Marybeth Kruger has lost her mother, stepmother, and now her father. All she has left is the home she shared with her family and her baby sister Carrie. While trying to wrap her thoughts around her new situation, the local pastor initiates discussions with another family about adopting young Carrie. When Marybeth is told that she must give up custody of her baby sister to a local, wealthy family, she cannot believe what she has heard. While they may not have much or have everything figured out, she & Carrie are the remaining survivors of their little family. How dare the pastor try and force her to give up her own sister. She cannot - she will not.

Lost - that is how Edward Vogel feels. He has felt lost since the death of his brothers in the war, his own injury & discharge from the Union Army, and after the death of his wife & infant son in childbirth. He has been working as a law enforcement officer in Evansville but yearns for more opportunities that this little town can provide. When Edward receives a letter from his former commanding officer with the promise of a job on the Cheyenne Police Force a spark of excitement grows. But, there is one caveat - men with families are desired in Cheyenne to help bring a calmer, settling influence over the town. While Edward may no longer have a wife & child, he does have a dear friend & neighbor that needs support & protection: Marybeth & Carrie. But how can he marry again when he will not be the potential cause of another woman's demise? Will his protection & support as a friend be enough for Marybeth to enter into marriage and move from the only home she has ever known?

This was a really good story! It kept me interested from the first page and did not disappoint. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. I eagerly look forward to seeing who Ms. Peterson writes about next from Cheyenne or Evansville as they both have very interesting characters with great potential!

Thank you LibraryThing Early Reviewers for the advanced reading copy of this book! I will be on the lookout for Book 2! :) ( )

If you like Christian romance stories - especially historical ones set in the west that include marriages of convenience and friends to lovers tropes, you may really like this one. This story centers around Marybeth who has just lost her father and desperately wants to keep her very much younger sister, since Marybeth is the only real mother her little sister has ever known, but there are those who want to take the little girl away from Marybeth and give her to another family to raise. Her friend’s widower, Edward, hasn’t gotten over losing his wife and child during childbirth, but he wants Marybeth to be able to keep her little sister and he also wants to move west, away from all of his difficult memories. The town is really looking for a family man to fill the job he wants as a lawman, so… the friends join forces, get married (in name only), and head west where the Union Pacific railroad is planning to go through Cheyenne. Will real love follow? And will Edward overcome his fears of losing another wife? What about the struggles and dangers of living in a new, untamed western town? The faith element is very strong in this novel and remind us all to trust God. ( )

A Love Discovered, by Tracie Peterson, is the first book in the Heart of Cheyenne series. Marybeth’s father has past away leaving her and a very young daughter. The local minister is trying to take the little girl away from Marybeth. Meanwhile Edward’s friend has offered him a job thinking Edward was a married family man. Marybeth and Edward have both suffered great lost and decide to marry in name only.

This is a very well written, easy to read and imagine story that caught my attention from the very beginning and held it to the end. This story shows the depth of their friendship and commitment to each other. I especially enjoyed how realistic this book in with the feelings the women have of living in such a city, where women are scarce and it isn’t safe for them to be out by themselves. I enjoyed how strong the women are and how they watch out for and help each other. This is such and enjoyable story that is easy to get lost in.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review. ( )

This was a sweet marriage of convenience story set in the old west town of Cheyenne. It was not without heartache and danger. Edward is encouraged by a Civil War friend to relocate to Cheyenne to help with law enforcement in the somewhat lawless boom town along the railroad. Marybeth is in a predicament when her father dies and the care of her two year old sister is questioned by so-called well meaning people. Edward and Marybeth agree to marry to help eachother but plan to keep their relationship as friends only.
Much hardship is shown of life in a town that is both growing and partly abandoned when the construction of the railroad moves west. The characters struggle with trusting God to order their steps, but godly wisdom is dispensed within this story.
A bright spot was the portrayal of two year old Carrie and her sweet, trusting nature.
This was a good start to a new series by a favorite author.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Bethany House via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.* ( )

Cheyenne, Wyoming, a frontier town, is looking for new residents. Preferably husbands and wives and family. Edward would like to go but is not married. His friend, Marybeth and her sister are wanting to leave their town and move. So, Edward asks her to marry him in a marriage of convenience. They marry and off they go to Cheyenne. Many adventures and trials await them. Will they conquer their obstacles and survive?