Cindy J. (cindyj) - reviewed on 11/25/2015 + 62 more book reviews

Pam Hillman begins Stealing Jake with some desperate choices by street kids trying to survive impossible situations. Livy O'Brien has recently moved to Chestnut, Illinois and is helping care for kids at the orphanage, but donations are few and money is scarce. Known in Chicago as Light-Fingered Livy, she has the skills to obtain what the kids need, but she left Chicago and her old lifestyle behind and doesn't ever plan to return. As a relatively new Christian, sometimes it's hard to trust God to provide what is needed though. Can she truly leave her past behind and trust God to supply those needs? Sheriff's Deputy Jake Russell is trying to catch the thieves who have been breaking into local stores. The number of thefts is on the rise, and the townspeople are complaining about the increasing number of street kids around town. The townspeople believe that if he would only arrest those kids, the thefts would stop. Livy knows the street kids aren't to blame, but can she convince Jake without revealing her past? Will Jake give the street kids the benefit of "innocent until proven guilty"?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I liked how Livy related to the street kids; she knew what to do, but especially what not to do, in her efforts to get them to come to the orphanage instead of staying on the streets. She also wanted more for them than just a warm bed and three meals a day; she wanted to introduce them to Jesus. The reminder that everyone has something to share with those less fortunate was subtle but very real. Jake's love and care for his family and friends was obvious. He also cared about his town and its residents. He wanted to find the truth about the thefts around town, not settle for the "obvious" answer that everyone else seemed to believe. Some things I didn't care for about the story were that Livy and Jake's romantic relationship developed too quickly, in my opinion. The book only covered two months, and Livy and Jake met at the beginning and were engaged at the end. Also, within about four hours after Jake was injured in an altercation and broke some ribs, he walked Livy home before returning to the jail then being called to the bank. That part was very unrealistic to me because a friend of mine broke some ribs and was confined to the hospital for several days. Again, I really liked the book overall, in spite of those few down sides. This book will go on my keeper shelf, and I'll be looking for additional books by Ms. Hillman to enjoy.

I received a copy of this book through The Book Club Network in exchange for my honest review.

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