The Dancing Bride

Central City Brides #1

by Cynthia Woolf

From the day she was born, Rita Baxter's mother encouraged her to follow her heart. Filled with innocent dreams and faith that her hard work training to be a Prima Ballerina on New York's bright stage will lead to fortune and fame, Rita is crushed when she loses her mother and must take a job dancing in a burlesque chorus line to keep a roof over her head. Witnessing a brutal murder is the last straw. The police promise to keep her safe, but Rita has learned to be a realist. Determined to escape the Irish gang that wants her dead and start a new life for herself, Rita heads to Colorado Territory as a mail-order bride.

Jack Colton struck gold in his Central City mine, but the dark recesses of the mine mirror the lonely, dark places in his heart. He longs for a wife and family, but the only women in town interested in a hard former soldier like him aren't really interested in him at all. Tired of being pursued for his newfound wealth, Jack decides to take a chance on a mail-order bride from New York. She's supposed to be petite and beautiful, a dancer who will bring color and warmth into his cold life.

Sparks fly when they meet, both hopeful for a bright future. But murder is a poison and it followed Rita all the way from New York. Jack thought his killing days were over, but when an assassin arrives to destroy everything Jack will stop at nothing to protect his new wife...no matter the cost.

Genres: Romance, Historical, Westerns, Historical Romance, Mail Order Brides, Ebooks, Western Romance

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2017

About the author

Cynthia Woolf is the USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author of eighty-five works of romance fiction. Comprising sixty-six historical western romances, ten contemporary romance novels, two contemporary romance novellas, one historical western romance novella, and six sci-fi space opera romances, which she calls westerns in space. Along with these books, she has also published twelve boxed sets of her books and two short stories.

Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance, Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia's father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede, that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy, not a bounty hunter, and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now), not the ranch owner.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband, Jim, and her great critique partners for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.



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TITLES AVAILABLE (English unless otherwise stated)

COLORADO BILLIONAIRES (sweet contemporary novels)
THE CEO
THE RANCHER
THE MAVERICK
THE TYCOON
THE ARTIST (coming soon)
THE QUARTERBACK (coming soon)


MONTANA BILLIONAIRES SERIES (contemporary sweet western novels)
Her Secret Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Mysterious Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Royal Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Christmas Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Bachelor Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Wild Cowboy Billionaire (Available in German)
Her Elusive Cowboy Billionaire
Her Disguised Cowboy Billionaire


CHRISTMAS AT THE MISTLETOE INN (contemporary novella)
Cooking Up Christmas


THE BRIDES OF THE KLONDIKE
The Gold Rush Bride (Available in German)
The Gold Mountain Bride


THE PRESCOTT BRIDES (Available in German)
A Bride for Ross
A Bride for Frank
A Bride for Tucker
A Bride for Clay
A Bride for Brodie



THE HEART WISH MAIL-ORDER BRIDES SERIES
Heart of Stone
Heart of Shadow


MARSHALS MAIL ORDER BRIDES
The Carson City Bride (Available in German)
The Virginia City Bride (Available in German)
The Silver City Bride
The Eureka City Bride


ANGEL CREEK CHRISTMAS BRIDES
Adele


BRIDES OF GOLDEN CITY
A Husband for Victoria
A Husband for Cordelia
A Husband for Adeline


BRIDES OF THE OREGON TRAIL (Available in German)
Hannah
Lydia
Bella
Eliza
Rebecca
Charlotte
Amanda
Emma Rose
Nora
Opal


BACHELORS & BABIES
Carter (Book 3)


BRIDES OF SEATTLE (Available in German)
Mail Order Mystery
Mail Order Mayhem
Mail Order Mix-Up
Mail Order Moonlight
Mail Order Melody


CENTRAL CITY BRIDES (Available in German)
The Dancing Bride
The Sapphire Bride
The Irish Bride
The Pretender Bride


HOMESTEAD CANYON SERIES
Thorpe’s Mail-Order Bride
Kissed by a Stranger
A Family for Christmas


HOPE’S CROSSING
The Hunter Bride
The Replacement Bride
The Stolen Bride
The Unexpected Bride


AMERICAN MAIL-ORDER BRIDES
Genevieve, Bride of Nevada


THE SURPRISE BRIDES
Gideon


THE BRIDES OF SAN FRANCISCO
Nellie (Available in German)
Annie (Available in German)
Cora (Available in German)
Sophia (Available in German)
Amelia (Available in German)
Violet


THE BRIDES OF TOMBSTONE (Available in German)
Mail Order Outlaw
Mail Order Doctor
Mail Order Baron


DESTINY IN DEADWOOD (Available in German)
Jake
Liam
Zach


MATCHMAK

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blah, blah, blah..........Blah.

What a waste of my time and money.
This book is like listening to a two hour speech in a monotone.

