When Love Comes My Way by Lori Copeland

Somewhat enjoyable but superficial romance. Tess Wakefield is the heiress to the Wakefield fortune and along with that comes the lumber company her grandfather owned.  However, she knows nothing about lumber and plans to sell to its competitor so she can continue to make hats for her millinery shops.  Jake Lannigan, the foreman of Wakefield Timber, wants to replant pine trees to give something back instead of stripping the land.  Her grandfather had agreed to do this, but died before they could start the project.  Jake and Tess have been arguing through letters and he is furious that she won't agree.  She travels from Philadelphia to Michigan to sign the papers for the sale when she's involved in a wagon accident along with the new schoolteacher.  She survives but the teacher does not.  However, when she wakes up, she has no memory and is mistaken for the teacher.  Jake suspects that she could be Tess, but he figures her teaching a bunch of unruly children could school this spoiled girl on what the real world's really like and maybe she'll change her mind in the process.  And there's always the chance that she really is the teacher.

They both immediately fall for each other but Jake fights it especially as he starts to become more sure that she is Tess Wakefield and not the teacher.  He also knows she's engaged, which complicates matters.    What happens when her identity is revealed before he can tell her the truth?  Can she forgive him? Will they fight for their love?

I usually like Lori Copeland's books but I have to say I was disappointed in this one.  The romance seemed shallow.  Tess seems very forward for a woman of the time, especially a society woman; she does a lot of throwing herself at Jake, which I didn't like, especially since she's not getting much encouragement from him.  There wasn't much to the faith element in the book either, just some mentions of prayer and God.  This book was rewritten and expanded from a 1990 book she wrote for a secular publisher and I'd have to say it's not up to par with her usual style.  However, if you like light romance, you might enjoy this book.

I was provided a free copy of this book from Harvest House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.