At the Altar Series

Cindy Lambert thought she was done with the small town of Blevins, Wisconsin, but here she is, back in her home town, managing a bed and breakfast and following her grandmother's dream. The problem is, she's tired of being alone, and there are no single men for miles that she's interested in. Plus, with her busy schedule, she has no time to date anyway. When her best friend coerces her into contacting a matchmaker, she decides to make it work for her.   Trey Zayne, a web designer from Texas is sick of his sister constantly trying to set him up with women he has no interest in. When he's contracted to do a website for a company called Matchrimony, he finds himself fascinated by the concept. A relational psychologist will interview him and find him a match. The only catch? They will meet at the altar. Can a techie from Texas fit in with a small town girl from Wisconsin? Will they find more than companionship and move straight to love?

When Taryn Radcliff's boyfriend tells her that he has no plans to marry her, she makes the difficult choice to end their relationship. After meeting Dr. Lachele, Taryn decides to turn over her search for a husband to the capable matchmaker. The day of the wedding, Taryn sneaks a peek of her groom and sees something that brings her painful past to the front of her mind. Army soldier Andrew Dawson is used to being the hero, but he never expected that his mom would end up with something he can't save her from—breast cancer. He chooses to move back to Grace Lake, Idaho—the town he's been running away from for the past eight years—to care for her. He soon realizes there will be no time to date—if there was anyone to date—and he isn't confident in his ability to care for his mom alone. At the recommendation of his Aunt Eileen, he decides to give Dr. Lachele Simpson's Matchrimony service a try.   Can Andrew trust that Dr. Lachele has picked the right woman for him? Or will he regret his choice to meet his wife at the altar?

Scarlett Heston is disenchanted with her life in Hollywood. Her agent and her parents are all too involved in her acting career, and she longs for a real connection with a man—not one driven by money and greed. When Scarlett meets Dr. Lachele Simpson on Timmy Callen's talk show, she hopes that signing up for Matchrimony will be her way out of a life she's never wanted. Beau Lawrence doesn't even flinch getting on the back of a bull, but he wouldn't be caught dead talking to any of the girls who want his attention after a rodeo. Beau has always chosen his bull riding career over his relationships, and he doesn't see that changing anytime soon. When Beau's friend Josh convinces him that he won't ever be happy alone, he decides to take a chance and let Dr. Lachele find a match for him.   Will Scarlett be able to accept Beau's cowboy lifestyle?   Or will the man she met at the altar make her wish she'd never left LA?

When Bradley Carter is hit by a drunk driver, his priorities change and he realizes he wants a family sooner than he expected. Not sure where to start, and sick of women who aren't willing to commit, Brad signs up for Dr. Lachele Simpson's Matchrimony service. Daphne's life in King, Montana, is turned upside-down after her husband dies in a tragic accident. When Dr. Lachele learns of her dear friend's loss, she insists on helping her find new love with a guy who recently signed up for her services. Dr. Lachele knows they will be perfect together, but can she convince Daphne and Brad that they can fall in love after they meet at the altar?  

Savannah is tired of the dating scene, even though she wants to get married and have a family. She knows her mother will never move on with her own life as long as Savannah is single. Savannah goes to see a matchmaker, specializing in setting up couples who meet at the altar. At first, she thinks Scott is a dream come true, but his blundering soon makes her crazy.  Scott, a Montana bison rancher, doesn't have time to find a wife. His work is all-encompassing. Besides, he tends to have a hard time getting women to go out with him more than once. When he runs into a matchmaker he's known all his life, he tells her about the problems he's had to see if she can help him. When he meets Savannah at the altar, his heart stops for a moment. She's exactly what he's looking for. Will their diverse backgrounds keep them apart? Or will they be able to work through their differences to make their marriage a loving relationship? 

After the most recent in a stream of horrific blind dates, Addie's roommate suggests she see a professional matchmaker to try to find love, instead of allowing people who are less qualified to set her up. When she doesn't agree, her friend sets up a meeting without her knowledge. After meeting the woman, Addie decides to let her try to find someone for her, but she doesn't hold out much hope.  Jake watched his best friend find love through the services of Matchrimony, but doesn't consider it himself. He's persuaded to contact matchmaker, Dr. Lachele, by his friend and his wife. When he meets his new bride, he's thrilled with the match. Will they be able to get past his obsession with his work to find love? Or will they give up too quickly?

