Book Review - All's Fair in Love and Arson by Sharon McGregor

All’s Fair in Love and Arson 

Sharon McGregor

Prism Book Group

c. Nov 2015

novella

inspirational holiday romance

.99 ebook

ISBN 9781943104255

Buy on Amazon http://amzn.to/1GNIZ4K

From the publisher: 

Bella is back at her childhood home. When her mother took a fall in the Nuisance Grounds (garbage dump) and broke her leg, Bella came back to help her and run her shop, Izzie's. Soon Bella discovers she's also been handed Izzie's role in the town's Christmas theatre production, a musical version of a well-known mystery that threatens to become more bizarre each day. A serial arsonist is frightening the townspeople, a family feud threatens young romance, and intrigue and rumors are the order of the day. On top of everything, Bella's high school sweetheart Jake, who dumped her for a cheerleader, is now Chief of Police. Poor Bella! Christmas in St. Christopher's is not what it used to be.

My review:

Bella comes home to her small town of St. Christopher to help her mother at the shop while Izzie heals from a broken leg. It’s been twelve years and old wounds have festered. But St. Christopher has some secrets—some good, some not-so-good. One of them is the new chief of police—Jake—Bella’s high school honey she thought cheated on her all those years ago. She can’t decide if that’s a good or not-so-good secret. Another is the amount of nostalgia for a sense of home Bella left behind and never really felt anywhere else.

Izzie has a few secrets of her own—including a romance and a task for Bella to force her into the public through a local theater production role. A definitely not-so-good secret is there’s an arsonist afoot, and no one knows his or her next target. This is not the St. Christopher Bella left behind. In some ways, it’s better.

McGregor’s small town family stories pack a lot into a sweet, easy, quick read that tends to linger with a sense of nostalgia after the last page. Told in a folksy, third person manner from Bella’s point of view, the reader is transported to December in St. Christopher, where the nativity set in the hardware store window reminds Bella and Jake what life is truly all about. A gentle, multi-generational love story with a bit of mystery and lots of fun. For those who enjoy a quick and clean read with forgiveness to go around twice.

About the Author:

Sharon McGregor is a west coast transplant from the Canadian prairies. Her imagination and story weaving got its start when she was an only child living on a farm. She's moved on from cowgirl dreams to romance and mystery, but hasn't lost her love for horses.
When not writing or reading, she's busy with the two shops she shares with her daughter- an ice cream and candy store and a bath boutique.

Book review: Historical novella Acres of Dreams by Sharon McGregor

Acres of Dreams book review

Sharon McGregor

Short Historical Inspiration

From the Publisher: 

Katy is a nineteen year old girl sent to Canada by her family in the late 1890s to find a suitable husband. Katy has other plans however--she wants a career, not marriage. 

During the round of social activities arranged by her sister, she is drawn against her will towards her distant cousin, Robert, who loves Katy on sight. She has also attracted the attention of her brother in law's boss, Martin, who doesn't take rejection easily and evens the score by destroying Katy's reputation. 

Facing a return home in disgrace, Katy tries another way out. She accepts the offer of marriage from Robert, who is on his way west to set up a homestead on the prairies. 

Katy is not prepared for the loneliness and hardships she is about to face. She has a difficult journey ahead, learning to become a woman and a wife and discovering how to love. 

Prism Book Group

April, 2015

.99 novella e-book

buy on Amazon

My review:

Author Sharon McGregor packs a lot into this sweet little historical novella. Immigrating to Toronto, Canada from Ireland, Katy has bigger dreams than finding a husband to take care of her. She is invited to live with her expectant sister, Maggie, and husband while she’s introduced to society just before the turn of the twentieth century. An unfortunate incident damages Katy’s reputation beyond repair, and instead of being sent home to Ireland, Katy accepts an offer of marriage to a stranger.

Katy may be considered an adult in her era, but she has a lot of growing up to do. Things didn’t turn out her way—any way she wanted—with either education and career first, followed maybe by a suitable husband. Stuck with a quiet man she admires but isn’t sure she can love, she reluctantly follows him out to the prairie, along with Robert’s partner and his wife, Dan and Ellen, who is used to living without many amenities. Katy meets the neighbors, Ukrainians, and makes friends, such as she can. With her letters to her sister filled with angst, Maggie announces a visit, a cause of even deeper rift between Robert and Katy as Katy wants to offer comfort that simply isn’t available. It takes some deeper sorrow for Katy and Robert to face themselves and their relationship and decide whether they can make their new life work.

Told from Robert and Katy’s sides, this lovely story shows the reader both joy and hardship in a long-gone era, on the great western prairies of Canada. I loved it and recommend it for a sweet afternoon read.