Blinded by Love by Melissa Jagears - Reviewed by Carrie Fancett Pagels

The Convenient Bride Collection from Barbour (2015)

The Convenient Bride Collection (Barbour, July 2015)
Blinded by Love by Melissa Jagears

Five Stars *****

One of the things I loved about this novella was that Melissa featured a "mature" romance with older hero and heroine.

Melissa Jagears' novella, Blinded by Love, is a refreshingly unique piece of Christian historical fiction. Her heroine, Margaret, is forty-seven!!! Shocking in Christian romance for a heroine to be this old. I've been told for the CBA market that I couldn't make my leading ladies over thirty five! So when I read Margaret's age I sent up a "Huzzah!!!"

The hero, Neil, is a prominent, wealthy, and handsome man. He's also losing his eyesight. He and Margaret have been friends, or "debating partners" if you will, for some time. Margaret is very tall (taller than me even! She's 5'11" and I'm 5'9") and she describes herself as plain enough that she could pass as a man if she cut her hair and tall and boxy--nothing feminine about her. Yet it soon becomes clear that her sister who received all the good looks, and her family are dysfunctional--not just that, I'd say they are clearly toxic. Neil is an intelligent man and compassionate. You'll love reading about their romance!!!

Bibliotherapy: For those who have thought love might never find them, this is a great later-in-life marriage story (sort of like rooting for Father Tim in the Mitford Series!). Also a good read for those who are loyal even to people who deserve no loyalty--those in toxic relationships. And Neil's disability is relatable to those not only losing their eyesight but losing other faculties such as mobility or hearing. Also, Margaret and Neil are both "socially awkward" and I think Melissa Jagears may be giving a slight wink at them possibly tending toward what I would call residual Asperger's--someone who has overcome the issues to a large part but still has some difficulties. I hesitate to even put it that way as it may not have been her intent. But for those overcoming mild ASD, this may be a good bibliotherapy read. It's a delightful novella, regardless!

Disclaimer: I read the book through NetGalley's program and am under no compulsion to post a positive review.

Giveaway: We're giving away a copy of Melissa's new novel, A Bride at Last, this week, in paperback, and also another giveaway of either her new novel OR this Convenient Brides novella collection -- Readers choice of format ebook or paperback. You can enter three times this week by leaving a comment on each blog post.

Question: How old is "too old" for a hero and heroine? Would you purchase a full length novel if you knew the heroine was over forty? Why or why not?

Noela Nancarrow's First Review on OTT--Hunter's Prize by Marcia Gruver!

Hunter's Prize

Hunter's Prize by Marcia Gruver

Barbour Publishing, 2012

Reviewed by Noela Nancarrow

~5 stars *****

                                          This Is A Gem!

  

This is an intriguing and fascinating historical romance set in the early 1900's, beginning briefly in Pretoria, South Africa, and then travelling to Marshall, Texas where much of the story takes place. This story spotlights two swarthy, handsome, and sometimes cocky treasure hunters; a pretty, young woman leaving home for the first time to work as a governess in Marshall; an unusual and challenging boy of five years; and swindling ruthless villains who get more emboldened and dangerous as the story progresses. These and other various interesting and extremely likeable characters all possess incredible character depth in this story!

I loved experiencing the camaraderie and banter between Pearson Foster and best mate Theo, who are the story's treasure hunters. Pearson, having his heart set on searching for the shipwrecked steamer, Mittie Stephens, and her cargo of gold, ends up travelling to Caddo Lake with Theo to take up their search there.

Not long after arriving, Pearson first encountered Adelina (Addie) McRae upon her arrival in nearby Marshall with her mother, having just arrived there for the position of Cedric's (Ceddy's) governess. And from the very beginning the atmosphere between Pearson and Addie was electric! Addie found Pearson discomforting and yet intriguing, infuriating yet titillating, with odd hair yet handsome! I longed for more encounters between these two and I wasn't disappointed. The captivating and intense energy between these two leading characters continued throughout.

I also absolutely adored Ceddy, Addie's young charge, an unusual boy who was orphaned from his missionary parents and now living with his Aunt Priscilla in Marshall. He is actually autistic but because Autism wasn't a diagnosed condition back then, Ceddy was frightening at times, and his confronting behavior difficult for people to understand and accept. Having an autistic child myself, I was so impressed at how Marcia managed to portray this little autistic boy so insightfully and realistically. And I deeply felt little Ceddy's engulfing fear each time he saw or encountered the villains Denny and Charlie, as they attempted to get to him and his own personal secret treasure.

Hunter's Prize also explores the theme of communication... or lack thereof, and the resulting consequences. But then there's also a gentle but compelling message about finding your way back to God after a terrible tragedy and learning to trust in Him again.

This book is the third in the Backwoods Brides series, but can very much be read as a stand-alone book... although I hasten to add, you'd really be doing yourself a dis-service to miss out on Marcia's other two brilliant stories in the series! Marcia Gruver tells a story that keeps you reading, and even when you're not, it will cause you to think about it... until you give in and pick it up again!!

