Bitter Creek

Latest release: April 30, 2019

Series

13

Books

Book 1·Sep 2009

Joan Johnston transports us to rugged present-day Texas—a place of wide-open prairies and unbridled ambitions—where two ranching families, the Blackthornes and the Creeds, are locked in a bitter century-old feud. Here, Johnston brings to life a breathtaking love story—between the Blackthornes' oldest son and the Creeds' beautiful daughter—a magnificent novel of passion, vengeance, and star-crossed love.

Trace Blackthorne was taught from the cradle to take what he wanted. And he wanted Callie Creed. Eleven years ago, the feud between their families had torn them apart. But now Trace has come home, a ruthless hard-eyed stranger, making her an offer she couldn't refuse: marry him and save her struggling family from financial ruin. But the secrets of the past return to haunt them. And Callie is once again compelled to make an impossible choice—between the family who desperately needs her and the only man she has ever loved.

Book 2·Sep 2009

In this breathtaking novel, New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston weaves a beguiling tale of two feuding families—the Blackthornes and the Creeds—and of two extraordinary people: loner Owen Blackthorne and beautiful, headstrong Bayleigh Creed, irresistibly drawn to each other despite the desperate odds against their love.

Owen Blackthorne is a lone wolf, a man who doesn’t need anyone. Then Bayleigh Creed appears on his doorstep, demanding his help in locating her missing brother. Together they head into the desolate West Texas wilderness, a Blackthorne and a Creed, mortal enemies obliged to join forces to survive. Neither counts on the unwanted attraction that draws them together, or the bitter truths that will force them apart—until the ruthless wilderness compels them to make life-and-death choices between family and duty and love.

Book 3·Sep 2009

The Blackthornes and the Creeds. Two powerful Texas dynasties–and lifelong enemies. Set in the heart of the modern-day West, New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston brings to passionate life the clash of wills between Blackthorne and Creed . . . as a man and woman discover a love stronger than the forces trying to tear them apart.

Summer Blackthorne swore she’d never forgive Billy Coburn for running out on her and their future together. But that was before she found out she wasn’t Jackson Blackthorne’s child–Billy was. And now the “Blackthorne Bastard” has come home for a final day of reckoning...to the town that damned him and the woman he had always wanted. Only Summer can satisfy the hunger burning deep within him. Only she can help him hold on to his own unwanted son. It will be a marriage of expedience only. Until doubts and mistrust vanish in the heat of passion...and a man and a woman who never stopped loving each other fight bitter blood and impossible odds for a glorious second chance....

BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Joan Johnston's Sinful.

Book 5·Jun 2007

New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston brings to life an unforgettable love story between two strong-willed people from different worlds in her thrilling new novel featuring the Blackthornes of Bitter Creek, Texas, and their formidable rivals, the Grayhawks of Wyoming.

Juggling single motherhood and her job as deputy sheriff of Teton County, Sarah Barndollar hasn't lost hope of solving two cold cases of missing young women. When a third vanishes, all hell breaks loose -- because she's the illegitimate daughter of Texas scion Clay Blackthorne and the granddaughter of his mortal enemy King Grayhawk. The crisis pits the two powerful families against each other in a race against time.

Playboy Drew DeWitt, a Blackthorne cousin, insists on taking part in the search -- putting him on a collision course with Sarah. Her cop instincts tell her the sexy Texan is trouble. But when evidence emerges of a conspiracy against the U.S. government, Sarah accepts Drew's high-powered help as she negotiates a shadowy landscape of hidden rivals and ruthless greed where every moment counts in saving lives, including her own.

A Stranger's Game

Book 7·Mar 2008

From New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston comes a dazzling new Bitter Creek novel that features all of the passion and intrigue in Texas high society that her readers know and love, mixed with an explosive, spine- tingling tale of murder, wrongful imprisonment, and a woman who counts no cost too high to see a killer brought to justice.

FBI Special Agent Breed Grayhawk has the hottest sex in his life with a stranger who calls herself Grace Smith, only to discover early the next morning that her real name is Merle Raye Finkel -- and she's a convicted double murderer who broke her parole a year ago and disappeared. Now she's his prime suspect in a terrorist threat against the U.S. president.

Grace Caldwell is determined to find the killer who framed her for the murder of her father and stepmother -- and make him pay. She burgles the home of her #1 suspect and nets a surprising haul: a hot-pink, silk-covered diary -- the record of a sex-addicted wife's adventures -- which suggests that Grace's #1 suspect is a serial killer. But her theft has been caught on tape, and the man she's been chasing becomes the hunter...with Grace as his prey.

With just five days until the president arrives in Austin, Texas, the last thing the FBI needs is a serial killer on the prowl...and a terrorist suspect who will stop at nothing to clear her name. The clock is ticking down, and Agent Grayhawk is racing time to discover the truth about his dangerous lover.

