The Mail Order Bride’s Secret

Love blooms between a desperate woman and an honorable outlaw in the electrifying third romance in Broday’s Outlaw Mail Order Bride series (after Saving the Mail Order Bride). Melanie Dunbar, the daughter of a gambler who has skipped town and left her to face his criminal charges, begrudgingly cuts a deal with crooked Judge Ira McIlroy in order to save herself from a harsh sentence: Melanie will answer outlaw Tait Trinity’s ad for a bride and go undercover to sniff out proof that Tait robbed a train. When Melanie arrives in Hope’s Crossing, she discovers her husband-to-be has taken in his twin adolescent nephews and toddler niece following his sister’s murder. The demanding children keep them busy as Melanie warms to the charming Tait while secretly attempting to unearth evidence of his criminality. Real affection grows between the two earnest characters, leading Melanie to finally admit her scheme to Tait. As they heal their broken trust, Melanie’s father rolls into Hope’s Crossing, leading to a climactic heart-stopping action sequence. This is another page-turning period romance from Broday. Agent: Gail Fortune, the Talbot Fortune Agency. (Feb.)