My morning brightened when I saw a wonderful review by Michelle R. for my Christmas short story, When Love Comes Knocking. The review has certainly brightened my day.
Book review for: When Love Comes Knocking by Sarah J. McNeal
Blurb:
Penelope Witherspoon was charmed into marriage by Evan Thoroughgood only to learn she loved a philanderer, who gambled away his inheritance and drank too heavily. It came as no surprise that four months after their marriage, Evan was shot dead for cheating at cards. Since his death, Penelope has come to depend on his older brother, Gil. In fact, she has come to love and respect him. No two men could be further apart in character. But, if Gil learns of her secret indiscretion, he will want nothing further to do with her. What is Penelope to do?
My review:
When Love Comes Knocking is a short and sweet story that delivers quite a bit of feels, and I'm not talking the winter's chill on a hot August afternoon.
Emotions are high and rolling as Penelope and Gil finally decide it's time to own up to their desires - even as fear and jealousy grip tight. I just felt bad that it took as long as it did for both of them to find their bravery... all that time lost! However, with thoughts like this from Gil: He would love her until the starts burned out, the wait was obviously well worth it. I was smiling as things finally got sorted out.
One other fun nugget: The way to love a woman can be a mysterious undertaking. Isn't that the truth! lol
Purchase link:
WHEN
LOVE COMES KNOCKING
Excerpt:
Once he took a sip or
two of the coffee she poured for him, Banjo studied her for a moment. “You’ve
got dark circles under your eyes like you haven’t slept and you’re running
around like a maniac. What’s troubling you? Wait. Let me guess. You thinking
about Gil Thoroughgood by some chance?”
“Are you mocking me?”
“Certainly not. The two
of you are about to make me crazy. Gil came to see me the other night after he
left your place—the night we put up the clothesline and the Christmas tree. He
wanted to know my intentions.” Banjo grinned. “Maybe I ought to marry you, but
he’d kill me for sure then.”
“Stop kidding around,
Banjo. He suspects something is between you and me and he probably hates me.”
She buried her face in her hands. “I don’t know what to do. I haven’t seen him
since that night.”
“Penelope, darlin’, it’s
not like you to sit back and do nothing. Where’s the woman I know you to be?
What do you want from Gil? What does he mean to you? What do you really want?”
Excerpt:
After the bags were placed inside the door, Banjo
glanced around the room. “I see you’ve got a Christmas tree this year,
Penelope.” He stepped over to the tree and examined it, touching some of the
wooden ornaments. “Gil, these are nice. I know you made them. I can tell your
work. You’re the best carpenter in town, maybe anywhere in the state. You ought
to make these to sell.” He peered at Gil with those dark eyes framed in
wire-rimmed spectacles. “The townsfolk talk about your rocking chairs and
tables, but I bet they never saw anything like these beauties. Oh. Before I
forget, Belle wants to talk to you about ordering new chairs for the Iron
Slipper. Seems some rowdy cowpokes got into a scuffle over a card game last
week and some chairs met their end.” Banjo grinned.
Gil wanted to dislike Banjo, but he just couldn’t. For
all that he was orphaned as a baby and left to be raised by whores, he was one
of the kindest young men he knew. “I’ll drop by her place on the way home and
see what she wants.”
Just for a fleeting moment, Gil saw the shadow cross
Penelope’s face. Probably just the mention of the Iron Slipper or Belle
probably still brought the memory of Evan’s death to her and the pain that went
with it.
Diverse
stories filled with heart
