Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

texas

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]

An undeniably fun love story: Review of Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade

undeniably yoursThe cover should have been my first clue that this book is not just your average Christian romance. It’s also fun! I was so surprised by author Becky Wade’s writing style (in a good way) because it was so realistic. The thoughts and actions of both Meg, the reluctant heiress to an oil company, and Bo, the hubba-hubba cowboy, are believable and sometimes, laugh out loud funny.

(Disclaimer: I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.)

In the opening scene, Meg is in the process of firing people her father needed to run his company and his life, including Bo, the man who runs the horse ranch on her property. Meg has no interest in horses and has been advised to shut down the farm, fire its workers and sell the horses. But she has a soft spot for people, and when Bo disagrees with her plan and asks for time to turn the ranch around, Meg gives him six months. Bo considers it a personal challenge to not only turn a profit at the horse farm but convince Meg that the farm is worth saving.

That becomes both easier and more difficult as Bo finds himself attracted to Meg in ways he considers in appropriate because of her position as his employer while Meg finds comfort from panic attacks in the presence of Bo and the horses.

It’s a fun dance between the two as they’re obviously attracted to each other but both wanting to maintain professional distance. Throw in a shady character from Meg’s past who threatens to destroy everything and you’ve got yourself a classic romance the keeps you turning the pages.

Sometimes I think Christian novels in the romance genre are too safe in that they don’t acknowledge the reality of physical attraction between characters or the goofball thoughts that people have. I connected with Wade’s characters and I’m almost kicking myself for not grabbing a copy of her first book, My Stubborn Heart. (You can bet I’ll be changing that!)