A Bride in the Bargain, by Deeane Gist

I recently found a new (new to me) author in my local library's inspirational fiction section. Her name is Deeane Gist. I grabbed a couple of her books that looked interesting - "Courting Trouble" & "The Measure of a Lady". I read the books and fell in love with her writing and story-telling style. So much so that I picked up yet another one of her books ("A Bride Most Begrudgingly") last week when I was at the library. So, when Bethany House Publishers offered me the chance to review her newest book ("A Bride in the Bargain"), I quickly jumped at the opportunity!

In the book, she uses situations that actually occurred in history - the founding and settling of Seattle, East Coast widows/orphans being purchased to become West Coast brides, etc - and builds an authentic "it could have happened" story out of the events. Anna, the main female character in the story, was easy to relate to, even though I had never experienced what she experienced.

Gist writes historical romance fiction book with a Christian perspective. One of the things I love about her writing is the authenticity of the characters.

Deeane Gist uses sensual imagery in such a way as to make the reader feel as if she/he was experiencing the story firsthand. The trials and struggles of the characters are easy to relate to and bring into modern day life. The struggles of the flesh are evident in the characters' lives, and Gist does an excellent job of portraying them without being graphic and inappropriate.

I am a fan of this book, and this author, and highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read historical fiction. Gist is a highly talented writer, and this latest release meets and exceeds my expectations of a great book!