Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Stealing the Preacher
    Stealing the Preacher
    Stealing the Preacher
    Audiobook9 hours

    Stealing the Preacher

    Written by Karen Witemeyer

    Narrated by Cynthia Darlow

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he's forced off the train by a retired outlaw and presented to the man's daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Worried this unfortunate detour will ruin his chances of finally serving a congregation of his own, Crockett is determined to escape. But when he finally gets away, he's haunted by the memory of the young woman he left behind--a woman whose dreams now hinge on him. For months, Joanna Robbins prayed for a preacher. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. A man to help her discover answers to the questions that have been on her heart for so long. But just when it seems God has answered her prayers, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett to stay in her little backwoods community? And does the attraction between them have any chance of blossoming when Joanna's outlaw father is dead set against his daughter courting a preacher?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateAug 2, 2013
    ISBN9781470356101
    Stealing the Preacher
    Author

    Karen Witemeyer

    Voted #1 Reader's Favorite Christian Historical Author of 2023 by Family Fiction magazine, bestselling and Carol and Christy Award-winning author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. She and her husband make their home in Abilene, Texas. Learn more about Karen and her books at KarenWitemeyer.com.

    More audiobooks from Karen Witemeyer

    Related to Stealing the Preacher

    Titles in the series (2)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Christian Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      TWO DECADES OF HELL EVIL STEPDAD made me HIS WIFE

      Jul 2, 2020

      Acute little girl with bright red hair and a cheeky smile, Rosalynn McGinnis had big dreams. The 10-year-old wanted to grow up and be a veterinarian and teach violin. Rosalynn’s father wasn’t in the picture. But one day, handing out flyers with the n

      3 min read

    • Article

      A Brief Ghostly Encounter…

      Nov 30, 2020

      A Brief Ghostly Encounter…
      7 min read

    • Article

      We Start Over but We Are Safe

      Mar 24, 2022

      There have been several missile hits in our neighborhood and just up the hill from us where our kids' medical clinic sits. The appetite of the beast has yet to be sated. The post We Start Over but We Are Safe appeared first on The Millions.

      6 min read

    • Article

      Robin Ince Is On The Road

      Nov 29, 2021

      Norwich is the location for my first signing sessions in a multi-storey car park. It is a brutal and brutalist surrounding to autograph a book on cosmic beauty, and it is all done from the boot of a car. I am caught between images of the gangster cla

      2 min read

    • Article

      Cross My Heart

      Sep 1, 2022

      Cross My Heart
      6 min read

    • Article

      Four Of A Kind

      May 3, 2023

      Four Of A Kind
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Escape Of Koravitch

      Sep 30, 2019

      The Escape Of Koravitch
      16 min read

    • Article

      FAST, FAMOUS & FURIOUS!

      Mar 10, 2022

      IT WON’T surprise anyone who has ventured out on the highways and byways of Britain recently to learn that Road Rage statistics are on the UP. Pressures of a global pandemic, the economic downturn and massive hikes in the cost of living have transfor

      9 min read

    • Article

      Stranger in a Strange Land: Dave Eggers’s ‘The Parade’

      Feb 14, 2019

      Eggers is a master of point of view; you adhere to his protagonist, even if you have little or nothing in common with him, and even when you’re not entirely on his side. The post Stranger in a Strange Land: Dave Eggers’s ‘The Parade’ appeared first o

      5 min read

    • Article

      Kane and Abel

      Feb 10, 2024

      I boarded the train in Council Bluffs. The cargo headed for Cheyenne included a large sum of cash meant to be the payroll for a large mining operation. Any train moving large sums of cash and passengers with all their earthly belongings was a target.

      9 min read

    • Article

      Changing Trains

      Dec 2, 2019

      Changing Trains
      11 min read

    • Article

      Behind The Scenes

      Oct 18, 2021

      Behind The Scenes
      8 min read

    • Article

      Elf Quest

      Nov 30, 2022

      Elf Quest
      11 min read

    • Article

      Love Comes In The Morning

      May 13, 2019

      Love Comes In The Morning
      6 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Dec 30, 2019

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      Saying Goodbye To A Ghost

