"To Win Her Heart" by Karen Witemeyer

Having completed his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father's knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past. But small towns leave little room for secrets... Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she steels herself against the attraction he provokes. His halting speech and hesitant manner leave her doubting his intelligence. Yet as the mysteries of the town's new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart. Levi's renewed commitment to his faith leads Eden to believe she's finally found a man of honor and integrity, a man worthy of her love. But when the truth about his prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian's affections?

Levi Grant stands out as one of Witemeyer's best heroes. While he reminds me of John Wayne's character in The Quiet Man, Levi is even better. He's humble, he's firmly committed to the promises he made before God, and he's willing to volunteer the truth of his past, knowing it must be shared, while realizing that it could cost him his new life and love. Eden takes some warming up to, though. By the end, I'm rooting for her just as much as Levi, but it takes a while to get her off her high horse of self-righteousness. I love how young Chloe helps her in her journey. This book also has one of Witemeyer's most vile villains: one who doesn't seem bad at first--just a jerk--but the things he does in the end . . . It's his cruelty, though, that proves before one and all Levi's transformation into a child of God.

This definitely isn't one of Witemeyer's funniest books, but it's still one of my favorites, with a powerful message both for those who have become a new creation in Christ and for those who have forgotten the Holy Spirit's power of transforming hearts.