Texas Bride: A Bitter Creek Novel

Book 9·Mar 2012

HE MAY BE HER ONLY HOPE.
SHE MAY BE HIS LAST CHANCE.

Miranda Wentworth never imagined becoming a mail-order bride. Now marriage to a stranger is her only hope of finding a home where she and her two younger brothers can escape the brutality of the Chicago orphanage where they live. With any luck, she can even start a family of her own, once the three of them are settled at Jacob Creed’s Texas ranch. But Miranda has one gigantic concern: Her husband-to-be knows nothing about the brothers she’s bringing along. What if he calls off the deal when he discovers the trick she’s played on him?

Jake Creed is hanging on to his Texas ranch by his fingernails. His nemesis, Alexander Blackthorne, is determined to ruin him. Jake will never give up, but he’s in desperate trouble. His wife died six months ago in childbirth, along with their stillborn son, and his two-year-old daughter needs a mother. The advertisement Jake wrote never mentioned his daughter—or the fact that he has no intention of consummating his marriage. He’s determined never to subject another wife to the burden of pregnancy. But Jake doesn’t count on finding his bride so desirable. He doesn’t count on aching with need when she joins him in bed. And he never suspected his bride would have plans of her own to seduce him.

This ebook edition contains an excerpt from Blackthorne's Bride.

The passionate Westerns in Joan Johnston’s Bitter Creek series can be enjoyed together or separately, in any order:
TEXAS BRIDE • WYOMING BRIDE • MONTANA BRIDE • SINFUL • SHAMELESS • BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE • SULLIVAN’S PROMISE

Wyoming Bride: A Bitter Creek Novel

Book 10·Jan 2013

The sensational second novel in Joan Johnston’s Western historical romance series set in the world of Bitter Creek.

CAN SECRETS AND SECOND CHOICES EVER LEAD TO LOVE?

After three months in a mail-order marriage, Hannah Wentworth McMurtry is a widow—pregnant, alone, and near death in the Wyoming wilderness. Though she is saved by a man with a face cut from stone, she still grieves the husband who died on their journey west. Hannah needs a husband, but does she dare marry another stranger?

Flint Creed has also lost someone he loved—when the woman he hoped to marry chose his younger brother instead. Now he must find a ranch wife of his own. But every female in the remote Wyoming Territory is too old, too young, or already married . . . until he discovers Hannah on the prairie. Flint doesn’t pretend to love her, but he doesn’t tell her he loves another woman, either. Hannah doesn’t pretend to love him, but she doesn’t tell him about the child she carries. Though danger surrounds them on the Wyoming frontier, the greatest threats of all are the secrets within—revelations that could destroy the new life Hannah and Flint have begun to cherish.

The passionate Westerns in Joan Johnston’s Bitter Creek series can be enjoyed together or separately, in any order:
TEXAS BRIDE • WYOMING BRIDE • MONTANA BRIDE • SINFUL • SHAMELESS • BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE • SULLIVAN’S PROMISE

Montana Bride: A Bitter Creek Novel

Book 11·Jan 2014

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A DESPERATE DECEPTION
THE PROMISE OF FOREVER

When Karl Norwood’s mail-order bride meets an untimely demise on the way to the Montana Territory, Hetty Wentworth steps in to take her place. Hetty has no idea how she’s going to pretend to be all the things she isn’t—including the mother of two kids. She only knows her deception is necessary if she’s going to save two orphans from the awful fate she suffered as a child.

Karl smells a rat when a much younger woman than he was expecting arrives with two children who look nothing like her. But his mail-order bride is so beautiful, he doesn’t object—until he realizes that his charming new wife has been lying . . . about everything. Can a woman forced to keep secrets and a man hindered by distrust ever hope to find happily ever after in each other’s arms?

Praise for Montana Bride

“[A] swiftly paced romance.”—Publishers Weekly

“Montana Bride is a compelling read and definitely a noteworthy addition to a great series.”—Fresh Fiction

“Joan Johnston knows how to spin a story that will get to the readers every time. [Montana Bride] is no different. . . . It was emotional, heartfelt and real. It was honest. . . . It was simply magic from a master storyteller.”—Night Owl Reviews

“If you are a fan of historicals, a fan of beautiful descriptive writing, and a fan of steamy romance, you won’t want to miss out on Montana Bride.”—Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

“Johnston has a keen eye for quirky circumstances that put her characters, and the reader, through a wringer. Laughing one moment and crying the next, you’ll always have such a great time getting to the happy-ever-after.”—Romance Junkies Reviews

The passionate Westerns in Joan Johnston’s Bitter Creek series can be enjoyed together or separately, in any order:
TEXAS BRIDE • WYOMING BRIDE • MONTANA BRIDE • SINFUL • SHAMELESS • BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE • SULLIVAN’S PROMISE

Sinful: A Bitter Creek Novel

Book 13·Apr 2015

For readers of Linda Lael Miller and Susan Mallery comes New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston’s sizzling contemporary Western romance, where power, money, and rivalries rule—and love is the best revenge.

