mission. There’s something about the lovely Caroline’s sensual response to his caresses, however, that makes him forget his sensible plans in an overwhelming yearning to teach this lovely wildcat the true meaning of desire.

You might meet them at the coffee shop, the grocery store, or walking down the street. They’re women across North America committed to reaching out and changing lives one good deed at a time. Five of these exceptional women have been selected as this year’s recipients of Harlequin’s More Than Words award. And once again five New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling authors have kindly offered their creativity to write original short stories inspired by these real-life heroines. We hope More Than Words will touch your heart and inspire the heroine living inside you. QUEEN OF THE RODEO by Linda Lael Miller BLACK TIE AND PROMISES by Sherryl Woods PLACE IN THIS WORLD by Curtis An Matlock HANNAH’S HUGS by Jennifer Archer STEP BY STEP by Kathleen O’Brien

Keegan McKettrick has learned the hard way that women can''t be trusted. The only female in his life these days is the young daughter he sees all too rarely, and his sole passion is for his job overseeing his family''s corporation. Until beautiful but mysterious Molly Shields comes to Indian Rock on a mission—and keeping a suspicious eye on her becomes Keegan''s full-time hobby…. Molly doesn''t know why she''s attracted to a man who''s determined to dig up dirt on her, even if he is gorgeous. But cynical Keegan might be the one person who can truly understand her shadowy past—and if the two can risk opening their hearts, they just might forge a brighter future.

Like his celebrated ancestors who tamed the wilds of Arizona, Jesse McKettrick''s Indian Rock ties run deep. The Triple M Ranch is in his blood, along with the thrill of risk. But with his land at stake, Jesse won''t get involved in Cheyenne Bridges''s scheme— despite the temptation she brings. Cheyenne grew up in Indian Rock and left its painful memories behind to become a self-made woman. Now her job is to convince Jesse to sell his property. Jesse''s not the kind of man Cheyenne could ever forget, but he''s too wild and dangerous for a woman committed to playing it safe. Yet sparks of attraction fly, tempting Cheyenne to lay it all on the line for the passion she sees in Jesse''s eyes.

Linda Lael Miller ignites the combustible passion between attorney Clare Westbrook and homicide detective Tony Sonterra in this page-turning conclusion to her New York Times bestselling trilogy. A senseless murder. A sizzling adventure. Carrying her lover Tony Sonterra''s child, Clare Westbrook has finally buried her commitment phobia and said "yes" to Tony''s marriage proposal. So why is fear running through her veins and haunting her dreams? Sonterra is fired up to leave Phoenix for small-town Arizona, to target a lethal desert crime ring. Clare''s willing to stand by her man, but he won''t be the only one flirting with danger on the job: as a special investigator for the D.A.''s office, Clare is plunged into a race to find a missing child whose mother was murdered. And on a case this hot, the promise of Clare''s bright future could vanish in the blink of an eye....