The Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough

Yet another new-to-me author and again one I will be reading again! Loved this book. I confess the cover reeled me in.. it is just too cute and I felt sure the story would live up to my expectations.. and it did!

This is book one of the Texas Boardinghouse Brides.

When Rachel jilted him for James, Luke's heart broken and he ran.  Now he is coming home to become the new sheriff, determined to coexist with daily evidence of all he lost and to resist the love he still feels for Rachel. But then he learns that Rachel is now a widow and the towns folks expect the 2 of them to pick up where they left off.

Luke is not willing to forgive much less forget and Rachel is resigned to living life without love.

And then the brides arrive.  Luke's mischievous cousins take it on themselves to find him a woman, placing an ad on his behalf and without his knowledge.  Three women arrive as the mail-order brides of the Sheriff's and much to everyone's dismay they find shelter in Rachel's boardinghouse while things get straightened out.

There is a great deal of competition as each lady is desperate to be married and stay in Texas... and when Rachel decides to secretly toss her hat in the ring, sparks fly and humor abounds!