He’s a deputy tasked with keeping the peace. She’s the temperance reformer who’s been disturbing his peace for months. Yet despite their differences, these two rivals need each other more than they care to admit.
Taming Lady Temperance releases next Tuesday (woot!), and I can’t wait to introduce you to Deputy James Paxton and fiery Noreen O’Sullivan. I love a spunky heroine, and Noreen is as spunky as you can get. She’s determined to shut down the saloon and cares not a fig if the entire male populace of Albany, Texas considers her a menace. She’ll speak her mind to anyone who will listen and even to those who won’t. She’s a spinster and proud of it. No man to tell her what to do or to steal her freedom. After growing up with a drunkard father who was a little too free with his fists, she believes herself called by God to make a difference in her community and spare other families the trials she and her mother endured.
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James, on the other hand, is a middle child who has always been a peacemaker. I even gave him the surname of Paxton because it means peaceful settlement. He is a man of integrity, who uses his charisma to diffuse tense situations. He’s devoted to upholding the law and aspires to be sheriff one day. The town council tasks him with keeping the obnoxious temperance woman under control. Despite the fact that he admires her grit, he can’t afford to be seen as Noreen’s ally by the half of the town who can actually vote. Yet the more he interacts with her, the more he discovers that a kind and wounded heart beats beneath the militant exterior–a heart he’s coming to admire. Perhaps her passion for change is the spice his routine life needs. And maybe his penchant for calm can help her tame the destructive forces at war within her.
James and Noreen’s story is the first installment of my new Secret Society of Spinsters series. In addition to heartfelt romance, you’ll also uncover danger, a mystery villain, and a coded handkerchief exchange. 😉
Some of the tropes included in this story:
Rivals to Lovers
Opposites Attract
Duty vs. Desire
Spinster Heroine
Law Enforcement Hero
Found Family
Taming Lady Temperance is earning great reviews from early readers.
It’s not too late to grab the preorder deals. 40% off plus some great bonus goodies if you buy the print copy through Baker Books, and the preorder Kindle price is $9.99 until the 17th. Then it goes up to $12.99, so grab your copy today!
Preorder a print copy from Baker Book House here.
Preorder the ebook from Amazon here.
What are some of your favorite romance tropes to read?
For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She is an avid cross-stitcher, and makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.
I love a good second chance cowboy story!
Second chance is a great one. I need to write another one of those. I think I’ve only done two stories with that trope. The Heart’s Charge and The Love Knot (novella) use that trope.
I recommend Mail Order Baroness by Misty Beller that came out yesterday in KU and fits this trope. (I’m reading it now and loving it.
I enjoy enemies to lovers, second chance stories, and later in life romances.
Well this one gets close to two of those – James and Noreen are more rivals than true enemies, but they definitely start off on opposite sides. And I’m not sure if you count thirties as later-in-life (seems pretty early in life from where I’m sitting LOL), but they are older than many historical romance couples.
Sounds like a fun couple.
I love second chance & enemies to love.
Those are classics – with good reason. Lots of sparks.
Sounds like such a great story! Can’t wait to read it! I like enemies to lovers, second chances, marriage of convenience, especially when it involves cowboys!
I love a good marriage of convenience story! I’ve only written two (I think) – Short-Straw Bride and More Than Words Can Say – but those two tend to be my readers’ favorites. Hmm . . . Maybe it’s time to write another one.
I enjoy marriage of convenience stories especially those with children.
Those children just add so many heartfelt and funny moments. Book two in the series, which I’m finishing up now, has a widower with two chidlren as the hero. Those kids play a big role!
I enjoy enemies to lovers as well as fake relationships.
Those are great tropes for adding humor, which is one of my favorite story elements!
Karen, I’m shamelessly stalking my mailbox for my copy of “Taming Lady Temperance”! I can’t wait to devour this story!
My all- time favorite trope has always been marriage of convenience. Anytime a story has even a hint this trope I add to cart- LOL!
I really loved your take on marriage of convenience in “More Than Words Can Say” with Zach & Abigail’s story. ???
Thanks, Emilee. Marriage of convenience is one of my favorites too. 🙂 I think I might need to write another one of those soon. 🙂
If you have read Karen’s MOC stories, I recommend checking out Jody Hedlund. She has several marriage of convenience stories including Saved by the Matchmaker one of my best books of 2025.
Law Enforcement
Marriage of Convenience
Amnesia
That’s an interesting collection of tropes. It would be fun to try to combine them. A Texas Ranger marries a witness to protect her but an accident leaves her not remembering the crime she is supposed to testify to nor the fact that her marriage is a sham. LOL.
Marriage of convenience
Friends to more
Spinster
Great! Then you’ll love Taming Lady Temperance. 🙂
This new series sounds great!!
Thanks, Trudy. Hope you love it!
Wow a new series, love it definitely sounds Interesting and sounds like a great book. Love second chances first and marriage of convenience second.
Those are two great tropes, Sandy! I love both of those as well. 🙂
Hi this series sounds great!! I love Second Chance romance and I love Secret Baby. Have a great day and a great rest of the week.
Those babies just tug at the heartstrings, don’t they? So precious!
I like second chances.
Those stories are naturally filled with hope, aren’t they? Great choice!
Wow a new series, love it definitely sounds Interesting and sounds like a great book. Love second chances first and marriage of convenience second.
I enjoy the wounded hero/heroine and Beauty and the Beast tropes. They are closely connected. In this case, Noreen fits a bit into the wounded heroine category. This story with opposites working against then together is always enjoyable and can be fun.
I agree with you on the wounded heroine for Noreen, Patricia. Good insight. And I do love the potential for sparks that opposites bring. 🙂
Are all middle children the peacemaker? I’m 75 and tired of the person getting away with everything they do because I’m a peacemaker. They just keep doing it over and over.
It sounds like you have some siblings who have taken advantage of your peacemaking nature, Jane. I’m sorry. I’m sure there are some middle children who aren’t peacemakers, but many are. And as James learns in this story, being a peacemaker doesn’t mean letting people get away with things. His integrity and sense of duty demand that he stand firm for what is right even when it means causing the woman he loves (and himself) pain.