Courting Misfortune

To be honest, the book starts out at a slower pace, and I did have a harder time connecting to the characters in the first half. Calista comes off as too flighty because of her history as a socialite and her often senseless attempts at disguise, making it clear that she isn't the most talented Pinkerton ever hired.

I did like Matthew from the beginning. He's trying to figure out what missionary work actually looks like when he realizes that God called him to the US instead of a foreign country. He isn't sure what his ministry is going to look like, but he doesn't let that hold him back.

Something happens about midway, though, and Calista realizes quite suddenly that she is running out of time to rescue the woman she has come to find. At the same time, the very real-life problems she is running up against makes her suddenly begin to mature and to view life differently. It's when she is on a tight deadline, keeping up with an unexpected baby, and trying to rescue her cousin at the same time, that I loved her the most. Her actions after that show that she has had to re-evaluate what she deems important and what really won me over into liking her so much and what made me hang five stars on this book...really good example of how to improve a character during a book. I literally couldn't put it down while she was dealing with everything and then facing a sudden twist ending to her quest!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.