Friday, March 15, 2024

About the Book

Book: If the Boot Fits

Author: Karen Witemeyer

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: March 12, 2024

One fateful night will change their destinies forever. . . .

Convinced that his stepmother and half brothers have been wrongfully evicted by cattle king Eli Dearing, Asher Ellis uses the cover of an extravagant ball to break into the Three Cedars’ ranch house to search for proof. On the verge of discovery, he flees, but a boy’s cry compels him to make a daring rescue.

Spunky and independent Samantha Dearing balks when she learns the ball her father is hosting is nothing more than a matrimonial ambush. Taking a break from unwanted suitors, Samantha spots a thief fleeing her home. When the stranger ends up saving her brother’s life, she hides the only clue to his identity left behind–his boot–and resolves to find him herself.

When Samantha encounters the older brother of a student she tutors, all thoughts of the bootless mystery man vanish. Asher values family above wealth, a rare trait that opens her heart. Afraid she will discover his past misconduct, Asher tries to keep his distance, but when a series of suspicious accidents befall her, he vows to protect her, even though saving her life could mean losing her love.

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

Attention Everyone. I have an announcement to make. This is Samantha Dearing and I need help identifying the man who jumped into the pond on our property and saved my little brother from drowning. I have one clue that could help identify him, but will not divulge that information at this time. A party was going on at the time of the incident so there was a lot of people there. If you have any information please let me know. Well that’s what I imagine Samantha would write in the local newspaper but instead she keeps a secret of how to identify this person. I wonder why she would not tell her father what she knew of the mysterious person?

Asher is a dashing character who tries to help his family out while trying to not be so angry at Samantha’s father. Asher knows his mother was evicted unjustly and will stand up to Mr. Dearing to prove his point. Asher reminds me of a dashing prince. I love how the author does a retelling of a classic fairy tale with a twist of a cowboy theme. Oh the hard working cowboys who ride horses all day while fixing fences and watch over the cattle are to be commended for their dedication.

Asher and Samantha may come from different backgrounds but they sure have an attraction to each other. Now we have Asher teaching Samantha to ride a horse. That is very out of character for her. As they begin to get to know each other better Samantha finds out that her own father was responsible for evicting Asher’s mother from her home. I liked how this was resolved in a Godly way.

Mr Dearing has always been known as a hard person to deal with but he shows compassion for one of Samantha’s friends. It is an excellent illustration of not judging someone and offering help with grace. I really enjoyed this part of the story.

Danger surrounds Samantha after an uncomfortable encounter with someone. Revenge is on this persons mind and he won’t stop till he gets what he wants. The dashing Asher steps in to protect her and shows her how much he cares. There is a definite faith element throughout the story which I loved. I liked how Samantha referred to Asher as her, “Cowboy Prince.”

I loved how the author incorporates a mystery in the story of who is trying to kill Samantha. At first I thought I knew who the guilty party was but now I’m not so sure. With a secret journal found belonging to her mother, Samantha begins to understand the lies her mother had told her father years ago. Now those lies are causing danger to her and her family.

The author creates a great story where trusting in God is the key. As the mystery unravels will Samantha find out who fits the missing boot left behind the night of the party? Is he the one to marry Samantha and be her “Cowboy prince?”

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

About the Author

Voted #1 Reader’s Favorite Christian Historical Author of 2023 by Family Fiction magazine, bestselling and Carol and Christy Award-winning author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. She and her husband make their home in Abilene, Texas.

More from Karen

Character Names and Word Games

One of my favorite parts of writing any book is finding the perfect names for my characters. Names are so important. They carry meaning and expectation. They add historical flavor and help create a picture in the reader’s mind about who that character is. They can also add hidden joy to a story for me as the author that may or may not be realized by the reader.

If the Boot Fits was inspired by the classic fairy tale, Cinderella. I give it a fresh western twist and mixed up the plot a bit, but it was important to me to fill this tale with subtle nods to the version I loved as a child. One of the main ways I did this was through the naming of my characters.

I worked hard to create names that would harken back to the original while still carrying meaning of their own. Instead of Cinderella, we have a hero named Asher Ellis—Ash being a synonym of Cinder, and Ellis playing off of Ella. For our heroine, I wanted something to play on the “charming” motif without being too on-the-nose. I ended up selecting Samantha Dearing—Dearing like endearing or charming. Samantha is the feminine version of Samuel which comes into play in the story since her father’s name is Eli. The three key older ladies of the story all of names inspired by royalty, as befits a fairy tale—Regina, Elizabeth, and Victoria. Asher’s step brothers are named Jonathan and Fergus. However, Jonathan goes by Jack, giving a nod to the mice from Disney’s Cinderella, Jaq and Gus. Asher’s horse is named Bruno in honor of the dog who saved Cinderella from the tower room. We have a cattle king with a foreman named Duke as well. Whether readers catch all of these nods or not, they made me as the author smile while writing the story.

Here’s another way to have fun with names and other key story elements. I’ve created a word search for you to enjoy. Have fun!