In the last two months or so, I discovered Maggie Osborne and really enjoyed her style and the descriptions of life on the frontier and living in the western territories of 1800s America - farming, ranching, cattle-driving, etc. I've tried Lorraine Heath's Texas series, which I've also enjoyed, and LaVyrle Spencer, whose style I don't like as much. I was wondering: Are there other authors out there that I can try who has a style similar to Osborne's - the detailed descriptions of early American frontier/western life, the competent heroine who can handle all manner of hard work, the heart-warming romance while roughing it in the wilderness, and which of their books do you consider their best? Thanks for your help!

Edited: I also like the whole mail-order bride scenario. :P

This one is good: Heart of the West by Penelope Williamson.  Long though.  Think "sweeping" - and lots of it:P

Two of my favorite westerns - aside from Maggie Osborne, who I adore - are Under the Desert Moon by Marsha Canham, and Bequest by Candice Proctor.  But think more Silverado type western.  Gunslingers & saloon girls type stuff vs. the farming, ranching, & cattle-driving aspects of American frontier life.  Both are great books and much easier to read than Williamson:P

Joan Johnston ........Apache Woman,  Texas Woman, and Frontier Woman about 3 sisters.

Linda Howard has a couple of westerns

Linda Lael Miller 

and another favorite Jodi Thomas

 edited to say I also love Candace Camp's  Rain Lily

Jodi Thomas, Linda Lael Miller, Joan Johnston, Stacey Kayne, Janette Oke (if you like inspirational romance), Victoria Bylin has a few too.

West of Heaven -Victoria Bylin

Mail order bride-Maureen McKade

Come Spring-Jill Marie Landis

Other good western/frontier authors to look for are : Mary Burton(the perfect wife/the unexpected wife), Carolyn Davidson, Cheryl St.John, Dorothy Garlock (Larkspur), Jodi Thomas ( the lottery wife series),Steph Ann Holm,Ruth Langan, Sara Orwig and  Jillian Hart.

Dorothy Garlock!  She is great with historical westerns!

This is one of my favorite genre's too. Maggie Osborne and Lorraine Heath are some of my favorites.

Anything by Carolyn Davidson is usually really good. I recently read and enjoyed Homespun Bride (mail-order bride story) and Redemption (the hero is crippled and in a wheelchair).

Catherine Anderson has some great one's too. Annie's Song is about a deaf woman her family and town mistook for being simple-minded. Cherish is about a woman who is the sole survivor of an an outlaw attack, and rescued by the hero (this one has a great ending that will have you cheering). I pick up anything by Catherine Anderson I come across. She writes both contemporary and historical westerns.

Thanks to everyone for their recs. I've added quite a few books to my reminder list.

Don't miss Penelope Williamson either.  THE OUTSIDER and HEART OF THE WEST are among my favorite in this subgenre.

Norah Hess, seems like thats all she ever wrote.  Although, to be honest, only 1-2 of her books I could admit to liking,  and could barely read the others.  Her more recent stuff  I can't even finish LOL..... but they're easy reads and her earlier work seems to be gritty, earthy and if you like jealous hero's she's good with that... 

This is only my opinion............but Norah Hess is horrible. I won't ever read any of her books again!

Hands down! I like Leigh Greenwood books best! The Cowboys series were fantastic and I keep hoping he'll finish the Night Riders series.

I noticed that several posters here like Joan Johnston... IMHO, her crisis resolutions are frequently too sudden, too incredible (it's a miracle! on the 2nd to the last page of the book).

I highly recommend Linda Lael Miller

McKettrick series:

1. High Country Bride
2. Shotgun Bride
3. Secondhand Bride
4. McKettrick's Choice
   (McKettrick series continues with contemporary stories and builds a relationship between McKettricks and
   the Stone Creek series

Stone Creek series:

1. The Man from Stone Creek
2. A Wanted Man
3. The Rustler

The Orphan Train series:

1. Lily and the Major
2. Emma and the Outlaw
3. Caroline and the Raider

If you'd like a some hot, steamy love scenes in your historicals, try Sarah McCarty's Promises series (Promises Linger, Promises Keep, Promises Prevail, Promises Reveal); and Stacey Kayne's Mustang Wild and Maverick Wild.

Colleen

I like Sarah McCarty but she writes erotica so be warned. I've read the Promises series and loved them - they were close to 400 pages so a lot of story with the sex and characters appear in the later books . Promises Reveal is the 4th booka nd with a different publisher instead of ellora's cave and all the characters show up in that one- probably more than in the previous books. I have 2 others from Spice in my TBR that are also historical westerns. Mac's Law I think is the contemporary western then she started with teh paranormal stuff that I haven't read yet.

I liked Stacey Kayne's mustang wild and maverick wild from harlequin.

have jodi thomas in my tbr...

Thanks so much, everyone, for your input!

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