Mail-Order Marshal: Healing Husbands

by Lynne Lanning

An action-packed, Old West adventure, filled with drama and romance!

The Jenner gang had terrorized a town
that couldn’t protect itself, resulting in
devastation, despair, and even death.
The gang had been gone for years, but
the townsfolk knew he would return. He
left something precious behind…his
daughter.
They needed someone to protect
them…
They needed a Marshal.
Loraine was adopted nine years earlier
by the preacher and his wife when her
father left her behind. She knew
everyone wished she would leave town,
taking the threat of her father’s return
with her.
In a desperate attempt to find some
deserved happiness for this sweet girl,
knowing not one man within a hundred
miles would be interested in her for a
wife, the preacher decided…
She needed a Mail-Order husband.

254 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 6, 2025

About the author

Lynne Lanning has such an effortless way of evoking emotion from her readers. Her characters are so realistic that the reader can feel their pain during trials and their joy during triumphs. Reviews state: "...it's as if Mrs. Lanning lived through this herself." "Couldn't put it down..." "A real page turner." Lynne enjoys turning history and her love of God into enjoyable, relatable stories with practical life lessons that can benefit people today. Each story tells of true bonds of love and loyalty, mixed with tough times and decisions, with a twist of humor and sometimes devastation...the same is true in life. With a blend of her own family members and heritage along with lots of fiction, it's hard to tell where reality stops and fantasy begins.

Reviews

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

WATCHING THE HOUSE OF CARDS TUMBLE

The story is part of the Healing Husbands series by various authors and each story will read as a stand-alone and can be read in any order. These are clean, Western historical tales that mitigating circumstances will result in couples seeking a mail-order spouse. It was fun to see this series return with more wonderful tales—of happily ever after stories!

In the town of Overton, Wyoming, the town has been divided and a young woman, Lorraine, is constantly blamed for things she hasn’t done. Why, based on who her family is, and what they are accused of doing—being the Jenners Gang. A few people treat Lorraine kindly, but for the most part, they ostracize her—all because of one vicious, gossiping woman, Mrs. Gamill. Besides Reverend and Mrs. Osborne, who legally adopted her, her only real friends are the Johnson family. Mrs. Osborne feels bad for Lorraine and places an advertisement seeking a mail-order husband in the town Ray lives in—and starts getting replies.

Boyd Rawlings has always wanted to be a lawman, and for the past five years has worked with Sheriff Ray in Oklahoma. He is to learn if he will be offered a U.S. Marshal possession—which he will, and he takes him to many locations. When he returns to Oklahoma, he is still trying to decide what area to consider, but word comes that Overton, Wyoming needs him now—along with other lawmen. What a shock when Boyd learns that Ray has been writing to a Lorraine Osborne in Overton—posing as him.

The story has the good, the bad, and the evil of people. Lives have been altered by lies, and families have been separated. Two lives will be affected by well-meaning people when Ray starts writing to Lorraine as Boyd. Only the letters are making it to Lorraine, they are going to her adopted mother, Romona Osborne who placed the ad seeking a husband for Lorraine. What will happen when Boyd and Lorraine learn the truth? But then, the Marshal of Overton is in a life-threatening accident, and the town is in upheaval, and Boyd, Ray, and other law enforcement officers are on their way there. What a shock they will find when arriving in town. Boyd will not only be forced to protect Lorraine, he has to make a confession—and hear hers—both innocent by well-meaning individuals.

The story is a definite page-turning, mystery-suspense tale. It was good to see comeuppance happen to those who wreaked havoc and justice for the innocent who had been falsely accused.

[Debbie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book! I had a hard time putting it down when I had other things to do! Loraine was adopted by the preacher and his wife after her outlaw father left town. Many in the town wanted her to leave because they feared her father would come down. Boyd was a new marshal who came to town to find the outlaws and protect the town. There is a lot of excitement and unexpected happenings in the book. I highly recommend reading the book!

[Michele Kerlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorraine needed a husband and her adoptive parents decide to find her one without her knowledge. Ray and Boyd are new US Marshalls and move to the town to find Lorraine’s real family that were fugitives from the law. Ray and Boyd do what they do best and find out the real story. Will Lorraine find her happily ever after???

[R. Hollis]

Intensely sweet

Poor Lorraine just wants to be judged on her own merit, and newcomer Boyd wants a respectable life. They have well-meaning matchmaking friends who write pretending to be them, and it turns out the friends already know each other. Back to Lorraine, she comes from a bad family, but even that may not be as it seems...

