The Shadow Series Series by Barbara Goss

Love! Julia Croft never thought she would actually fall in love with the man she set out to mislead... moreLove! Julia Croft never thought she would actually fall in love with the man she set out to mislead. Surely he would forgive her if he knew the truth? Could he be so cold-hearted as to not see what her brother meant to her? Would he see that it was a matter of life and death that brought her to this deceitfulness? Deceived! How could Caleb Armstrong, have allowed himself to be drawn into being enticed by a woman who merely used him? Now that he knew her ruse, he could easily rid himself of Julia Croft and her brother Miles. Surely there was a woman somewhere who could overlook his gimp leg. The most plaguing problem would be—could his heart ever forget her? Content: clean with mild sexual innuendos. less

ROSE: loved Quinn since she first set eyes on him at age fifteen. A tragedy causes him to spiral out of control and use saloon women and drinking to forget. She knows she can save him by tricking him into marrying her. QUINN: misfortune leaves him grieving. He turns away from family and friends and good, clean Christian living. Rose’s trick works, but there would be consequences to pay, because he refuses to consummate the marriage.

ANNA: finds herself in Abilene without money, or a place to go. Lucy hires Anna to clean her “boarding house,” which Anna discovers later is a house of sin. She has only one other option when Lucy offers her a job working upstairs—accepting Billy’s offer. BILLY: Graduated from a seminary, but the church won’t hire a single minister. He needs a wife, and he needs one quickly. He and Anna strike up an agreement. But—can they live within its confines?