Twenty-year-old Nellie Monroe has a restless brilliance that makes her a bit of an odd duck. She wants to be a private investigator, even though her tiny hometown offers no hope of clients. Until she meets Amos Shetler, an Amish dropout carrying a torch for the girl he left behind. So Nellie straps on her bonnet and goes undercover to get the dish. But though she’s brainy, Nellie is clueless when it comes to real life and real relationships. Soon she’s alienated her best friend, angered her college professor, and botched her case. Operation Bonnet is a comedy of errors, a surprising take on love, and a story of grace.

Review

Nellie isn't your typical small town girl- shes feisty and lives in a world all her own. Twenty years old with dreams of becoming the next big PI, Nellie spends her time taking care of her aging grandmother Nona and working at a local Golf-course and shop. Shes also a brilliant cook that sports an Afro of red hair that shocks and stops most people in their tracks on a hot day. Longing for excitement in her life and a case to finally dig her heals into, Nellie jumps at the chance to help out new employee Amos, a former Amish boy trying to blend into today's culture.

The mission: Going undercover in the local Amish community that Amos has been shunned from and check on his former love Katie. He wants to know whether or not she will marry the Slim Shady... AKA John Yoder or if she still loves him. This is Nellie's first big break in the PI world so everything must be perfect....she gets a makeover, buys a bonnet and hijacks a professors research assignment by posing as her assistant in order to get in with the Amish gals. Things start off pretty well, Nellie only has to lie to her best friend, pretend she knows nothing about cooking and fake research with the Amish community, when in fact she knows the bulls eye is Katie. Its not until she actually sneaks Katie off to see Amos and that her best friend Matt starts getting twitchy do things start to unravel. Big lies can only stay hidden for so long until everything starts tumbling down. This might be one mess not even genius, town luminary Nellie can get herself out of.

This was hysterical! The laugh out load moments watching Nellie go undercover trying to be Amish were priceless. While I loved the lightness in this book and the amazing character Stuart created with Nellie, I also loved the side-plot with Nellie's grandmother and the touching moments of friendship, love and trust that Operation Bonnet encapsulated. This is a fun and witty story if your looking for laughs, feel good and wholesome quality. I cant wait to read another Kimberly Stuart novel.

Rating

Operation Bonnet is a funny and wholesome story that can be enjoyed by many readers including mature teens. Content includes: Snarky characters, Amish culture, mild romance, a bit of suspense, mild violence (punches to the stomach) lessons on lying, forgiveness and holding grudges and overall the value of friendship.

4.5/5- Inspirational- Humor-Romance

Thanks to David C. Cook Publishing via the CFBA for Review Copy