Kindle Edition, 282 pages
Published November 5th 2018 by Books to Go Now
Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.
Jack Allan cannot count the number of times he’s been approached with invitations beginning something like, “My sister has a friend…” It seems as if everyone in the small town of Corbett, Idaho, is intent on finding a wife for him--everyone except for Jack himself. The townspeople gossip that this is because Jack, a young widower, has not gotten over the death of his wife, Katelin, and in a way they are right. However, it isn’t his undying love for Katelin which is holding Jack back. Rather it is the memory of events surrounding her death, events about which only he knows and which have left him filled with guilt.
Undeterred, Ruby Henderson, Jack’s feisty neighbor, introduces him to her granddaughter, Ally. Jack unwittingly finds himself attracted to Ally, and it seems she is attracted to him too. So he is stunned when he finally asks her out and she turns him down his by saying it would be best if they were just friends. This sets in motion events which lead Jack into one romantic entanglement after another and with not one possible romantic interest but three.
Set against the backdrop of farming and small town life, The Reluctant Courtship of Jack Allan is filled with amusing characters. It tells a story which is sometimes humorous and sometimes poignant as Jack struggles with his guilt while also working to sort out his love life and those of the people around him.
Undeterred, Ruby Henderson, Jack’s feisty neighbor, introduces him to her granddaughter, Ally. Jack unwittingly finds himself attracted to Ally, and it seems she is attracted to him too. So he is stunned when he finally asks her out and she turns him down his by saying it would be best if they were just friends. This sets in motion events which lead Jack into one romantic entanglement after another and with not one possible romantic interest but three.
Set against the backdrop of farming and small town life, The Reluctant Courtship of Jack Allan is filled with amusing characters. It tells a story which is sometimes humorous and sometimes poignant as Jack struggles with his guilt while also working to sort out his love life and those of the people around him.
My Review: 4.5 Stars
This story is such an enigma. While there are hints of romance, it reads more like a women's fiction novel, yet our main character is a man. What? I know. I was truly fascinated and captivated by everything in this book!
Jack is a widower and leads a very ordinary and structured existence. He has women falling all over him, and everyone wanting to set him up, yet he's an average man--average in height, build, and looks--and he comes across as socially awkward. But there's something about him that is intriguing, for both the reader and these fictional women. His character is well-written and completely comes to life.
I loved the details of this small farming community in Idaho and especially enjoyed the quirky, close-knit cast of characters. There are many instances that caused the reader to feel a part of the story, from the small-town football games, to the wheat and potato harvests, to the holiday celebrations, and I loved being an honorary citizen through them all.
The romance is very mild and a very slow burn, which is very conducive to the plot and the story as a whole. The loyalties, strong sense of community, and relationships of all levels are very binding, and emphasize the emotions involved, truly making this a story that was hard for me to forget.
Content: very mild romance; mild instances of danger/injury/death; mild religion (they basically attend church a few times, but no preaching is involved, just humorous flirtations in the pews)
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