An Uncommon Courtship

Lord Trent Hawthorne couldn't be happier he is not the duke in the family. Free to manage his small estate and take his time discovering the life he wants to lead, he has grand plans of someday wooing and falling in love with the woman of his choice. When he finds himself honor bound to marry a woman he barely knows, his dream of a loving marriage like his parents' seems lost forever. 
Life for Lady Adelaide Bell was easier when she hid in her older sister's shadow-which worked until her sister got married. But even with her socially ambitious mother's focus entirely on her, the last thing she expected was a marriage of convenience before she's been introduced to society. 
With nothing going as expected, can Trent and Adelaide's marriage of obligation survive their own missteps and the pressures of London society to grow into a true meeting of hearts and minds? (copy of back cover)

An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter was the cutest book I've read in a while. Trent and Adelaide were both so sweet, and adorably awkward with each other. I liked that gentle, shy Adelaide learned to stand up for herself, and I loved how seriously Trent took his marriage. His journey of learning what it meant to be a husband was one of the most meaningful parts of the book. 
I loved watching their relationship develop, and I also enjoyed the Austenian setting.
Their relationship was realistic, because they had real issues to work out. They had real fights, and sincere discussions. I really felt like I was seeing a marriage grow, which was neat. A warning to younger readers, though: they are married, so their physical relationship progressed more than is typical in Christian fiction. 
I really enjoyed An Uncommon Courtship, and as it is part of a series, I am already checking out the previous books. :)
I would totally recommend this book to any fan of romance or Jane Austen. 
*I received a free copy of this book in order to review it. 

For the Record

Rather Than Wait for a Hero, She Decided to Create One

Betsy Huckabee has big-city dreams, but nobody outside of tiny Pine Gap, Missouri, seems interested in the articles she writes for her uncle's newspaper. Her hopes for independence may be crushed until the best idea she's ever had comes riding into town.

Deputy Joel Puckett didn't want to leave Texas, but unfair circumstances have made moving to Pine Gap his only shot at keeping a badge. Worse, this small town has big problems, and masked marauders have become too comfortable taking justice into their own hands. He needs to make clear that he's the law in this town-and that job is made more difficult with a nosy reporter who seems to follow him everywhere he goes. 

The hero Betsy creates to be the star in a serial for the ladies' pages is based on the dashing deputy, but he's definitely fictional. And since the pieces run only in newspapers far away, non one will ever know. But the more time she spends with Deputy Puckett, the more she appreciates the real hero-and the more she realizes what her ambition could cost him. (copy of back cover)

For the Record by Regina Jennings was yet another cute romance with a western flair. Betsy is a fiery heroine if there every was one, but she meets her match with Joel Puckett. They are honestly an adorable couple, and their banter and budding friendship really made the book for me. They were two characters I could actually see together; it was believable. 

Cute romance, plus cozy mountain settings, equal a compelling book. Add in the crime-busting action, and For the Record was hard to put down. There was just the right tinge of adventure in the book, but not too much to detract from the romance.

If I had one gripe, it would be Betsy's insatiable passion for her trade. Her ambition is so over the top, it jeopardizes her relationship with Joel. That aspect did add to the suspense of the book, but it was kind of irritating. I probably would have liked her better if she hadn't been such a selfish pain when it came to her own ambitions. That being said, she was an overall likable character, so I can overlook it. ;) 

I think anyone with a penchant for western romances and independent heroines will fall in love with For the Record, and I definitely recommend it.

*I received a free copy of this book in order to review it.