Set in 1739, Jennifer Reinoehl’s The Inconvenient Widow is a blend of Christian inspirational, historical fiction and Jane Austen romance. There are some elements of suspense and mystery but the intensity and amount of on screen violence, or the quickness of pace critical for romantic suspense like that written by Mary Burton and others is absent. The narrative flows from the beginning to the end. There are no slower than average spots. The novel is a quick enjoyable read. The religious sections were tastefully done in that the references were not overdone or in the reader’s face. I felt like I was part of the background observing life in England back then.

The main character, Emily must find her way. Like so many other young unmarried women, whose seasons have bypassed them, Emily must find a way to make a honest living to support not only herself, but also her sister, Beatrice and her mother, Lady Radford. This is Emily’s preoccupation when the story opens. She elects to find a place in service, and again like so many others depends on keeping her reputation for thrift, diligence to tasks and submissiveness. It is the last Emily has trouble with. I feel for her. I have the same problem. Yet the opportunities in the 21st century in the developed nations far exceeds those Emily could draw upon. Primarily the setting is in rural England which is where Emily hopes that her sudden departure from her former employer will not haunt her. Emily is a cat. She lands on her feet, even if only to find herself in yet another hot spot due to her lack of thinking things through and her hopeless romanticized idealism that man is never too far gone to put aside evil ways and be what their maker intended. Moving from one scenario to another, Emily learns some hard lessons, maturing in the process, and eventually gets what she has always wanted, a future, a life, and a way to support those whom she cares about most.

If you like Jane Austen style novels, I highly recommend Jennifer Reinoehl’s The Inconvenient Widow. I’m just sorry that it took me so long to get to it. The author provided a copy without cost in exchange for an honest review.