Humiliated after her broken engagement, Claire Montgomery flees her comfortable life in San Francisco for a teaching position in Pine Creek, Washington, a dot of a town nestled in the rugged Cascade Mountains. She’s determined to succeed—for once in her life—only to discover, upon her arrival, that success will have to be won. Thanks to a school board error, two teachers have been hired.

When scandal forces professor Barrett Clarke from his position, he returns to Pine Creek where his uncle, chairman of the school board, sets forth an irresistible offer: teach one year in return for ranchland. For this would-be rancher, nothing is more tempting than resurrecting his childhood dream, and nothing can deter him from earning that land.

Except perhaps Claire Montgomery. Losing the battle for the classroom means losing the ranchland, but winning may mean losing Claire’s heart.

SERIES: Love That Counts #1
GENRE: Historical Romance, Christian
PUBLISHER: Trail House Publishers
RELEASE DATE: October 2015
PAGES: 279

Oh my goodness! This book has been recommended to me so many times recently and I TOTALLY SEE WHY!! The chemistry, the flirting, the KISSES… the intense pursuing!!! Be still my KissingBook-loving heart! One Plus One Equals Trouble by Sondra Kraak is going in my faves category…. and the author series is one I’ll be stalking impatiently until book 2 shows up on my radar.

Claire and Barrett immediately have a push-pull attraction to each other and they’re about as alike as oil and water. Their personalities, their teaching styles, their approaches to life. Pretty much polar opposites.  But you know what they say … opposites do attract.  And attraction sparkles and sizzles between this pair throughout the book.  At a certain point, it shifts in intensity, and when it does? Whew. You will want to keep your fans and fainting couches – possibly a backup oxygen source – close by. If you sustain injuries from swooning or overheating, please do not write me letters.  I did warn you 🙂

Besides all the kissing and sizzling and fanning, one of my favorite aspects of One Plus One Equals Trouble is the message that’s woven naturally between the threads of the story. “Life’s not a performance. Remember that. You’ve got nothing to prove.” How freeing this truth is! And yet so difficult to remember sometimes. Especially for those of us who can identify with Claire.  I could also identify with Barrett & the struggle between holding on to his long-held dream and surrendering to what God might be up to instead.

There’s another theme tucked into these pages – and it’s one that will bring tears to your eyes. Forgiveness & faithfulness.  And the man who offers both to Claire along with his heart.  The poignancy of these scenes, of these promises, touched me and painted such a beautiful picture of Jesus for me.

[bctt tweet=”One Plus One Equals Trouble by @SondraKraak equals a must-read! ” username=”meezcarrie”]

Bottom Line: Sondra Kraak’s delightful debut novel One Plus One Equals Trouble is the kind of math I can do. One flirty smoldering hero.  One uptight but sincere heroine. A whole lot of fantastic electricity between the two. A bit of humor. And nudges of faith that will wrap you up in a quilt of truth. The result? A new favorite book, series, and author for me! If you enjoy reading Melissa Jagears, Regina Jennings, and/or Karen Witemeyer, you will really enjoy this book as well.

(I bought this book a while ago and am just now finding time to read it. Argh. As always, though, this is only my honest review.)

My Rating: 4 stars / Loved it!

KissingBook Level: 4 / You WILL need your trusty fan & fainting couch!

Purchase your copy here.

A native of Washington State, Sondra Kraak grew up playing in the rain, hammering out Chopin at the piano, and running up and down the basketball court. Now settled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children, blogging about spiritual truths, and writing historical romance set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She delights in sharing stories that not only entertain, but nourish the soul. Her debut novel, One Plus One Equals Trouble, was an ACFW Genesis semi-finalist (2015) and the winner of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Unpublished Women’s Fiction Award (2015).

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Which one of the spiritual themes that I mentioned do you most identify with?