April 26, 2010
Witemeyer’s debut will grab fans in the historical romance crowd. She blends lively writing, storytelling prowess, and enough romance to keep readers satisfied. Hannah Richards opens her dress shop in 1881 Coventry, Tex., with little more than a dream to help women add beauty to their lives. Livery owner Jericho Tucker, however, finds nothing beautiful in her plans. Despite J.T’s antagonism and Hannah’s strong will, the pair find ways to meet in the middle and come out together. Sidelights include matchmaking on Hannah’s part, a sinister rival, dangerous floodwaters, and two people who truly desire to follow Christ. Readers will ponder, with J.T. and Hannah, the difference between beauty and vanity: “You may see a room full of harmless fashions, but if you open your eyes, you’ll find that, in truth, it is filled with the temptations to indulge in sinful vanity,” he says. “If God had wanted the world to be a somber, colorless place, he would have made everything in black and gray,” she says. Thought-provoking and entertaining faith-based fiction for sure.