Grace and the Preacher by Kim Vogel Sawyer

 Grace is an orphan but helps her widowed uncle with his duties as the minister of a small Iowa town. When her uncle decides to retire he picks from the stack of applicants from the divinity school a single man in hopes that Grace will find a long awaited match.  Grace corresponds with the new minister, Reverent Rufus Dille, for several months before his scheduled arrival and their relationship develops through their letters. Theophil Garrison works in a livery station in Missouri and lives with uncaring relatives.  When he discovers that his hateful cousins are getting out of jail, he decides he is in danger and must flee. On the way, he finds Reverend Dille sick by the side of the road and takes him to a doctor.  When Dille dies, Theo decides, in order to be safe from his murderous cousins, that he will take on the preacher's identity and go to Iowa. He soon discovers he knows nothing of how to be a proper preacher.  Grace, thinking Theo is Rufus, is surprised by his unpolished manners, but she, along with the rest of the town, comes to recognize he has a good heart. Theophil soon has everything he ever wanted--a good job, people who respect and care for him, and a beautiful girl who loves him--so why does he feel so bad?

I haven't read something by Sawyer is quite a while, and I had forgotten how overtly religious her books are. There is a lot of preaching going on in the book, and not all by the minister. Neither Grace or Theophil has any degree of wit or even intelligence.  I usually don't like reading about people who are stupid, but even though Grace and Theophil aren't particularly intelligent, they are not stupid.  They are making good choices based on their knowledge. They are simple souls trying to make their way in the world and everyone is trying very hard to do what they think God wants them to do. The book has a different kind of vibe from most of the historical romances I read, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I am, myself, pretty overtly religious and I was Ok with them spouting scripture and repeating
admonition to turn to the Lord. I would not want to read this style of book every week. It is not great literature, but it suited my mood this week. I will probably read more from this author when I again need a break from the grit I find in other books. (2017, 352 p.)