The Once-Forbidden Bride
The Once-Forbidden Bride: Book 3
Now available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited
She gave him up to keep the ranch. Now she stands to lose everything.
Five years ago, Cecelia Heyward let her father send the man she loved away, Peyton Heyward’s bigoted beliefs making him forbid the match.
Antonio Montoya has just returned to Buckhorn Gap, a formidable Denver attorney who has never forgotten the woman who broke his heart. He’s got five years worth of letters he never sent her, but could never throw away.
Now Cece’s father is dead, leaving her the ranch she sacrificed Tony to keep. She’s also inherited a crushing debt he concealed. When Tony discovers that the same hidden hand threatening his family’s Spanish land grant controls Cece’s future, the former sweethearts must work together. But Cece has also opened her home to a dying mother and her young son. If she loses the ranch, she may lose the child who needs her too.
To save their land and the family taking shape between them, Cece and Tony must reclaim the future stolen from them. Sometimes, what was once lost is even sweeter when it is found.
The Once-Forbidden Bride is a clean/wholesome historical western romance releasing September 1.
Book 3 in the Brides of Buckhorn Gap series: a sweet, slow-burn historical western romance of second chances, found family, and a love that was never wrong, only forbidden. Complete as a standalone, with a guaranteed happily-ever-after.
The Once-Forbidden Bride Playlist
Music helped me capture the emotional world of The Once-Forbidden Bride: young love remembered, a home nearly lost, the ache of returning, and the family Cece and Tony never expected to find.
Some songs belong especially to Cece or Tony; others reflect little Caleb, the ranch, or the love that survived five years of separation. The music spans several eras and styles, but every song holds some piece of their story. You can listen to the complete playlist here.
There’s one Spanish language song, “Eres Tú” (“You Are.”) It honors Tony’s Spanish heritage. Its lyrics compare the beloved to the essential things that make life warm and whole—water, fire, home, and morning—which made it feel especially right for Cece and Tony.
You might need a box of tissues when you understand what’s behind “Please Read the Letter” and “Godspeed,” but I promise you the ending is worth it. Here’s the link to the list if you’d rather have it that way.
“...in this third book, Diana Reyes has outdone herself. Unforgettable characters. A small-town community that was supportive and friendly. Breathtaking scenery. Details that grab your heart and don’t let go.
If I were to describe this book in three words, I would say mature, heartfelt, and unforgettable. I fell in love with the characters and truly enjoyed spending time with them.”
Advanced Reader Copy Reviews
“Last year I discovered a new-to-me author named Diana Reyes. She had just published her first book, The Widowmaker’s Bride, in a series called The Brides of Buckhorn Gap. The quality of the writing in that first book had me hooked - wonderful characters, setting, and a keeps-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat storyline. The main characters and the secondary characters all had me eagerly awaiting more stories from Buckhorn Gap. This past April I got to revisit the town in the fantastic second book, Doc O’Brien Meets His Match. And now the third book, The Once-Forbidden Bride, is available. It does not disappoint!!! Each story gets better and better, building on the previous relationships while introducing worthy new characters. If you like stories with strong heroines and the really good men who love them, you will also get hooked on this series.”
“Wow, I would give this book 6 stars if I could! What an absolutely fabulous Western romance. I could not put this book down – I cried several times; I laughed, I stressed and I spoke to the very real characters. Ms Reyes has a unique writing style which suits the characters, the specific story and the characteristically restraint of the period, perfectly. Such a well-written book with authentic characters that you will fall in love with. I definitely recommend this sweet, clean, heart-wrenching book to everyone who loves good story with lots of heart.”