Hi Friends,
I just couldn't quite leave my fictional town of Copper Creek Haven and wanted to write another flash fiction story. Who knows...maybe I'll write a whole series of stories around this town. If you're interested in being among the first to read more of my flash fiction and fictional stories, you can sign up for my newsletter here.
Happy reading!
Emilee
 |
|
Cowboy Asher Ellis is determined to find proof that his stepmother Bess and younger brothers Jack and Fergus were wrongfully evicted out of their home by Eli Dearing sees the ball at the Three Cedars as the perfect opportunity. A plan that goes awry. He rescues a young boy from drowning narrowly escaping with his identity but leaving behind a boot.
Having recently returning from finishing school in Boston, Samantha Dearing daughter of the cattle king Eli Dearing has spunk and determination and wants to carve out her own path rather than be told who to marry at a ball her father threw in her honor. Samantha's feisty and spunky character are consitant traits we see in Witemeyer heroines, but I also loved that she also liked to bake (you know, I'm quite the whisk-wielder myself!) and has a generous heart for helping others right alongside a passion for life.
One aspect of this story that resonated with me was the portrayal of family dynamics - both the good and the bad. Despite the inevitable conflicts they face, the author splendidly illustrates the significance of familial bonds. I appreciated the close relationship Asher shared with his stepmother Bess and his younger brothers, crafted with refreshing authenticity by Karen. Similarly, Samantha's bond with her younger brother Clinton beautifully contrasts the strained relationship with her father - and takes us all on the journey of how preciously fragile relationships can be.
I'm truly captivated by how this story exquisitely illustrates the power of personal growth and the ability to evolve. Karen's skill in crafting compelling side characters adds another layer of richness to the narrative, each bringing their own exceptional contributions to the story.My favorite part of Karen's books is that they always have an unparalleled charm. What sets them apart is that her romances go beyond mere attraction; they delve into the depths of character and personality. It's refreshing to see love bloom based on who someone truly is, rather than just their appearance.
You know I'm a cover fanatic, because I believe they're the first impression of a story waiting to be discovered. Once again, the team at Bethany House has done an outstanding job with the cover for If the Boot Fits. It just makes you want to dive right into the story!
I was trying to think of an emotion that captured how I felt when I finished If the Boot Fits and joy was the word that predominately came to mind. There was so much joy within this fun and fresh retelling of Cinderella! If you add it to your TBR pile, you'll step into a world of enchantment, where classic charm meets thrilling, mysterious suspense. Don't miss out on the joy awaiting within these pages.
~~I purchased a paperback copy of If the Boot Fits from Baker Book House in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.~~
After the tragic accidental death of her youngest sister, Finola Shannahan vows to become a nun to serve impoverished immigrant families believing that she doesn't deserve to have a family. When the local Irish matchmaker her father hires pairs her with Riley Rafferty, she finds her usual tactics to escape another match unsuccessful.
Local wagon-maker Riley Rafferty is running for a mayoral election and sees his pairing with Finola Shannahan as helping him not only win the election, but also make a difference together.
There were some hilarious moments in Finola and Riley's courtship that had me laughing out loud more than once and were my favorite parts in the book.
Jody Hedlund is an author that excels at creating chemistry between her hero and heroine and Calling on the Matchmaker will have you turning pages to find out if Riley and Finola get their happily ever after. Overall, Calling on the Matchmaker is a solid story. The characters are multi-dimensional, the plot has good pacing and doesn't lag. My only issue is the faith thread of the story was almost non-existent. Other than the characters mentioning the Lord and doing charitable works there was a minimal faith thread. I'm willing to admit that it's possible I completely missed the author's point if there was a faith storyline.
SPOILERS AHEAD - Stop reading if you don't want to know major plot points.
