Review: Charming the Troublemaker by Pepper D. Basham

Book Two in the Mitchell's Crossroads series

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Rainey Mitchell is doing just fine. She has a great job helping children in need, her family is around her, she is mother to a fabulous little girl, and is getting over the betrayal of her ex-husband. Dr. Alex Murdock is not doing so well, as he is forced to work at a rural university, his life is full of secrets surrounding his family, and he has to start over in a new town. Luckily, Rainey, the daughter of his landlord, is there to get him settled. Rainey just wants to stay away from the new professor, who has the same charm as her ex. Unfortunately, they seem to need each other. Rainey needs his grant-writing ability to save her program, and Alex is terrible at the lecturing at which Rainey excels. The two must work together to fulfill their goals, but will they be able to do it? Rainey's insecurities and Alex's obsession with protecting his family could be their undoing.

My Review

This one started slow for me- although I liked the characters, there was quite a bit of internal musing and not much action beyond daily mundane life. I almost moved on to a different book, but I'm glad I stuck with it because the pace did increase as events and life got more interesting and the dynamic between Rainey and Alex deepened. There are some laugh out loud scenes as well as toe-curling kisses in between the sweet moments with Rainey's daughter, Rainey's fight to keep her clinic open, Alex's struggles with teaching, and his growing joy in his new rural circumstances. I liked seeing how Alex valued the way he felt around Rainey's family and also the peace he felt as he turned to God. Rainey also undergoes a lot of growth as she learns to not judge men based on her ex and opens her heart to the chance for a love that won't betray her.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

---

Check out the other books in the Mitchell's Crossroads series . . .

Book One

Book Three