Missouri Bride

WED TO A STRANGER!

In 1873 St. Louis, Amy Harris and her younger sister Hannah lead desperate lives, terrorized by their cruel, mentally unstable mother. When a powerful, handsome gentleman comes calling, an instant attraction develops between Amy and newcomer Matt Kendall. Amy soon sees the prosperous farmer as the answer to her prayers. Agreeing to a marriage of convenience, Amy weds Matt and moves with him to his farm in the Missouri Ozarks.
Only then does Amy realize the enormity of her hasty decision. She finds herself wed to a mysterious stranger, a man whose barely repressed violence simmers just beneath the surface of their marriage. Much as she desires her masterful bridegroom, Matt’s passions frighten Amy, and the secrets haunting him leave her baffled and in turmoil. Yet Amy soon finds herself willingly in Matt’s bed and overwhelmed by their intense and addictive lovemaking. She discovers her husband’s demons are rooted in the Civil War, “Bloody Kansas,” and the outlaw gangs that evolved from Quantrill’s Raiders. Yet past has also become prelude as the feared James and Younger Gangs ravage the region once again. Desperately in love with Matt, Amy feels terribly torn. Does Matt want to avenge the rekindled lawlessness, or is he a part of it? Can their love be saved, or will it be consumed by the fires of age-old vendettas and hatreds?

Missouri Bride is a passionate and sweeping Western Frontier Romance of approximately 138,000 words. Author Eugenia Riley is the renowned, bestselling author of dozens of historical, contemporary and time-travel romances, including the classics A TRYST IN TIME and BUSHWHACKED BRIDE. She has written for publishers including Avon, Bantam, Warner, Harlequin and Dorchester.