Personally, I thought Finola's story of the guilt over her sister's passing dragged out a little too long for my preference and continually trying to sabotage her engagement to Riley bothered me. I would have liked to see her married to Riley sooner and see how she deals with becoming a wife. All this to say, if you are okay with a minimal faith element and want a strong romantic story then Calling on the Matchmaker is for you. I'm such a fan of Jody Hedlund, however, this book was a 3 out of 5 stars for me overall. It just didn't pull me in the way other stories by her have.
Ms. Hedlund does set up the reader nicely in anticipation of the 2nd book Saved by the Matchmaker releasing in August. It looks like book two contains one of my favorite tropes.... marriage of convenience.
Last fall, I discovered flash fiction and it make me even more excited about all the wonderful possibilities of writing. It's short story of 1000 words or less where the writer still tries to convey character and plot development. Talk about challenging and tight writing. I realized how "wordy" I am as an author and had to cut out quite a lot of them.
Up until this point, only my newsletter subscribers have had the chance to see my flash fiction work. However, I'm excited to share my first short story with all the readers of my blog, even though it makes me feel a bit more vulnerable, as now my entire blog audience will have access to it (but no pressure at all!). If you're interested in being among the first to read more of my flash fiction and fictional stories, you can sign up for my newsletter here.
Smoke and Embers:
A BBQ Reconciliation by Emilee Hill
Ruby
Beck two-stepped her way around the edge of the wooden dance floor in her mint
green knee-high cowgirl boots. Nothing ever changed in this small sleepy town
of Copper Creek Haven where she spent summers with her grandfather learning how
to make finger-licking good BBQ. The Fall Harvest dance and BBQ competition
were the town’s most celebrated events.
At
the opposite corner of the room, she saw him. Elliot King. The man she’d been
secretly carrying a torch for the past 20 years. Heart racing and knees
knocking, her feet refused to move as if they were permanently glued to the
floor. Elliot had seen her and was maneuvering through the maze of dancing
couples to get to her.
He
was by her side, crushing her in a bear hug, slightly lifting her off the
ground. Breathless, she returned his embrace. He felt solid beneath her hands.
“Ruby!
It’s great to see you!”
“Hi,”
she stammered. So much for sounding like a confident woman.
“Care
to dance?” Elliot held out his hand.
“Sure, but aren’t you afraid we’ll start World War III?” she asked, referring to their
grandfathers’ decades long feud over the BBQ competition.
Their
battle began when Ruby’s grandfather William accused Elliot’s grandfather
Harvey of stealing his secret recipe and publishing it in the local newspaper. The
lasting rivalry had trickled down to their children and grandchildren. Becks
and Kings didn’t usually associate with one another.
“I’ll
take my chances.” He winked at her and smoothly guided her onto the floor.
“We’ll give this town something to talk about.” Double twirling, he dipped her
in the middle of the dance floor as the final notes of the song ended.
Another
song started and Elliot made no move to release her. “That was only half a
dance. You owe me a few more dances,” he teased, referring to the time she stood
him up at the same dance when they were just 18.
“I
have no idea what you are referring to.” Ruby feigned an innocent expression,
her flushed cheeks giving her away. She could never let Elliot know the reason
she didn’t attend the dance was because it was the summer she realized she was
in love with him and didn’t know what to do with her feelings or how to deal
with her grandfather.
As
they swayed to the music, Ruby couldn’t help but steal a glance at Elliot. His
eyes twinkled in the dimly lit room, and he smelled faintly of the same cologne
he used to wear in high school. She couldn’t resist the urge to bring up the
one thing that had always connected them- the BBQ competition.
Ruby
made the choice to steer the conversation in that direction while she was still
in Elliot’s arms. “You know, Elliot, it’s been forever since we discussed the
BBQ contest,” she remarked, leaning in.
“My
grandpa Harvey adamantly denies having anything to do with selling your
grandfather’s recipe to the paper.”
“Hmmm…And
you believe him?”
“My
grandfather’s character has always been one of honesty and helping his
community. This town knows everything about everyone. Give me one other example
of when my grandfather was ever involved in anything lacking integrity.”
