"caught in the middle" by regina jennings

About the book (from the publisher): She Wants the Freedom of the Open Plains. He Wants the Prestige of a Successful Career. Neither is Ready for What Comes Instead. 

The train to Garber, Texas, is supposed to bring life's next victory to Nicholas Lovelace. Instead, it gets held up by robbers who are thwarted by the last person Nick ever expected—Anne Tillerton from back home in Prairie Lea.

Anne's been hiding away as a buffalo hunter. She's only in town to find their runaway cook, but the woman flees—leaving Anne with her infant son Sammy. With Nick the only person Anne knows in town, the two form an unlikely team as they try to figure out what to do with the child.

But being in town means acting and dressing for polite society—and it's not going well for Anne. Meanwhile, Nick's work is bringing new pressures, and being seen with a rough-around-the-edges woman isn't helping his reputation. Caught between their own dreams, a deepening relationship, and others' expectations, can the pair find their way to love?

My take: Caught in the Middle is a decent historical romance. It's written well, and it features interesting characters. I especially enjoyed the plot line involving Anne and Sammy—I thought it was very sweet how Anne came to love Sammy, and her decision regarding his care showed just how much she grew throughout the novel. I also appreciated that the author tackled topics that aren't often seen in Christian historical fiction—infidelity and spousal abuse played fairly major roles in the story.

But overall, this novel isn't one that will stick with me. I think it's because I didn't really care about the Anne-Nick romance. Even though they did end up together, the real love story was of the motherly kind, and Anne and Nick fell a bit flat. I also didn't always follow everything with Nick's business, and I wasn't invested enough to reread things to make sure I understood.

I guess it boils down to the fact that I was expecting more. This is the third Regina Jennings novel that I've read: I loved Sixty Acres and a Bride, and I really enjoyed Love in the Balance, so my lack of connection to the romance disappointed me.

As I said, the book is written well, and I expect that most fans of historical romance will love it ... it just wasn't my favorite.

My rating: 3 stars

Buy the book.
Read my reviews of Sixty Acres and a Bride and Love in the Balance.

About the author: Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She has worked at The Mustang News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives outside Oklahoma City with her husband and four children.

Find out more about Regina at http://www.reginajennings.com/.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Bethany House Publishers through their book reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.  Also, some of the links are "affilliate links." This means if you click the link and buy the product, I will receive a commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."