A Grumpy Farmer. A Runaway Bride. And a Hen That Hates Everyone.

Martha "Mattie" O'Sullivan has three problems:

A forged debt that's about to land her in the clutches of Cincinnati's most ruthless creditor.A desperate plan to become a mail-order bride to a man who literally wrote "No frills. No lies. Must tolerate silence and hard work" in his ad.A chicken named Mrs. Peabody who seems determined to peck her to death.

Elias Carter has one rule: No complications. After losing his wife, he's content with his quiet farm, his bookish sister, and his life of predictable routine. But when his mail-order bride arrives—cheerful, reckless, and followed by bounty hunters—his carefully ordered world explodes into chaos.

Now they're on the run:

Faking a marriage (badly)Outsmarting villains (with jam and a very brave dog)Surviving Mattie's cooking (burnt bacon has never been so romantic)Dealing with Mrs. Peabody's reign of terror (that hen will draw blood)

Between stolen kisses in stormy cabins, near-drownings in river crossings, and a ledger that could clear Mattie's name—or get them both killed—Elias starts to realize something terrifying: he might actually like this chaos. And Mattie? She's falling for the grumpy farmer who sees her—not as a burden, but as a partner.

But when the past catches up with them, they'll have to choose:

Run forever (and let Hargrove win)Fight back (and risk everything)Or trust that love—like a well-aimed jar of jam—might just be the answer.

A wholesome, laugh-out-loud Western romance featuring:
✔ Grumpy x Sunshine (with maximum bickering and slow-burn tension)
✔ Fake Marriage (that feels very real)
✔ Found Family (including a sister who ships them hard)
✔ One Bed (and a very grumpy farmer who refuses to share)
✔ A Chicken of Doom (Mrs. Peabody deserves her own villain arc)
✔ No Passive Heroine (Mattie throws jam, outruns bounty hunters, and swallows evidence)
✔ All the Feels (healing, hope, and a proposal that'll make you swoon)

Perfect for fans of:

The Bride Test meets True Grit (if Mattie Damon burned the bacon)Pride and Prejudice on the Oregon Trail (with more chickens)Stories where love is earned, not instant—and where the heroine's happiness is never the cost of her freedom.

Grab your bonnet and ride along—this romance is as sweet as apple pie, as wild as a wagon chase, and 100% clean (except for that one kiss in the rain...). 🚀💕