Love Under Construction - Linda Shenton Matchett

Book Stats:

Genre: Christian Historical Romance Publication Date: 6 January 2026

Series: The Chocolate Chronicles, Book 2 Pages: 229

Format: E-book Source: ARC

My Review:

This book was a good read. I enjoyed seeing life during this time period, and how technological advances were happening. I agree with the washing of laundry being one of the harder tasks and she had it way harder than I do. The thought of having boarders is such a fun one. I think that the gift of hospitality is such a wonderful one. I love the idea of caring for a place and feeding people, making a residence a home. Nadine has such a hard work ethic, but it was nice to see how Leo encouraged her to rest as well. It is all about balance. God doesn't want us constantly on the go, but to enjoy the fruits of the world He created and the hard work He encourages us to do.

I did care about both characters and seeing where it ended up. I love that their romance built up slowly and begin with friendship, because I truly believe that is the best foundation for any marriage. I do feel like the end was a bit rushed for me, but overall, it was a good book. I liked the setting and getting to know the town as well as Nadine and her siblings. I love that they look out for each other.

Also, random note, but I find it so much fun when an author and I live in the same place, and this author and I both live in the same state so that was a fun tidbit to learn as I read more about her.

A solid three star read for me.

You can find out more about the book here: Linda's Books

Quote Time:

"Last week, Pastor Umsted had spoken about prayer, reminding the congregation that it was a two-way conversation, and that too often people did all the talking, failing to let God get a word in edgewise. She'd realized she'd been guilty of not listening, and in the few days since Sunday, she'd tried to be less talkative. She'd already experienced a difference in her prayer life."

This was a great reminder that prayer is a two-way conversation. I think the other side of this is being so busy that we aren't making time to be quiet in our prayer with the Lord. Often the best way to hear Him is to become still, so we can hear His voice. I definitely needed this reminder as I was reading.

I want to thank the author and publisher for a copy of this book to read, with no expectations of a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Meet the Author:

Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she explores the history of this great state and immerses herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

More from Linda:

In 2002, my husband and I purchased a 4,000 square-foot “fixer upper” bed and breakfast in New Hampshire. The building had “good bones,” but a bit of deferred maintenance and poorly executed “Harry Homeowner” repairs and updates provided plenty of projects not including a complete overhaul of the kitchen and adding a bathroom. Here are just a few:

Wallpaper that had been applied directly to unpainted drywall (for the uninitiated: this means the wallpaper pulls off the paper facing leaving the gypsum core exposed).

Floral wire used to attach the toilet handle to the flapper in all eight bathrooms which left a pile of floral wire in the bottom of the tanks because that repair was repeated countless times.

A rotted 12X8X8 sill discovered while painting the outside of the house.

Windows that had to be locked to remain closed, and windows that had to be set on “chocks” to remain open.

Floors that sloped because the joists had rotted.

Walls that had rotted behind wallpaper.

Replacing the subfloor in one room that had a 12” round hole that had been carpeted over. Good thing it was near the wall, and a chair had been set over the area.

Discovering a live wire in the basement that had been cut off and stuffed into the wall.

My “favorite” was the pantry that turned out to be propped together. None of the walls or the ceiling were connect/nailed/screwed to anything, so when the shelves were removed, the closet fell in on itself.

We didn’t begin anything new after March because we couldn’t risk getting caught with an unfinished project when season began. Despite the challenges, I loved the historicity of that house, and even though it was much too large for just the two of us after we closed the business, I sometimes miss it. However, not while I’m cleaning!

When I was noodling through possible plotlines for the second book in The Chocolate Chronicles, it didn’t take long for me to realize I could use our experiences for Nadine who operated a boarding house. Add a hunky flannel-shirted (hello Hallmark) hero, and I had the makings of a story. I had fun creating construction problems for the pair as they fought their growing attraction.