About the Book
At Love's Bidding is the second book in the Ozark Mountain Romance series by Regina Jennings. Book 1 (A Most Inconvenient Marriage) introduced us to several of the characters that pop up again in At Love's Bidding--but the main focus in on wallflower Miranda Wimplegate and ruggedly handsome Wyatt Ballentine.
Miranda's family lives in Boston in the late 1800's where they own an up and coming auction house that deals in selling a wide range of valuable products for their elite clientele. When a powerful family's prize painting is accidentally auctioned off to a mysterious buyer, the family is racing to rectify their mistake. After tracing the painting to the Missouri Ozarks, Miranda's grandfather impulsively decides to purchase an auction house in Pine Gap and check it out while he simultaneously searches for the lost painting. Deciding that Miranda is the best one to travel and take care of her grandfather, the family sends them off to retrieve the painting and expand their business!
Not used to being responsible for making decisions, Miranda is thrust into the forefront of the scene when her grandfather begins to exhibit signs of memory loss and dementia on their trip. Throw in the fact that the missing painting is nowhere to be found AND that the auction house they purchased sells....livestock and not the antiques they expected, she's up to her eyeballs in trouble! Thankfully, she has Wyatt Ballentine, the auctioneer and manager of the Pine Gap auction house to help her out. Now, if only she can find that painting without telling him she's looking for it (because he might be secretly storing it), and if she can keep her grandfather from the local con man, and out of jail...Little does she know that she's looking for the painting in the wrong place, that it has a connection to Wyatt Ballentine, and that love is going to find her in this backwoods small-town worlds away from all she knows in Boston.
My Thoughts on the Book
This was EXACTLY what I was expecting from Regina Jennings. She always delivers a witty and fun romance, with a fun plot and clever characters. I loved the idea of the crazy cousin who is into phrenology, which was so big during that time period. I loved how Miranda's love for her grandfather, helps her stay strong, even when she's at the most embarrassed. It was fun to read about the shock that Miranda and her grandfather faced when they realized their auction house mistake. She was a strong character who discovered herself throughout the book.
I also appreciated having Wyatt's background revealed over the course of the book, instead of all at once. It was such a surprise to learn his background and really added a great element to the story.
I loved the events surrounding the Lady Godiva carved stump. Made me grin while I was reading. It was a good touch to the book.
It was also nice to "run into" the Calhoun's from the first book! I have a feeling I know who the next book is going to be about, and if so, it's sure to be a great one!
I absolutely give At Love's Bidding a solid four stars. It was a fun read, and I didn't really want to stop and found myself reading just "one more chapter" to see what happened to Miranda and Wyatt. I do not think that you need to read book #1 in this series to enjoy this one--it would just give you a good background on a few characters. This is an inspirational fiction book, but it's not in there more than just as the characters meditating on their Christianity and God's plan for their lives.
I definitely plan on recommending this book to my friends, and encourage you to visit your library and experience for yourself the enjoyable novels by Regina Jennings.
It was lovely to have another fun read from Regina Jennings. I look forward to making sure that our library grabs this next book to add to their collection! It's always fun to find another great author to read, so if you haven't experienced Regina Jennings yet, make sure you grab one of her books soon!
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