Christian Romance At Its Best
From A Talented Author
STORY LINE:
Author Crystal Barnes has done it again! She has created a sweet lovely Christian western romance that will grab your heart and make you feel good. Originally released as “Lets Make A Deal”, it has been improved and expanded for your reading pleasure. This novella is the introduction of the Marriage & Mayhem Series; you will see these characters again in the first book titled “Win, Love, or Draw”.
Sarah Asher is no shrinking violet. She is a strong woman with opinions of her own; to honor her father’s dying wish, she agrees to marry Joe Matthews. Joe has worked the family ranch for years and secretly attracted to Sarah. Sarah sets rules, in writing no less, before she will say her vows. After some dickering, Joe agrees to Sarah’s terms uncertain how he will manage to survive this marriage under her terms.
Come along with Sarah and Joe as they journey back home from the cattle drive facing danger, raging rivers, changing emotions, fear, and love.
CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:
Author Crystal Barnes is one of my favorite authors; I am never disappointed when I pick up one of her books. The characters in this book/novella are believable and very likeable.
Sarah is strong, independent, opinionated, and has a strong belief in God; she is also afraid of the physical side of marriage as a friend has not fared well in her marriage. Ms. Barnes develops Sarah’s character throughout the novella as Joe reveals himself to be a good God-fearing man who can be trusted with her person and life.
Sarah and Joe have been friends for years, now they must find their way to a firm foundation for their marriage. Joe’s character is wonderful. All men should have Joe’s honor, insight, and faith. His character made me say “aah”. He fights his attraction to honor Sarah’s wishes. Joe is portrayed as a solid cowboy who possesses honor, wisdom, and great faith in God.
Ms. Barnes includes adventure, humor, faith, and love in this short novella. This book has everything needed to create an interesting solid story. The plot and pacing was on target for the length of the book; the story never lagged and held my attention from the first page. As usual, Ms. Barnes mastery of the story-telling craft is evident. Ms. Barnes writing style is refreshing and clear. I found myself wishing the novella was longer as I was not ready to say to good-bye to Sarah and Joe and I wanted to know more about Sarah and Joe’s past; I am excited to know Joe and Sarah will appear in the next book.
RECOMMENDATION: 5 STARS
I do not hesitate to recommend this novella to anyone that likes a clean, clear, solid well-written book. I look forward to the next book in this series; I am a sucker for an old fashion clean romance of the old west which includes a sigh worthy hero, a strong heroine, and Christian values.
I received this book from the author in return for an honest book review. Book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion; book reviews on line under my name and on my blog are my opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: PHOTO PROVIDED BY AUTHOR
Ms. Barnes was born and raised in Texas. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an award-winning author. She loves old-fashioned things and the Lord. She also has a degree in computer science. In her spare time she knits, crochets, sews, and watches old movies/sitcoms. If you would like to contact Ms. Barnes, click on the link below.