Charming the Troublemaker (Pepper Basham) – Review

~ About the Book ~

When Dr. Alex Murdock is demoted to a university in rural Virginia, the last thing he expects to find is a future. But country charm never looked as good as it did on Rainey Mitchell.

Rainey Mitchell does not need a high-class flirt in her wounded world, but trouble and temptation wafts off the new professor as strong as his sandalwood-scented cologne.

When circumstances thrust them together to save her tutoring clinic, can the troublemaker find the hero inside and encourage the reticent Rainey to open her heart again?
Series:  #2 Mitchell’s Crossroads
Genre:  Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy
Release date:  1 November 2017
Pages:  296
Publisher:  Bling! Romance

Amazon US  //  Amazon AU  //  Goodreads

~ Excerpt ~

The door swung open and Rainey stormed in openmouthed and ready for some sassy retort, if his people-reading radar worked. She froze in the doorway, her pale gaze flitting from the little girl on his knee and back to his face. An unguarded look of surprise replaced whatever statement she’d planned to make, eyes wide and a flush of rose dusting her pale cheeks.
Unguarded suited her.
“Wh . . . what is going on in here?”
“He drew me a Pinky Pie picture, Mama. Look!” Sarah flashed the drawing toward her mother.
“She’s my favorite.” Sarah looked up at him, a dimple dipping into each cheek, and Alex’s heart leapt right out of his chest and landed in her tiny little fingers.
Rainey stared at her daughter for a full five seconds before apparently snapping back to motion. “Um . . . well, that was nice of him.”
“And he even knows about her cutie mark too.” Sarah patted his shoulder. “Most boys don’t know about cutie marks.”
“You know about cutie marks?”
He shrugged one shoulder, trying to find an explanation that didn’t sound as lame at the truth, but Rainey’s direct gaze called for an equally direct answer. “This boy has been surrounded by girls his whole life, so his mind is full of surprisingly pink information.”
“Surrounded by girls? Right.” Rainey’s response moved as slowly as the turn of her head, back and forth from him to Sarah.
“Well, not that way.” He fumbled with his words. What was wrong with him? “I was the only boy in a family full of girls.”
She continued to stare, the pucker in her brow deepening with each silent second.
He’d guess Rainey Mitchell didn’t meet tongue-tied too often. The idea notched up his confidence a little more. She examined him with a deeper layer of uncertainty and then cleared her throat. “Well, that was very sweet of you.”
She beckoned Sarah forward.
Sarah got off his lap and turned. “Thank you, Mr. Doctor.”
He tapped her nose. “Alex.”
“Dr. Murdock,” Rainey corrected, attention fastened on him, mama-warning at full alert.
“Dr. Alex Murdock,” Sarah repeated, her smile inciting another flicker of dimples. “Do you want to get hot chocolate with us?”
“Sarah.” Rainey stepped forward and took Sarah’s hand, tugging her toward the door. “I’m sure Dr. Murdock has plenty to do. We’ve taken up enough of his time this afternoon.”
Rainey’s pointed look said he’d better agree, but the troublemaker in him flared to full rebellion. It’s true he had plenty of mourning to do about the loss of his position at UVA, and he still had a few resumés to send out in hopes of getting out of Ransom as quickly as possible, but . . .
Sarah’s expectant smile spurned the rebel into motion, and with a flicker of victory to the fiery blonde, he replied, “Hot chocolate sounds like a great idea.”

~ Review ~

Can flirty and sweet live in the same body? Why, yes. Yes, they can! And in the hands of Pepper Basham, they can bring you a whole lot of laughter and adorkableness, too!

It’s always dangerous to try and pick a favourite from Pepper Basham’s novels, but right now, I’m really tempted to say it’s this one. Alex Murdock has “enough . . . woman power wafting off him to upend a convent” and “enough charm to create his own Disney movie.” Not only that, but he, his mobile, and his underoos manage to create one of the most hilarious scenes I’ve ever read (so beware if you’re reading in public!) But underneath it all, he’s also a guy who knows My Little Pony and cries in Hallmark movies. Really, the flirting is just a smokescreen for a guy who’s a little bit lost, a little bit lonely, and whole lot loveable with some mischief on the side!

Rainey has every reason to have her guard up around charmers and flirts, but Alex plays havoc with that guard, constantly surprising her with the way he relates to her five-year-old daughter (who steals every scene she’s in!), and the glimpses he shows of the genuine guy beneath the flirty exterior. One minute her guard’s on full-alert-solid-steel mode, the next it’s turned to jelly. How does a girl guard her heart while still showing friendship and grace? Just as well the wisdom of Mama Mitchell is only a kitchen away!

