Mail-Order Gamble by Karla Gracey

Can true love be built on deception… or will deceit douse the flames of passion as soon as they begin to burn?

Dr. Matthew Inglis has moved around a lot, and after his tough childhood, he’s never really wanted to make deep connections.
Rachel couldn’t be more the opposite… As one of seven children, she’s adept at making friends wherever she goes, and she longs to settle down.
But they have one thing in common… They both have medical backgrounds in the military, and they’ve narrowly missed meeting each other several times. When they eventually do, working at the clinic to fight the influenza outbreak, their attraction to each other is instant… and it’s strong…
But Matthew has been urged by his friend Tom to advertise for a bride – he’s convinced that he’ll find love within the year… So convinced that he’s willing to bet on it. But it’s a bet he can’t afford, and eager to help out, Rachel offers to reply to the letter… But not as herself: Her letters will come from the mysterious “Caitlin.”
Their relationship on the page blossoms, and Rachel becomes more and more concerned that she won’t be able to keep the secret about who Caitlin really is. What’s more, Matthew has begun revealing some dark and painful truths in his letters… and Rachel realizes that her duplicity is harming him in the same way he’s been harmed in the past.
What should she do? Tell him the truth and hope he can forgive her… or flee Eagle Creek for good and leave her love for Matthew in the past?
There are secrets and drama aplenty in Eagle Creek, and nothing is going to plan… Is their love doomed from the beginning… or is there still hope for this spark to become something more?