A Suitor for Jenny

BROWNLEY, MARGARET

A SUITOR FOR JENNY

Jenny Higgins is certain falling in love and finding a husband are matters of the mind. Her heart has other plans.

After their parents died, Jenny felt responsible for seeing that her two younger sisters were well-taken care of. Tipped off by an article naming Rocky Creek the town with the highest number of eligible bachelors, Jenny rolled into this Texas town with a clear objective: find suitable husbands for her two sisters and then start fresh somewhere far, far away.

Jenny believes that women who fall in love at first sight often wish they'd taken a second look, so she diligently begins to follow all the rules set forth in her handy manual on how to land a husband.

But while Jenny is interviewing the less-than-promising candidates, her sisters are falling in love the old-fashioned way -- with men of their choosing. And the longer Jenny stays, the more her sense of control slips away. The town isn't living up to her expectations, her sisters are rebelling against her practical choices, and soon her own heart starts to betray her, as US Marshal Rhett Armstrong stirs up emotions in her that weren't part of her plan.

To relinquish her control to God and calm her restless spirit, she'll need to give up her foregone conclusions about marriage, love, and faith.

I HAVE BEEN ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THE NEXT RELEASE FROM MARGARET BROWNLEY. IT FELT LIKE AN INTERMINABLE WAIT SINCE I ENJOYED A LADY LIKE SARAH SO MUCH. BUT MY IMPATIENCE WAS WORTH IT! A SUITOR FOR JENNY IS JUST AS CAPTIVATING AND THERE'S THE ADDED BONUS OF GETTING REAQUAINTED WITH SARAH AND JUSTIN WITHIN THE PAGES OF THIS SECOND NOVEL.

BROWNLEY HAS A REAL TALENT FOR BLENDING HUMOUR AND DRAMA. SHE FOUND THE PERFECT BALANCE THAT KEPT ME BETWEEN ANGST AND LAUGHTER THE ENTIRE READ!

I LOVE HOW SHE SET UP EACH CHAPTER WITH A QUOTE FROM "MISS ABIGAIL JENKINS", 1875 -- HELPFUL HINTS ON COURTING. SUCH SAGE ADVICE THAT IS AS SOUND TODAY AS IT WAS THEN. GEMS LIKE:

WOMEN WHO FALL IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT OFTEN WISH THEY'D TAKEN A SECOND LOOK.

OR HOW ABOUT

IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT TO KISS A HANDSOME MAN, GIVE HIM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

JENNY IS A COMPLICATED WOMAN AND BROWNLEY HINTS AT A DIFFICULT PAST THAT HAS TEMPERED HER JOY IN LIFE AND HAS LEFT HER WITH VERY LITTLE HOPE FOR HER OWN FUTURE. SHE IS WEIGHED DOWN BY GUILT AND HAS TURNED AWAY FROM GOD BECAUSE SHE BELIEVES SHE DOESN'T DESERVE HIS ATTENTION.

RHETT (SIGH, ISN'T THAT A LOVELY NAME FOR A HERO?) ALSO HAS A TRAGIC PAST AND THOUGH HE HAS TURNED TO GOD TO SEE HIM THROUGH IT, HE HASN'T ALLOWED ANY HEALING TO TAKE PLACE. IN SPITE OF THEIR HURTS, RHETT AND JENNY ARE ATTRACTED TO EACH OTHER AND THEN CONFLICTED OVER THAT ATTRACTION. BROWNLEY PULLS THE ROMANTIC TENSION TIGHT AS THEIR STORY PLAYS OUT AND IT DEFINITELY KEPT ME TURNING PAGES.

BROWNLEY ALSO EXPLORES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 'GRIEF' AND 'GUILTY GRIEF' AND WEAVES A POWERFUL MESSAGE AND WITNESS OF GOD'S LOVE FOR HIS CHILDREN THROUGHOUT THE BOOK.

I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED MY TIME SPENT IN ROCKY CREEK, TEXAS IN THE COMPANY OF JENNY AND RHETT AND THE REST OF THE CHARACTERS IN A SUITOR FOR JENNY. IT HAS DEFINITELY EARNED A SPOT ON MY KEEPER SHELF!