My reading choices for 2012 are starting out well.  Shadowed in Silk is another great historical romance read.  Set in India in 1918, this story is filled with flavors and textures, life in a different time and culture, touches of historical figures, and fictional characters who are memorable by the love they show others.  Yep, I enjoyed this one.

The story opens with Abby Fraser heading to India to rejoin her husband now that the war has ended.  Though she has a 4-year old son with the man, it turns out she doesn't have much more except a dream of what being married to the love of her life could be — since she spent precious few days with the man before he returned to his military post.

Major Geoff Richards is also on his way to India, but he is grieving over the loss of his Indian troops during their campaign in France.  Whoa.  Entering another man's point of view, (other than Abby's husband), was a huge clue to this romance reader that things weren't going to go well for Abby's dreams.  POV in a romance novel practically screams, "I'm either the hero or the villain."

So when life goes from bad to worse for Abby in her new home, with her new husband, it doesn't surprise me.  But I respect her for trying to build a new life and rekindle her old love.

All the political intrigue of the era keeps the plot moving.  The secret identity of the bad guy was a cool diversion. The restrained affection between Abby and Geoff played out for me perfectly.  (It reminded me of Jane Austen or Agatha Christie, and how men were gentlemen especially in the midst of love's angst.)

I recommend this book to all romance readers who like to learn — history, interesting facts, and the nuances of human nature.

Oh, my favorite line in Shadowed in Silk was when Abby laid down her demands to her husband, and concluded with, "Remember whose daughter I am."  Though she didn't mean it prophetically at the time, I knew that by the book's end, she would know that she was a daughter of the King of kings.

Stealing Jake is an historical romance set in 1874 in a small town south of Chicago. The romance element is simple, opening with a delightful scene in which the heroine, Livy O'Brien, picks a young pickpocket to return the deputy sheriff's stolen pocket watch — without any of the players realizing she was involved. The deputy is, of course, our hero, Jake Russell.  The pickpocket, Luke, has the supporting role, though he's no more than twelve and carrying the sins of the world on his tiny shoulders.

I liked a lot about this novel.  Clean writing style. Characters easy to care about and cheer on.  A developing love story that had some spark and was believable in the characters getting to know one another. And enough going on in the story to keep me turning the pages.  But what I really liked was the basis of the plot — street kids from Chicago sold into slavery in sweatshops.

Of course, I don't like that this happened then or in other forms still happens today.  But I liked that reading this romance made me aware.  Woke me up.  Challenged me to pray more diligently for widows and orphans.

And I liked that it had a happy ending.  I thought it would.  The story's entire tone was hope and improvement.  But nonetheless, I'm glad that it had more than just a happy love story ending.

Plus, it hit on one of my favorite spiritual themes.  Forgiveness and God's grace, and living in the knowledge of who we are in Christ — new creatures.

All good stuff.  I cannot think of any reason that you wouldn't enjoy this romance.

Book 1 — Nothing but Trouble

After ten years of running from her past, PJ Sugar is lured home by her sister who is remarrying and needs PJ to care for her four-year-old son while she is on her honeymoon.  PJ is a sucker for being needed.

First day back, she witnesses a fight that leads to murder … and runs into her old boyfriend who was the cause of her disgrace ten years earlier.  And things move into more trouble from there.

Susie has an entire cast of colorful and wacky characters who keep PJ busy — her mom, her sister's new in-laws, Davy, the nephew, and then the men in her life. The men in her life caused more unease in this romance reader's soul than the mystery.  Boone, PJ's first love and highschool sweetheart, has been keeping the torch burning for her all these years.  The physical spark is still there.  What is going to keep them from getting together?

Enter PI Jeremy Kane.

Book 2 — Double Trouble

PJ Sugar continues to get into trouble (really, it isn't her fault, nor is it trouble in the sense of causing it — but after so many years of getting blamed, PJ has trouble distinguishing the difference.)

Now she works for Jeremy Kane while she is training to get her own PI license.  Boone has proposed, and she's not sure what holds her back from accepting.  Thankfully another mystery needs solved.

Book 3 — Licensed for Trouble

PJ hasn't received her PI license yet, so she intends to solve a mystery all on her own to fulfill the requirements and become a professional.  But in this hunt to find out if she can actually amount to more than trouble, PJ inherits the "mushroom house," an ancient Kellogg estate that instead leads her into a hunt of her own heritage.

Both Jeremy and Boone remain in the picture, but it's now obvious where her affections rest.

This theme of trouble … of living messy lives before God … is interesting. Susie gives the easy answer of "know God and know who you are in Christ," but PJ has a long journey to be able to even begin to grasp those truths.  She needs to learn how to distinguish her old self before Christ with the new one she now is in Him.  She needs to be able to separate her old life in Kellogg from the new life she now wants to live.  She needs to extend grace and forgiveness on so many levels (her mom, Boone, her biological family) before she is free to see where God wants her next.  And she needs to learn to let go of the familiar (PJ Sugar = trouble), before she can grasp her new life, which truly cannot be separated from her past.

All good stuff.

The writing was easy to read and the stories easy to follow.  The characters were funny, tender, and broken.  The mysteries were convoluted enough between the main mystery and side mysteries to keep me guessing to the end.  (Well, except a few points that I figured out before PJ, especially in book 3.)  My only style complaint was a few flowery discriptions that reminded me I was reading a book rather than living in PJ's skin.  I have yet to be disappointed in a Susan May Warren book and this series is no exception.

I'm sure you could find a copy if you are interested.  I don't think you'll be disappointed either.