Engaging Deception

Engaging Deception is the third book in Regina Jennings' Joplin Chronicles series, but for me, it is also the best of the Chronicles. Sometimes an author will seemingly get tired of a series before the series is finished and the last story becomes trite and lackluster.  Regina took a look at her characters and brought a freshness to this latest book that gives the reader a satisfying sigh after finishing the book.  

Olive Kentworth has spent the last several years taking care of her ill mother until she passed.  Now she is caring for her father and his house.  She has been slow to rejoin society and seems to like her life just as it is.  One of the things she loves doing is designing houses and buildings. She has already designed buildings for her cousins places of buildings.  She has also gotten ahold of every book on architecture the library has and bought quite a few more that showed up in a rummage sale at church.  Her idol (for lack of a better word) in the architecture world is Maxfield Scott.  When her cousin sets her up to babysit for Maxfield, she feels the world has been handed to her on a platter.  She finds his library is full of resources and ideas that fuel her own.  

Two men lived in Joplin who were rivals in wanting the biggest, showiest house in town. Maxfield has built one of the houses and is in process of building the other.  When the owner of the first house decides to add on to the house, Olive's design is the one that wins the owner's heart, and Maxfield is dismayed at the remodel of one of his prized designs. 

Even though Maxfield is dating the daughter of his client, he is growing closer to Olive.  There is something he sees in her that intrigues him.  She likes Maxfield, but is afraid to let him know who she really is and what she really does. 

The characters in this book have foibles and flaws that make them more real and more likable.  There is a tiny bit of romance formula in the plot, but it's there to give the characters time to contemplate the situation. It does not detract from the story at all.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and an award-winning home design. 

Bethany House provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.