I had to stop about a third of the way through. I would read a page and it would put me to sleep.

The characters had no personality nor depth at all. There was no chemistry between the H & h.

SPOILER ALERT####. The final straw was when he takes her to the blacksmith, and the saloon to meet his friends, one of which is his prostitute that he has been "chummy" with for the last few years. Even she didn't have any personality.

This book was a joke!

[Amy Koster · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Rita Baxter steps out to get some cool air, she never realized she would witness a murder. She is given the advice to head out of town or be killed. Leaving her dancing job, she heads straight to Matchmaker &Co. to find a husband. After Mr. Jackson Colton catches her eye she leaves on the next rain out of New York City. Arriving in Golden City, Colorado Rita meets the handsome Jackson Colton. Understanding the marriage was not a love match, they agree to be married. Soon after settling in Rita realizes she has been found and wanted dead. Can Jack protect her from her killer and will they ever learn to love each other?
I loved Rita from the beginning. She is a strong woman and gives so much love to those around her. She is sassy and not afraid to speak her mind. Jack is swoon-worthy for sure. He sweeps you off your feet the minute you meet him. My heart hurts for his troubled past, but cheers for his bravery in the future.
This was a quick fund read for me. I enjoyed the story and the characters very much. I highly recommend it to those who love a good romance, a bit of suspense, and a whole lot of fun.
*Please note I received a copy from the author for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Coco.V]

💝FREE on Amazon today (10/19/18)!💝

[Carma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I sort of like the western romances, and have had pretty good luck with them, and while this book started out interesting, as soon as the "bride" and the groom get together, the sex starts, with more details than I need. NO THANKS! I keep trying to delete it from my phone, but it keeps showing up.

[Chanel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mail-order bride lucks out with her groom Jack Colton. Jack is the richest man in town, employs wonderful house servants, has loyal friends, experienced in the bedroom and a sharpshooter. The last one is very beneficial as a member of the Irish mob is after Rita. The story line lost some credibility as it seemed the “wounded” folks made miraculous recoveries.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dancing Bride

Not sure I feel the title fits. Very little about being a ballerina. Very descriptive of historical procedures and lifestyle. Heroine is definitely a women's rights advocate. Quick read, worth reading another by this author.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another first in genre for me--this is the first ever mail order bride type book I have ever read! I was happily surprised that I enjoyed it--enough so that I bought the second in this series as well (The Sapphire Bride).

Life isn't always fair and we don't always get to be where we want to be job wise. This happened to Rita Baxter--instead of becoming a Prima Ballerina--she ended up in a chorus line in NYC. Then during a short break she went outside and witnessed a murder. Luckily for her the murderer did not notice her--but the police told her to be careful. She decided to turn her life around and signed up as a mail order bride. After a long and tedious journey to a small town in the Colorado Territory--she met the man she was to marry. He told her that he would not love her but would marry and stay faithful to her. Hum----

Not only was the bridegroom handsome-but it seemed like he was rich as well! Rita kept the secret about the fact that she was a witness to a murder from her new husband. He also had secrets which he kept from her. Then the murderer came looking for Rita!

All the main and secondary characters in this delightful novel were explained beautifuuly--I could actually see them in my mind's eye. If you have never read anything in the "mail order bride" genre--this is definitely one you should start with!
The Dancing Bride

[Sep · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because my grandfather was born in Central City. I have visited several times and even seen the house where he grew up. (It was still standing in the early 1990s). I would have liked more descriptions of the town where my great-grandparents raised their children and had to bury three of them.

The story is sweet. The heroine wanted to be a ballet dancer and had to settle for burlesque. One evening she witnesses a murder. She goes to a match making agency and hopes to find someone who could keep her safe. The hero, an ex-soldier, fits the bill.

I know this was make-believe and I know four single male friends imply more books but there is a realistic charm of two people awkwardly trying to figure things out. Rita is spunky but appropriately so for 1869 and 1870 America. Jackson (Historically correct - a lot of men in that time period were named after Andrew Jackson) has sorrows. Jackson and Rita both have secrets not to mention that someone is trying to kill the latter.

[Cynthia A. Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ballet Dancer Finds Wealthy Miner

Rita was alone in the world. Her parents had died on the way to her ballet recital. She tried to get a job at the ballet, but ended up working in a burlesque show (But she refused to undress). While outside on a break, she heard someone kill a man. Even though her boss didn't believe her he went out to look and found a body. The cops were called, the detective told her to leave town. She went to a mail order bride company, that gave her enough money to get what she needed, tickets & food. She finally arrived at the end of the stage coach line, where her soon to be husband Jack Colton met her. They talked a little and he told her they would be married on the way to Central City, Colorado. Rita thought he was very handsome. And he thought her beautiful... You have to read the rest of the book. Cynthia Woolf is one of my favorite writers and she doesn't disappoint with this book. I truly enjoyed it!

