WhiskeyintheJar Romance

It took a while for me to get into this book. The main lead character Sammie(Samantha) seemed almost too silly, cutesy, and absent minded. She is 26 yrs, unmarried (Oh the shame!) a bluestocking, and carries a toad around with her. I'm 50 pgs in and not sure if I am feeling her yet.

The cabin scene was finally where this book grabbed me and I finally found myself getting involved with the story. Eric or The Bride Thief kidnapped Sammie thinking she was about to be married to a man she was not in favor of and brings her to a cabin to help her figure out her future. Sammie explained she already took care of the problem. Anyway, their conversation in the cabin is where this story and characters started to come alive for me. I hope the author puts these two characters together a lot because right now it is the characters chemistry which is keeping me into this book.

Sigh, Eric and Sammie are so perfect for each other! I do find it a tad odd how Sammie doesn't seem to give it a second thought about becoming a fallen woman, she's banking on noone finding out. I love her attitude of wanting to experience everything life has to offer a woman but this ideology is more modern thinking. Yes, Sammie is a bluestocking (old term for intelligent dare I say feminist woman) but if she really cared about her family as she is portrayed as feeling she would never want to do anything to cause them pain. If anyone ever found out she was giving the milk away for free her whole family would be outcasts. So this whole deal of Sammie actively pursuing Eric for a liaison seems selfish of her considering the consequences and the author has written her to be the exact opposite. I love strong women characters but sometimes I think authors get too crazy with putting modern women ideals in 18th century women. I don't doubt for one second modern ideals didn't cross their minds but unfortunately they had a lot more severe consequences.

The newspaper articles chronicling the intensifying search for the Bride Thief at the beginning of chapters add a touch of suspense and tenseness. This balances out nicely with Sammie and Eric's easy and gradual moving relationship. I am happy the author kept the focus on Sammie and Eric and kept Eric's pursuits as the Bride Thief secondary.

This is the type of book you curl up in a window seat with an afghan covering your legs, while you sip on a cup of hot chocolate (I dislike tea and coffee, crazy I know) as it rains outside. Sammie and Eric are definitely what make this story enjoyable. Their relationship is slow building and almost could be described as languid but I took pleasure in reading what I would call an old fashioned romance book.

This story doesn't have much pizzazz or bells and whistles but if you're looking for a nice, slow, comfort read Sammie and Eric's story is for you. This wasn't quite a keeper for me but I am so happy I read it, even if it did start out slow, and in fact after I finished reading it left a lingering smile on my face.

B+