Women of Courage Books In Order

Publication Order of Women of Courage Books

Women of Courage is a series of romance novels written by Geri Foster that follow the exploits of a former doctor as she tries to put her life back together following a stint in prison.

+The Story

The Women of Courage series has as many fans as it has detractors. And the contention surrounding these novels typically comes down to their length. While most readers seem to appreciate Geri Foster’s particular brand of storytelling, some have criticized her for the brevity of her work.

And the Women of Courage books are definitely short, with most rarely exceeding the two hundred page mark. It wouldn’t be too farfetched to call them short stories rather than actual novels.

And because the books are short, they tend to end abruptly.

The series picks up with Cora Williams, an ex-con looking for sanctuary in Gibbs City. Life wasn’t always so difficult for Cora. Once upon a time, Cora was a doctor and a respected one at that.

Cora’s decision to shoot her sister’s husband changed all that, and so did her father’s determination to see her punished to the fullest extent. When she is first introduced to readers at the start of the series, Cora is struggling to carve out a new path in life.

With her nephew in hand, she tries to settle in Gibbs City. Cora believes that the anonymity she enjoys will allow her to start over. However, it isn’t long before the truth of Cora’s actions is revealed and she is forced to confront her past.

The Women of Courage Story has three primary aspects.

The first is Cora’s past. While the first book in the series doesn’t shy away from revealing Cora’s crimes—the reason for which she was imprisoned—a lot of emphasis is placed on the events that unfolded afterward.

Something happens to Cora in prison. It is a secret that haunts her even after she gains her freedom, a secret that threatens to uproot every foundation she keeps trying to plant.

Cora wants to forget the past. But as the Women of Courage series progresses, she is forced to confront everything that happened, especially when parties that are determined to see her silenced emerge.

The second aspect of this series is Cora Williams’ attempts to make a new life for herself. Cora does not regret committing the crime that saw her imprisoned. But the act follows her wherever she goes.

And once her new community learns of her past transgressions, it affects the way they treat her. Cora has to learn to combat the hate and suspicion, not to mention the sympathy and empathy she eventually elicits.

The third aspect is Cora’s relationship with Virgil Carter. Carter is a World War II veteran. He is also the sheriff of Gibbs City. Carter lives to protect his community, and there is nothing he won’t do to safeguard Gibbs City.

Virgil is disarmed by Cora. When she first comes to town, Carter can tell that the young beautiful woman is fleeing from something. He can also tell that she just wants to be left alone.

However, Carter finds in his heart a desire to protect Cora. To do that, he must force his way into her life, a task that is easier said than done. Cora doesn’t have the best perception of law enforcement, and Carter is the last person she wants in her life.

As the Sheriff persists and as he repeatedly puts his own life on the line to protect her and Jack, Cora’s heart softens; Geri Foster then attempts to chart Cora and Carter’s journey as they tiptoe around one another’s feelings.

They spend many books simply trying to figure out what they feel for one another. And once they discover the love in each other’s hearts, they still struggle to figure out a way forward.

Some attention is given to Jack, Cora’s nephew, though he isn’t necessarily a driving factor in the story.

The Women of Courage books must be read in the exact order in which they were published. This is because the books are all intimately connected. Each book picks up almost immediately where the last one left off.

In fact, a big complaint thrown at Geri Foster is her inability to produce a Women of Courage book that is self-contained. Each book ends abruptly on a cliffhanger that can only be resolved when one reads its sequel.

And even that sequel is likely to raise questions that it will either fail or refuse to resolve. Geri Foster’s fans seem to appreciate this structure, though, because it feels like they are reading a single story partitioned into six or seven parts.

+Love Released 1

Cora Williams was a successful doctor. Then she shot her sister’s husband. She went to prison for her crimes. Her father saw to it that she was thoroughly punished.

The years have passed and Cora is finally out on probation. But she has nothing now; no money and certainly no home. Cora’s fortunes change when she learns that her aunt passed away and left her a house in Gibbs City.

Virgil Carter is a WWII Veteran and the Sheriff of Gibbs City, Missouri. Virgil has plenty of demons in his closet but he keeps them all in check so that he can protect Parker County.

As part of her probation conditions, Cora must check in with the local law enforcement on a weekly basis. It is there that Virgil meets and falls for the beautiful young woman.

Cora wants to be left alone. She definitely doesn’t want anything to do with the police. But Virgil is determined to look out for her.

+Love Released 2

Cora Williams is an ex-con that has begun to plant a new home for herself and her nephew in Gibbs City, Missouri. Cora didn’t think she could put the pieces of her life back together.

But then she met Sheriff Virgil Carter and she even made a few new friends and her hope was renewed. Now Cora just wants to be left alone to lead her life her way. That becomes difficult to do when she gives into her urges to combat the injustice being meted out to a defenseless child.