Stealing The Preacher By Karen Witemeyer Book Review

S t e a l i n g   T h e   P r e a c h e r

 

B y   K a r e n   W i t e m e y e r

 

{ R e v i e w   B y    B e t h a n y }

 

Title: Stealing The Preacher

Author: Karen Witemeyer

Series: Archer Brothers, Book #2

Source: Review book from Bethany House
Number Of Pages: 347

ISBN: 0764209663

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Publication Date: June 1st 2013

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

 

// Book Description //

"On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he's forced off the train by a retired outlaw and presented to the man's daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Worried this unfortunate detour will ruin his chances of finally serving a congregation of his own, Crockett is determined to escape. But when he finally gets away, he's haunted by the memory of the young woman he left behind--a woman whose dreams now hinge on him.

For months, Joanna Robbins prayed for a preacher. 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. A man to help her discover answers to the questions that have been on her heart for so long. But just when it seems God has answered her prayers, it turns out the person is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett to stay in her little backwoods community? And does the attraction between them have any chance of blossoming when Joanna's outlaw father is dead set against his daughter courting a preacher?"

 

// B e t h a n y ' s   R e v i e w //

I have read all of Karen's books, except To Win Her Heart, and though I love each and every one of her books, I have to say that Stealing The Preacher is my top favorite! Wow! This book was so amazing! Ever since I heard that Karen had this new book in the works, and read the description, I was instantly overjoyed at the thought of another Karen Witemeyer book, and eagerly awaiting it's publication. So I had literally been wanting to read this book for months before it even came out. Going into reading it, I knew I'd love it and already knew it would be a 5-star book before I even started to read it, but I didn't know just how much I'd like it! It went way beyond the expectations I had for it that I'd worked up through a period of months in waiting for its release, and earned the title of one of my top 3 favorite books that I've read in 2013, so far.

 

Geez, I loved this book SO much! Where to start? Well for one I just fell in love with Crockett. I mean seriously? This guy was pretty awesome, and every Christian girl's dream Christ-fearing partner in life. I loved his godly character that was more shown through his actions instead of verbalized through words, which earned him a very special place in my heart. I just loved how everything he did pointed towards Christ, and how he lived what he preached-literally, since he is a pastor! I also loved Joanna, although Crockett was my favorite character, and I loved her feminine virtues and Christ-like manner and character. I also came to love Joanna's father, even though those feelings weren't there for the first part of the book before he changed.

 

My absolute favorite aspect of this book was how much Christ was the essence of the novel. I have always enjoyed reading books that have strong Christian characters that have a purpose for Christ in their life, and live the title they take as followers of Christ. I love books that are inspiring, ones where the characters make you think and inspire you to live a life for Christ. This was one of those books. Christ was so very much the center of this novel, that I felt like it was not only a pleasurable read, but it left an impact and inspired me. I felt like the characters lived like Christians instead of just saying they were, but their actions contradicting it. It was so real in the area of the characters openly having struggles, and taking them to God in prayer instead of worrying about them. This aspect contributes greatly to my love for this book, but that is not to say that I didn't enjoy other parts of the book, because all of it was outstanding! I also enjoyed how Crockett was a preacher, and how there were little "nuggets of truth" that came about during scenes were he was preaching or giving advice. There were so many quotes that I wanted to write down because they relate to much more than the little scene they were in.

 

Another thing I love about this novel was the setting and writing style. This book is set in Texas, which is the state that I was born in and have lived in all my life. Since I love this state so much, I felt like I was visiting a friend when it read this sweet western novel set in my home state. I also enjoyed the western writing style, and the way the characters talked that made it obvious that they were proud Texans. I just loved it and the distinct Texas flavor the novel had.

 

In all, I was just blown away with this book. It is for sure a favorite and a definite re-read. I would highly recommend it to ladies who love western historical fiction, or to girls wanting to read a book with strong Christian values. Another plus to this novel is that even though it's technically a stand-alone sequel of sorts to Karen's last book Short-Straw Bride which focuses on Travis, Crockett's older brother, it is by no means a "series" that you have to read in order. So if you haven't read Short-Straw Bride before this book, then it's no problem and you are sure to enjoy Stealing The Preacher.

 

N o t e :: I'd like to sincerely thank Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a complementary review copy of Stealing The Preacher to read and review. Please know that I was not paid to write this review, and all thoughts expressed are my own, and completely honest and unbiased.