STEALING JAKE by Pam Hillman

Livy O'Brien catches a street kid stealing the pocket watch from Deputy Jake Russell. And a handsome Deputy he is too! In an attempt to protect the boy she lifts it from him and returns it to the Deputy without either one being the wiser. She's able to do that because she is Light Finger Livy. At least she was before she became a believer. Now she's attempting to start a new life but knows that if the townsfolk knew what she really was they wouldn't be so accepting . Then break-ins and robberies begin to occur and the towns people and the deputy believe it's the street kids. Livy defends them and even begins to sway Jake's opinion. But a past has a way of catching up with a person. Can the little spark between Jake & Livy grow into a flame or will it fizzle out when Jake finds out about Livy's past?

This was a great story. I love the cover and when I saw it, it made me want to find out what was inside. I'm glad I did! The author has an easy writing style that just draws you in and holds you there. The characters were very believable and easy to relate to. Livy struggled with forgetting her past and the mistakes she'd made. I think we all can relate to that. Jake was a great lead. Strong but he had some insecurities. Don't we all. I enjoyed watching Jake and Livy interact and struggle with their growing feelings for each other as well as their faith. I liked all the secondary characters as well. I think the author did a wonderful job of weaving into the story the message of forgiveness, new beginnings and second chances. The street kids will absolutely win you over as your heart goes out to them. The story kept a steady pace but ramps up toward the end to a point that I found myself rushing though the pages. If you like historicals then you won't want to miss Stealing Jake. I look forward to more from Pam Hillman. A thank you goes to Vicky Lynch at Tyndale for providing this complimentary copy for my review.