A Most Inconvenient Marriage by Regina Jennings 5 of 5 stars.
ABIGAIL STUART THOUGHT SHE WAS JEREMIAH CALHOUN'S WIDOW.
BUT JEREMIAH CALHOUN IS VERY HANDSOME,
VERY ALIVE, AND VERY PERPLEXED.
MOST INCONVENIENT INDEED.
With few options of her own, nurse Abigail Stuart agrees to marry her patient, a gravely wounded soldier calling himself Jeremiah Calhoun. They arrange a quick ceremony before he dies, giving Abigail the rights to his Ozark farm and giving Jeremiah the peace of knowing someone will care for his ailing sister after he's gone--a practical solution for both of them.
After the war, Abigail fulfills her side of the bargain--until the real Jeremiah Calhoun shows up, injured but definitely alive, and wastes no time in challenging Abigail's story. Abigail is flummoxed. After months of claiming to be his widow, how can she explain that she's never seen this Jeremiah Calhoun before? How can she convince him that she isn't trying to steal his farm? And will she find a way to stay, even though this practical arrangement has turned into a most inconvenient marriage? (Book blurb)
Newlywed Abigail Calhoun heads South into the wild Ozark mountains following the death of the jovial Confederate soldier, Jeremiah Calhoun, she married in a Union hospital. The young man generously offered Abigail a home and a family--something he couldn't possibly have known she needed so badly--in exchange for her nursing his sickly sister. Everything seems to be working out fine, until the real Captain Jeremiah Calhoun shows up and challenges her.
The real captain is serious, controlling and steadfastly goal-oriented, and the temptingly beautiful woman claiming to be his widow is dead-set on getting in the way of the very goals that have carried him through the war, the most important being his determination to marry his sweetheart. Only Abigail isn't the only obstacle. His Laurel has become engaged to another man. What's more, his sister, Rachel, is angry and bitter, having let her resentment toward Jeremiah fester over the four years that he's been gone.
Abigail and Jeremiah must search for their own peace and happiness whilst protecting "their" farm from the bushwackers and thieves that seem to be the Ozarks' only remuneration from the war. Will Abigail be able to overcome the painful secrets of her past and find a home with this frustratingly hard-headed man and his family? Will Rachel be able to find forgiveness? Will Jeremiah win back his love?
A Most Inconvenient Marriage is a brave, fast-paced story told from the perspectives of two strong, enigmatic characters that compliment each other beautifully. The romance is tension rich and uncertain, leaving the reader gasping and unsure what outcome to wish for the characters. The writing is full of depth and description that propels the tale along at a pleasant pace while keeping the reader immersed in the setting and time period from beginning to end.
I adore the way this novel is set up. It is told in third person with the point of view switching easily between Abigail and Jeremiah. The more dominant perspective in the beginning is Abigail's which maintains the mystery surrounding Jeremiah. When he steps onto the scene, we get more from his point of view which is hilariously different than Abigail's. There is a definite masculine feel to his parts that contrasts Abigail's more feminine perspective. Still, they compliment each other, making the ensuing romance delicious in a crossed wires sort of way. They're both willful and fully developed characters. I loved them both so much by the end!
The other character are just as interesting. They all have their own unique internal conflicts and goals. It adds to the beauty and richness of the novel as a whole. Jennings is obviously a masterful author when it comes to creating realistic characters and authentic settings.
I would suggest this book for anyone who loves a good strong heroine or a nice historical romance. The elements of faith that are woven throughout the book are subtle but still meaningful for Christian readers.
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