Ten years ago, Angie Bartoli and Sam Holland eloped, but their marriage never made it to its first night. The disapproval of Angie’s father, and the young couple’s unwillingness to fight for their relationship, resulted in Angie’s remaining behind in Chicago while Sam traversed the West, looking for gold. Now, with few resources, Angie has arrived in the small Colorado mining town of Willow Creek, looking for Sam, and a divorce. She finds, instead, several surprises. There’s less than she hoped for - Sam doesn’t have enough money to afford the divorce. And there’s more than she could have imagined in her worst nightmare - he is the father of two daughters, and he readily admits that he loved their mother.

Laura, the woman Sam loved, passed away a year ago, and he needs help. With no other option available, Angie agrees to live in Sam’s small house and take care of the girls while he works his newest stake and tries to find the riches to finance the divorce. The two both believe they were the wronged party ten years ago, but they agree to be civil. But that’s before Angie has to deal with the myriad emotions raised by two lonely but wary motherless girls, and before Sam admits the reason behind his inability to save any money. Once the initial mistrust has abated, Angie and Sam realize that the same attraction that brought them together ten years ago is still very much alive, and has matured into something even more powerful. But while Sam had a long-term relationship with Laura, Angie has spent ten lonely, chaste years. She’s angry at the injustice, but she’s also curious about what she has been missing.

Bride of Willow Creek includes only one love story, unlike Osborne’s recent multi-character romance, I Do, I Do, I Do. Fortunately, it’s a good one. Both Sam and Angie are honorable individuals who try to make the best of a difficult situation. There are few hissy fits or temper tantrums. Yet both have some growing up to do in order to understand the other’s point of view. Angie has never been in charge of a household without a cadre of servants, but she adapts well without any annoyingly helpless behavior. She doesn’t whine about the hard work she takes on, and she doesn’t hold a grudge against her neighbor Molly, even though she had befriended Laura. In fact, Angie eventually learns to understand why Laura was willing to live in sin with the man she loved.

Focusing on one romance allows Osborne to develop strong secondary characters. Sam’s two daughters are sweet without being cutesy. Watching the antipathy between them and Angie turn to respect, and eventually love, is extremely poignant. Laura’s parents play a large part in the story, and while they are the nominal villains, they are multifaceted and not beyond compassion.

Osborne is skilled at combining drama, sexual tension and humor in a historically accurate but somehow romantic package, and she doesn’t disappoint with Bride. In fact, the novel suffers only in comparison to its predecessors. It’s not as madcap as the hunt by three wives for their bigamist husband in I Do, and it’s not as poignant as Low-Down’s silver spoon in Silver Lining. The characters aren’t as fascinating as the unforgettable title character in The Promise of Jenny Jones or the reluctant politician in A Stranger’s Wife. But you know that if Maggie Osborne’s name is on the cover, you’re going to be treated to a quality historical and a rewarding love story.

--Susan Scribner