A Most Inconvenient Marriage

I have yet to find a book published by Bethany House that I haven’t liked or haven’t enjoyed reading, in fact it kills me every time I have to put one of their books down because of those pesky other commitments in life (and in my case, those terrifying exams). I have received this book from the publisher, but of course it does not change my opinion in any way, shape, or form. Luckily for them, A Most Inconvenient Marriage is another book that I adore.

When I first read the description of A Most Inconvenient Marriage, I remember thinking something along the lines of, “How in the world did that happen? Who did she marry if not Jeremiah? I need to read this.” And so I did and I wasn’t disappointed. There was humor, suffering, show more regret, forgiveness, and love. I was close to tears at the end.

Bethany House books make me expect so much out of men. Sigh. Jeremiah, although, I really liked. He was flawed and had issues that a lot of male leads in other books don’t always have, making him a little more real and human. He’s not a perfect gentleman nor is he a prince charming waiting on his princess and then they go on and have their perfect sunset life. He suspected in the beginning that Abigail was there only to cheat his family out of their home and possessions. He didn’t believe her claim of her being married to him.

Abigail was a strong character. She was a nurse during the war and so she had seen so many horrible things and saw so many young men die. Poor woman thought she was marrying the real Jeremiah Calhoun and what a surprise to her that the dying man she married was in fact someone else entirely. Despite that, she stayed and took care of the very real Jeremiah’s ailing, but rather sharp-tongued sister. Abigail and Jeremiah’s relationship with one another is not a simple one and there are some obstacles that keep them from each other longer than what could have been.

So I would a hundred percent throw this book at you and demand you read it, that is if you like historical fiction with clean romance or if you’re just a Bethany House fan like me. show less

Totally Made Me Smile!!

Jennings has an artist's touch with words. I not only loved the storyline of A Most Inconvenient Marriage, but Jennings's masterful manipulation of the English language made me smile from ear to ear. Some favorite lines, in a book abounding with pithy sayings:
"...tears that seemed caught in his throat..."
"Know your heart before you give it away."
"Getting yourself declared deceased does come with consequences. " And my true favorite, meant as a double entendre,
"Nobody puts up with your stink like family!"

The story was for me, just icing on the cake. Abigail Stuart travels to the backwoods Ozarks as the widow of recently deceased Jeremiah Calhoun. Welcomed with open arms by Ma Calhoun, Jeremiah's terminally ill show more sister is an insufferable pain. Just as Abigail begins to manage the Calhoun horse farm for her erstwhile husband, the REAL Jeremiah Calhoun arrives home and the reader's fun begins in earnest! Themes of trust, honesty, and forgiveness run strong in this volume. Don't miss this Civil War gem! !

I received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review. show less

A Most Inconvenient Marriage is a heartfelt and entertaining historical romance by Regina Jennings. It is an engaging story of love and healing and while it is mostly a light-hearted read, it is also very realistic depiction of the aftereffects of the Civil War.

With no home to return to after the war's end, Abigail Stuart accepts a dying soldier's offer of marriage and agrees to care for his mother and ailing sister. Following Jeremiah Calhoun's death, Abigail journeys to his family farm in the Ozark mountains where she eagerly accepted into the family by his mother. Abigail is slowly making a new life for herself when the real Jeremiah Calhoun shows up expecting to pick up his life where he left it before joining the war.

Abigail is a show more strong, no nonsense woman who made the most of her life following a family betrayal and she is not willing to give up her new life without a fight. Her nursing skills come in handy in the mountain community, but it is not easy for her to overcome the suspicions and hostility from some her new neighbors.

Jeremiah's kind and caring heart takes a while to see since he is so distrusting of Abigail when he first returns home. Once the mystery of who Abigail married is cleared up, the two enter into an uneasy agreement as he tries to resume his old life. But Jeremiah must contend with the fact that life went on in his absence and that the changes wrought by the passage of time might make it impossible for him to honor his previous commitments.

A secondary story arc centers around the unsavory aspects of the war's end and adds a little suspense to the main storyline. Not all of the newcomers have honorable intentions and Abigail falls under suspicion when some neighbor's livestock goes missing.

A Most Inconvenient Marriage is a well-written historical novel with an engaging cast of characters. The plot is well executed and realistic while the growth of the characters is believable. The romance between Jeremiah and Abigail is understated, but of the depth of their emotions always rings true. It is an absolutely beautiful story of faith and healing by Regina Jennings that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys inspirational love stories. show less

A Most Inconvenient Marriage by Regina Jennings is one of the most enjoyable historical fiction romances of Ms. Jennings books I have ever read. It is filled to brimming with action, suspense, mystery, laughs, and warm-hearted family drama. I read this book twice before writing this review, and the second reading was even better than the first.

The setting is Civil War Missouri, first in the prison in St. Louis, and finally on a farm in the Ozarks. Abigail Stuart has spent the past two years as a nurse to the weak and dying in that prison, regardless of which side of the war they served. One particularly charming soldier was beyond hope, yet he talked of his lovely Juliet as if he were Romeo. But then, when he finally realized he would show more not heal, he pleaded with Abigail to live with his mother and sister, to take care of them and his horse farm--as his wife. Abigail's first response was to refuse his suit. She eventually relented and married him and laid him to rest in a St. Louis cemetery. Since she had no other future, she headed for the farm. He had provided her specific directions and descriptions. Her heart was warmed when she was welcomed by the Ozark family as Mrs. Jeremiah Calhoun.

