Phoebe's Groom by Deb Kastner

Title: Phoebe's Groom

Author: Deb Kastner

Series: Email Order Brides

Publisher: Harlequin

Line:Love Inspired

ISBN: 9780373876822

More Information: http://www.eharlequin.com

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Phoebe Yates needed a break from her life as a celebrated pastry chef.  When an online friend offered her a temp job at her café, Phoebe jumped at the chance to live and work in a small town.  What she didn’t know was that she would work along side, Chance Hawkins, and boarding in his home.  Chance, a widower, was not interested in loving anyone else again but Phoebe was making him rethink that maybe he should give love and God another chance.

This is a sweet and straightforward story.  There is no scheming or misunderstandings.  All the characters of Serendipity were friendly and easily relatable.  Phoebe was just plain nice.  She was pretty up front with issues and didn’t hem and haw when something was bothering her.  I respected that she faced the problem head on.  Chance was also an inspiring hero.  Guilt-ridden, he believed he was at fault for his wife’s death and no longer socialized and rode in cars.  However, when his family needed him, he stepped up to the plate and confronted the fears that were holding him back.  Even though I know it would ruin the flow of the story, I felt that he did overcome his fear a little bit too quickly.  Also, I like the how the author handled the issue with Chance’s daughter.  She was hostile against Phoebe at the beginning but with the right amount of time, warmed up to her without overwhelming the plot and making a big deal out of it.  And the ending was short but pretty cute.

Overall, this was good read.  I recommend this people who are looking for a straightforward, wholesome, clean romance.  The plot and dialogue are strong enough to keep you turning the pages.  If you are looking for a plot-driven and riveting story, this book is not for you.  The only reason I didn’t give it a 5 stars was because I would not read this again and personally, the story was a little low key.