Books like 'Under a Painted Sky'
Readers who enjoyed Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical romance action / adventure historical-fiction western coming-of-age friendship poc-mc realistic survival
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Heck's Journey by John Deacon
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn epic tale of strength, compassion, and adventure on the western frontier.Orphaned at fourteen, Hector “Heck” Martin heads west, determined to see the far country and make a man of himself.Along the way, he falls in love with bold and beautiful Hope Mullen. But Heck is too young and poor to marry, so he heads west again...Categorized as:
western historical-fiction coming-of-age industrial-era romance fiction mystery historical -
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsLina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known...Categorized as:
coming-of-age female-mc friendship high-school historical-fiction journey realistic sad -
Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIn this epic and haunting love story set on the Oregon Trail, a family and their unlikely protector find their way through peril, uncertainty, and loss. The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at twenty. Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West...Categorized as:
coming-of-age female-mc friendship historical-fiction industrial-era journey poc-mc sad -
Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsMattie was never truly mine. That knowledge must have filled me as quickly and surely as the milk from her breasts. Although my family ‘owned’ her, although she occupied the center of my universe, her deepest affections lay elsewhere. So along with the comfort of her came the fear that I would lose her some day. This is our story.. -
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Redemption by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGeneva Garner's mind was fixed on survival, her unborn child, escaping out of Savannah, and getting away from the men in the white robes with hoods over their heads. Covered in dirt and smoke from the cellar where she took refuge when the Klan burned her plantation home, she fled on the first stagecoach headed north. She vowed never to trust a man again as long as there was breath in her body...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era western action-adventure adult book fiction -
Backwards to Oregon by Jae
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"Luke" Hamilton has always been sure that she'd never marry. She accepted that she would spend her life alone when she chose to live her life disguised as a man. After working in a brothel for three years, Nora Macauley has lost all illusions about love. She no longer hopes for a man who will sweep her off her feet and take her away to begin a new, respectable life...Categorized as:
animals children female-mc historical-fiction horses industrial-era western action-adventure -
Charlotte by J.S. Anthony
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen the least likely person in your life becomes the one who means the most.Charlotte’s father left her alone on the prairie with the wagon, a team and the mare. She was to wait for Ellis Gray and the wagon train he was leading. Charlotte understood that her father was paying Ellis Gray to see her to Fort Randall where she would meet her uncle and go to live out in the desert with a new husband...Categorized as:
animals historical-fiction horses industrial-era poc-mc western action-adventure adult -
Whispers on the Wind by Caroline Fyffe
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA straitlaced bookseller and a rowdy trail guide fight their ill-suited attraction in Book Five of the Prairie Hearts series by USA Today bestselling author Caroline Fyffe. Wyoming Territory, October 1883 Tabitha Canterbury came to Logan Meadows with one goal: to open the bookshop she’s always dreamed of having...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship historical-fiction industrial-era western action-adventure adult audiobook -
Augusta by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAugusta "Gussie" Dulan is the only Dulan sister to make it all the way to California on the wagon train for brides. Each of her four sisters has taken off along the trail to marry up with a man they fell in love with and now Gussie is hoping to find a man to love here at the end of the trail...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era western action-adventure adult book family -
Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn 1836, when she was nine years old, Cynthia Ann Parker was kidnapped by Comanche Indians. This is the story of how she grew up with them, mastered their ways, married one of their leaders, and became, in every way, a Comanche woman. It is also the story of a proud and innocent people whose lives pulsed with the very heartbeat of the land. It is the story of a way of life that is gone forever...Categorized as:
animals female-mc historical-fiction horses industrial-era poc-mc realistic survival -
In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber by L.A. Meyer
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe British crown has placed a price on Jacky's head, so she returns to the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston to lay low. But the safe haven doesn't last--a school outing goes awry as Jacky and her classmates are abducted and forced into the hold of the Bloodhound, a ship bound for the slave markets on the Barbary Coast...Categorized as:
children female-mc high-school historical-fiction industrial-era realistic slavery survival -
Gypsy by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGypsy Rose Dulan just knew there was a secret hidden in the stars. She just didn't expect to fall sleep while searching for that secret. And she sure didn't expect to be awakened by a rude, overbearing, short Irishman by the name of Tavish O'Leary...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era poc-mc western action-adventure adult book -
Garnet by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGarnet Diana Dulan swung open the doors of the Silver Dollar Saloon, sucked up a lunch full of cigar smoke, and listened intently to the sounds of men playing poker and the scrape of boots across the wooden floor; she felt right at home. After just minutes inside the doors of the saloon she knew she'd made the right decision to leave her sisters and the wagon train of brides heading to California...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era western action-adventure adult book fiction -