Marcia's books are available online at Lifeway, CBD, and in Christian book stores as well as other book stores such as Barnes and Noble.

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment and your email to be entered in this week's contest. Drawing will be late Saturday, your choice of Marcia's books and choice of format*. Void where prohibited by law. *International winners will only receive the book in ebook format, not as a paperback.  (Extra bonus count will be done for everyone who also left a comment on Noela's post from this Monday--so if you leave a comment on all three Gruver posts from Sunday/Tuesday/Wednesday this week you will count as 4 entries not 3!)

Guest post - Noela Nancarrow Shares: Nathan's ASD Overcoming Testimony

Noela Nancarrow

INTRODUCING NOELA NANCARROW--Our newest contributor, from Australia.

Please welcome Noela with all of us here at Overcoming Through Time - With God's Help


In her recently released book ‘Hunter’s Prize’, Marcia Gruver writes about the difficulties a young Autistic boy called Ceddy faced, as well as the challenges it presented to those who cared for him. I have experienced some of those challenges myself with my son Nathan who was diagnosed with Asperger’s (a higher functioning type of Autism) when he was four years old. And it’s with much gratitude of God’s love and grace that I can share that he is now a 17 year old boy who has largely overcome the many obstacles and challenges from having Asperger’s Syndrome. He will be finishing High School soon with mostly A’s and numerous awards from over the years; has almost completed a 20 day Work Experience this year at a local Timber Sheeting store, proving that he can work hard and responsibly; and now has his Learner’s License and will be learning to drive soon. All are huge achievements for Nathan – and things that were too hard for us to even imagine when he was younger.

Hunter's Prize

Like Ceddy, Nathan had many obsessions during his younger years. As a baby, he was obsessed with cars, white goods, vacuum cleaners, and irons! So utterly entranced by cars, he would frequently watch them out the window. Or he would want to sit in our car or stand up on the seat holding the steering wheel, while it was in the driveway… for hours!! The clothes iron… would evoke widened eyes and cause his whole body to literally tremble with excitement whenever he saw it. Who knew an iron could produce such pleasure?!

But those obsessions weren’t particularly what I would call challenges… nor these ones when he was a toddler… that is, unless you would call it a challenge if you weren’t allowed to sit on your own lounge chair… because it was a ‘car park for a Shopping Centre’ or have to side-step a hall-way full of F1 toy cars on their ‘starting grid’, every day! Or side step his emptied Piggy Bank, with all of his coins spread out in an intricate and symmetrical pattern for him to count!

No, the greater difficulties that Nathan’s Asperger’s presented to us was the anxiety and stress that he would go through when trying to make sense of a world, that was not only confusing but filled with too much noise, too many smells, too many new changes and way too many people! In short, Nathan’s Asperger’s caused him to frequently have a ‘sensory overload’. These challenges were highlighted more so when he went to school. In the early years, any change to his routine made him anxious and upset. The noise in the classroom was a problem often and he sometimes resorted to hiding under his desk when it all became too much. Once he refused to go into the School Hall because of a smell (that only he could smell!) and many, many more instances such as these plagued his early learning years.

At home, his sensory problems were evident in his growing list of strong aversions to foods, and even simple things like cleaning his teeth or washing his hair were a source of stress for him.

One of his ‘obsessions’ was swinging on a strong rope tied to a large Torelliana tree in our backyard, but this particular activity was actually very therapeutic for him after a stressful day at school.

We are so grateful that we’ve been able to raise him up in a godly home… because he was then covered by prayer, God’s grace, and so much love! And those things, as we’ve found from experience, were the best foundation a child with Asperger’s could ever have! Through God’s amazing grace and abundant blessings, he was blessed with the best teacher for every year of his primary school years. Along with a parent’s guidance, school plays an extremely important part in these kids’ lives. And Nathan’s teachers all loved, understood and accepted him, while helping him to excel even more.

And over time through God’s help, both at school and at home, he’s grown more confident and less anxious every single year.  He may not be the most social person but he knows how to talk to both friends and adults well. I’m just amazed really, every time I look at him and see how far he’s come. He is now very strong emotionally and has developed an amazing sense of empathy, which is something Autistic people can be greatly lacking in. He makes me laugh every single day, and he can never do enough to help. He’s even incredibly chivalrous! In short, Nathan is my hero… but one I’m forever indebted to God for.

By Noela Nancarrow, Guest contributor

This was supposed to be Noela Nancarrow's first post with us as a guest.  But while we have been waiting for this guest post, we have gotten to know Noela pretty well and she is now an official member of the Overcoming Through Time - With God's Help team. Help us welcome Noela to the blog as a contributor!!!

GIVEAWAY: We have a giveaway box of treats this week including angels (e.g., a little white teddy bear angel with gold trim, angel ornament, and angel mantel sitter, Earl Gray tea packets, and some other goodies!)