Michelle Strempel firmly believes that she isn't worthy of being loved. After her fiancé of almost three years tells her he's got to break off their engagement, she decides to take matters into her own hands. With all the hours she's spent planning a wedding, she's going to have one on the day she's planned. So she contacts Dr. Lachele Simpson from Matchrimony. Seth Henderson has no time to find a bride, but when he sees how happy his best friend, Daniel Axford, is with his new wife, he wants the same thing. He asks for a sweet little thing just like his friend received for a bride. When he meets Michelle, he can tell she's got an inner strength that surprises him. Will he be able to get past her fears that she's unlovable? Or will they spend the rest of their lives in a loveless marriage?  

Brenda Holt is certain she'll never find love. At the urging of her friend Michaela, she contacts a matchmaker, hoping the woman will work magic and find her a man she can spend her life with. The only catch is, they will be introduced at the altar. When she first meets Daniel Axford, she's convinced that Matchrimony has made its first mistake.  After a rough childhood, Daniel establishes an online dating site, running the business as its CEO. When using his own company doesn't work well for him, he hires a matchmaker to find a suitable bride. Not expecting to feel more than a passing affection for his new bride, he's startled when he sees her, afraid if he gets too close, he'll lose his heart. Can he spend the rest of his life with this woman without falling in love? Or will she break through the wall he's built around himself to find the man within?

Nothing is more important than the Firestone Ranch—that's what Tim Roberts always thought. But when his boss passes away, surrounded by a family who loved him, Tim realizes he'll die alone if he keeps on this path. At fifty-years old, with no suitable prospects, he turns to a purple-haired matchmaker hoping she can find him the love of his life. When Susan Cooper's husband dies unexpectedly, the life she and her boys knew crumbles to dust. When she finds out she's pregnant, she's thrilled—but crippling morning sickness and mandated bedrest keep her from overseeing her ranch. On the verge of losing everything, she turns to a marriage-on-demand service, hoping to find someone she can trust. The arrangement is strictly business. There will be no falling in love…only she can't seem to imagine her life without him.

Samara Royal feels like life is passing her by. A bookworm who prefers to spend her free-time curled up with a good novel, she doesn't have a lot of opportunities to meet men. Watching her boss, Dr. Lachele, match up happy couple after happy couple only makes matters worse, so she goes to Lachele and puts her love life into the good doctor's hands.  Henry Crider has a five year plan, but inheriting his brother's four year old twin daughters throws the plan all out of whack. He needs a nanny, housekeeper and cook all in one, so he approaches Matchrimony about finding him a bride. He can't fall in love for at least five years, so he needs to harden his heart. Surely his bride will be happy to be exempt from bedroom duties. When he sees Samara walking down the aisle toward him, he knows that she is what his heart needs. Will he be able to keep his vow of celibacy? Or will they fall for each other despite his plans?

Nurse Heidi Hart feels life is passing her by. All her close friends from school have married and have children, and she wants what they have. Her job keeps her from dating because she works so many hours, and she's not interested in the bar scene anyway. When her cousin emails her, excited about how wonderful her marriage is, she asks about the company that matched them. Heidi makes the decision to contact the matchmaker to find the right man for her. Slade Henderson has spent his whole life with one goal in mind: Becoming a doctor and starting his own medical practice. Now that he's accomplished that goal, he's ready to move into the next phase of life, marriage and children. He goes on a series of bad dates with women he's matched up with online and decides it's time for him to do something radical. He calls the matchmaker his twin brother used, going through the testing involved. When he spots Heidi walking down the aisle toward him, he knows she's the woman for him. Will he be able to break through her hatred of doctors? Or will they not be able to make their marriage work?

Michaela Hunter is at a crossroads in her life. Having just graduated from college, she's about to lose her internship, which is her only job. When she's asked by friend and matchmaker, Lachele Simpson, to agree to marry a man chosen for her, sight unseen, she's hesitant. After a bit of convincing, Michaela agrees to the plan, though she has her doubts about how it will work out.  Pastor Jon Larson has watched a couple matched by Matchrimony for eight months, and he's impressed with how well the couple does together. Frustrated with the single women in town chasing him, he gives Dr. Lachele a call, hoping she can find him a match like she found for his friend. As soon as he sees Michaela, he knows she's the woman for him. Will they survive the honeymoon? Or will the pressures of everyday life keep them from having the love they deserve?

