Maggie and the Maverick

About the Book

Book: Maggie and the Maverick

Author: Erica Vetsch

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: October 13, 2025

A jaded lady marshal and a stage driver with a past—bound by duty, tested by lies, and drawn to a love that could change everything.

A wary lady marshal and a reformed stage driver—entangled by secrets, shadowed by danger, and tempted by a love neither dared to trust.

U.S. Marshal Maggie Davis has learned the hard way not to trust men with charming smiles and winning ways. Her reticence makes her the perfect undercover investigator for a string of daring stage robberies. When the case leads her to stay with a local family, she finds herself drawn to Cal McConnell, the handsome stage driver who could either be her greatest ally or her prime suspect.

Cal has worked hard to put his wild past behind him and build an honest life as a stage driver. When a mysterious new lady comes to town selling ladies’ garments, he’s instantly captivated by her beauty and fierce independence. But as stage robberies escalate and murder enters the picture, Cal must decide if he can trust this woman who seems determined to keep him at arm’s length—even as his heart tells him she could be the one.

When the line between truth and deception blurs, will they cling to caution—or risk everything for something real?

About the Author

Best-selling, award-winning author of The Debutante’s Code, first in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery Series, Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum.

More from Erica

Did you ever watch the movie Stagecoach? The movie that launched John Wayne’s career? My father introduced me to the movie when I was young, and that sparked my interest in westward expansion, cowboys, and stagecoaches.

When I was a teen, I read a book called Six Horse Hitch, by author Janice Holt Giles. In the book, she goes into all the details of stagecoach driving, stations across the west, the coaches, the passengers, the US mail delivery, and more. I was enthralled.

Stagecoach drivers (sometimes called Jehus) were a breed apart. Brave, resilient, and bold. Heroic.

Which meant, when I became an author, I wanted to create a hero who was a stagecoach driver. Enter Cal McConnell in Maggie and the Maverick. He’s the third of three sons, with a dry humor, and a bit of a jaded outlook on life.

Truthfully, I patterned him after Heath Barkley, a character on the 1960’s TV show, The Big Valley, played by Lee Majors. Even down to the light brown/dark blond hair and blue eyes.

One thing that is important when writing romance is to ensure that the heroine is worthy of the hero and vice versa. So I imagined what kind of a woman would be a great life partner for Cal. She would have to be spunky, smart, and compassionate.

Maggie Davis, an undercover agent, fit the bill. Her guise was that of a ladies’ unmentionables saleswoman, and that job leads to a memorable encounter upon meeting Cal for the first time.

I’m so thankful that Maggie and the Maverick is getting a new release out into the world through Wild Heart Books. I hope that you enjoy this rollicking western with a stage driving hero and undercover agent heroine.

Devoted To Hope's Review of Maggie and the Maverick

Maggie and the Maverick carries a crisp, beautiful brightness… a blend of warm, bubbling banter and steady faith that makes every moment fresh, tender, and alive. Maggie and Cal move through danger and calling with their hearts steady before the Lord, and their playful moments added a lift that made me smile right away. I love Maggie and Cal. They will stay in my heart like lace snagged on a tumbleweed… completely unexpected, a little amusing, and impossible to shake loose.

Maggie’s quick thinking and guardedness made me love her immediately. Cal’s unflinching presence and tender heart gave him a depth that is real and deeply endearing. Their connection has such gentle effervescence beneath the surface, and the writing carries it beautifully … vivid, warm, and perfectly paced.

The faith woven through this story reached me in a very personal way, because so much of Maggie’s walk felt familiar to my own heart. Her whispered prayers rose from places I know well… that mix of courage and trembling dependence on the Lord. “Lord, give me strength to do what I need to do, show me what I need to see, and please protect me.” I pray that and live that every second. Her longing to trust again, her hesitation, her bravery… all of it echoed inside me.

Her question felt like a shared heartbeat: “Lord, is this wise? Can I risk handing my heart over to someone again?” And the verse she remembered, “In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me,” settled into me with quiet strength. The way Maggie lived that truth felt like watching my own heart on the page.

Cal’s own journey, especially the line “God had been working on his heart…”, reminded me how much God loves us and how faithfully He equips us to walk with surrendered steps. His growth added an unexpected tenderness that deepened the whole story.

I’m grateful this story exists. God placed it in my hands and in my heart at the exact moment I needed it most.

Readers will love this story who appreciate heartfelt western romance, sparkling banter, and characters whose hearts are anchored in Christ which allows them to love with sincerity, strength, and grace.

I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher and Celebrate Lit Publicity Group. I am not required to write a positive review nor paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on writing and story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.