DiAnn Mills, Lightning and Lace

Lightning and Lace

DiAnn Mills

Barbour, Mar 2007, $9.97

ISBN: 1597893579

In 1898 Kahlerville, Texas, every morning for almost three years, Bonnie wakes up, praying Ben is in bed with her instead of in the grave before putting on her happy face so that their two sons Zack and Michael Paul go to school in a positive mood and their daughter Lydia Anne can feel contented. Inside, Bonnie knows she still mourns her loss and has not moved on.

After forty years preaching at the Piney Woods Church, Reverend John Rainer, Bonnie's stepfather, is retiring; Travis Whitworth will replace him though the congregation believes no one can take the place of their beloved pastor especially a bachelor. On his first day in town, Travis breaks up a fight between kids whom he escorts to the school only to have one of them Zack lie to his mother about his intervention. However, she soon realizes her son lied and has been abusive to his younger siblings too. As Travis begins preaching, he also works repairs at her ranch and takes over "fathering" an angry Zack. Travis and Bonnie fall in love, but neither has time to explore their feelings. Travis finds the murdered body of Rosie with much of his flock assuming he is the culprit because of the whispers of a model citizen and because he is the newcomer; that is without anyone knowing about his past.

The third Texas Legacy western romance (see LEATHER AND LACE and LANTERNS AND LACE) is a fabulous historical that once again interweaves its message of have faith in the Lord during the good and bad times into an exciting, late-nineteenth century historical tale. Bonnie and Travis are fully-developed interesting protagonists who fall in love although have doubts that they are worthy of such regard. The support cast, as always with DiAnn Mills' saga augments the plot; in this case especially Zack. Though the homicide adds late suspense, fans will appreciate the entertaining inspirational latest "Lace" novel.

Harriet Klausner