Review - Gypsy's Game - Delia Latham

Gypsy's Game by Delia Latham

Blurb:
Gypsy Lovell stands to inherit an enormous amount of money from a father who never gave her anything but a ridiculous name. Even now, he doesn’t make it easy. A stipulation in the man’s will demands that Gypsy be married in order to claim what is hers. Desperate for the monetary windfall that could save her ailing mother’s life, Gypsy visits a Christian dating agency, hoping to find a temporary husband. Someone easy to handle for the required six months, and easy to get rid of when she no longer needs him.

Jal Garridan is neither of those things, but he's willing to take on the challenge presented by the beautiful stranger—on his own terms. What Gypsy doesn’t know is that Solomon’s Gate is a dating agency with a Divine connection. What she finds there may save more than her mother’s life. It may save Gypsy’s soul.

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review
5/5 stars

Gypsy needs a husband fast. Jal needs a wife. When they meet at Solomon's Gate Dating Agency it seems the answer to everyone's needs. Only Gypsy doesn't want a long term deal and Jal, as a Christian, doesn't believe in divorce. When the angel Solomon tells Gypsy to 'trust and follow' she marries Jal, little prepared for what lies ahead.

Ms. Latham does it again with the next in the Solomon's Gate books. Romance with a difference as the first comes love, then comes marriage is turned on its head. There is nothing not to like about this book. The pages turn by themselves as the story unfold in glorious technicolour. Seriously, technicolour. This one pulls you in and leaves you wanting more.

Interview with Delia:
Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself?

Let's see...sometimes my name eludes me. LOL  Just being silly, of course, although I will admit to having been so caught up in a character while writing that I forget I'm me, not the heroine!

But in real life I'm Delia Latham. I was born and raised in California, but transplanted to Oklahoma with my husband in '08.  I'm a Christian wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend—but above all, I treasures my role as child of the King and heir to the throne of God. I enjoy big, loud, happy family gatherings. Most of my time is spent writing or doing writing-related things, but I also love to play piano and sing, read, enjoy nature’s beauty, and design marketing products for authors.

Tell us about where you live and why you choose to live there?

I live about 35 miles south of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hubby and I moved here when he was medically retired with COPD, and the doctors ordered him OUT of California's San Joaquin Valley...if he wanted to live. Since breathing is always preferable to NOT breathing...here we are. 

What is a quirk of your personality that most people wouldn't know?

I love scary movies. LOVE them. Not blood and gore, but scare me out of my wits suspense - oh, yeah.

What obstacles did you have to overcome in order to reach your Happily-ever-after?

I met my husband when I was 11. He was already at the grand "old age" of 15+, so of course he didn't notice me - other than his best friend's skinny little sister! LOL  I had to grow up (not much, since we got married when I was 16!) and make him notice me for myself.

Tell us about your knight in shining armour. What makes him so special?

I don't think any woman, anywhere, has a husband like mine. I have a lot of health problems, and he takes care of me. Patiently and without question...he just does it. If the pain keeps me from cleaning, he cleans. If I can't bend over to get to the laundry, he washes clothes. He cooks. And through it all, he still loves me. That's pretty special!

The first time you saw him, what did you think? Did you like him immediately, or did he have to grow on you?

From the moment I saw him, I knew I wanted to marry him when I grew up. LOL  When I played house with my friends, I was always Mrs. Johnny Latham.

And now some silly questions.

Pepsi or coke (But only if those two are the only choices. I'm a die-hard Dr. Pepper fan.)

tea or coffee Neither, to be honest. I don't really like tea OR coffee. But on really, really cold days, I'll sometimes have a cup of herbal tea, highly sweetened.

elephant or tiger  Tiger - but only at a distance and with a strong fence between us....

roast dinner or burger and chips (fries for our US readers)  Roast dinner.With carrots and potatoes...mmm. I'm not much of a fast-food person.

classical music or pop  What? No country western or Southern Gospel???  LOL

sunrise or sunset  Sunset. I am NOT a morning person, since I'm usually up well into the wee hours writing.

walk or run  I'm not sure I could run if I had a tribe of wild Indians chasing me!

chocolate or crisps (chips for our US readers)  Chocolate - with caramel, thank you very much.

Interview with Gypsy Lovell:

Gypsy, I love your name! Very unusual.

Thank you…I’m learning to like it. To be honest, it was a thorn in my side while growing up. But I know a few things now that I didn’t know then. That ‘inside knowledge’ makes my name a little easier to live with.

Intriguing! Are you going to share those things with us, or can they only be discovered by reading your story?

Oh, you definitely have to read my story! J

So tell me about Solomon’s Gate. What made you decide to go there?

Pure and simple desperation. I needed a husband, and I needed him fast. Since I was obviously going to have to marry someone I didn’t even know, it seemed to me that finding him at a Christian agency would provide at least some element of safety. (A little self-conscious laugh…) I also had the mistaken idea that Christian men were pushovers. I hoped it would be easier for me to keep the upper hand with a guy who wore Christ like some kind of badge. Boy, was I ever in for a surprise!

I’m sure you were! From what I’ve picked up about Jal Garridan, he’s anything but a pushover. His offer to marry you came with conditions, didn’t it?

It certainly did – and I was not happy about any of them! If I’d had any choice, I would have told him to forget it and gone looking for someone else. (A dazzling smile…) Thank God I didn’t have that choice!

You’re very close to your mother, Adriana. What was her reaction to your marriage of convenience?

Mama surprised me by loving Jal immediately. She never had a doubt, and constantly encouraged me to make things work – not only with Jal, but with all the wonderful friends he brought into my life.

She’s obviously a very wise woman. Gypsy, what did you think the first time you met Solomon?

Oh…what can I say about Solomon? Meeting him was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to me at the time. I had a difficult time deciding whether I’d dreamed him, or if he was real. You have to understand that, not only had I never seen an angel (which I’m learning is true of most people), but I really wasn’t even familiar with the concept. I knew, of course, what the word ‘angel’ meant, from a strictly academic standpoint. But that they actually exist had never one time crossed my mind. So seeing Solomon in all his incredible beauty, hearing his voice…actually touching him – it was an experience I don’t even have words to explain.

Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps! J I understand Destiny Gallagher is very familiar with what you referred to as “the concept” of angels.

Destiny knows more about angels than anyone else I’ve met, but even she hasn’t actually seen Solomon, except in dreams. Still, she was endlessly kind to me, and helped me understand things. I will always consider her one of my dearest friends.

Friends. That’s kind of a new concept for you, as well, isn’t it?

Absolutely! Solomon’s Gate and Jal have changed my life in more ways than I can count. Having a solid friendship circle is one of the most incredible blessings to me. I never had a real friend prior to stepping inside Solomon’s Gate. I only had acquaintances and co-workers. And I thought that’s the way I wanted it…but God changed my mind and showed me something so much better.

Well, your story fills in all the gaps and makes perfectly clear all the ways God changed your life. I encourage everyone to read it, because it’ll be a blessing to them, as well. Gypsy, thank you for answering my questions. Is there anything you’d like to say to readers?

Just that I hope they enjoy my story, and that it leads them a little closer to accepting God’s blessings in their own lives. Also, don’t be too quick to brush it off as fanciful when you think you hear the flutter of unseen wings....