Engaging the Competition
Author: Melissa Jagears
Publication date: May 3, 2016
Series: Teaville Moral Society .5
Pages: 103
Genre: Historical, Romance , Christian
Synopsis:1900s KansasEver since Charlotte Andrews bested four-eyed Harrison Gray in a shooting competition when they were teenagers, he decided a tough, show-off girl like Charlie didn’t need him to look after her. Now a teacher at the local school, Harrison learns Charlie intends to marry a neighbor who comes from a long line of no-good troublemakers and, for some inexplicable reason, it falls to him to talk some sense into her…if she has any under that tomboy exterior.
Their heated confrontation unfortunately takes place right as a bad storm is coming on and, in the melee of arguing and taking shelter, Harrison’s glasses are knocked off his face and broken when Charlie’s horse crushes them under a hoof. Harrison and Charlie may have their differences, but she can see from his panic that the loss of his glasses is a blow to him. She volunteers to help him at school until his new pair of special order glasses arrive despite knowing the one place she can’t best Harrison is in the classroom.
My Opinion
I am relatively new to Melissa Jagears, having only read 2 books of hers, but I am coming to realize as I read more that I really enjoy her books, which means she will probably get the honors of going on my list of ‘Favorite Historical Christian Authors’. Quite an honor if I must say. I find that her stories are interesting and her characters are very engaging.
Even though this was a quicky – less than 100 pages -, I still enjoyed it very much. I liked how our hero and heroine knew each other since they were children. Harrison has had a crush on Charlie for quite some time but she tends to rub him the wrong way, always having to be the best at everything. What he doesn’t know is, is that Charlie has a crush on him as well, always hoping that someday he would notice her in a new light, but since they send each other mixed signals over the years, that never happens. Harrison hasn’t had a proper conversation with Charlie for 7 years, ever since she bested him at a shooting competition with his gun, which she never intended to do, she was just testing out his gun – she’s a tom boy, loves all things ‘non frilly’. Harrison ends up getting stuck at Charlies place when a storm comes rolling in. Being confined in close quarters in her cellar, their ‘crush’ feelings start to return to them. Charlie ends up having to help him out teaching since his glasses were destroyed during the storm and he can’t hardly see a thing without them. By helping him out with his teaching, their feelings for each other grows. Eventually they break down and confess to each other their feelings for one another. And since this is a romance, you can guess the rest as romance books always ends with a happy ending.
At the end of this book, it gives a preview of book #1 in the Teaville Moral Society, which I can’t wait to read. The hero, Mr Lowe sounded a mite grumpy, and who doesn’t love a grumpy hero – who possibly – turns sweet on the heroine?
Favorite Quotes
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Final Thoughts
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Forever Safe
Author: Jody Hedlund
Publication date: June 1, 2016
Series: Beacons of Hope #4
Pages: 342
Genre: Historical, Romance , Christian
Synopsis:Race Point, Massachusetts, 1876Will she ever be able to stop running, even when she believes she’s finally safe?
Heiress to a vast fortune, Victoria Cole has everything she wants, including the perfect fiancé. Having left two other men at the altar, Victoria is sure that now she’s found her true love and will finally live happily ever after. As her wedding draws near, however, Victoria’s life is threatened. To keep her safe, Victoria’s father hires a bodyguard.
Tom Cushman’s number one priority is protecting his clients, which means no personal entanglements. But he’s never guarded someone as beautiful and winsome as Victoria. After a near-kidnapping, the wedding is cancelled, and Tom hides Victoria at Cape Cod’s Race Point Lighthouse until her attacker can be found. Appointed as assistant light keeper with Victoria posing as his wife, Tom believes the isolation of the lighthouse will keep her safe.
As Victoria struggles to live without familiar luxuries, her heart betrays her with growing feelings for her protector. Determined to help Tom stop fleeing from his haunted past, can the runaway bride learn to face her own fears? With the attacker closing in, will both of them ever be able to stop running and find the safety they long for?
My Opinion
That’s my boy! I taught him everything he knows!
First off, I want to say what a hoot James Cushman – Tom’s Dad – was. I never read a book where the parent was so hilariously entertaining that they caused you to snicker every time they graced your pages. I loved how he would goad and give Tom the third degree about Victoria and telling him ‘that’s not a kiss, kiss her again and mean it’. What a man!
Victoria is the daughter of the hero and heroine from ‘Out of the Storm (Beacons of Hope #0.5)’. She is a spoiled young girl who is used to having someone cater to her every whim. Everyone always gives into her whims and charming eyes and smile, that is all but Tom. He is the first man – or being – whom truly challenges her, doesn’t give in to her, and isn’t afraid to tell her no. He also doesn’t pamper or coddle her either like all her other suitors did. Even though they are from entire different classes and worlds, you can see how they do mesh well together. By challenging her, Victoria learns that you don’t need the latest dresses in fashion, pretty gems, or the perfect hairstyle to truly be happy or know what happiness is. By staying at Race Point light house with Tom and his parents, she learns how to do everyday chores and realizes what kind of life she wants for a change. She also realizes that her fiancee ‘Nathaniel’ – while he is a very nice and caring man -, he isn’t the one for her. Yes she would be happy, live a rich life, never want for anything, but she didn’t truly love him nor did she feel for him for what she felt for Tom. I kinda felt sorry for the guy, I mean how can you not since he was so nice and likable? At least she did the right thing to let him go and find someone who would want him as their first choice and not their second.
About 80 to 85% into the book, I kinda had a hunch on who the villain was, which I was correct. Don’t you just love it when you can play detective and try to guess who the villain will be? Half the time I am successful on pin pointing them and sometimes I am not. But looking back in the book, you can kinda tell from the beginning that that person was a possible villain from their attitude and dialog.
As always, this was such a great book, but yet I am a bit biased as I love just about anything Jody writes. I for one can’t wait for more of her new historical’s to be released as I know I will gobble them up with glee.
Favorite Quotes
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Final Thoughts
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