Review: An endearing romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 29, 2011
For me, a good inspirational romance is never a simple tale of a hero and heroine who fall in love.  The main characters' life history, setting, and secondary characters combine to create a tale which teaches and informs as well as entertains.  Pam Hillman's Stealing Jake is such a story.Set outside of Chicago, when life was harsh for children and adults alike, Hillman's tale of Livy and Jake features a charming hero with more than his share of responsibilities, an earnest heroine trying to overcome her past but use it for the best, and one of the most engaging children I have come across in a romance. Livy works in an orphanage during the day and secretly helps street children at night.  In order to help his family, Jake has taken the role of deputy and patrols the town, often in the wee hours.  Their paths intersect when street children are blamed for a crime spree in town. One of those children, Luke, a boy searching for his brother enslaved in a sweat shop, has a key role in the story and is a hero in his own right.Hillman's style is engaging with her eye for detail and ability to provide action, humor, and pathos as needed.  The obstacles for the hero and heroine are great at times but their relationship is also flirty and fun.  Luke's story is woven into Livy and Jake's romance seamlessly so the reader cannot imagine one without the other.  As the characters learn about trust, forgiveness, hope and healing, the reader does as well. More than just a love story, Stealing Jake is a book that will not only tug at the reader's heart but steal it - just as Luke stole mine.