Courting Emma is set in the late 1800’s with two main characters, Emma Browning and Pastor Jonathan Atkins. Emma Browning runs the local boarding house with some pretty gruff and rowdy men, though they respect her rules.
Emma’s father, Ezra, is the town drunk. Every town back then had one. Unfortunately for Emma, her father was their town’s drunk. And Emma was abused as a child, which in turn, made her very stubborn and defiant as an adult.
Emma grew up with Jon Atkins. When he came back, all religious-like, she had no use for his so-called ‘God’. He had never done anything for her. She had to work hard for what she had.
Then Jon does something the whole town thinks is strange. He sells him home to build a new church. But now, he needs somewhere to live and he wants to move into Emma’s boarding house. Emma tries to avoid this, but eventually she gives in and allows the preacher to live there. His money was just as good as anyone else’s.
Jon tries to ignore his growing ‘attachment’ to Miss Emma Browning, but of course, our hearts have a mind of their own.
Then Emma begins to receive mysterious letters from a woman in Chicago who seems to know all about Ezra and Emma. Who is this woman? And what does she want from Emma?
MacLaren has a real talent for making her characters realistic, her settings so real, you almost feel like you are there. You can picture it all in your mind as you’re reading. The engaging conversation is lively and the slang is perfect for the time period she is writing about. You can hear the accent. You can envision the characters. You’ll fall in love with the little town of Little Hickman Creek.
Having never read a historical romance before, I was amazingly surprised at how I much I really enjoyed Courting Emma by Sharlene MacLaren. Not being a history buff myself, though I do enjoy movies that take place in the 19th century, I found I was hooked almost right away. And that says a lot in itself. A most enjoyable read and I wish now, I could’ve read the first two books in this series first. I intend to now. An excellent read.
The above review was contributed by: Cindy Bauer: Cindy is a Christian Fiction Author & Speaker. She is the author of two Inspirational Fiction Novels, Chasing Memories & Shades of Blue and a member of the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). She is an avid reader, employed with her local newspaper in page design and assists with editing and proofreading copy before publication. Click Here To Read More of Cindy's Reviews.
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