Reviewing: Wooing The Competition Rival by Melissa Jagears

 Everyone has a special talent yet Raven Owens had yet to discover hers. She can't cook, can't sew and has yet to prove herself to her parents as a reliable clerk in their mercantile.  This was enough to get a girl down but she was willing to try anything to find her strengths.  When a temporary positon as the town teacher came up, she applied. The town council doubled she was up to the task, yet nobody else came forth to apply.  It became apparent that what she lacked in domestic talents she made up for with good ideas to improve her school and encourage her students. Spurred on by her students, she decided to throw her hat into the mayoral election. Wyoming was a forward thinking territory and in 1885, women could vote and there was even a territory with a woman mayor!

The town council wasn't having Raven for mayor. The town had been without a mayor since Mayor McGill was run out of office for his lawless ways. They tried everything to discourage her campaign but she was determined to run, albeit with little support from her parents or other townsfolk. 

Bo McGill, handsome and good at just about everything he put his hand to, was back in town and quickly unsettled Raven at nearly every turn.  He seemed to be everywhere.  He was the son of the late, disgraced former mayor. He worked hard to right his father's bad deeds and establish his own good name and integrity far from that of his father. The town council decided he was the best candidate to beat Raven. He wanted no part of being mayor after his father's disgrace and assurance from the council it would be a job in name only. He could just rubber stamp their decisions. Undeterred by his willingness to run, the council still put his name on the ballot.

 Raven and Bo went way back to their school days when he cheated her out of a win at the school spelling bee. Imagine her chagrin when he showed up to teach math and did so quite well. Everywhere she turned, he showed up.  Even as a rival in the campaign for mayor.  

Rivals can often be on the opposite spectrum of feelings.  Along the way, they both faced issues that determined their outcome. She found courage and strength. He too found a new type of courage and the realization that he was very unlike his father. I enjoyed this book, a book about resilience and love. When we look beyond our feelings, we often find some of the best parts of our lives.  Melissa captured the Raven and Bo many people can identify with.  To find oneself, it is good to reach out and learn about the world and its wonder.