An Unforeseen Match

A Match Made in Texas #2

by Regina Jennings

Hoping to earn an honest wage on his way to the land rush, Clayton ends up on Grace's doorstep, lured by a classified ad. He may have signed on for more than he expected though--and he may have found the one woman who can keep him from moving on.

Genres: Romance, Christian Fiction, Westerns, Historical Fiction, Christian, Historical, Novella

134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2014

About the author

Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She has worked at The Mustang News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives outside Oklahoma City with her husband and four children.

Reviews

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story of two very vulnerable people! They both have walls up but help each other and a sweet romance develops amid struggles and misunderstandings. LOVE the kitchen scene- toe curling! This is a novella I enjoy re-reading when I need a quick fix ;)

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in one sitting! It was sweet, romantic, cute and just plain fun. I really loved it and only reason I don't give it a 5 is because I preferred the first book of the collection, A Cowboy Unmatched by Karen Witemeyer, and because there were a few silly misunderstandings that could have been avoided. I can't recall the hero's name (that's NEVER happened before!) right now, but he was great and I really liked him, although he wasn't precisely swoony. The heroine was a strong, kick-ass woman even though she was nearly blind and I really had a lot of admiration for her. She was amazing! I really can't wait to find out who is playing matchmaker in the town (forget the name of that too at the moment, what's wrong with me???) and setting up the new men to get a job doing repair work for single ladies! I hope we do get to find out in the last story!

Edit a few days later: I just now really get the title...! Unforeseen because the heroine is blind...lol :P

[Shannah Mauney · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a unique story! I’ve not yet read a novel by Regina Jennings, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wasn’t disappointed! I wish this was a full length novel because there is so much more the author could have gotten into. Two very vulnerable people meet, overcome what seems insurmountable, and fall in love… all in the space of 100+ pages. The author does a great job, though, of creating such a believable story in such a short space of time. I was very impressed!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Clayton Weber shows up at Grace O’Malley’s doorstep, he does not imagine that the blind woman he is supposed to help needs more than a simple handyman. The more he talks to her, the more he cannot stay away from her. But his past is haunting him, and when everything starts to be easier, someone from his past reappears and threatens to destroy his life again.

There was something so sweet and inspirational about this story that I felt so good while reading it. I have met many strong and determined heroines but this time I was completely in awe of this woman. Grace, despite her blindness, was able to see many things. I would say that she saw what really mattered, and she showed me that there is always a way to see things. You do not have to use your eyes to see if someone is worth loving, for instance. Of course this is something I have always known, but reading about a blind woman fighting not to be considered a burden and constantly searching for her own happiness gave me such a joy I would love to start reading this novella all over again! I am glad that books like this one exist.

I loved every single moment of it. I loved Grace’s willpower and I loved seeing her falling in love with Clayton. He had his own problems to fight but with Grace on his side he was able to understand what he had to do to get his own happy ending. I also loved how the author handled the forgiveness theme. It is not something that easy to face but I found that in this case it was the most natural thing and, most of all, the only thing to do in order to live a peaceful life.

Christian readers will love this lovely short story. I highly recommend it!

Note: Book number two in the collection A Match Made in Texas, but it can be read as a standalone.

[Abigail Harris]

RTC

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll never forget this book. The characters are interesting: a young teacher recently leaves the classroom as her sight slowly dims. She reluctantly lives off the charity of others on the old homestead that the previous character in the series left behind, which was a nice toss back to book one. She decides that marriage, even a marriage of convenience, is her only option. A drifter bearing deep physical and emotional scars happens upon an add requesting a handyman and gets sent her way. All that is great, but it's not the true reason I'll remember this novella. I kept chuckling and commenting on it so much that my husband asked about the book. The next thing you know, I'm reading it aloud to him and he's asking me to wait until we can both read it before I read on. We haven't done that in years.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time to read any of Regina's work, and really enjoyed it! It is definitely my second favorite novella in the A Match Made in Texas novella collection.

I loved how unique main character Grace is, since she is dealing with going blind at a young age. It was an interesting part of her character that really opened her up and added depth to her personality. I also enjoyed Clayton and how he was always encouraging Grace, but didn't pity her and taught her not to reply on other people's pity. It was neat how they both had things that made things socially difficult for them - Grace with her blindness and Clayton with the scar on his face - and enjoyed seeing how those things actually brought them together.

[Jessica Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a novella and I doubt I'll do it again. The reason I cracked was because I've always wanted to read a clean romance where the protagonist was blind. And at last I found one - except it's not a full story. This story easily, easily could have been a full blown novel, and I wish it was.

Aside from that, I enjoyed reading about Clayton and Grace. They were both fun and interesting characters. I really enjoyed their humor, as well. For a novella, the story was good. I just wish it could have been longer. :(

[Carrie Daws · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet story of accepting God's plan even when you don't like the circumstances. Book 2 in the Match Made in Texas series, I look forward to reading more of this series and perhaps discovering the mysterious benefactor that ties these novellas together.

[Shabby Girl ~ aka Lady Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so now I've read my first christian book, I can move on. Sweet story, but that was enough.