Jenni Thompson felt like life was passing her by. She was happy with her job as an RN, but she wanted more. Having lived her life under her mother's exacting thumb, she is afraid to date someone, knowing he'll never live up to her parents' expectations. So she contacts a matchmaking service who agrees to introduce her to a man who is right for her at the altar. Tony Jarrett sees everything in black and white. When his friend tells him about Matchrimony, he scoffs at first, but decides to give the idea a chance. When he's told he needs to marry on a cruise ship, he has no idea why, but he goes along with it. Marrying the beautiful girl who caught his eye in line is no hardship. Can the two of them make it past their differences to live peacefully? Or will they each be destined to a life of loneliness?

Cissie Rivers finds herself jealous of her best friend, Cindy, for the first time in her life. Cissie's always been smart, pretty, and a wonderful singer, but Cindy has found love, and Cissie is still alone. She isn't sure how much longer she can wait for matchmaker, Lachele, to find her perfect man. Patience has never been one of her virtues.  Deputy Sheriff, Bob Anderson, takes one look at Cissie Rivers and knows she's the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. The only problem is, he can't seem to approach her. Every time he even thinks about it, his tongue swells in his mouth so he's certain he'll start stammering. When he finds out that Cissie is waiting to be matched by Lachele, he contacts Matchrimony immediately. Will Cissie be able to forgive him when she realizes he's engineered the match? Or will she opt out of their marriage after the first year is up?

Jean Winters is a hard-working twenty-first century stock broker, spending all her time building wealth for others. She's worked sixty hour weeks since graduating from college, and she's realizing that life is passing her by. After attending her college roommate's wedding in Wyoming, she decides that she wants to employ the services of Matchrimony, the same service her roommate used, to find herself a husband. Skipping the whole dating mess and meeting at the altar sounds perfect for a busy professional. Dillon Jeffries has always known that he would inherit a great deal of money someday, and he's worked hard to create a business he'd be happy to sink that money into. His enterprise of restoring old homes to their former glory keeps him as busy as he could ever want to be. When he hears the terms of his great-uncle's will, he's flabbergasted. The man had never married, but the terms of his will insist that Dillon marry within three months of his uncle's death to receive his inheritance. Will Dillon be happy married to the woman Dr. Lachele chooses for him? Or will he spend his life wishing for something that would never be there?

When Emily Murphy discovers she is inheriting a nephew she didn't know existed, she realizes she can't handle him on her own. Someone who has drifted from job to job as she has, doesn't have the staying power to be a mom to a tween boy. Realizing she needs a husband fast, Emily contacts Dr. Lachele from Matchrimony, hoping she can make a miracle happen. Brodie Callahan witnesses one of Dr. Lachele's matches first hand when his employer marries someone who seems totally unsuited to her. A year later, they have a happy marriage and a baby. Instead of continuing to watch enviously, he decides to contact the same matchmaker who set up his friends. When he sees Emily, he realizes she's everything he needs in life. Together they move with her nephew Alec to a horse farm in Tennessee to raise horses. When they see the house, they worry they've bitten off more than they can chew. Can they work together to make a happy marriage? Or will Emily continue to run when she sees trouble?

Emma Saxton is a single mother whose life is going nowhere. All her time is spent earning enough money to put food on the table, and she feels as though that will never change. After speaking with a friend, she calls Dr. Lachele at Matchrimony and agrees to meet a man at the altar and marry him immediately. She's lonely, but her main concern is her daughter, Josie, who is her entire world. Tired of spending all his time working and knowing he needs a wife if he doesn't want his house to crumble down around him, Beau Bainbridge agrees to be introduced to his future bride at the altar. When he sees Emma walking toward him, he is immediately attracted. For him, little Josie is just a bonus. Will the formerly single mother be able to adjust to life as the wife of a man of wealth? Or will she continue to be afraid every day that something will go wrong and she'll once again be left alone?

Beverly Snow lived a charmed life until a car accident when she was eighteen. She lost her father and sister, and her mother became a quadriplegic all in one night. After giving up her own life for twenty years to care for her mother, she's at loose ends in the midst of her grief with her mother's passing. When her last promise to her mother turned into her agreeing to an arranged marriage to a stranger and moving to Alaska, she's not sure what to think. Colin Geller has spent his entire adult life knowing two things. He loved being a park ranger at Denali National Park in Alaska, and he didn't want children. He requests that Dr. Lachele send him a woman who was comfortable with not having children. When he sees Beverly for the first time, he knows that all his dreams have come true. When something happens to make him rethink his life choices, he's devastated. Will he be able to deal with his new wife's choices? Or will her insistence on something he opposes keep them apart forever?