A Waltz for Matilda by Jackie French
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings'Once a jolly swagman camped by a Billabong Under the shade of a Coolibah tree And he sang as he watched and waited till his Billy boiled You'll come a‐waltzing Matilda with me...' In 1894, twelve-year-old Matilda flees the city slums to find her unknown father and his farm. But drought grips the land, and the shearers are on strike. Her father has turned swaggie and he's wanted by the troopers...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship historical-fiction survival action-adventure audiobook book -
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Chances by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAdelida Broussau took a big chance by saying she was Rueben Hamilton's new bride. But even a rat will stand up and fight when it's cornered and she was surely feeling the pinch of being pushed in the corner. Her sister, Maria, was dead...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era western action-adventure adult amnesia book fiction -
Seeing the Elephant by Leah Banicki
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter three long years of separation Corinne Temple is heading West to see her father again. She marries Andrew Temple the day she leaves for the Oregon Trail. He is a family friend but far from friendly. Her third generation knowledge of healing herbs makes her an asset to the wagon train but her husband's iron grip leaves Corinne confused and angry...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction industrial-era western action-adventure adult book christian -
Frontier Sisters by A.T. Butler
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOregon has to be better than what she has now.Annie Hudson already has one foot out the door. She has responded to a mail order bride advertisement and now needs to figure out how to get all the way to Oregon.When her older sister Louisa learns about her plans, she enlists the other two Hudson sisters to her side...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era western action-adventure adult book classics -
Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady by L.A. Meyer
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAfter being forced to leave HMS Dolphin and Jaimy, her true love, Jacky Faber is making a new start at the elite Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston. But growing up on the streets of London and fighting pirates never prepared Jacky for her toughest battle yet: learning how to be a fine lady. Everything she does is wrong...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age female-mc friendship high-school historical-fiction realistic survival -
These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Cherry Jones
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsLaura is teaching school, and it's terrifying! Most of the students are taller than she is, and she must sleep away from home for the first time. Laura is miserable, but the money is needed to keep Mary in a college for the blind. Every Friday—no matter what the weather—Almanzo Wilder arrives to take Laura home to her family for the weekend...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age female-mc friendship historical-fiction industrial-era realistic western -
With You Always by Jody Hedlund
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA Riveting Look at the Orphan Train from Historical Novelist Jody Hedlund When a financial crisis in 1850s New York leaves three orphaned sisters nearly destitute, the oldest, Elise Neumann, knows she must take action. She's had experience as a seamstress, and the New York Children's Aid Society has established a special service: placing out seamstresses and trade girls...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era sad survival western action-adventure adult -
Lassoed in Texas Trilogy by Mary Connealy
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBask in laughs and tears as you visit Mosqueros, Texas, a Wild West town in the making, where you'll meet three matchless couples and a passel of children who begin their relationships on rough footing. Petticoat Ranch Sophie Edwards is doing jut fine alone, until a man walks into her life, insisting on rescuing her and her four daughters...Categorized as:
high-school historical-fiction industrial-era western action-adventure book christian fiction -
Redemption's Edge: Book 1, Redemption Mountain Historical Western Romance by Shirleen Davies
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“A heartwarming, passionate story of loss, forgiveness, and redemption set in the untamed frontier during the tumultuous years following the Civil War. Ms. Davies’ engaging and complex characters draw you in from the start, creating an exciting introduction to this new historical western romance series...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era western 19th-century action-adventure adult book -
Sapphire Battersea by Jacqueline Wilson, Nick Sharratt
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHetty Feather is a Foundling Hospital girl and was given her name when she was left there as a baby. When she is reunited with her mother, she hopes her beautiful new name, Sapphire Battersea, will also mean a new life! But things don't always go as planned.…Follow the twists and turns of Hetty's adventure as she goes out to work as a maid for a wealthy man...Categorized as:
children female-mc friendship historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book drama -
Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsA legendary ghost ship. An incredible treasure. A death-defying adventure.Forty years ago, the airship Hyperion vanished with untold riches in its hold. Now, accompanied by heiress Kate de Vries and a mysterious gypsy, Matt Cruse is determined to recover the ship and its treasures...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship high-school historical-fiction industrial-era realistic survival -
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My Bonny Light Horseman: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, in Love and War by L.A. Meyer
