The Chapel Car Bride

     BOOK REVIEW:  After a sheltered life in Pittsburgh, Hope Irvine is ready for a new adventure. When her father takes a position as a preacher in a railroad car converted into a traveling church, she's thrilled at the chance to accompany him. While accommodations in their new chapel car home are tight, Hope couldn't be happier putting her musical skills to good use and ministering to the people of West Virginia alongside her father. But when their chapel car arrives in Finch, West Virginia, they find a coal mining community that has hit hard times and is suspicious of outsiders.
    Luke Hughes works for the coal mine when he can, but the struggling company doesn't always offer steady work. When Reverend Irvine and Hope arrive in town, Luke is intrigued by what the reverend can teach him---and by the lovely and kind Hope.
    When Hope's desire to bring supplies and Sunday school classes to neighboring counties leads to her traveling with a flirtatious young mine manager, Luke is hard-pressed to suppress his jealousy. But when he begins to suspect the manager's motives are less than charitable, can he prove it without hurting Hope, or worse, putting her in danger?

    MY REVIEW:  I have read one or two of Judith Miller's books over the years, and a few that she wrote with other authors. I can't remember what I thought about her other books, but I was a little disappointed with this one. I liked the idea of a traveling chapel car, but I thought the storyline could use some help. Luke and Hope seemed to fall for each other pretty fast, and the beginning sort of jumped along, so we went from them meeting to their being an almost couple. Then introduce the miner's irresponsible, yet charming son, and you have the whole girl-falling-for-the-wrong-guy-then-finally-waking-up-only-to-have-the-right-guy-start-rethinking-things vein.
   Aside from that, the book was written well--I had no problem keeping up with the story, etc. I think this is a stand-alone novel, but Judith has also written several other series, such as Home from Amana, Postcards from Pullman, and a few with Tracie Peterson, like Bells of Lowell, which I didn't care much for, and The Broadmoor Legacy, which I enjoyed.

                 I received this book from BETHANY HOUSE in exchange for my honest review.