Trouble in Store

I was excited to receive this book for free from Bethany House Publishers. The description sounded very intriguing! Mystery, danger, intrigue, romance, and all in a good, clean Christian book... it was right up my alley! I was not disappointed.  Trouble in Store by Carol Cox is a fantastic book with in-depth characters and a great plot.

Melanie Ross feels like her world is breaking around her. After being abruptly fired from her position as a governess, she doesn't know what she is going to do.  Then she remembers that when her only remaining relative passed away, she was offered a place to stay AND a job! So she heads out west determined to make this work. If not, what will she do??

Caleb Nelson does not need a woman telling him what to do. On top of everything else going on in his life, he just wants to focus on running HIS store, raising his son, and figuring out who keeps leaving these threatening notes for him to find. So when Melanie shows up claiming that half of the store belongs to her, Caleb is furious! He plots a way to get rid of her by marrying her off, which he reasons shouldn't be hard to do. It's the west after all, there are way more available men than there are women!

But when notes turn to break-ins and other dangers, things change. In this sweet story of healing and God's grace, we meet two characters whose lives have been beaten and broken.  Reading about these two characters emotions, we can feel the despair they sometimes feel and we can rejoice with them when they finally figure out God's plan. Carol brings the characters to life by giving them real emotions. I can relate to Melanie because I know what it's like to smile when inside you're crying. I can relate to Caleb because I know what it's like to just want some consistency and normalcy after tragedy strikes.She does an excellent job of creating a message of faith and God's unfailing love, all while not being too preachy.

The message is this: God creates beauty from the ashes of your despair. Don't give up! You're sorrow will turn to joy and your heartache will turn to rejoicing in HIS time. It's a lesson we all need to learn, and reading this book might just help you do that!

This book is available for pre-order and will come available on June 1.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trouble-in-store-carol-cox/1113143887?ean=9780764209567