Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Fiction

Cinderella in Cincinnati: Review of If the Shoe Fits by Sandra D. Bricker

When it comes to fiction, I lean more toward historical, although I’m slowly being wooed to the contemporary romance genre.

So, when I saw the trailer for If the Shoe Fits by Sandra D. Bricker, I decided to give it a try. (Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book from Moody/River North in exchange for my review.)

Take a look:

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/67661585 w=400&h=300]

I’m always intrigued by a new take on a familiar fairy tale, and this one flips the story with the woman looking for the man who fits the boot she finds with a toolbox in an intersection after a near-collision. Julianne and her best friend from childhood Will have opened their own law firm in Cincinnati. Will has been in love with Julianne for 20 years, and she’s clueless. Her glimpse of the guy at the intersection sends her on a quest to find out if he’s her missing Prince Charming.

I mostly felt sorry for both characters. Will seems a little bit pathetic, unwillingly to risk the friendship to tell her how he feels meanwhile always being her back-up date to work functions. He makes a couple of bold moves during the story, and I found myself liking him best when he did. Julianne I couldn’t make myself like. She’s a little flighty and basically can’t see what’s right in front of her in Will. She has a good heart and does many likable things, but I just couldn’t connect with her. if the shoe fits

This was my first Sandra Bricker novel, and I thought it was just okay. I got a little tired of reading about Julianne’s “honey-blond hair” and the flow of the story was not smooth. The author adds a lot of adverbs to her descriptions of the character’s speech, and I found myself hung up on those words.

I wanted to see it through to the end because–duh!–everyone wants a happy ending, but even that left me a little bit disappointed.

Overall, I think I just wanted more. I wanted more emotion from both characters and more tension in their story. There weren’t a lot of surprises throughout. I might still give this author another chance on some of her other books, but this is not the kind of book that would convince me to read contemporary romance.

To end on a positive note: it’s a light read with some funny scenes. I could see certain scenes played out like a sitcom.

Worth the wait: Review of Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

In late April, I met Karen Witemeyer at a writing conference. I’d read two of her books in preparation for the writing conference so I could be familiar with her work, and I enjoyed the books, our conversation and her writing expertise so much, I bought another of her books and eagerly awaited the release of her newest, Stealing the Preacher. I entered giveaways aplenty to try to win myself a copy but no such luck. In the end, I received a free digital copy from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my review. Not a bad deal.

stealing preacherAnd let me tell you, this book was worth the wait, which is also part of the theme I took away from it.

Crockett Archer (who is one of the brothers from Short-Straw Bride, a story that reminded me of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) is on his way to audition for a preaching job when the train he’s riding on is stopped by bandits who aren’t out for material possessions. They’re looking for a preacher. Him. Ex-outlaw Silas Robbins will do anything for his only daughter  Joanna, including holding up a train and kidnapping a preacher. Joanna’s church has set empty for two years and what she wants more than anything is a preacher to fill the pulpit and to revive the church. When her father arrives home with a preacher in tow–one he kidnapped–Joanna is both outraged and hopeful. Is Crockett Archer the man she prayed for?

Witemeyer sets her stories in 19th century Texas and I love the setting. Her characters are vivid, as well, and I find myself smiling when I read her books. They’re fun, first of all, and full of wholesome romance. Crockett is dreamy–maybe I’m biased because I married a preacher!–and Joanna is relatable because she doesn’t see the beauty in herself that others see. I get that.

At the start of the story, Crockett has a plan for his life, and he’s disappointed when it doesn’t turn out the way he expected. I’ve been there, too. Our ministry journey hasn’t been what I expected, and it’s easy to be bitter about that. But Crockett submits to the Lord’s leading and catches a vision for his purpose elsewhere. It’s an inspiring story of seeing the good in a situation even when it’s not what you thought it would be.

And this is the other thing I love about Witemeyer’s stories: they’re not just historical and romantic–they’re spiritual. And not just surfacey stuff. Woven throughout her stories are deeper issues of calling, trust, submission, forgiveness and truth, but they aren’t forced themes.

Witemeyer is a skilled storyteller and encouraging writer. If you’ve yet to pick up one of her books, now is the time.

P.S. I don’t always watch book trailers, but this one is worth a look!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALw1yauYcxI]