Jessie Belle (The Women of Merryton #1) by Jennifer Peel

Nestled in the picturesque Rocky Mountains, lies the quaint town of Merryton, Colorado. You will never find finer people or better friends. But try keeping a secret in Merryton and you will soon find that the good townspeople are better than any private investigator or undercover journalist. The men and women of Merryton are like living barometers, and when a storm is brewing in the life of one of their own, they are sure to get to the bottom of it--and forecast it on the Merryton grapevine.

Jessica and Blake Summers know a thing or two about what it’s like to be the latest and greatest news on the vine. Their thirteen year marriage has had more than its fair share of heartache and loss. Then the past comes knocking, in the form of a teenage girl, a daughter Blake never knew existed. The news sets the Merryton grapevine on fire.

In the wake of this revelation and firestorm, Blake and Jessica are forced to reevaluate their own relationship and priorities, all while learning that raising a teenage girl is not for the faint of heart. But in the midst of the chaos and uncertainty, they discover that Madeline may just be what the doctor ordered to heal their broken hearts and mend their own tattered relationship.

Will they have the courage to look forward and find a greater love than they could ever imagine? Or will past hurts and the town grapevine tear them apart?

* Goodreads * Amazon *

It's always a happy day when I get a book from Jennifer Peel.  I've been looking forward to this book and this series and I'm glad I finally got to read it.  Jennifer Peel has a gift for writing characters that feel real and bring out real emotions in me.

This book is honestly like a real life drama playing out before your eyes.  Told in first person from Jessica's point of view, you really get an up close and personal look at her life and her heartache.  You also get to know all the people Jessie loves.  Her parents, her best friends, and Blake.  All these characters had definition and by the end of the book I felt like I knew them well.

Blake and Jessie have their struggles.  Blake may have made some mistakes, but honestly, his desire to keep trying and work on things makes him a hero in my eyes.  He has patience and knows how to work hard.

I could related to Jessie and all her emotions.  It was almost scary sometimes!  There is so much emotion in this book.  It is a love story but more like a rediscovering love story.  Maybe more along the lines of women's fiction.  All I know is when I finished the story I felt satisfied and hours later, I missed these characters.  

This book has some Christian elements to it but I wouldn't necessarily classify it as Christian fiction.  It is a clean romance- so swearing or described sexual situations although the couple in this book is married and their sexual relationship is mentioned.

I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series!  I got a little preview of what's to come and I'm excited!