What Matters Most

What Matters Most, the fourth book in the Texas Gold series by Kellie Coates Gilbert turned out to be a pleasant surprise.  I was expecting the typical contemporary romance, but was delighted by a love story that was almost secondary to the circumstances of the characters.

Leta Breckenridge is a sweet girl, down on her luck, and a devoted daughter. The life she finds herself living is due to the responsibility and financial demands placed on her by her mother's dementia.  She dropped out of college and went to work to care for and support her mother.  Any kind of social life has been sacrificed and financially, Leta is hanging on by a thread.  She's working two jobs that don't pay near enough and she can't seem to find anything better because everyone wants to hire someone with a college degree.

All is beginning to seem hopeless when in quick succession a chance accident introduces Leta to Senator Nathan Emerson and she lands what appears to be the job of a lifetime with a public relations firm.  The new job provides enough income to take care of her mother and even begin to have a social life again...one that she hopes might include a certain handsome senator!

Through out the budding relationship between Leta and the senator, the reader is educated about the problems facing dementia patients and their families due to Leta's own concerns and the fact that Nathan's first career is as a doctor of neuroscience and founder of the Institute of Brain Sciences.

The book also introduces the reader to a behind the scenes look at political campaigning as Nathan decides to throw his hat into the ring and run for governor of Texas.  His opponent, the current governor, along with his wife will stop at almost nothing to guarantee reelection as they have their sights set on a future presidential run.

When poor Leta finds out that her dream job is actually a front for a political opposition group working to discredit Nathan in any way it can she has to wrestle with what she knows is right, what her mother's needs are, and her growing feelings for the senator.

In a story that is particularly relevant in this election year, it is impossible not to get caught up in the type of hard struggle where Leta has to decide between right, wrong, and wrong but legal.  Will she choose between a great job and money to care for her mother? How can she keep her job and allow her feelings for Nathan to grow? Can she trust God to work it all out for the best?

I highly recommend reading What Matters Most to find out.