      Jul 1, 2022

      Saying Goodbye To A Ghost
      6 min read

    • Article

      If Sheep COULD FLY…

      Aug 3, 2022

      If Sheep COULD FLY…
      6 min read

    • Article

      Falling

      Jul 6, 2021

      Falling
      17 min read

    • Article

      Crusader Kinks

      Sep 6, 2021

      Crusader Kinks
      7 min read

    • Article

      Superman

      May 7, 2018

      Superman
      16 min read

    • Article

      Exploring The Boundaries

      Jul 29, 2019

      JULIA KOETS is the winner of the 2017 Red Hen Press Nonfiction Award, judged by Mark Doty, for her forthcoming book, The Rib Joint: A Memoir in Essays (November 5, 2019). She is a visiting assistant professor of nonfiction at the University of South

      16 min read

    • Article

      My Journey To A WAR ZONE

      Apr 5, 2022

      My Journey To A WAR ZONE
      8 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Il’ja Rakos

      Dec 8, 2018

      These things come in threes and today they came nearly all at once. The first, when the President of Ukraine–famous for his chocolate–announced that he was putting the half of the country that borders Russia under martial law. The second with the two

      5 min read

    • Article

      Dublin Area Rowdy Teens

      Mar 10, 2023

      Of course, later on he would tell the police and anyone who would listen that what had happened was symptomatic of a larger problem—disaffected youth, fear of stabbings, the bystander effect, the growth of unmanned train stations, the loss of conduct

