In 1845, a young woman risks her life to travel the perilous Oregon Trail to marry a man she's never met. But when she falls in love with the leader of the wagon train, she must make a decision: to go through with her contracted marriage, or to follow her heart.When Mercy Montgomery is let go from her governess position in Massachusetts, she impetuously answers the newspaper ad of widower George Crawford, a man in search of a wife and mother for his three young children. Crawford hires former army officer and wilderness expert Luke Owen to transport Mercy across the continent to his home in Oregon Territory. But from the moment they meet, Mercy and Luke face a clash of wills--and the fact that they are undeniably attracted to each other.During the months-long struggle to stay alive amid storms, accidents, illnesses, injuries and near starvation, Mercy increasingly regrets her promise to marry a stranger, wrestles with her growing feelings for Luke, and finds out she is far stronger than she ever realized.