New Book Release: May 2025

Today is the release of A Wager with the Matchmaker, another book in the Shanahan Match series. This is the much-anticipated story of Kiernan Shanahan, the oldest son in this big and loving family with six children.

 

Set in the frontier city of St. Louis, Missouri in late 1840s, Kiernan wants to start a brick-making business. As a savvy businessman, he hopes to develop a profitable brickyard as St. Louis businesses rebuild in the wake of a recent fire that destroyed large portions of the city.

 

He’s also doing his best to protect Alannah Darragh, the sister of one of his employees. As a maid in the Shanahan house, Alannah knows she can be fired for cavorting with the family. But as her attraction to Kiernan grows, she can’t resist spending more time with him, even though doing so puts her in danger.

 

As with all of my books, this story is full of my trademark sizzling and swoon-worthy romance! With class differences (and a Cinderella vibe), the characters are irresistibly drawn to each other in a forbidden romance. I hope you’ll enjoy seeing how this unlikely pair ends up together!

 

To find out more about A Wager with the Matchmaker visit my website at: https://jodyhedlund.com/books/a-wager-with-the-matchmaker/

 

 

New Book Release: March 2025

 

Hooray! Today is a book birthday!

 

His Unforgettable Bride, the final book in Bride Ships: New Voyages is hitting shelves! As with the others in this series, the book is a stand-alone novel that highlights the real historical brides who left everything behind in England to sail halfway around the world to marry men in the Pacific Northwest.

 

This is the second book I’ve co-authored with the very talented Patti Stockdale (the first was His Treasured Bride). You might be wondering what does that co-writing look like? Who came up with the story ideas? How did we collaborate? How did the writing relationship work? How much did Patti write, and how much did I contribute?

 

Those are all good questions! Co-writing books will look different for everyone who does it. But since Patti and I were working together with Sunrise Publishing, we had more of a mentoring relationship (which has been a huge part of Sunrise Publishing’s premise). That meant that Patti and I worked very closely for almost every aspect of the book—initial story development, chapter-by-chapter plotting, brainstorming sessions, and even deciding upon the romance progression.

 

As we worked together to craft the first draft, Patti wrote each chapter and kept me apprised every step of the way. We talked through any issues that came up, and I felt as though I was right there in the story with her!

 

When she finished the first draft, I read the book (along with a Sunrise editor) and offered Patti more feedback for the first stage of editing (the rewrites). This macro edit usually involves deleting scenes and adding new ones along with revising character arcs, filling in plot holes, and changing an assortment of other things.

 

After Patti completed her rewrites (very superbly!), then it was my turn to go into the manuscript and add my flare. While trying to keep true to the story, I did some rewriting of my own, mostly pulling through plot threads that needed tightening.

 

After that, the book went back to Patti and additional Sunrise editors for more levels of editing. All that to say, the book was a huge labor of love for both Patti and me. And we’re so happy to be releasing it now to you! I hope that you’ll enjoy this concluding story of the bride ship series!

 

To find out more about His Unforgettable Bride visit my website at: https://jodyhedlund.com/books/his-unforgettable-bride/

 

 

New Book Release: February 2025

Whoo-hoo! It’s another book birthday!! Today is the release of His Perfect Bride, another installment in Bride Ships: New Voyages which is a spin-off series of my previous fan-favorite Bride Ships series.

 

This newest book was very fun to write because we decided to tie in the final two books in this series to fairy tales. His Perfect Bride has Beauty and the Beast vibes, and His Unforgettable Bride (releasing in March 2025) has Cinderella vibes.

 

The hero of His Perfect Bride is a wealthy and very intelligent engineer who designs roads and bridges in colony of British Columbia. He’s experienced a tragedy that has turned him into a reclusive, shaggy, grumpy beast. So of course, when the heroine of the story comes along, he’s not too happy about it, and at first they clash. But soon sparks fly, heating up an undeniable attraction.

 

As always, this book is full of my trademark sizzling romance! Here’s what a few early readers are saying about this romance:

 

“All the sweet attraction and chemistry between Sage and Jackson, and their emotional connection that even surpassed their physical one. The signature Hedlund spice that is oh so good but still stays clean!”

 

“This book has all of the fantastic sizzling chemistry we’ve come to know, love, and expect from Jody while also keeping things clean. I genuinely don’t know of any other author who harmonizes these two aspects so well.”

 

“There was so much pining, and so many great kissing scenes! I also just loved how well these two complemented each other. They built each other up, and they were better together.”

 

To find out more about His Perfect Bride visit my website at: https://jodyhedlund.com/books/his-perfect-bride/

 

 

 

New Book Release: November 2024

 

Wishing for the Rancher’s Love, Book 5 in the High Country Ranch series, releases today!

 

For those who’ve been waiting for Clementine and Grady’s story, the wait is finally over! With all of her siblings having gotten married to their special someone, the beautiful and feisty Clementine feels as though she’s been left behind in love. She’s more than eager and ready for a match of her own . . . what she doesn’t anticipate is that someone anonymous is eager and ready to have a match with her.