[Kristin Carmack · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a whirlwind of a book. There is action from start to end. A brand new marshall gets his first assignment and it's a doosey. First he finds out his best friend has been corresponding with a woman on his behalf. As if that's not shock enough he finds out she is in jail at his newly assigned work place. To find out what transpires you need to read the book. In my opinion you won't want to put it down!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mail Order Marshal: Healing Husband will leave you feeling joy in your heart. When a single lawman, Boyd is set up by his friend and a single girl, Loraine is set up by her family, neither knew what happened until they meet. Of course, meeting under a difficult situation. Will they get past the secret letters and can Boyd protect her and her family from the town he is now meant to serve as Marshall. Fun story, there is laughter, some scary times, but a lot of love thrown in. You will love it.
I was given an ARC of this book by the author for an honest review.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet mail-order bride story.  Loraine is almost 18 and lives with her adoptive parents, Reverend & Mrs. Osborne in Overton, Wyoming. Her real father is the head of the Jenner gang, and it is rumored he plans to return one day to get his daughter who he left when she was 9.  Loraine’s parents decide Loraine is unhappy and that a husband would be a good thing for her, so they list her as a mail-order bride.  Loraine has no idea that they’re doing this.  Mrs. Osborne’s friend, Mrs. Johnson has been corresponding with her nephew, Ray, a US Marshall from Oklahoma and she’s been asking Ray if he has any friends that he could send from Oklahoma to Overton that wanted to marry some of the girls from Overton.  Mrs. Osborne and Mrs. Johnson decide to put the ad in the newspaper in the town where Ray lives and then ask Ray to keep an eye on what men take interest in it and let them know so they can know which letters to respond to.  Ray decides his friend Boyd Rawlings would be a good match for Loraine but Boyd is away finishing his US Marshal training and after about 3 weeks of waiting for Boyd to return and seeing some un-scrupulous men wanting to write to Loraine decides to take it upon himself to write to Loraine as Boyd without letting Boyd know.  During the time they are writing back and forth, Boyd finishes his training and returns to Oklahoma to decide where he wants to serve as a US Marshal. Ray tells him about Lorraine within minutes after he gets to Roy’s office.  Boyd is upset but once Ray explains everything, he decides to think about it.  He only gets a few days before he receives a telegram telling him that he is needed in Overton, Wyoming as a temporary Marshal to protect against the Jenner gang.  He is to bring 4-6 deputies with him.  Ray is one of the deputies he chooses.  When they get to Overton, it’s chaotic.  I could write so much more but I don’t want to give away the story.  This is a great story with lots of mystery, suspense, and sweet romance.  I love the Christian aspects to it also.  I hope the author plans to write a story for Ray.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has been fun to read. I have no problem accepting the idea of mail-order brides since I knew my husband a month and dated 2 weeks before we married, not much longer than the brides and grooms had to get acquainted with each other. A bit of twist, Lorraine and Boyd didn’t know they were writing to each other or anyone, in fact neither knew they were even interested in marriage. Without giving away the twists and surprises, I’ll just say that one should not believe everything they hear (read). I enjoyed this book.

[Earlene Click · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marshal Boyd and Loraine

This is a tale of an outlaw family has left their daughter with that pastor and his wife nine years ago as the escape town and lawmen and newly appointed Marshall Boyd. He and his best friend Marshall Ray come to town at the request of his aunt and uncle. The preacher and his wife adopted Loraine years ago and now she is being threatened. You will enjoy discovering how they keep the town safe, find the bad guys and find their happily ever after.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story that keeps you guessing from beginning to end! There’s some matchmaking going on, crimes to solve and a romance that blooms in the midst of it all. I was very much drawn into this story and can say it didn’t disappoint! Loved, loved, loved it!

I did receive a complimentary copy of this book. The review is my honest opinion of it.

[Evelyn Foreman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story just makes my heart happy! Sure there were some challenging times, some discouraging moments, but the faith and trust in God exhibited over and over and time after time in Loraine, Boyd and so many others totally outweighed any and all obstacles faced. And the sparkles of romance were just the cherry on top! This author quickly became a favorite from her writing style to her heart that is exhibited throughout…truly a treasure!

[Sharon Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

To have a story so captivating steal my heart from beginning to end! This one sure did do it!! Outlaws, challenging moments, love and everything in between! A well thought out story. Looking forward to more in this series.

[Ami Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet, clean western style romance! I loved the surprise twist on the outlaws, and the way the new Marshall treated people! Great read!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

This was absolutely a great book and by a great author. I highly recommend this book and author. I can’t wait to read the next book by this wonderful author.