If you enjoy the heartache and intrigue of a good romance novel, but you also like the setting of the western times in the USA, then you have come to the right place. Today, we want to take a closer look at 7 of the best western romance books out there, ones that will have your heart hurting and your mind racing.
The Best Western Romance Books
Let’s now take a closer look at some of the very best Western romance books that you can immerse yourself in.
1. Where the Lost Wander
Here we have a fantastic western romance novel written by Amy Harmon, and here we see a haunting love story that takes place on the Oregon trail. We see an unassuming family try to navigate their way across the Oregon trail through the threat of looming danger, but they also have a protector.
Here we see the heroine, Naomi Mayer, already widowed by the age of 20, and she wants nothing more than to forget her grief, which is why she sets off through the Oregon trail in search for a new life in the West of the country. She meets a man who is half Pawnee, a man who is a part of two worlds, yet accepted by neither.
The wagon train they are travelling with may seem safe enough, but as the story unfolds, it is clear that imminent danger is around every turn. John and Naomi are constantly drawn to each other, yet the dangers and hardships that the Oregon trail sets in their path serves to keep them apart.
Tragedy strikes and Naomi’s family is all but decimated, she is separate from John, and things become just that much harder. Now, both John and Naomi must make hard choices and sacrifices in order to find and save each other, and eventually become one with each other.
2. Doctor Rose and The Outlaw
Here we have a gripping western romance written by famous author R.O Lane, who is often regarded as being one of the best western writers out there. Here we see the female Doctor Rose Devereaux moving to Durango, Colorado, shortly after her beloved father is murder by a business associate in cold blood. Her aim is to start not only a new life, but also to build an amazing medical practice.
One fateful night, a gang of outlaws who are trying to steal cattle from a farmer is shot to pieces due to their efforts, she is called in to help, and out of the goodness of her heart, does everything she can to piece the outlaws back together. One of these outlaws captures her heart and even becomes her husband.
What makes it even more interesting is that the tables turn and Rose herself gets abducted, and now the once outlaw turns into a hero in his own right, and rides out on his steed to save her life. As far as we are concerned, this is one of the best written western romance books out there, full of unexpected events, heartache, love, and so much more.
3. Navarro
Here we have what seems to be a very simple western romance book, Navarro, which was also written by R.O Lane. As you can see, R.O Lane is certainly a staple in the western romance world.
Here, we see Navarro, who is a bounty hunter, who comes across a nice young woman who has been kidnapped in the outback of Colorado in the year 1877. He decides to not only save her life, but to also become her beloved protector. What he doesn’t know at first is that this woman has plenty of enemies who want to see her dead.
Of course, Navarro puts himself in danger’s path every time he can to save her over and over again. We see Navarro and this woman slowly become closer to each other, and the book develops into quite the steamy romance.
4. The Salvation of Eli Ussher
Here we have another gripping tale of murder, love, and betrayal, The Salvation of Eli Ussher, written by Sam Scott. The story takes place in Texas in the year 1870, and here we see a single white man captured by the Comanche Indians, who surrender this man to the Indian Agent at Fort Sill. The only thing that the boy recalls is how his whole family was murdered and how we was captured seven long winters ago.
This man cannot even remember his name or the white man’s language that he used to speak, and the only thing he does know is the name given to him by the Comanches, Broken Wing. Once he is surrendered to the agents at Fort Sill, he is renamed simply as Johnny, and he is adopted by a caring man who makes it his mission to destroy any semblance of the Indian culture in this boy.
During a harrowing night of fear and violence, Johnny’s new father loses his life, and Johnny runs away, presumably wanted for murder. He escapes to the countryside here he makes friends with the wild and untamed Mustang Horses.
However, the law quickly finds him, at which time he learns the truth about his family, and learns that everything he thought was true to be a totally lie. If you can’t see the romance yet, don’t worry, because it comes along rather quickly.
One could say that the Salvation of Eli Ussher is like a prologue to the rest of the Western Family Saga written by Sam Scott. If you are looking for a long series of western romance books to keep you enthralled, this is certainly one we recommend.
5. Redeeming Love
Here we have another fantastic western romance novel, Redeeming Love, written by the world famous Francine Rivers. We see California in 1850, which is true gold rush territory at the time. Here we see men who would sell their own mothers for the promise of finding gold and making it big.
This book features our heroine, Angel, who does not like men and expects absolutely nothing from them. The reason for this being that she was abducted and sold into prostitution at a very young age, and it’s all that keeps her alive with hatred and anger. She feels totally dead on the inside, and she absolutely hates the men who have left her feeling like this.
However, at some point, she then meets Michael Hosea, a man of God who listens to the lord at every turn, and this means marrying Angel when the lord asks it of him. Here we see a very slow budding romance, as Michael has to fight for Angel and prove his love to her at every turn.
Although the is distant and skeptical, his efforts slowly start to wear her down to the point where she falls in love with him. However, these overwhelming emotions and feelings cause her to run away from him. It all ends with quite a twist, as there is one who loves her even more than Michael does. This is a very thrilling tale of heartache and love that everyone should read at least once.
6. Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold
Here we have another gripping and enticing western romance novel, Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold, written by Ellen O’Connel. Here we see a western family living in 1885 Colorado. We see Anne Wells, a woman who is truly ashamed of the way her noble and rigid family behaves.
She was often scorned as a child for her behavior that was less than ladylike, and she desires nothing more than not having to be one of these noble ladies. All of her so called lapses in judgement seem to be the blame for her being a spinster at the age of 28, which at the time was considered quite old.
We then have Cord Bennet, the son of a second marriage that his father had, and he is married to a Cheyenne woman, which in the white man’s world is seen as a total disgrace, especially to his family which consists of lawyers and ranchers. Cord Bennet is the black sheep of the family.
At some point, Cord and Anne are found alone, and her father becomes truly angry and violent, and what is interesting is the Cord Bennet’s family is more than willing to let him accept the blame. This is a true Romeo and Juliet type of love story that sees two people wanting to be together even when their families are trying to tear them apart.
7. Charlotte
Charlotte is a young woman who was left alone in a wagon, along with her team and a mare, out in the middle of the prairie. She awaits a man names Ellis Gray, who as she understands has been tasked by her father to bring her to Fort Randall.
Once at Fort Randall, she was to find her uncle, and then go marry some random man and live out in the desert with him. The fact that she did not actually want her new husband seemed to be lost on everyone around her. However, this really didn’t matter, because the choice was to accept her new husband or the hanged.
Once a part of the wagon train, she started befriending many young ladies, and the husband of one of these young women. She quickly began to fall in love with this young man, and the rest writes itself.
Final Thoughts
Obviously we have only scratched the surface here, but that said, these are indeed some of the best and most beloved western romance books out there at this time.