WHILE HE SEEKS A HAVEN,
SHE SEARCHES FOR A PLACE TO CALL HOME

After a tragic accident leaves Delta sergeant Connor Flynn a widower, he faces the toughest fight of his life: battling his in-laws for custody of his two young children. To win he’ll need a make-believe bride to take care of the kids while he runs his Wyoming ranch. Who better than a woman he already knows and likes—his late wife’s best friend?

Ruthlessly forced from her home by her powerful father, King Grayhawk, Eve needs somewhere to go . . . and so does the herd of wild mustangs she’s rescued. Connor’s offer sounds like the answer to a prayer. But Eve has a guilty secret she’s guarded for years: She’s always been in love with Connor.

Now forced to live under the same roof as her heart’s desire, Eve must hide the love that has never died, while Connor vows to resist his growing need for a woman who was forbidden fruit during his marriage. Can two lonely people set adrift by fate and haunted by guilt find redemption in the healing embrace of love?

Praise for Sinful

“Romance steams up . . . in this strong contemporary trilogy opener. . . . [Joan] Johnston’s effortless storytelling propels the novel forward with plenty of emotional struggle and sizzling sex.”—Publishers Weekly

“Smart, sexy and satisfying . . . A tense, sensual and conflicted love story set against an epic family drama.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Johnston does a wonderful job of tugging on some emotional heartstrings while simultaneously developing a fiery passion. Connor and Eve are lovable characters who fight hard for their happily ever after.”—RT Book Reviews

“Johnston captivates with Sinful . . . There are plenty of subplots, family dysfunction, the feud, rescue horses, a ranch for vets, single parenthood . . . I could go on and on, but the emotion rules them all! Contemporary Western at its best!”—Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy

The passionate Westerns in Joan Johnston’s Bitter Creek series can be enjoyed together or separately, in any order:
TEXAS BRIDE • WYOMING BRIDE • MONTANA BRIDE • SINFUL • SHAMELESS • BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE • SULLIVAN’S PROMISE

Shameless: A Bitter Creek Novel

Book 14·Dec 2015

For readers of Linda Lael Miller and Susan Mallery comes New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston’s sizzling contemporary Western romance, where power, money, and rivalries rule—and love is the best revenge.

Her shameful past makes her an outcast—until a lone wolf takes her into his home

Scorned, pregnant, and facing a life without promise, Pippa Grayhawk is stunned when her father announces that they’re leaving their home in Australia to take over his estranged father’s sprawling Wyoming ranch. Drawn into bitter family rivalries and feeling like an interloper in her new home, Pippa rides out into the wilderness and meets an intriguing stranger and his pet wolf. The wolf doesn’t scare her, but she’s very much afraid to trust another man with her heart.

Devon Flynn knows all about going it alone. He lives in an isolated cabin, away from his domineering father and the scandal surrounding his family. Devon’s attraction to Pippa is intoxicating and undeniable, but when he tries to get close, she’s as wary as his once-wild wolf. Devon is willing to defy his father, and hers, to claim Pippa as his own, but winning this wounded, wonderful woman’s love might be the greatest battle of all.

Praise for Shameless

“The large cast of characters adds to the allure as family secrets and past relationships come to light. Johnston’s novel is a fast-paced, warm, and truly romantic story, and readers will savor the idyllic setting of the beautiful Wyoming countryside.”—Publishers Weekly

“Ah, the feud lives on—Grayhawks versus Flynns. Life is good. Well, at least for the readers of this ongoing series by Joan Johnston. The first Bitter Creek novel of the King’s Brats series was Sinful, and it was absolutely sinfully delicious. I couldn’t wait for the next installment, and I am happy to report it was worth the wait. . . . Johnston reintroduces characters remembered fondly and continues her tale starring the members of two strong, stubborn families.”—Fresh Fiction

“[Johnston’s] fascinating, well-developed characters . . . take you into their world and keep you there until the last page. . . . I would definitely recommend Shameless to anyone who loves a good scandal with their romance.”—Harlequin Junkie (Top Pick)

The passionate Westerns in Joan Johnston’s Bitter Creek series can be enjoyed together or separately, in any order:
TEXAS BRIDE • WYOMING BRIDE • MONTANA BRIDE • SINFUL • SHAMELESS • BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE • SULLIVAN’S PROMISE

Blackthorne's Bride: A Bitter Creek Novel

Book 15·Jul 2017

A rogue nobleman, a rescued lady, and revenge undone by romance all play a part in New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston’s irresistible novel of best-laid plots, delicious deception, and unexpected passion.