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe infamous pirate, riverboat seductress, master of disguise, and street-urchin-turned-sailor Jacky Faber has been captured by the French and beheaded in full view of her friends and crew.Inconceivable? Yes! The truth is she’s secretly forced to pose as an American dancer behind enemy lines in Paris, where she entices a French general into revealing military secrets—all to save her dear friends...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age female-mc friendship high-school historical-fiction industrial-era realistic -
The Wake of the Lorelei Lee: Being an Account of the Adventures of Jacky Faber, on her Way to Botany Bay by L.A. Meyer
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJacky Faber, rich from her exploits diving for Spanish gold, has purchased the Lorelei Lee to carry passengers across the Atlantic. Believing she has been absolved of past sins against the Crown, Jacky docks in London to take on her crew, but is instead arrested and sentenced to life in the newly formed penal colony in Australia... -
Mississippi Jack: Being an Account of the Further Waterborne Adventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman, Fine Lady, and Lily of the West by L.A. Meyer
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe intrepid Jacky Faber, having once again eluded British authorities, heads west, hoping that no one will recognize her in the wilds of America. There she tricks the tall-tale hero Mike Fink out of his flatboat, equips it as a floating casino-showboat, and heads south to New Orleans, battling murderous bandits, British soldiers, and other scoundrels along the way...Categorized as:
coming-of-age female-mc friendship high-school historical-fiction industrial-era realistic western -
Promise Trail by Shirleen Davies
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPromise Trail, Book Six, Redemption Mountain Historical Western Romance Series “The Redemption Mountain series is as good as historical romance gets—vivid settings, memorable characters, love, and lots at stake. Shirleen Davies knows how to bring the old west to life. You feel as if you've traveled, with the characters, to the frontier...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era western 19th-century action-adventure adult book -
Quinn's Honor by Shirleen Davies
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsQuinn’s Honor, Book Three, MacLarens of Boundary Mountain Historical Western Romance Series “Every book of Shirleen's never fails to draw me in and make it impossible to put down until I devour it!” Quinn MacLaren has one true love…Circle M, the family ranch...Categorized as:
western historical-fiction female-mc industrial-era romance historical victorian westen -
Be Still the Water by Karen Emilson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFinalist 2019 Canadian Book Club AwardsShortlisted for the 2017 Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction2017 IPPY Silver Medal WinnerSet in 1906 along the unspoiled shores of Lake Manitoba, Be Still the Water brings us into the fold of the Gudmundsson Family—immigrants determined to begin life anew in the Icelandic farming and fishing community of Siglunes...Categorized as:
historical-fiction survival coming-of-age friendship female-mc fiction historical literary-fiction -
Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 21 ratings"Mr. Cruse, how high would you like to fly?" A smile soared across my face. "As high as I possibly can." Pilot-in-training Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries, expert on high-altitude life-forms, are invited aboard the Starclimber, a vessel that literally climbs its way into the cosmos. Before they even set foot aboard the ship, catastrophe strikes:Kate announces she is engaged—and not to Matt...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship high-school historical-fiction industrial-era survival teens -
Yellowstone Deception by Peggy L. Henderson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDan Osborne has one ambition in life. He wants to be a permanent park ranger in Yellowstone National Park, a place where his family roots run deep. He'll do just about anything to make his dream a reality. When a pretty tourist tells him an incredible story about his ancestors, his dreams might be realized sooner than he hoped.Jana Evans' best friend traveled back in time for true love...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era poc-mc survival western action-adventure adult book -
Yellowstone Dawn by Peggy L. Henderson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBook 8 in the Yellowstone Romance SeriesDanica Jensen dreams of a man she knows she can never have. After one brief encounter five years ago, her heart is lost to him forever, and she won't give up hope of seeing him again. Raised by a bitter father, she's learned to be strong and resourceful on her own...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era poc-mc survival western action-adventure adult book -
Footprints on the Horizon by Stephanie Grace Whitson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe battles of WW II are thousands of miles from the quiet Sandhills of Nebraska … or are they? • When the young man CJ Jackson loves like a son is called to the front, she is forced to face the feelings she has for his father. • A soldier captures Josephine Hale’s heart, but she doesn’t dare reveal her feelings, for Dieter is a prisoner of war at Fort Robinson who wears the enemy’s uniform...Categorized as:
animals historical-fiction horses industrial-era western 20th-century action-adventure adult -
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Her Convenient Cowboy: Wyoming Legacy by Lacy Williams
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe’s pregnant, widowed, and snowed in… with the a quiet cowboy who never seems to give up. “…pure sweetness in a very readable package, perfect for those who like their romance gentle, G-rated, and family-style.” - Publisher’s Weekly on The Homesteader’s Sweetheart. ”…smart, gentle, and uplifting…” Publisher’s Weekly on Return of the Cowboy Doctor...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era western action-adventure adult book christian -
A Girl Of The Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDeeply wounded by her embittered mother's lack of sympathy for her aspirations, Elnora finds comfort in the nearby Limberlost Swamp, whose beauty and rich abundance provide her with the means to better her life...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age female-mc friendship high-school historical-fiction industrial-era -
Colin's Quest by Shirleen Davies