[ضحى الحداد · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh.. what a depressing story with even an annoying main hero
the story is about Grace who is turning blind slowly so her community sends her to live in an abandoned house to be alone there, she is hurt and lonely until a man knocks her door, Clayton, claiming that he is answering an ad from the newspaper about a woman needing a handy man .. and the more he they spend time together they grow closer
I really didn't like Clayton at all, he was a jerk and rude to Grace, and their chemistry was really lopsided .. and that "kiss" ? since when we have practice kisses in Christian fiction ?
nope.. this book was really not for me

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Grace tries to accept her future with her failing vision she thinks having a husband would solve her problems. While passing through town Clayton is informed she’s looking for a handyman confusion occurs and he eventually agrees to fix up her farm before he leaves town. Like most romantic stories the ending is predictable however the story of Grace learning to be independent and Clayton confronting his troubled past is an enjoyable quick read.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this in the novella collection it came out in& it was a hit for me! I love stories involving blind people, it’s just one of my things 😍. Normally RJ is a miss for me 😔 but this novella I really like. I reread it today for an easy pick-me-up read. So cute!

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik vond Clayton enorm vervelend op tijden maar hij werd iets beter met het verhaal. Grace was leuk en lief, ik vond het alleen zo verdrietig dat ze blind werd en iedereen haar maar ver wegstopte. 😥
Maar zijn zijn ogen nou zeegroen of hazelnoot bruin. 😂😂

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace O'Malley's world is disappearing - literally. With blindness encroaching, Grace has had to give up teaching and is trying to settle into the cabin that has been provided for her. Things sure would be easier if she didn't have to live by herself. When a passing cowboy agrees to help with a few things around the cabin, the two find they share a lot in common - including some surprising things that may drive them apart.

This review originated at http://reviewsbyerin.dreamwidth.org

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first story I've read by Regina Jennings. I liked feisty, Irish, Grace. She started to let her lack of vision stop her from living, but encountering Clayton, gave her a fresh vision of living again. Clayton has let a terrible physical scar stop him from living. When he encounters Grace he doesn't think she can 'see' it so he relaxes and lets her get close to him. How they both overcome the obstacles they've created is entertaining and the romance is sweet.

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!!!

[Mariah H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would read it again.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short story about Clayton and Grace. Grace is going blind and Clayton feels he needs to hide his scars. I wish there was a sequel of their story.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! There's a reason its listed in the Goodreads Christian Fiction Swoony Awards. Grace is young and determined and unfortunately also going blind. Clayton is hard working, equally determined and lacking confidence because of his appearance. Grace is the most wonderful heroine. She's spunky and eager to find her way in her new life. She wants to be able to take care of herself but she's open to marrying a complete stranger in hopes of finding happiness and help once her blindness completely takes over. Clayton is hoping to make it to the Cherokee Strip Land Run in Oklahoma. He wants his own homestead. But on the way, his horse steps in a hole, breaks its leg, and has to be put down. We meet Clayton, carrying his saddle, and looking for work so he can make enough money to buy another horse and get on to Oklahoma. An anonymous benefactor points him in the direction of Grace's homestead to be a handyman and maybe make a love-match. This was a fun and wonderful story!

[annabeth ☼ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books like this are just always so much let down. The story starts out normally and builds quite normally and then the ending is just rushed because the story is longer than what it’s allowed to be, and that just always ends up dropping the book a star for me.

Overall, this was a good story. Cute and wholesome (although it did contain a couple kisses which honestly surprised me). It felt fleshed out and I understood who the characters were clearly, which I find to be a common problem in novellas, everything in sight being rushed. It wasn’t bad, the ending was just so rushed that it felt like I couldn’t give it 3 1/2 or 4 stars anymore.


Definitely recommend if you like Christian romance fiction! It was a quick, wholesome read that kept me entertained and distracted me from my cold. :)

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute western novella from Regina Jennings. Placed in the Texas Panhandle in the small western town of Dry Gulch, Grace O'Malley, town schoolteacher, has lost her eyesight. She was given a small deserted and rundown cabin and barn to live in by the town. How will Grace get along with no vision? Will it be friends, family, or a coming through town cowboy?

Very enjoyable as a quick easy read.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story of the Oklahoma land rush.Gracie has a homestead, now she is thinking maybe one of the ranchers that missed out would be interested in her proposal. Having been a teacher they gave her a homestead, now she needs someone to run it, and help her. With Clayton comes looking for handicap work, he found a lot more and love.

[Megan Schaulis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resilience and charm!

I read this novella as part of the Match Made in Texas collection. It was my first book by Regina Jennings but won't be my last. I was so impressed with the heart and resilience of Grace's character. Jennings handled her unique challenges with care and kept the story hopeful. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Mary Shreffler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clayton is a cowboy without a horse as his recently had to be put down with a broken leg. Clayton ends up on blind Grace's door looking for work so he can buy a horse and race for free homestead land. Interesting events happen for the next few days

[diaryofacleanreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars

a very sweet read about a scarred cowboy, a blind woman & the power of forgiving others in order to seek happiness.

SPICE/ none!

LANGUAGE: none!

TROPES: western, violence, cowboy, disability representation

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this novella and look forward to rereading it when I need a quick pick-me-up.

[Tracie Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this!

[Aszha Luedecke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute novella! I laughed, i cried. It was great! She's a new author for me and I can't wait to read more of her work!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet story!
A story of love, forgiveness and learning to adapt.
I sure enjoyed it.