The Next One

Last year, I read a Christian Fiction book that I really enjoyed, A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano.  It was a melodrama, which is apropriate--I think--for historical fiction.  Why I liked it was that it was funny.  There were a few scenes that genuinely made me laugh.  I have found this to be rare in Christian fiction.  Because of this, I looked forward to reading the second book in the series.  

The second book is titled A Most Peculiar Circumstance.  This story focuses

on Miss Arabella Beckett, the sister in law of the main character from A Change of Fortune, Eliza.  She is in trouble at the beginning of the story and Mr. Theodore Wilder rescues her and returns her to her family.  The remainder of the story focuses on the chemistry between these two characters and threats to Miss Beckett's safety.  

The verdict?
The writing is fine.  It isn't unusually good, but it's fine.  I didn't laugh the way I had hoped I might again.  This story felt even more melodramatic than the first novel.  The plot keeps moving.  It is very unexpected.  It followed similar patterns of action as the first, which made it feel less unique.  I liked Arabella Beckett's character, but strangely enough really didn't like Eliza as much as I had in the first book.  She was a bit too sappy!

If you're looking for a melodramatic historical fiction that you can sit down to read over a cup of tea, then this book would work just fine...

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Bethany House Publishing.