Two years have passed since Josie Wentworth was bought from the Sioux for a gold watch and whisked back to England by Marcus Wharton, the Duke of Blackthorne. When Marcus breaks his promise to return Josie to America, she ends up as a maid in the home of his charming but neglected nephews. Once Josie’s long-lost family finds her, however, the suddenly wealthy heiress sets out to save the two boys from their indifferent uncle—and teach the duke a lesson in honor.

Learning that Marcus is seeking a rich American bride to save his estate, Josie plots to catch his eye—certain he’ll never recognize the beauty she’s become as the ragged captive he rescued. But Josie doesn’t wager on her marital charade taking a tender turn, as the nobleman she’s despised for years proves to be a very different man than she’s imagined. And there’s no denying his passionate caresses, as she falls deeper under the spell of a husband determined to claim her heart.

Praise for Blackthorne’s Bride

“[Joan] Johnston’s gloriously dramatic twelfth Bitter Creek novel, the fourth installment in her Mail Order Bride subseries, whisks readers across the Atlantic. . . . [This] page-turner is replete with romantic angst, sizzling sex, and the promise of an enduring love.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Second chances, marriage of convenience, revenge, reconnection, and redemption . . . Blackthorne’s Bride is another winner from Joan Johnston that gives readers a delicious story of love, laughter, forgiveness, and family.”—Smexy Books

“Blackthorne’s Bride is a sweeping tale that takes you from the Wild West . . . to Regency England. [It’s] a feisty and surprisingly enticing romance that takes you on an adventure through the city streets of London and the countryside.”—Addicted to Romance

“Riveting . . . Johnston excels at descriptions, peppered with period details that make this book a picturesque reading experience.”—Buried Under Romance

The passionate Westerns in Joan Johnston’s Bitter Creek series can be enjoyed together or separately, in any order:
TEXAS BRIDE • WYOMING BRIDE • MONTANA BRIDE • SINFUL • SHAMELESS • BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE • SULLIVAN’S PROMISE

Surrender: A Bitter Creek Novel

Book 16·Feb 2018

In New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston’s scorching contemporary romance, a second chance at love may be the last.

When a sudden tornado of flame from a raging forest fire snuffs out both engines of the Twin Otter being piloted by Taylor Grayhawk, she locks eyes with the last man on the plane: her longtime enemy and one-time lover, smoke jumper Brian Flynn. Grayhawk and Flynn can’t agree on anything—not even how to escape their desperate situation. Once they’re on the ground, the only shelter they can find leaves the adversaries trapped together—with no way out.

Injured and starving, Taylor and Brian struggle to survive, yet somehow the threat of imminent death reignites something deep and powerful between them. Feelings they thought long dead rise from the ashes, suddenly making them more than just allies in a life-or-death struggle against nature’s fury. A still greater challenge awaits when fate delivers them from harm and puts their rekindled love to its ultimate test: Surrender to each other, or part forever.

Praise for Surrender

“A dazzling story of passion and second chances at love . . . When the two star-crossed lovers meet again, tensions rise with heart-pounding desire that will burn up the sheets. . . . [Surrender] is explosively sexy and that makes Joan Johnston the leading lady in contemporary romances.”—RT Book Reviews

“The fast and furious pace is what makes this read thoroughly enjoyable. . . . Chock-full of excitement, intrigue and sensual romance . . . a wonderful story of survival and determination.”—bookworm2bookworm

Sullivan's Promise: A Bitter Creek Novel

Book 17·Apr 2019

Two unforgiving lovers reunite for the sake of their child in this fiery contemporary romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Surrender.

Facing the unexpected consequences of a life-altering night of passion with a cowboy she met in a Jackson Hole bar, and with her life committed to protecting endangered species, Victoria Grayhawk does what she believes is the right thing. She hunts down the cowboy, seeking his agreement that their baby should be adopted by a loving family.

Montana rancher Ryan Sullivan has no intention of giving away his own flesh and blood, and takes their son to raise himself. When Vick realizes what a horrible mistake she’s made, and wants back into their child’s life, Rye remains inflexible—because once trust is lost there are no second chances—until an attack by one of the grizzlies Vick has spent her life protecting changes everything and Rye learns that sometimes love can heal all wounds.

“A riveting story of love, passion, and forgiveness.”—Fresh Fiction

The passionate Westerns in Joan Johnston’s Bitter Creek series can be enjoyed together or separately, in any order:
TEXAS BRIDE • WYOMING BRIDE • MONTANA BRIDE • SINFUL • SHAMELESS • BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE • SULLIVAN’S PROMISE

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