Erin Krol lost the love of her life, and she knows she'll never love again. Because of her desire for children, she contacts the owner of Matchrimony Dr. Lachele Simpson. When Erin realizes she's been matched to her very own chocolate maker, she isn't sure whether to laugh or cry. A honeymoon in Switzerland sounds just perfect—and spending a week touring chocolate factories a dream come true.  Al Frank has spent his entire adult life being responsible. The owner of his own business, he works far more hours than he cares to admit. He has no time for love or romance, but he wants children to carry on his name. When he sees Erin for the first time, he realizes he's in over his head. Will the beautiful schoolteacher end up being what he needs? Or will his propensity for working too much come between them? 

This is the first of four books in a "series within a series" set in the Four Corners states. Alexis Casey has finally achieved everything she has worked for all her life. She has a successful life-coaching practice, and she is ready to move on to the next stage. She wants to be married and have children. The problem is that she can't seem to meet a man she wants to have a second date with, let alone one she wants to marry. So she contacts her old mentor, Dr. Lachele Simpson, who agrees to match her with someone…at the altar. Dirk Blanton has always been serious-minded, spending his spare time working on his research. Now that he's in his thirties, he's ready to have a family. He has no idea how to meet someone, though, so he contacts a company a colleague did some work for. The company promises to find his perfect match and introduce them at the altar. When he meets Alexis, she seems too pretty and flamboyant for him. Will they be able to see beyond their differences? Or will they live together as partners with no love between them?

Willa Griffin has always known that one day it would be her responsibility to run her grandfather's ranch—it's all she's trained for or ever wanted. When her grandfather dies, and his will says she will lose the ranch if she doesn't marry within a month, she finds a matchmaker through a Google search and immediately calls her. Willa thinks carefully and decides she wants a city-slicker for a husband—a man who will have no ability and no desire to run a ranch. After selling his share of his public relations firm, Ryder Pearce is at loose ends. He wants to go west, but he doesn't know what he'll do there. He has the money to do many things, but he has no real purpose. After a phone call from his client, Dr. Lachele, he decides to take the plunge and marry the woman she has in mind for him. It sounds like the perfect solution to him. When he meets Willa, he doesn't know how they're going to make things work. The attraction is there, but she's so stubborn about everything. Will this unlikely pair be able to figure out how to make their marriage work? Or will they be Dr. Lachele's first failed match?

When Marissa discovers that her fiancé has not only died, but he died with the woman he was cheating on her with, she decided she needs to completely change her life. She contacts Matchrimony to find a man to marry, sight unseen and no questions asked. When she sees her future husband as she walks down the aisle, she is mesmerized by him, desperately hoping he won't be a player. Dr. Aaron Christiansen is a professor of history at a small college in Minnesota. After his department head tells him that he will not be able to achieve tenure with all the female students stalking him and waiting outside his office to talk to him, he decides to marry, but he isn't sure how to find someone. When he hears about Matchrimony, he immediately contacts Dr. Lachele to have her find him a bride. He plans on putting his new wife on a shelf and only getting her down when he needs her. Taking time to spend with her and not study simply cannot be part of his plan. Will Marissa be able to deal with her new husband, the quintessential absent-minded professor? Will the two of them be able to see past their differences to find love?

Becca Jones is certain she is an old maid at twenty-nine. Life seems to be passing her by, but her extreme shyness makes it difficult for her to be around others. When a good friend suggests she call Dr. Lachele at Matchrimony, she agrees, determined to make some changes in her life.  Archer Hayes is sick of his mother throwing young debutantes at his feet. He isn't interested in marrying someone ten years younger than he is. He wants someone of substance who can stand up to his difficult family. After contacting Dr. Lachele, he tells her exactly what he wants, and he knows immediately after meeting Becca that the matchmaker has done a wonderful job. But will Becca be able to deal with his workaholic ways? Or will their marriage be over before it really starts?

Tess Messerly's love life is a mess. She's fallen for the "wrong guy" more times than she can count. When her three college roommates suggest she sign up for Matchrimony, she's hesitant because she's sure she'll find some way to screw up Dr. Lachele's flawless success rate. Not wanting to be the only one still single by the end of the summer, Tess pushes past her unease and agrees to their plan. Levi Thomas has one goal—buy Mr. Earl's gorgeous ranch. The only problem: the old man won't sell to a bachelor. Faced with giving up his dreams or getting married, Levi turns to Dr. Lachele to find a wife as quickly as possible. When the process takes longer than expected, Levi is impatient and willing to do anything to get a bride—including moving to Flagstaff, Arizona. Will Levi and Tess manage to create a life together? Or will Tess utterly destroy Dr. Lachele's perfect streak?

