Book Summary: Abigail Stuart Thought She was Jeremiah Calhoun's Widow.
But Jeremiah Calhoun Is Very Handsome, Very Alive, and Very Perplexed.
Most Inconvenient Indeed.
With few
options of her own, nurse Abigail Stuart agrees to marry her patient, a gravely wounded soldier calling himself Jeremiah Calhoun. They arrange a quick ceremony before he dies, giving Abigail the rights to his Ozark farm and giving Jeremiah the peace of knowing someone will care for his ailing sister after he's gone--a practical solution for both of them.
After the war, Abigail fulfills her side of the bargain--until the
real Jeremiah Calhoun shows up, injured but definitely alive, and wastes no time in challenging Abigail's story. Abigail is flummoxed. After months of claiming to be his widow, how can she explain that she's never seen this Jeremiah Calhoun before? How can she convince him that she isn't trying to steal his farm? And will she find a way to stay, even though this practical arrangement has turned into a most inconvenient marriage? (book cover and summary from amazon.com)
My thoughts...The only other book I had read before by Regina Jennings was Sixty Acres and a Bride, which I thought was pretty good. The book didn't cause Jennings to stand out to me as an author, however, so I had not read any more of her books until I had the chance to review this one. I'm SO glad I did!
There were several aspects of this novel that I enjoyed. The general plot of Abigail marrying a man she believed to be Jeremiah Calhoun in order to help his family was written very well. Abigail didn't have any hidden motives for doing this and was very open that her intentions truly were to help his family. If there were any type of hidden agenda it was simply that she wanted to love and be loved by a family. It was heart warming to see how she truly cared for people who were basically strangers and became part of their family.
When the real Jeremiah showed up, he was obviously not accepting of the idea of having Abigail there and was suspicious of her every move. The fact that Abigail was consistent in her desire to serve the family...and even him...made her a heroine you wanted to root for. She worked hard to prove to Jeremiah that she was dedicated to everything she said she was. She even wanted to help Jeremiah get back together with his childhood sweetheart. Also using her nursing skills to help Jeremiah, who had a physical ailment, was another way that drew her closer to him and his family.
The pacing of this novel really helped build the tension romantically as well as the suspense. Several conflicts were going on at once: a romantic conflict, an inner conflict among the hero and heroine concerning their pasts, and a conflict within the community that was causing harm to the residents. These conflicts weren't rushed to be resolved, which made the book a page turner. I didn't find myself thinking, "Oh brother, not this again," referring to the same old plot lines, same old conflict, same old resolution.
Overall, I really loved reading this book. Abigail was a heroine I wanted the best for, Jeremiah was a hero that had just the right combination of masculinity and vulnerability (although he did frustrate me a few times : )), and I really didn't want their story to end. I would definitely recommend this book! Loved it!
**I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House publishers in order to give an unbiased, honest review**
Happy reading!
