A Temporary Courtship

By Jenna Mindel

An Inconvenient Attraction 

Before leaving for a coveted two-year musical residency, cellist Bree Anderson is taking one month for a relaxing lakefront vacation. But she's thrown off track by the instant attraction she feels for one of the resort's instructors. The last thing local Darren Zelinsky needs is a privileged summer resident like the fiancée who jilted him. Bree's no threat to his heart until he uncovers the vulnerable woman beneath the pristine exterior. And soon Bree is in danger of falling for the rugged outdoorsman. The clock on her stay is ticking and Bree's facing an impossible choicebetween a lifelong dream and a lifetime love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Love Inspired
• Release date: Oct 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781488007545

Jenna Mindel

Jenna Mindel lives in Northwest Lower Michigan with her husband and their three dogs. A 2006 Romance Writers of America Rita award finalist, Jenna has answered her heart's call to write inspirational romances set near the Great Lakes.        

Reviews for A Temporary Courtship

[Newly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book. I found Bree to be a kind, strong, and loving character. Her newfound faith was beautiful to read in the way that she gave glory and thanks to God for his opening up new doors of opportunity for her as well as His blessing her with love and protection. I appreciated that the author wrote Bree in such a way as to honor her calling and allowing the desires of her heart to be in alignment with the Lord, even if it made other dreams such as being with Darren look different than what she would have necessarily wanted.

Where I take some issue is with Darren. Overall, he turned out to be a loving hero, but he definitely needed some growth that we don't see until the very end when the story is then wrapped up nice and tidy. Darren was hurt by a previous relationship and by how others perhaps saw him as just a local rather than the "wealthy vacationer." Though his status is very much not impoverished or downtrodden as one would think by the comparison, much of the chip on the shoulder comes from Darren who gives instant judgment to the non-locals, including Bree. Darren was so much about his own hurt that he came across as selfish, rude, or self-pitying at times. [SPOILER] One of the most critical times of this is with the situation of Philip. In feeling sorry for himself that Bree was leaving, in his self-contemplation, Darren made it about Bree possibly wanting to be back with her ex rather than wanting to make room in her heart for him. This went against everything that Bree had confided in Darren about in wanting to pursue her music residency opportunity for her, something that her ex had little faith in her to do; she did not want a relationship or person to be something that she put above her dream in which she thanked God for and believed His to be moving her forward in. Yet, to Darren, it was, once again, Bree must still have had feelings for Philip or, poor him, he just wasn't good enough again.

Darren was constantly comparing himself to others in the way of his never being able to make a certain amount of money or his driving his old beat up truck while at the same time judging others who could not just be content with a simple life. Simple is beautiful, simple helps to reinforce one's Source as that of God and not in fame or material possessions. However, there is a chance of also making such a desire for simple almost idolatrous when almost used as a sword against those who may have a calling for grander dreams, including those within God's will. Darren, to me, nearly tipped the scale with this when he desired to change Bree (not unlike Philip) to fit into his comfortable life rather than, he, himself, being willing to come out of his comfort zone; his expectations for others were not the same for himself and this was quite frustrating.

But...we see understanding finally hit Darren, it's just, again, all toward the end with the neat little bow on top. I would have preferred more transformation to read about, more seeking out the Lord and giving up some of his control for God's will. I do like how the story ends, but life is a journey and it's nice for stories to reflect this, too.