 

As the notes and gifts begin to get creepier, Clementine realizes that she’s being stalked and is in danger. She has to turn to an unlikely person for help, her childhood-friend-turned-enemy, Grady Worth. Although Grady has deep wounds that have caused him to push Clementine away, he steps up to help her when she most needs it, and in the process they both realize that maybe they’re not enemies after all.

 

I do hope you’ll enjoy this last installment in the High Country Ranch series! It’s been so fun to write about the Oakley family and all of their adventures into love. If you haven’t yet started the series, what are you waiting for?!

 

To find out more about Wishing for the Rancher’s Love visit my website at: https://jodyhedlund.com/books/wishing-for-the-ranchers-love/

 

 

New Book Release: October 2024

 

The series continues!

 

Wrangling the Wandering Rancher, another book in the High Country Ranch series, releases today!

 

Set in Colorado in the 1870s, this sweet romance series is about the Oakley family who owns a ranch near Breckenridge. The family, like most, has its share of conflict and problems. But their bonds of love are deep enough to see them through the hard times and draw them closer.

 

Wrangling the Wandering Rancher is fourth installment and, like all the others in the series, can be read as a standalone. However, I do suggest at least reading the third book, A Wife for the Rancher, first. The heroes in both are adopted brothers in the Oakley family, and a large part of the plot revolves around them seeking to understand where they came from.

 

Wrangling the Wandering Rancher also has some fun tropes including friends to more, forced proximity, a shotgun marriage, and abandonment issues. I’ve never had a shotgun marriage in my books before so that scene was especially fun to write!

 

Here’s what a few early readers are saying about this romance:

 

“I absolutely LOVED Tanner’s story! He is such a great guy and his backstory and what type of man it made him touched my heart.”

 

“The romance in this book was full of passion, and I loved how Tanner and Maisy complemented each other. They started off with friendship first, and then their love for each other built on that foundation.”

 

“I picked this story up and did not set it down until the very end. Maisy and Tanner are explosive, and I was here for it!!”

 

To find out more about Wrangling the Wandering Rancher visit my website at: https://jodyhedlund.com/books/wrangling-the-wandering-rancher/

 

 

New Book Release: October 2024

 

Happy October and Happy Fall!

 

It’s that time of year to cozy up under a blanket with a cup of hot coffee (or tea!) AND A NEW BOOK!

 

I’m happy to say that I can help you out with the new book because today is the release of A Wife for the Rancher! If you love marriage of convenience stories, then don’t miss this one! A wealthy heiress answers a mail-order-bride advertisement and runs away from her controlling stepmother. When she arrives in Colorado, she doesn’t expect to fall in love with her new husband and her new child, but she can’t resist the handsome rancher and his baby.

 

While this book is sweet (closed bedroom door), it also has lots of romantic tension and heated chemistry. From time to time, I hear from readers who don’t like the focus on the physical attraction. But the large majority of my readers are looking for a clean alternative that still has a realistic and passionate romance but delivers it without the explicit content that fills so many other current books.

 

Here’s what a few early readers are saying about this romance:

 

“The kisses are smoldering while remaining clean, and the story just draws you in.”

 

“This book was great! I enjoyed the action, relational tension, and steamy (but clean) kisses. SQUEAL!!”

 

“The plot twists keep the story moving, and as Ryder and Genevieve fight their attraction, there’s plenty of swooniness (is that even a word?). I stayed up quite late to finish this book.”

 

To find out more about A Wife for the Rancher visit my website at: http://jodyhedlund.com/books/a-wife-for-the-rancher/

 

 

 

New Book Release: August 2024

 

Today’s a book release day!

 

The second book in my Shanahan Match, Saved by the Matchmaker, is hitting shelves!

 

In this newest installment, the matchmaker returns with his wily shenanigans in setting up a marriage of convenience for Enya Shanahan, who finds herself in a bit of a predicament after a failed marriage. The perfect match is with Sullivan O’Brien, a steamboat captain, with a tender heart and willingness to help Enya. However, both Enya and Sullivan bear deep scars from their pasts that make them resistant to turning their marriage of convenience into a marriage of love.

 

As with all my books, this second book can be read as a standalone (without having read the first book). And as with all my books, this contains a slow-burn romance with a heavy focus on the developing relationship. The story is clean and wholesome and inspirational but also has a plenty of romantic chemistry and lots of sizzle.

 

Here’s what a few early readers are saying about this romance:

 

“New Orleans steamboat captain Sullivan O'Brien is quite possibly my favorite male main character of the year!”

 

“What I absolutely adored about this novel was the way Sullivan showed Enya that he cared about her over and over and over again . . . This is a story that I simply couldn’t set down. I ended up reading the whole book in a day!”

 

“Richly sketched settings and beautifully crafted characters along with the tender romance kept me immersed in this story from beginning to end.”

 

To find out more about Saved by the Matchmaker visit my website at: https://jodyhedlund.com/books/saved-by-the-matchmaker/