Lilly: Bride of Illinois — Linda K. Hubalek

A sweet wholesome historical romance set in 1890. Lilly Lind was forced to emigrate from Sweden two years ago, due to circumstances beyond her control. She finds a job as a garment maker in the Brown Textile Mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts, finally feeling as though she is settling in her new country. Then a suspicious fire burns the mill, making Lilly seek another way to survive. She answers a mailâ€"order bride ad in the Grooms' Gazette and sets off for Chicago, believing she will be a business owner's wife. Kansas rancher Seth Reagan travels to the Union Stockyards in Chicago to attend the 1890 American Fat Stock Show, the American Horse Show, and to purchase horseflesh to augment his herd. When arriving at the train station, he overhears a conversation between a young woman and a shadyâ€"looking man. Seth becomes concerned for the mailâ€"order bride who is whisked away to a saloon, not to her new husband's home. When Seth goes to the saloon to check on the young woman, he finds her in trouble and offers to help her escape. While buying horses and arranging their return travel to Kansas, Seth realizes he would like to bring Lilly home with him, too, but she is still being hunted by the saloon owner's thugs. Lilly's good fortune in meeting Seth makes her want to start a life with this man, but he came to Illinois for horses, not a bride. Would he want her after he learns of her secrets? Seth Reagan's parents (Pastor and Kaitlyn Reagan) are frequently mentioned in the Brides with Grit series.