"A Twist of Faith" by Pepper Basham

 


If you like Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, chances are good you would like A Twist of Faith by Pepper Basham. Speech-language pathologist Adelina Roseland is trying to attain her dream job of teaching at the University of Virginia, and she is dismayed that one of the rungs on her corporate ladder is a small satellite start-up in the middle of nowhere. Determined to keep her stop at Mitchell's Crossroads as short as possible, she makes a bet with her boss: If she can reform the thick accent of a local farmer in three months, he'll let her present her research and gain attention of those higher up in her field.

Reese Mitchell doesn't think he needs accent modification, but he does have an upcoming job interview which he would like to nail. He comes from a large, loving family and has had to make sacrifices for them, as they have made sacrifices to help him with his two children after the death of his wife. There's something about the new Dr. Roseland that draws him, even though she appears to be city-bred with her sights set on better things than rural life.

The quiet pace at Mitchell's Crossroads forces Adelina to face the hurts in her past, and the friendly warmth of the entire Mitchell family has her questioning everything she's known about life and faith. What if there's more in life than the corporate ladder? What if there really is a God who loves her?

This romance is full of swoony moments, so if that is your thing you will be delighted. I thought the spiritual side of the story was also well done. The Appalachian countryside makes a fun and very different setting for this story, and even though it doesn't stray too far from the formula of the original, it's a fun story and I look forward to reading the second book in this series.