Thursday, November 12, 2026

WOOING THE RIVAL by Melissa Jagears, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #NewRelease


FRONTIER VOWS SERIES #5


PAULA'S REVIEW:

What a delightful story about misfit Raven Owens, daughter of a mercantile owner in Wyoming Territory in 1885. Raven just does not fit in anywhere. She has no cooking skills and tries to help in the store but does not manage the math it takes to be a shopkeeper. She applies to be an interim teacher and lands the job. The girl children challenge her to run for Mayor and she does to win them over enough for them to buckle down and learn. 

But who should be running for the same office but Bo McGill who bested her unfairly in a spelling contest years ago in school. 

Let the fun begin but also shady dealings by some townspeople and a dangerous shootout with some rustlers.
But romance wins the day as Bo and Raven get better acquainted and rely on the faith that undergirds them.
Wonderful descriptions of the setting and the thoughts of the characters. The author has a great grasp of how to depict protagonists and plotted an interesting story with danger and adventure. 

A welcome return from an entertaining author who brings the old west to life.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Utmost Publishing on behalf of the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*4.5 stars and a solid faith thread 

BackCover Blurb:
The mercantile owner’s eccentric daughter is known for being bad at everything, so how could she possibly win enough votes to become mayor?

When Raven Owens volunteers at the school, she makes the mistake of telling the girls they can do anything they put their minds to. When a student challenges that assertion by daring her to run for mayor, what choice does she have? Running for office will likely get her laughed clean out of the territory, but when has ridicule ever stopped her before?

Panicked over Raven running for mayor, the town council nominates Bowen McGill to run against her. Bo has no interest in becoming a politician like his disgraced father, but Raven cares more about the town than the men queuing up to run against her. If Bo stays on the ballot to keep worse men from running, she might have a chance to be heard. However, she’d never forgive him if he won—and for some reason, that thought bothers him far more than the possibility of ending up with a job he doesn’t want.

Long-held grudges, unexpected attraction, and a scheming town council make it difficult for these two to decide if they’d prefer to win the race—or each other’s hearts.

Wooing the Rival is the fifth book in the Frontier Vows Series by award-winning Christian romance author Melissa Jagears. If you like quirky heroines who end up with their prince charming, you’ll love this western, enemies-to-lovers romance.

Utmost Publishing, November, 2026

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