After finding out her marriage was a sham, Millicent must leave Philadelphia and the shame and gossip that surround her. She corresponds with a banker and after accepting his marriage proposal, travels to Montana. But what awaits her turns her world upside-down. Widower Clark lost his wife and son years ago and has not gotten over the heartbreak. As Millicent meets the widower next door, Clark makes a startling discovery, and will do what he has to to make Millicent his Christmas wife - although it may be too late.

As Christmas approaches, Ella's pregnant, alone and scared. Tragedy strikes her life, tearing apart all that she knows and loves in Chicago. She travels to Texas to marry a man she has been corresponding with. As she prepares for her new life, the tragedy haunts her.... 

Hanna is jilted at the altar by a man she thought loved her. She leaves Philadelphia to escape the disgrace and humiliation that fill her soul. Ashamed and alone, she heads west to meet Frank, hiding a secret she plans not to reveal. Texas Ranger, Frank, longs to settle down but his job keeps him away from home. Although he yearns for a family, he wants someone to take care of his house. Hanna seems the perfect choice. He refuses to give his heart away and plans to keep his distance from his new wife.

Widow Emma accepts a Wyoming rancher's proposal to escape a precarious situation in Boston. While she must get away quickly, she hopes that she has made the right decision. But Wyoming will turn her life upside down, and her heart will never be the same. Widower rancher Ross still mourns for his late wife. When his children tell him all they want for Christmas is a mother, his heart breaks, for he knows he can never provide that. Ross does not believe he will ever be ready to marry again. As Christmas approaches, Ross' life is turned on end. 

Tinsmith Jonah has always longed for a wife and family, but his hopes died in war. He knows no woman wants a crippled man. He has taken in two young orphans and is raising them on his own. Anne has lived a hard life since her parents died, being taken in by her aunt and uncle who treat her like an unpaid servant. When she sees the ad from Jonah, she sees light in her life again and is happy to accept his proposal. But the children want nothing to do with Anne.

Widow Lucy, her young son, and unborn child are forced from their home due to unpaid debts. Needing a fresh start quickly, she begins corresponding with a doctor in Colorado. Jed is seeking someone to tend to his home and proposes to Lucy, excited to have an instant family. But as Lucy travels to Colorado, fear and doubt overtake her. While Jed seemed like a nice and kind man through his letters, she fears that he may not be that way in person.

Sally Johnson is sick of her life - sick of the upper class, sick of the social gatherings, sick of the dirty, bustling city, and truly sick of never feeling as though she is good enough. When the odious son of a failing steel baron announces they are engaged in order to marry into her rich family, Sally is truly fed up. Taking her life in her hands, she runs away and decides to become a mail-order bride.

When Becky Wade's husband dies unexpectedly, her world is turned upside down. With no means to support herself, and having discovered she is pregnant, she answers an ad in the Matrimonial Times, hoping for a fresh start for herself and her unborn child. Dr. Karl Madden wants a marriage of convenience where emotions do not come into play. He's looking for a woman to take care of his house and help him in his clinic. Having his heart broken once, Karl does not intend to open his heart to anyone again.

Clara longs to escape from her abusive father and longs for a man who will accept her and not see her as damaged due to a childhood accident. Nate is a Kansas cowboy who's looking for a wife to help him on his farm. As Clara leaves Chicago and travels to Kansas, she worries what Nate will do when he sees her. Although the accident has left her scarred, she prays he will be able to overlook that and see her heart. But Nate is shocked when he sees her and refuses to go through with the marriage, leaving Clara heartbroken and fearful she will have to return to her father.

Adelle longs to escape a hard life in Philadelphia, dreaming of an easier life with a family of her own. Floyd seems like a kind-hearted man, and she eagerly accepts his proposal a few weeks before Christmas. But once she steps on the train to head west, Adelle's life begins to unravel, and she realizes too late that she has made a terrible mistake. With no money to return to Philadelphia, she's at the mercy of strangers in a new town; strangers who are only too willing to take advantage of her.

The fire destroyed her but saved her from marriage to a cruel man. Nelly knows no man will ever love her as she bears horrific scars from a fire where she was hailed as a hero. The loveless marriage she was destined for broke apart when the man couldn't bear to look at her. But Boyd's ad has her heart fluttering and hope ignites in her soul. Boyd wants a woman to take care of his house. The handsome sheriff wants only a marriage of convenience, nothing more.

Sadie travels to Montana to meet the man she is to marry, wanting to escape a lonely and destitute life in New York. Mack assures Sadie he will provide a good life for her—a life that is all lies. Sadie is shocked to hear horrible news when she arrives in Montana, and her world comes crashing down. Rancher Brett has put down roots and hopes to find a wife that will give him heirs to his ranch. Love has no place in his heart; to Brett, marriage is only a business arrangement. A desperate Sadie seems the perfect choice for Brett, who harbors a secret he doesn't wish to share.

An unsavory man has taken a worrisome interest in Abby. Fearing for her safety, she agrees to marriage with Phil and travels to South Dakota, hoping that she has found love. But fate deals Abby a cruel blow when Phil leaves her stranded and heartbroken. Widowed rancher, John, wants to find a mother for his children but refuses to let his heart get involved. He wants only a business arrangement. Until he meets Abby. Can Abby open her heart to trust John and find true love? Can John face heartache again to gain Abby's love?

When Margaret Jameston’s father passes away, her whole life changes. In one swift blow, she goes from the coddled, spoiled daughter of a doting father to a penniless pauper, entirely dependent on the charity of others. As she seeks to take control of her life again, employment proves impossible to find - and that’s what leads her to the matrimonial agency, and ultimately to Shadow Gulch, Idaho.

Emily knows she needs to get away from her father. A loveless marriage is an escape, and she prays that she will find the love she has always longed for. Doctor Todd Mayne lost his wife in tragic circumstances and wants only a mother for his children. Love has no place in his heart. When he sees Emily, he decides that he does not want to marry her. Todd says he needs time, but a heartbroken Emily is desperate for a stable home. Will Todd open his heart to Emily? Or, will Emily be forced to go back to a father who has never loved her?