A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer

My Thoughts:

I was surprised by this book at how interested I became. I was not expecting great things as I often find romance books to be so predictable that they get boring very quickly. This one seemed to hold my attention right through to the end. There was a lot of language in the book that was time specific, and since I do not read many books from this time period I found myself loosing some of the meaning as I, like most people these days, did not have time to go search out the meanings of the words. Other than that one drawback I found the book light and fun to read and even thought provoking at times. I am amazed to know that this is Karen Witemeyer's first novel! Well done and keep up the good work! 

When a dressmaker who values beauty tangles with a liveryman who condemns vanity, the sparks begin to fly!

Jericho "J.T." Tucker wants nothing to do with Coventry, Texas's new dressmaker. He's all too familiar with her kind--shallow women more devoted to fashion than true beauty. Yet, except for her well-tailored clothing, this seamstress is not at all what he expected.

Hannah Richards is confounded by the man who runs the livery. The unsmiling fellow riles her with his arrogant assumptions and gruff manner while at the same time stirring her heart with unexpected acts of kindness. Which side of Jericho Tucker reflects the real man?

When Hannah decides to help Jericho's sister catch a beau--leading to uproarious consequences for the whole town--will Jericho and Hannah find a way to bridge the gap between them?

Reviews

"Witemeyer's debut will grab fans in the historical romance crowd. She blends lively writing, storytelling prowess, and enough romance to keep readers satisfied. Hannah Richards opens her dress shop in 1881 Coventry, Tex., with little more than a dream to help women add beauty to their lives. Livery owner Jericho Tucker, however, finds nothing beautiful in her plans. Despite J.T's antagonism and Hannah's strong will, the pair find ways to meet in the middle and come out together. Sidelights include matchmaking on Hannah's part, a sinister rival, dangerous floodwaters, and two people who truly desire to follow Christ. Readers will ponder, with J.T. and Hannah, the difference between beauty and vanity: 'You may see a room full of harmless fashions, but if you open your eyes, you'll find that, in truth, it is filled with the temptations to indulge in sinful vanity,' he says. 'If God had wanted the world to be a somber, colorless place, he would have made everything in black and gray,' she says. Thought-provoking and entertaining faith-based fiction for sure." --Publishers WeeklyI found it hard to believe that A Tailor-Made Bride is Karen Witemeyer's debut novel. It is highly creative, has depth and emotion, an interesting supporting cast, and some of the most delicious bantering between a hero and heroine that I've read. I can hardly wait for Ms. Witemeyer's next book to come out. Be sure to check out A Tailor-Made Bride. This is one book you won't want to pass up. --Vickie McDonough, TitleTrakk.com
"Readers of historical romance will be delighted to discover a new author who writes like a seasoned veteran of the genre yet with a freshness that is uniquely her own. Karen Witemeyer has penned a novel as fun and feisty as the cover suggests, with a innovative heroine determined to make the most of the blessings bestowed upon her and a hero who is as surly as he is good looking. With sparkling dialogue and a thought provoking battle of wits over vanity versus beauty, Karen is set to make a splash amongst readers who enjoy Deeanne Gist, Mary Connealy and Robin Lee Hatcher. Karen has won me over and I'll certainly be on the lookout for Head in the Clouds, come this October." --Rel Mollet, relzreviewz.blogspot.com