Dating, Dining, and Desperation

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Dating, Dining, and Desperation B&H Books (March 1, 2014) by Melody Carlson

MY THOUGHTS:
As I've said before, I love the way Melody Carlson writes and I've enjoyed each of her books to date. Dating, Dining, and Desperation is no exception!

What a fun concept for a series -- a single woman stands to inherit a gorgeous old Victorian home and a lot of money IF she weds within a year. Apparently her maiden aunt wasn't satisfied with the single life and thought her niece shouldn't be, either!

At first I thought this would be a great premise for ONE book, not a series. But I really enjoy the way Carlson is dividing the one year time limit into four quarters. The trials and tribulations of deciding if she even wants to marry, combined with the 'help' of friends who think she must, is fodder for a lot of laughs and interesting situations.

I recommend reading these books in order -- Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel first, then this one. And in an end note, Carlson informs us that the next in the series, Hearth, Home, and Holidays, will be an ebook -- which means it will be available much sooner! Yeah!



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Over the years, Melody Carlson has worn many hats, from pre-school teacher to youth counselor to political activist to senior editor. But most of all, she loves to write! Currently she freelances from her home. In the past eight years, she has published over ninety books for children, teens, and adults--with sales totaling more than two million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards.

She has two grown sons and lives in Central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Daphne Ballinger has learned to accept her deceased, eccentric aunt’s strange request that she marry in order to inherit her estate, along with taking over her aunt’s hometown paper’s advice column. But knowing and accepting that God’s will be done becomes harder when a new neighbor, a divorced socialite, learns of Daphne’s predicament and takes on the task of finding her the perfect man, even if it includes speed dating. When God does open Daphne’s heart, it is instead to take in a young girl left parentless and in the care of her dying grandmother. It may be a temporary arrangement until the girl’s uncle returns from the Marines, but God uses Daphne to speak His heavenly love and protection into the life of the child -- whom Daphne soon discovers has a very handsome and single uncle.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Dating, Dining, and Desperation, go HERE.