This HaBO comes from Shannah:
I read a paperback story in the 90’s that I would love to re-read. I think the cover was dark blue with a woman and a house on it?
I can remember that the main character is a woman named Crystal. I believe it took place on the West Coast during the mining boom. I don’t know if it was gold rush era or just when mining became popular.
The woman fell in love with a man, but had to be with another man. The one guy she really loved, but wouldn’t tell, built her a beautiful house in a valley with real glass windows that overlooked the valley. I don’t remember much more then that.
Is it creepy or romantic to have a guy build you a house?
It sounds like something from Johanna Lindsey to me, like from the Wyoming series? The descriptions don’t match, but something about this rings a bell.
It’s definitely not one of Lindsey’s Wyoming series, but maybe one of her other Westerns? I don’t remember mining in any of the ones I read, but I don’t remember most of them that well.
Would this be Golden Fancy by Jennifer Blake? On of the very few not set in LA?
No one named Crystal, but she has some special shoes.
Serena Walsh had fled from the Mormon wagon train — and from the clutches of the fanatic Elder Greer. She had been saved on the desolate prairie by the handsome, cynical Ward Dunbar who wanted her body as his reward. Now Serena was Dunbar’s unwilling mistress — and his prisoner. Now she was despised by Dunbar’s beautiful partner, Pearlie, for stealing her man. Now she was desired by Nathan Benedict, the millionaire who wanted her love at any price. And still she was pursued by Elder Greer. Could Serena Walsh stand alone against the primitive passions of a hostile town?
Gah! Pretty sure Iknow this one, I just can’t think of title or author. Other details I recall are the heroine has a bunch of uncles who kidnap the hero to get him to help the heroine find a treasure they need in order to keep their property, I believe? The heroine has arthritis, and she has to marry the other guy in order to help her uncles keep their land/businesses/something? I also recall the uncles teaching the hero how to play golf. Pretty sure I still have it at home, so if no one else remembers I’ll hunt it down when I get home tonight.
The Wedding Ransom by Geralyn Dawson!! Or at least that’s the one I’m talking about. Here’s the Good Reads description: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1024183.The_Wedding_Ransom?from_search=true Whether it’s what you’re looking for or not, I think I may be due for a re-read.
Crap, I forgot about the heroine’s name being Crystal, so I guess this isn’t it after all. But Rafe definitely builds her a house as a way to win her over, and she either does or almost does marry the villain in order to save her “papas”. Sorry.
Thanks for the suggestions but they aren’t quite right, though the stories sound good so I’m adding them to my to read list! I;m fairly positive the woman’s name was Crystal because shortly after I met a girl whose name was Crystal and we became friends while we worked on the boardwalk for the summer. I’ll keep searching!
It sounds a bit like Twin Of Ice by Jude Deveraux. The hero builds a fancy house (maybe for the heroine?) in a mining town. One of the 90s covers is blue, with a woman standing in front of a house. Sadly, the heroine’s name is Houston, not Crystal. Twin of Ice is part of a 2 book series; the other book is Twin of Fire.
The premise: Houston is engaged to the local doctor, but wants to go on a date with a rich mine owner (to see his house). So she convinces her identical twin sister to trade places with her on a date with the doctor, but he accidentally sleeps with the replacement twin. Houston then ignores her fiance-stealing twin sister, and instead focuses on building a relationship with the rich mine owner who, apparently, lacks basic table manners but has a heart of gold. (It’s been years since I read either book and I may have fuzzed some of the details between the 2, but I swear there were entire paragraphs devoted to the food flying from the hero’s mouth when he ate.)