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsColin’s Quest, Book One, MacLarens of Boundary Mountain Historical Western Romance SeriesFor An Undying Love…When Colin MacLaren headed west on a wagon train, he hoped to find adventure and perhaps a little danger in untamed California. He never expected to meet the girl he would love forever...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era western 19th-century action-adventure adult book -
Sourdough Creek by Caroline Fyffe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCassie Angel is used to taking care of herself. With a spirit of adventure, and a need to stay safe, she departs a dying Nevada town for the golden opportunities that await in California--along with a new life. When charming Sam Ridgeway shows up, claiming to know her uncle, and offers her protection in her travels, she has no idea there is an ulterior motive involved...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era journey western action-adventure adult book -
A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Place: Nebraska.The time: the 1870's, when every day on the prairie brought its threat -of hostile Indians, of prairie fires, of blizzards, and the overwhelming threat of accident or illness to the little homesteading family, Will and Abbie Deal and their babies...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era survival western 19th-century -
When Hope Springs New by Janette Oke
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLeaving behind their dear friends in Beaver Creek, Elizabeth and Wynn take over an even more primitive RCMP outpost in the Canadian Northwest. Elizabeth finds herself totally isolated when the local Indian women are afraid to even communicate with her...Categorized as:
high-school historical-fiction industrial-era realistic teens western action-adventure audiobook -
Mrs. Mike by Benedict Freedman, Nancy Freedman
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA moving love story set in the Canadian wilderness, Mrs. Mike is a classic tale that has enchanted millions of readers worldwide. It brings the fierce, stunning landscape of the Great North to life—and tenderly evokes the love that blossoms between Sergeant Mike Flannigan and beautiful young Katherine Mary O'Fallon...Categorized as:
coming-of-age high-school historical-fiction industrial-era poc-mc realistic survival western -
Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsBeing an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's BoyLife as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age female-mc friendship high-school historical-fiction industrial-era realistic -
Hearts in Defiance by Heather Blanton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMEN MAKE MISTAKES. GOD WILL FORGIVE THEM. WILL THEIR WOMEN? Charles McIntyre built the lawless, godless mining town of Defiance practically with his bare hands … and without any remorse for the lives he destroyed along the way. Then a glimpse of true love, both earthly and heavenly, changed him. The question is, how much? Naomi Miller is a beautiful, decent woman...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era poc-mc western action-adventure adult book -
Song of the Sea (American Dreams) by Jean Ferris
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRaider is almost killed boarding the LIGHTNING to save Rosie from the cruel Captain Lawrence, who has kidnapped, tormented and imprisoned her. Rosie nurses his wounds and tries to forget his surprising kiss, while she prays for his life.and for her own strength to resist him. For she knows there's no room in his life for love...Categorized as:
children friendship historical-fiction action-adventure book fiction historical womens-fiction -
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Edge of the Wilderness by Stephanie Grace Whitson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter surviving the harrowing Dakota Sioux uprising of 1862, Genevieve La Croix marries Simon and moves with him to minister to the Indians held in prison camp. They follow the Sioux to the Crow Creek Reservation, a place where the Indians suffered greatly...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era poc-mc western action-adventure adult book christian -
The Dancing Lady: The Ninth Day by Mimi Milan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA flamenco dancer in disguise and a driven diner owner fighting his own desires. What could possible go wrong? Her dream was to become a celebrated entertainer. So, how did Josefina de Zapatero end up with the life of a sporting lady? Determined to escape a repulsive past and oppressive future, her salvation appears in the form of a mail order bride request for a domesticated cook...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era poc-mc western action-adventure adult book -
Switcheroo by Cheyenne Blue
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA lighthearted lesbian romance about shattering comfort zones and finding your place in the world where you least expect it.New Yorker Hayley Reed is so over life, her crappy apartment, and her two jobs as a cook and bartender. When she wins a contest to swap lives with someone for a year, all expenses paid, she’s ecstatic... -
Savage Winter by Constance O'Banyon
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJoanna found happiness and contentment as Windhawk's wife, until the day she was kidnapped and returned to the white world. Now she must rely on Windhawk's love and devotion to find her and bring her home to his side...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era poc-mc western action-adventure adult book fiction -
Buffalo Gal by Bill Wallace
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt's her mother's crazy idea: a trip to Texas to save the buffalo. Amanda Guthridge just wants to ride horses with her boyfriend Philip and plan her coming-out party...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction industrial-era western action-adventure book fiction historical -
Amazing Grace by Faith Blum
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCaleb hurried to the post office. He had to get in and out before his sister finished at the general store. “Any mail for the Stuarts?” he asked the postmaster.The postmaster took a lazy look at him over the top of his eyeglasses and gave a heaving sigh as he turned around to check. “Yep. Somethin’ from Ohio and somethin’ from Montana...Categorized as:
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