Historical Romance Book Review ~ Stealing the Preacher

About the Book

"A cowboy who wants to be a preacher. An outlaw’s daughter who wants to change his mind.

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can’t believe it when he’s forced off the train by an outlaw and presented to the man’s daughter as the preacher she requested for her birthday. He’s determined to escape–which would be much easier if he could stop thinking about Joanna Robbins and her unexpected request.

For months, Joanna had prayed for a minister. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. But just when it seems her prayers have been answered, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett he ended up right where he was supposed to be?

With her signature blend of humor, history, and lively western romance, two-time RITA Award finalist and bestselling author Karen Witemeyer delivers a Texas love story sure to steal your heart."

Amber's Review

Karen Witemeyer's books are as comforting as chocolate - her writing silky smooth, the romance delicious, and the heart of it all too good to resist. She has the Christian Historical Romance genre down to a sweet science. And might I add that the covers her stories are "wrapped" in are so lovely and enticing? (I'm glad that Bethany House went with this cover - with the pretty pink and chocolate dress, the soft background colors, and the connection with a piece of the plot, which is always fun!)

I love the mixture of humor and seriousness, cute situations and sobering ones - all tied together with a ribbon of faith throughout the pages. Stealing the Preacher is signature Witemeyer in that way, with another quirky premise that leads to a heartwarming story.

This particular book might come across as a tad more "preachy" than some of her other books because of its premise (the hero is a preacher and the heroine has a certain loved one's salvation weighing on her heart), but the compassion and passion evident in the pages are touching. I think what kept me from loving it quite as much as some of her other books was the plot... Not to say that there weren't exciting elements, but it felt like the basic storyline was stretched out to fill up the pages. I just didn't think the stakes were high enough throughout the entire book to keep me completely enthralled. Everything felt rather soft and slow - from Crockett's decision-making, to the building up and breaking down of relationships, to the passing of events. (And I confess that I generally prefer my love triangles a little heavier on the "male" than the "female" elements.)

But for a gentle story in the Witemeyer tradition, with enough tension in parts to keep the story moving, Stealing the Preacher is an enjoyable read. I'm definitely curious to see whether Witemeyer writes a story for another Archer brother, or whether she introduces an entirely new cast. Her characters are great and her storytelling delectable, so I'm eager for more of her sweet stuff!

*With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the Litfuse Publicity blog tour.*

Extras

• Stealing the Preacher is available on Amazon.com!

• This review was posted at Seasons of Humility in May for the Litfuse Publicity blog tour. Click HERE to read that post and view the book trailer and author bio. (Please note that the giveaway has ended.)

• Check back later this week to learn more about the author!