I am a sucker for a good prairie romance novel. My favorites feature characters I can root for, who are genuine and flawed but always find a way to pull through and love wins out in the end. Surprisingly, it’s hard to find a good wholesome prairie romance these days. It maybe a nitch market, but I think more women would enjoy reading this type of novel if they knew about it.
So here is a list of my favorite prairie romance series, and the authors who write them. I’d love to hear if you find a personal favorite among them. Get ready to curl up with a cozy blanket, (and maybe a piece of chocolate or two?) and let yourself get caught up in a story of love in another place and time….
Love Comes Softly Series (8 books)
Janette Oke
This series was first introduced in 1979, and has become a beloved classic in the inspirational prairie romance fiction category. Many readers over the years have laughed and wept and rejoiced with Marty and Clark Davis whose tragic circustances threw them together on the frontier prairies of the 1800s. More than one million copies of Love Comes Softly have been sold, and the novel was transformed into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. Since the success of her first novel, Janette Oke has written many more prairie romance novels, all of which became best sellers. Some of her other series include When Calls The Heart (Canadian West), and The Tender Years (A Prairie Legacy). I personally own many of her books, and hope to share them with my daughter someday. You can find out more about Janette here.
Nebraska Legacy Series (4 books)
Diann Mills
You will enjoy this fascinating collection of four stories involving American settlers who become husbands in the most unusual of circumstances. Gabe Hunters leaves Philadelphia and his book studies to answer an ad for a husband and father on a Nebraska farm…Riley O’Conner’s marriage proposal is a woman’s ticket out of jail…The scout Painted Hands marries a young woman-for propriety’s sake-on the Oregon Trail…Caleb Windsor attempts to waylay his twin’s outlaw lifestyle by arranging a marriage for his brother. Sound interesting? You can find Nebraska Legacy here.
A Clearing in the Wild (Change and Cherish Historical Series, Book 1)
Jane Kirkpatrick
Jane has written several trilogies about the settlement of Oregon, this one set in the early 1850s. Young Emma Wagner chafes at the constraints of Bethel colony, a religious community in Missouri that is determined to remain untainted by the concerns of the world. A passionate and independent thinker, she resents the limitations placed on women. Eventually Emma and her husband, Christian, are sent out with a group to scout a new location in the northwest for the colony to live. Along the way, Emma learns that her passionate nature can be her greatest strength — if she can harness it effectively.
The author’s compelling descriptions, lovely way of writing and knowledge about the history of the Northwest, provide for a wonderful reading experience. You can find a copy of the first book in the series here.
Prairie Rose (A Town Called Hope Series)
Catherine Palmer
With vivid descriptions and a fast-paced story line, this inspiring series set in post-Civil War Kansas, is the creation of best-selling inspirational romance writer Catherine Palmer. Impulsive nineteen-year-old Rosie Mills takes a job caring for the young son of widowed homesteader Seth Hunter in order to escape the orphanage in which she was raised. Together Rosie and Seth must face the struggles of prairie life, and face the one man who threatens to destroy their happiness. This trilogy will satisfy readers who desire biblical values in a wholesome romance. You can find the first book here.
If you enjoy these series, you might want to check out some additional authors… Below are my suggestions. Happy reading!
The Lightkeeper’s Daughter (Mercy Falls Series, #1) by Colleen Coble
A Lady of High Regard (Ladies of Liberty series, #1) by Tracie Peterson
Beloved (Where The Heart Lives series) by Robin Lee Hatcher