After losing her husband on her first wedding anniversary, Sarah "Spooky" Walters is left pregnant with no job, still trying to get her PhD. When her mother suggests she contact Matchrimony to find herself a new husband so she can have some semblance of a good life, she agrees to meet with Dr. Lachele Simpson, the matchmaker involved.   Chase Appleby lost the only woman he'd ever loved to a man with a gun just before they'd finished college. Now, years later, he was ready for a wife, but the idea of dating someone else made him feel as if he was cheating on his former love. So he decides to meet a bride at the altar.   After marrying Spooky, he realizes his beautiful wife is almost seven months pregnant. So instead of simply becoming a husband, he is also now becoming a father. Will differences in how they think the baby should be raised cause too much friction between them? Or will they be able to work things out?

Sydney Harris is addicted to mail-order bride romances. She loves to read the book and watch the romance unfold with the couple already being married. So when she gets the opportunity to have a modern-day mail-order bride romance of her own, she jumps on it. She only asks that her new husband come to her, because she is a national park ranger, and she can't relocate. Jackson Pine has lost the only woman he's ever loved to a hit-and-run accident. Even though it's been two years since her death, he is living his life alone. He has no prospects of love and never expects to find it again. A chance meeting with a wacky purple-haired matchmaker has him considering that maybe love could be in his future. Before letting himself think about it too much, he commits to meeting someone at the altar. Can he ever get over his lost love and see the beautiful woman standing before him? Or will the possibilities life can bring him pass him by?

Joanna Walton has always taken care of herself. After moving to Colorado to experience the wide-open spaces of the west, she realizes that she's never going to let a man get close enough to marry her. Hopeful that marrying first—even if it means meeting the man at the altar—will remove some of her apprehension about relationships, Joanna joins her three college roommates in employing Dr. Lachele to find her a husband. Graham Morris has reached every goal he ever set for himself. His list of achievements is long, but there is one thing missing—a successful marriage. Graham is picky about women and decides that his search is better left in the hands of Dr. Lachele. Will a man he admires convince him that marriage is too big of a gamble, or will Graham overcome Joanna's stubborn pride and add winning a place in her heart to his accomplishments?

Bobbi Radcliffe wants to have a normal, boring life with kids, a husband, and a white picket fence. Her problem? She spends all her time working, and there's no time to meet said husband. When she hears about Dr. Lachele—a matchmaker who introduces people at the altar—she believes her prayers have been answered. It would be so much easier to just let someone else do the work and for her to marry whoever comes along. Gary Grant is living his dream—a small home of his own, and a successful restaurant. The only thing missing is a wife and kids, but…how do you meet someone when you work seventy hours per week? When a customer casually mentions she met her husband through a matchmaking service who introduces people at the altar, he immediately calls the business owner and asks to be the next client. Both Gary and Bobbi are thrilled that they don't have to go through the hassle of meeting a bunch of people to find the right one. The first few hours of marriage are perfect, and they both know they've done the right thing. But when their flight for their honeymoon is postponed over and over due to a blizzard, they have to get to know one another from the confines of the Salt Lake Airport. Will they be able to fight through petty annoyances? Or will the two of them feel the need to part ways so early in their marriage?

Alexis Paxton's entire world changes overnight when she receives a phone call telling her that her father has died. Not the father she's always known, but another she's never even heard of. When she flies to Colorado to hear the reading of the will, she realizes that she can never go back to being the person she's always been. Kyle Stifter has always worked on a ranch, and he's watched his boss become happy when he married a woman whom he'd met at the altar. Wanting to be married himself, he meets with the same matchmaker, hoping to find wedded bliss. Alexis and Kyle have an instant attraction, each of them wanting to make their marriage work. But when she fails to give him some very important news, it makes him question their bond. Will they be able to work it out? Or is their marriage destined to fail?

Melanie Carter has run her own business since she was eighteen years old. She works seventy house weeks and finds she has no time for life, much less dating. When her best friend suggests she contact Dr. Lachele Simpson and Matchrimony, she jumps at the chance, feeling that if she is matched with someone and they meet at the altar, perhaps her life will change for the better. Lucas Barnett has lost the love of his life. For two years, he's walked around New York, seeing the places they went on their dates and the memories are constantly flooding back. He makes the decision to see a counselor and start planning to start over. When he goes to see Dr. Lachele, she suggests he use Matchrimony to find a wife and start his new life. Everything goes well when Melanie and Lucas meet at the altar. The only problem is that Melanie is still so wrapped up in her business she has no time for a husband. Will the two of them find a way to compromise so they can live and work together? Or will they separate after their year contract is up?