This book is probably Christian fiction/romance.  My mom read this circa 2009, but that’s not necessarily the date of publication. The book is the last in a series of 3 or 4 books, and the main character of this volume, Mercy, plays only a minor role in the first two books. It takes place in the late 1800s, she thinks.  This is how my mother summarized the plot:

Mercy is the lone daughter in a family of about 6 brothers and her father, who make her do all the housework and they are ungrateful. (Her mother is deceased.) The men get their meals cooked, their clothes washed, their house cleaned by their sister and NEVER give a thought to the miserable life she leads. She never complains because she figures it’s her lot in life.

Then one day she discovers a new neighbor down the road, a man with a little boy. She worms her way into the house, starts making meals, playing with the little kid, etc., even though the guy shows no interest. The best part is the end, where the guy finds out where she lives, and he goes over to talk to her. He finds her outside in the freezing cold, hanging wash, while the dad and brothers are all relaxing inside the warm house. He goes in, tells the men what he thinks of them for
sitting around while she’s out working in the cold, and he goes outside and takes her home with him, right then.

Even if you have just a vague sense of a title or author, I’ll gratefully accept any possible leads you can provide.  Thank you for your help.