After staking their claim on the untamed frontier, brothers Heath, Luke, and Aaron Jackson build a thriving cattle ranch through strength, hard work, and sheer determination. As the ranch rapidly grows, the nearby town experiences a boom of its own, assisted by the railroad’s westward expansion.

Mystery novelist and member of the Mystery Writer’s Murder Club, Jessica Murdoch, heads off for a staycation at a bed and breakfast in her hometown of Badger’s Drift, Maine for some rest and relaxation. When a murder takes place in her luxurious suite, she figures it’s up to her to uncover the town’s secrets and find the killer. Thorn Wilder, of the Major Crime Unit of the Maine State Police, is assigned to investigate the murder.

When the two meet, Adam's commanding presence makes a startling but good impression on Susannah. The attraction between them is undeniable, but that is soon followed by wariness. Susannah had planned to marry a man who would do her bidding, not take over everything. It's her ranch, after all! Equally befuddled, Adam thought he'd be marrying a woman who knows her place, not a temperamental brat who could benefit from some time over his knee. Will Susannah learn to accept Adam's firm leadership and expectations?

Clara moved to Moss Creek, Montana on her last tank of gas, a whim and a prayer. A contentious divorce left her and her sweet eight-year-old son with nowhere to go. No one to depend on. When she comes across the chance to work as a nanny on Red Cedar Ranch it sounds like a dream come true. A beautiful place to live. Income. Security.

Competing as a professional rodeo cowboy was everything he wanted. All that mattered. An opportunity he wouldn’t pass by. But it meant leaving his high-school sweetheart behind. Mae Wells was sweet, and innocent, and quiet. Not the kind of girl you dragged away from her family and home to follow you around the country. At eighteen it didn’t seem like a huge sacrifice. But at almost thirty, Boone’s lived enough and lost enough to realize he threw away something precious. Something he’s been chasing ever since.