Then one day, the real Captain Jeremiah Calhoun returned home. He had never seen this woman who claimed to be his wife/widow before and Abigail wondered who she had married; yet had a paper saying she was married to Jeremiah.Jeremiah Calhoun wanted to throw this usurper out on her head, but his mother wouldn't let him. Right from the beginning he was suspicious of Abby's presence on his farm. Was she trying to swindle it out from under his family? And how was he to court Laurel Wallace, his sweetheart from before the war, while others believed him married already? Even Laurel had her doubts and a new man in her life, Dr. Newton Hopkins. However, Jeremiah was willing to fight for her.

Besides the contention between the major characters, there is great historical strife among the factions within the state, represented by the diversity of folks living in the hill farms that make up the setting for this book. The story is not overly political, but the divisiveness offers more dimension to flesh out the story nicely. And I learned some new things about the civil war era. Because of the distrust local families had for each other, the presence of riff-raff wandering the hills stealing horses and livestock, plundering homes and shooting people, Abigail was forced to stay close to the Calhoun's farm whether Jeremiah wanted her there or not. The author has skillfully built tension on top of existing tension.

The second thing I really appreciate about the author's writing style is how she provides comic relief in the form of two very mischievous children, Josiah and Betsy Huckabee. Those two were determined to pester Abigail, but she kept besting them at their own games. The pranks played back and forth kept me laughing all throughout the book. My favorite come-back was the dough face episode. You'll just have to read that to discover what that was all about.

Thirdly, the characterization of Jeremiah and Abigail is done well. Abigail had been annoyed by Jeremiah's overbearing demanding personality the moment she met him. Jeremiah himself had to hide his attraction to her, doubting himself and burying it under gruff behavior. He also didn't feel right about his involvement in the war, how his injury forced him to be hidden by Quakers in their cellar while his wounds healed, had doubts about his future with Laurel and frustrated over his confrontations with Abigail. He kept it all hidden behind the stiff, uncaring demeanor of a Captain. How he worked through all the mess is one element that makes this book worth reading repeatedly.

Finally, the romances developed in this story (all four of them) are satisfying to read. The issues all these characters faced were realistic and plausible. The author writes the personality dynamics so well that I easily got lost in the tug-of-war even the second time when I knew what to expect. Very good writing. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction and romances blended together.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Netgalley on behalf of Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” show less

I quite enjoyed reading this book and it was one that I had a hard time putting down when I had to go and do something else. I loved seeing how things were going to pan out between Abigail and Jeremiah as well as their interactions with family and neighbors. I loved how Abigail was not afraid of going after what she wanted and by taking control of the situation to save what she held dear even if it was a bit unconventional. She seemed to know what needed to be done and how to accomplish it even if it didn't mean getting what she really desired. I would hardily recommend this book to anyone who wants a book with great adventure with romance thrown in as well.
I received this book free from the author to review.

A MOST INCONVENIENT MARRIAGE by Regina Jennings
This Christian romance is a quick, fun read despite its obvious plot flaws. You will have to suspend belief as you discover a family of Southern sympathizers who embrace a Northern “nurse” claiming to have married their son on his deathbed so she can nurse his ailing sister and tend to the family farm. The tangled mess that ensues when the supposedly dead soldier turns up quite alive and engaged to a neighbor woman gives the plot its tension. The subplot of horse rustlers is much more believable and well thought out.
If you like Christian fiction and a bit of “squeaky clean” romance, you will enjoy this tale. The neighbor children supply a good bit of humor and the love stories have show more numerous twists and turns. All in all, a fine tale for the genre.
4 of 5 stars show less

A Most Inconvenient Marriage, a novel by Regina Jennings, opens in 1865 in a St. Louis prison. Abigail Stuart, a nurse, receives a surprising marriage proposal from her dying patient who says he is Jeremiah Calhoun. He promises that after he passes she will inherit his farm in the Ozarks. He asks that she takes care of his frail sister and the farm. Not having many other options, Abigail agrees to the marriage and travels to the farm after he dies. She identifies herself as Jeremiah's widow and she works hard to keep her end of the promise. Things get complicated when the real and very much alive Jeremiah Calhoun returns home. One can only imagine their surprise when they learn about each other. Abigail eventually accepts that this show more Jeremiah is who he says he is, but who did she marry? Jeremiah wants her to leave, but in reality she has nowhere to go as she is estranged from her own family. She desperately searches for a way to stay on the farm and with the people she has come to care for deeply.
In time Jeremiah and Abigail develop an attraction and a mutual respect. But, Jeremiah has made a commitment to another woman and he is an honorable man. Abigail prepares to leave the farm when things begin to change. Is there a chance for Abigail and Jeremiah to make a life?
This is a story about belonging , honor and love. The characters are endearing and admirable. This is a richly layered story that is easy and enjoyable to read. I recommend reading this book.

I received this book for free from Bethany House and I give this review of my own free will. show less