Ruby
sighed, “Maybe it’s time we put an end to it.”
Elliot
raised his eyebrows and with a look of surprise said, “How do you propose we do
that?”
“Well,
everything we learned about BBQ was from our grandfathers…What if we swap sous
chefs on the paperwork? I’ll be your grandpa Harvey’s assistant and you’ll be
my grandpa Will’s.”
Elliot
grinned; his gaze fixed on Ruby. “That just might work. Imagine the reaction of
the citizens of Copper Creek Haven seeing the Becks and the Kings working
together rather than against each other.”
“They’d
probably think they were in an episode of The Twilight Zone,”
Ruby chuckled.
Elliot
and Ruby finished hatching the plan to end the decades-long contention between
their families. It took some convincing from both Ruby and Elliot to persuade
their grandfathers that this was a good idea, but they did, and Ruby and Elliot
were positioned on opposite sides of the BBQ competition area. They exchanged a
nervous glance before getting to work.
While
the contest was still fierce, William and Harvey exchanged a nod of respect,
silently acknowledging the significance of the day, and seemed to have a glint
of pride in their eyes as they battled with their grandchildren.
And
when the winner was finally announced, it was William Beck who emerged
victorious with Elliot’s help. Ruby couldn’t help but smile and have hope fill
her heart as she watched her grandfather and Elliot shake hands in victory.
When
the competition was over, Ruby walked over to Elliot. She knew this was a
moment she couldn’t let pass by. "Elliot, would you like to take a walk?”
Shyness crept into her voice as the question left her mouth.
“That
would be great.” He cupped her elbow and steered her towards the downtown
square with country ballads playing on the speakers leading outside.
“Thanks
for helping my grandfather win the competition.”
“It
was a lot of fun.”
“Elliot,
I…I…” It was now or never. “I’ve been in love with you since I was 18,”
she blurted. So much for subtlety.
“What
a coincidence, Ruby Beck. I’ve been in love with you since then too.” Tenderly caressing her face, he slowly leaned
in for a soft and gentle kiss that had the slight tang of BBQ in it. A kiss
she’d been dreaming of for most of her life, and the wait had been so worth it.
5) Molly from Gene Stratton-Porter's Keeper of the Bees
4) Josephine "Jo" March from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women3) Valancy Sterling from L.M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle. This is one of Montgomery's lesser-known works and one of her few 'adult' works of fiction. Written in 1926, set in the early 1920's in Ontario, Canada. Most of Montgomery's books were written on Prince Edward Island. While Montgomery typically writes about heroines who are young girls, Valancy's character is 29.2) Elizabeth Bennett from Jane Auten's Pride and Prejudice. No favorite literary heroine list would be complete without at least one Austen heroine on the list. I would argue that Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennett is one of Austen's most well-known and beloved literary heroines. She is a very complex character. She is intelligent and independent thinker. In Austen's time, women were not known for these qualities.1) Anne Shirley from L.M. Montogomery's Anne of Green Gables. The reader is first introduced to Anne, the spunky, red-headed orphan when she is adopted by older, spinster siblings- Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert. She is continually getting into scrapes but learns lessons along the way. Part of what makes Anne so appealing to readers is her outlook on life. She doesn't see things the way an ordinary person does, rather she has a fanciful and fun imagination. And because Montgomery wrote 8 books in the Anne series the reader is allowed into Anne's world. She grows up, goes to college, gets married, becomes a mother, but through all these wonderful changes in her life she still reminds the skinny, freckle-faced, red-headed orphan that readers fell in love when Montgomery published Anne of Green Gables in 1908.
If you've read and loved Francine River's Mark of the Lion series, you need to put Of Love and Treason on your list. This book is definitely on my 'to keep' shelf. All I can say is Jamie Ogle please write faster because I can't wait to read your other books.
Reading is an Adventure,
Emilee
~~I purchased a paperback copy of Of Love and Treason from Baker Book House in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.~~