      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Stealing the Preacher

    4.5/5

    40 ratings13 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Jo wanted a preacher for her birthday but she never for her father who is an ex-outlaw to steal one off the train. She didn't intend to start developing feelings for the preacher but she did. Her community was without a preacher. She wanted so much for her father to come to the Lord and felt a preacher would help soften her father's heart. Crockette Archer had his heart set on pastoring a church in another town but the Lord had other plans for Crockett.We got acquainted with the Archers in Karen Witemyer's previous book "Short Straw Bride" so it was nice to revisit with them again in this book. I loved all the characters. I wouldn't mind reading another sequel to find out what happens to the last Archer brother. Reading a Karen Witemeyer book is always a treat.I received this book compliments of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program and Bethany House.
    • 5/5
      First, I will say that I VERY RARELY read a historical type of book...its just my preference.Now, I loved the title so I was willing to give it a chance...I am so glad I did! What a wonderful sweet christian romance.Jo's Pa really loves his daughter. So for her birthday he wants to grant her only wish...to speak to a Preacher!What follows is a lovely story about keeping a promise, repentance and rebirth!I highly recommend this book for everyone who loves romance.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer. There were three main characters, Joanna Robbins, Silas Robbins and Crockett Archer. Crockett is the preacher who gets “stolen” from a train by Silas, a reformed outlaw turned rancher, for his daughter Joanna’s birthday. The story was told from all three of the characters and I liked that because it felt like a more well-rounded story because you got to see it from more than one side. There were secondary characters (Holly Brewster and Neil Archer) in the book that I would love to have their story fleshed out and to see what happens with them.
    • 4/5
      This is my favorite Witemeyer book. The ending was a little ridiculous and it did get a tad too preachy at times, but it's just all so fun, who cares? The romance was sweet and I loved seeing the Archer brothers again. A great read.
    • 5/5
      In this book was a very vivid story that will surprise one that reads it. I really enjoyed it, but was taken a back when the tunes of the hymns were different that what I’ve known since childhood.
    • 4/5
      I think the narrator makes this story comes alive it was fun action and love I really enjoy listening to this book
    • 5/5
      great book enjoyed listening narrator uses lots of voice inflections
    • 5/5
      Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer is a very well written and inspirational historical romance novel that gave me a great deal of enjoyment including several good laughs. Joanna Roberts has been praying for months for a preacher to bring life back into the abandoned, local church. Her dad, who is a reformed outlaw, takes it upon himself to “answer” her prayers and get her a preacher for her birthday. Crockett Archer is on his way to the Piney Woods of Texas to interview for the job as pastor of a local church. Crockett’s train is stopped and he is kidnapped and taken to Joanna who is very upset with what her father has done. Crockett manages to escape but he cannot get Joanna out of his mind for her dreams for a church in the community depend on him and being the kind of man he is, he comes back to help her. Of course there is an attraction between Crockett and Joanna but her father is dead set against the possibility that his daughter could marry a preacher for he has no use for preachers, the church, or God.The author did an excellent job developing the plot, characters, dialogue, and scenes. The plot had a few twists and turns and enough suspense to make it interesting. The characters seemed very real and one could not help pulling for the good guys and booing the bad guys. All the scenes were so well described that I felt as if I were an observer in what was going on. One scene near the end of the book had some nail biting suspense that had me sitting on the edge of my chair wondering what was going to happen. Through the entire book one kept wondering if the father would ever change his ways, if Crockett would stay in the community, and if Crockett and Joanna would end up together. You will have to read the book to learn the answers for I do not want to spoil the ending.I highly recommend this book to all who like a great historical romance novel that inspires and also provides some good laughs and has enough mystery to add to the enjoyment of the book. The book is also recommended because it is a Christian novel and the love and forgiveness of God is shown throughout the entire book.I received this book free from Bethany House at Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
    • 5/5
      Good story. Ok narration. Didn’t love all the voices but the story is worth the listen. Not as good as The Short Straw Bride, but a beloved follow up story if you love the Archer boys.
    • 5/5
      An Exciting Read!If you have read Short-Straw Bride you will love this book. I was delighted to find out that one of the Archer brothers would be one of the main characters in this story. If you are looking for action this is the read for you. Crockett Archer is on his way to Brenham, Texas to try-out for his first ministerial position. It is between him and another gentleman but Crockett is sure the Lord is leading him to Brenham. After all, he has been an apprentice for 3 years with a minister in Palestine, Texas a town near the ranch where he grew up. He feels this is God’s calling. What Crockett did not plan on was his train being held up. Or was it held up?Joanna Robbins hearts desire is to carry out her Mother’s last wish. Her Mother asked Joanna to continue to pray for Joanna’s Father’s salvation so that she might see her beloved again in eternity. So Joanna has been praying that God would bring a preacher to their town and bring the old abandoned church back to life. She needs help with her Mother’s final request.This story takes place in 1885 in Texas. If you love that period of time, rugged living, action, and romance, this book is for you. I fell in love with many of the characters, especially Jackson. This is a young man struggling to belong and to be loved. Will love conquer all? Will forgiveness be sought and will it be accepted? Can past hurts be left in the past? Can there ever be trust in God? Will complete surrender take place?I hope everyone that takes the time to read my review will buy a copy of this book. I promise that you will not be disappointed.I won an ARC copy of this book through LibraryThing from Bethany House for my honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.
    • 5/5
      We are about to journey with a return visit with the Archer family. If you read the first book in this series...Short Straw Bride, then you are familiar with these fellows. If not, don't worry it is not a pre-resquite, but I highly recommend that you do.When Silas's daughter said she wanted a preacher for her Birthday...her father brings her one. Not exactly that way, but startlingly she ends up with one on her doorstep. What she really wants is her Dad to come to the Lord. What a Dad won't do for his daughter? Kidnap?The old church has been vacant for several years, and if they can find a Preacher maybe, just maybe, they can start filling the pews. Enter Crockett Archer, his Mom honored the men from the Alamo.You will find a lot of loving wonderful people, and few that sure need to tame down and follow the Lord. Will Crockett be able to open and have a Parish here? Will Miss Jo find a answer to her prayers? The answers are all in this book along with some romance, and a few scary moments. Enjoy!I received this book through Litfuse Publicity Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review
    • 3/5
      Cute story, predictable. Was good as an easy listen while doing things around the house. I didn't dislike the narrator, she did good with inflection, but she wasn't my favorite to listen to either.

      The characters were fun and likeable, the redemption story was heartwarming. Overall, just an okay story.
    • 4/5
      Combine a western with humor and add Inspiration and you have a book that will give you a chuckle or two as you read. Crockett Archer is on his was to 'audition' for a preaching position in Brenham, Texas. He is sure he will win out over the other man on his way to try out for the same job. He need only make it to Brenham on time. That doesn't seem to be a problem until the train on which he is a passanger is stopped by bandits. When one man offers his watch to the bandits he is told that they don't want his watch, they want the preacher. The men threaten to shoot someone if the preacher doesn't come with them and Crockett grudgingly goes along. He can't imagine what they want until they arrive at a ranch and one of the men presents him to his daughter as her birthday present. The phrase 'God moves in mysterious ways' is evident from the start of this totally enjoyable book!