Everything I love about Pepper Basham’s stories is here in spades: engaging characters, vibrant writing, great family dynamics, soul-searching, growth in Christ, fun banter, and of course swoony kisses. There’s even some suspense, particularly toward the end when a certain situation comes to a head.

Pepper Basham’s books are always a Treat with a capital T. Just read them. You’ll be doing yourself a favour!

I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

~ Previous Books in the Series ~

~ About the Author ~

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes novels inspired by her love for history and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her Penned in Time series has garnered recognition in the Inspys, Grace Awards, and the ACFW Carol Awards. Her contemporary romance novel, A Twist of Faith, received 4-stars from Romantic Times, and most recently, her newest release, The Thorn Healer, received a Top Pick from RT with 4 ½ stars. Her newest contemporary romance, Just the Way You Are, released in April 2016.

Connect with Pepper:  Website  //  The Writer’s Alley  //  Facebook  //  Twitter  //  Instagram

~ Guest Post by Pepper Basham ~

I have a thing for underdogs.

Misfits.

Lots souls who desperately need to find where they belong.

I can’t help it! Call it a ‘fix-it’ mentality or an awareness that God rescued me and now I want to rescue other people…even fictional characters, but I’m definitely a softy for those characters that people are less likely to root for. Catherine from The Thorn Bearer/Keeper became my first rescue…and I just HAD to find another.

I guess that’s how Charming the Troublemaker came into existence.

Dr. Alex Murdock desperately needed to be rescued.

In a bad way.

If you’ve had a chance to read my first book in the Mitchell’s Crossroads series, A Twist of Faith, you’ll know that Alex doesn’t seem to be made up of much hero material. He’s a flirt, a little arrogant, and…well, kind of like a lost puppy.

As book 1 grew and came to a close, I knew Alex and Rainey’s story would be next…but I immediately ran into a real problem.

Who in the world was Alex Murdock? We really didn’t get to know him very much in book 1. He zoomed in a few times, ruffling feathers and then finally showing off some interesting kindness/compassion in the end, but…he was still a big-time flirt.

So the question emerged: Can a flirt be a hero?

What is Alex hiding behind that ready smile and sense of humor? Why does he seem so lost?

The answers were surprising!! Just wait.

The Mitchell family draw him right in, as they did with Dee, and his world is forever changed.

And then there’s Rainey. Strong-willed and independent, she is deeply wounded by her ex-husband’s betrayal. Though she gives off all these ‘confident’ vibes, she hides her insecurities behind a tough exterior in a desire to keep people at a distance – well, everyone except her family.

Alex rocks her world with his ready charm.

And she sees beyond the plastic grin to recognize another wounded soul.

Throwing them together into a book has been a hilarious and heart-stirring adventure, I wasn’t prepared to encounter. They’re so much fun!

AND…he’s ADORKABLE!! Seriously!! He is SUCH a dork, but makes me grin.

And…he looks like Armie Hammer 😉

Let me just give you a hint to some of my favorite scenes:

Anything with Sarah!
Underoos
All of the scenes in Rainey’s house
And those in Mama Mitchell’s

Okay, I like the WHOLE STORY…and I can’t wait to see what you think too.

~ Giveaway ~

To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away a grand prize of a paper copy of A Twist of Faith, a mug from the Blue Ridge Parkway, one driftwood scented candle, one mango scented candle, and a Troublemaker snickers 😉 highly appropriate. Chocolate with a nutty personality :)!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c1f1

~ Blog Tour ~

Tour Home Page

November 14
By The Book  //  Just the Write Escape

November 15
Avid Reader Book Reviews  // Reading Is My SuperPower  //  Moments Dipped in Ink,

 November 16
Fiction Aficionado  //  Autism mom

November 17
Fiction, Faith, and Fun  //  Inklings and Notions

November 18
Faithfully Bookish  //  Radiant Light

November 19
Reflections From My Bookshelves  //  The Power of Words

November 20
Cordially Barbara  //  Red Headed Book Lady  //  Smiling Book Reviews

November 21
Kat’s Corner Books  //  A Greater Yes

November 22
100 Pages per Hour  //  Splashes of Joy

 November 23
Carpe Diem  //  Bookworm Mama

November 24
A Baker’s Perspective  //  The Important Things in Life: God, Books, & Chocolate

November 25
Daysong Reflections  //  Rachel Scott McDaniel

 November 26
Remembrancy  //  Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

November 27
Christian Chick’s Thoughts  //  Karen Sue Hadley