Stealing Jake by Pam Hillman ~ Review

Review:

Livy grew up on the streets of Chicago, as a pickpocket, known as Light-Fingered-Livy, before she turned her life around. So she knows just what is going on when she sees a young boy jostling a man, on the street. Now she is working alongside her mentor, Mrs. Brooks to open an orphanage in Chesnut, Illinois, and she has a heart for children on the streets. She wants to do all she can to help the young boy find the right path.

Deputy Sheriff Jake and Livy collide when he sees her chasing down a young thief. When the town starts experiencing a rash of burglaries and an influx of street kids, the town believes the kids are to blame and they want Jake to arrest the children. But Livy stands firm, and refuses to let Jake arrest the children. Jake is faces pressure on multiple fronts, with the loan on his family farm coming up for payment. Jakes knows he doesn't have time for romance, but why can't he get Livy out of his head?

This book has a lot going on in it, with strong characters who both have a past that haunts them, they are challenges to grow as people and in their faith.There is a full cast of characters, along with children to save, and mysteries to solve. I like how this book has a great historical perspective and highlights the plight of many children growing up on the streets of Chicago as well as the many dangers that miners faced.

I loved the characters, and how they truly relied on their faith to bring them to tomorrow. The dialog was fantastic and really moves the direction of the relationships in this book.

Overall, this is a well written western, with so many things going on, with well written characters. I really enjoyed this great story. I absolutely loved Claiming Mariah also by Ms. Hillman, so I knew when I picked this one up that I would enjoy it, and I wasn't wrong! A fantastic read for fans of western romance.


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