[Tammy Rolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saved by Love

Good Fortune has never been a from of Rita's. The love and safety she knew as a child disappeared overnight with the tragic death of her parents. Not quite good enough to be the ballerina she trained for, she settled for the chorus line of a burlesque show in order to survive. Witnessing a murder, she flees New York to become a mail order bride. Jack Colton lost his family during a raid following the war. Having served as snippers, Jack and his men started new lives in Colorado. Can Rita and Jack leave their past behind and find happiness? Since Jack has three friends, I am looking forward to at least three more stories in this series.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting from the start. The heroine hooked me with her determination to follow her dreams and fight to live. When plan A didn't work out quite like she thought it would, she went straight to plan B. This was one lady who knew her mind.
I also enjoyed reading about the hero. I thought him a bit chatty, though, considering his background. Otherwise, his character was very well done. The supporting characters had some interesting quirks and backgrounds of their own. I hope I'll get to read their stories in the future.

[Timothy Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. I liked all of the characters in this book and I thought they were very well developed. The pace of the story went well. I especially liked both Rita and Jack. It wasn’t love that brought them together; but love grows between two of them. There is Danvers who is the villain of the story. Another thing that I like about the book is there is no profanity. Also though there are lovemaking scenes in the book it is not overly graphic. The Author respects our ability to imagine rightly what is going on in such occasions. What you have is good storytelling.

[Kim Bakos · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun diversion - not much substance to the plot or the characters, but a nice escape for a couple of evenings. As someone who loves dance, I'd have loved to have her love of dance play a greater role in the story. A little racy in some parts, and how many times can you call french kissing "dueling tongues", but overall a fun read.

[Susan Acevedo · Rating 5 out of 5]

She dances for a living until she witness a murder.

She had witness a murder and now had to leave New York to save her own life. She had been thinking of being a mail order bride before but now decided it was her only option. The question was would she be safe if she left town. A novel of love and advemture.

[Jenika Ioffreda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish it, I stopped reading after a short while, the story didn’t feel much credible (the heroine speaks about marriage and having children in the same way as if going to the shop next door and buying tomatoes...) I know those were different times but still I couldn’t get inside the story or world building. Everything felt rushed.

[David Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review. I think this is my favorite of Cynthia Woolf's books. Can't wait to read the reast of the series and see what kind of mail order brides Lucky, Henry and Robert end up with. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy it is first of a series

I very much enjoyed the story and the characters. I'm hoping to revisit them in subsequent books!
Just watch for one out of place word and realize the antonym was what was meant!

[Helen Ling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Escape

A dancer meets an ex-soldier to escape an Irish gang. Exciting story for a plucky girl and warm husband. Difficult to evade a trained killer especially with a paper trail from matchmaker agency

[CI · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unrealistic depictions of the time and relationships

A rather boring read, compares poorly with other mail-order bride books that portray the times and characters with better realism

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets

Keeping secrets bottle up can cause a person to go insane. Running away can be bad and good at the same time. This is a tale of the good and the bad of keeping secrets and running away. I enjoyed the fast pace and vivid details.

[Jacqueline Driggers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply loved this book! It was wonderful! One of the best mail order bride books I've ever read. The hero was everything you would want. The heroine was strong, but yet feminine, and very likeable. The hero's friends were great! This was just a fantastic book. I loved, loved, loved it. And yes! You should read it.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book. How a murder in NY sent a lovely lady to the Colorado Territory a a Mail order bride. All she wanted was to be protections, love, marriage, and a family. After many pearl's she ended up with all and more. Enjoy your reading.

[Sanah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

Storyline was good but the characters had very little personality to them. The heroine was feisty and fought for what she wanted. The hero was a bit bland. Wasnt the best but was an ok light read.

[Elizabeth B. Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mail order Bride

Rita has witnessed a murder and goes on the run. She travels to Colorado to marry Mr. Colton. She finds a home.
I enjoyed this story and the characters.
EBB

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A burlesque dancer witnesses a mafia-style murder in NYC, then heads off to the frontier for a mail-order marriage to a widower who vows he can never love again. And what an adventure! Full of action. A few typos, but they didn't interfere with the story.

[Claudia Scheffler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good reading

I enjoyed reading about how women were able to escape undesirable circumstances, even danger, by becoming the bride of a man who was a complete stranger. What hopes and dreams they all had.

[Pat Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ebook

She’s a dancer that witnessed a murder, she becomes a mailorder bride to escape being killed. The killer follows her to her new life. She gets shot, and it makes her new husband realize he loves her.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Choppy

This was a good historical romance about a mail order bide. I thought the bowls little choppy but overall an ok read.

[Sharon Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy westerns, and this one was a good story and held my interest. I am looking forward to reading her next story.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and the characters. This is one of the better mail order brides books.