The Bridegrooms - Review & Giveaway

UPDATE Thursday at 12:35 pm: WINNER!

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
15
Timestamp: 2010-04-22 17:35:42 UTC
Congrats to Anonymous (jackie.smithATdishmailDOTnet), winner of The Bridegrooms. Email me your address and the book will be on its way to you!

* * * * *

The Bridegrooms
by Allison Pittman
(WaterBrook Multnomah)
ISBN: 9781601421371
April, 2010; $13.99
ABOUT THE BOOK (from the publisher):
Tragedy hits the Allenhouse family on a hot summer night in Ohio when a mother of four vanished. Eight-year-old Vada virtually grew up overnight and raised her three younger sisters while her father lost himself in his medical practice in the basement of their home.

Now, Vada is a grown woman, still making her home with her father and sisters. Her days are spent serving as an errand girl for Cleveland’s fledgling amateur orchestra; her evenings with Garrison Walker, her devoted, if passionless, beau.

Dizzying change occurs the day the Brooklyn Bridegrooms come to town to play the Cleveland Spiders and a line drive wallops the head of a spectator. The fan is whisked to the Allenhouse parlor, and questions swirl about the anonymous, unconscious man.

Suddenly, the subdued house is filled with visitors, from a flirtatious, would-be sports writer to the Bridegrooms’ handsome star hitter to the guilt-ridden ballplayer who should have caught the stray shot. The medical case brings Dr. Allenhouse a frustration and helplessness he hasn’t felt since his wife’s disappearance. Vada’s sisters are giddy at the bevy of possible suitors. And Vada’s life is awakened amid the super-charged atmosphere of romantic opportunity.

If you'd like to read the first chapter, click here.

You can purchase this book directly from the publisher, from Amazon, or your favorite bookstore.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Allison Pittman is the author of Stealing Home, the Crossroads of Grace series, and her nonfiction debut, Saturdays With Stella. A former high-school English teacher, she serves as director of the theater arts group at her church. Allison makes her home in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Learn more about the author at her website.

MY THOUGHTS:
This is a fun read. I enjoyed the depiction of the four sisters, each with her own unique struggle. Vada, the oldest, has been the surrogate mother to the other three since she was eight years old and her mother deserted the family, and she longs for a little excitement to spice up her life and her staid relationship with steadfast Garrison. Hazel longs for someone to look past her plump body and love her for herself, and she has resorted to seeking a suitor by mail. Althea hasn't spoken since their mother's disappearance and pens poetry to express the thoughts of her heart. And the baby, Lisette, is 17 going on 25 and a bit boy-crazy, to put it mildly. Like many sisters, their very different personalities result in frequent spats and arguments, yet they are also fiercely protective of each other. This multi-faceted novel weaves each of their stories into a captivating tale of excitement, romance, and even a bit of intrigue.

And yes, there really was a baseball team known as the Brooklyn Bridegrooms!

GIVEAWAY!
The publisher has provided an additional copy for me to give to one of you. Just leave a comment on this post by 12:00 noon CDT this Thursday (4/22) and I will randomly draw a winner. US Residents only, please. If you don't have a blog, you must include an email address to be entered in the drawing.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”