The Heart of Honor

Petticoats & Patriots, Book 6

July 2026

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She’s fighting to honor the past. He’s haunted by it.

As Hawthorn, Texas prepares for a grand celebration honoring America’s centennial and the town’s own fifty-year history, schoolteacher and archivist Mercy Owens is determined to see that every act of sacrifice and service is properly remembered. So when one local veteran refuses to take part in the festivities, she cannot simply let the matter rest.

Livery stable owner Wilson Porter has spent years quietly rebuilding his life after the Civil War left him carrying wounds no one can see. Respected by the town but haunted by the past, he wants no public recognition—especially not from a committee determined to call him a hero.

But as Mercy’s research draws her deeper into Wilson’s history, and a series of shared journeys begins to chip away at the walls between them, both must confront long-held beliefs about honor, sacrifice, and worth. Because sometimes the bravest thing a person can do is allow themselves to be truly seen.

Set against the backdrop of America’s 1876 centennial celebration, The Heart of Honor is a heartfelt historical romance about quiet courage, second chances, and a love strong enough to heal old wounds.

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