For the Record is a
cute story set in the late 1800s about a young man and a young woman who are
looking to advance their careers and avoid romance. Betsy is an independent
young woman who was clearly born before her time. She wasn’t interested in any
of the local boys, and chose to spend her time helping her uncle with his
newspaper. As a reward, she made it to the ripe old age of 24 where people stopped
bugging her to get married. Joel is a sheriff deputy who attempted to avoid
matrimony, but fell victim to the attempts of a young woman who falsely
tarnished his reputation. He escapes to a small town in Missouri, hoping to
avoid his past. What happens when these two souls cross paths?
It took a few chapters for me to really get into this story,
but then I couldn’t put it down. It’s a whodunit with an entertaining romance.
The characters hold back from each other emotionally, and they both have
secrets they are keeping. And all the while they are working together – or somewhat
together – to solve the town’s recent problems.
I found characters engaging, and didn’t think the romance overwhelms
the plot. It is clean romance too, with a Christian influence but not in excess.
I wouldn’t call it historical fiction, but the story contains enough details
about the time period and geography to entertain a fan of the genre. I would recommend
this book to those looking for a clean romance, and hope to read more from the
author.
I received this book
for free from the publisher through the BethanyHouse Blogger Review Program. I was not
required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have
expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade
Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
