Book Review: A Time of Proving
Today’s review post is for A Time of Proving, a Christian pioneer romance novel by Alena Mentink. It is Book 2 in the Home to Osceola series.
Disclosure: I voluntarily received a complimentary copy from the publisher as part of JustRead publicity tours. All views expressed are my own. This post includes Amazon affiliate links.
My Review
A Time of Proving reminds me a little of an orphan train story, except there was no train—just a family of orphans. In spite of her best efforts, the oldest sister (Miriam, age 17) was not able to keep them together, and the children were all farmed out to widespread friends and relatives. Happily, Miriam ends up with a kindly uncle who is a pastor. He wouldn’t mind having all the children but barely has room for one. Miriam’s objective is to work out a place for the family to be able to live together.
Jase, the hero of the story, is a prodigal son who has come home to a nearby farm. Unlike the Biblical story, his father offers him a conditional welcome, so he has to work to prove himself.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Time of Proving. The protagonists are young, so it almost felt like a YA novel. However, I didn’t have that “I’m not the target audience” sense that I have with some YA novels, so I would recommend it for any age, especially if you enjoy pioneer or western romance novels.
Book Description
She lost her family to tragedy. He lost his when he ran away. What will second chances cost them?
Miriam Locklin thought she could keep her family together, just as her deceased parents would have wished. But when she is banished to a small Midwestern town to live with an uncle she’s never met, she realizes the fight for her family may be harder than she ever imagined. And she has no one in the little town of Osceola to fight for her.
Determined to clear his name, Jase Hoffman returns to his hometown of Osceola to prove he’s not the villain everyone believes him to be. Facing the people he left behind is no easy task. When he unexpectedly meets Miriam—for the second time—he can’t help but be drawn to her. But his broken relationships prove he’s no good at family.
As their feelings for each other grow stronger, one man could destroy everything Jase and Miriam hold dear. Yet love is only true if it’s been tested…and the hardest test is yet to come.
About the Author
Alena Mentink is a Nebraska author who enjoys mixing history with fictional characters to create a story for God’s glory. The Midwest claims the number one spot as her favorite setting for her stories where her characters manage to find plenty of trouble to keep them occupied. When she isn’t busy writing, Alena can usually be found somewhere around her family’s farm where she lives with her parents and eight siblings. Find out more about her at her website www.alenamentink.com and sign up for her newsletter to get a free story!
