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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I liked this book more than the first, [b:Courting Trouble|624838|Courting Trouble|Deeanne Gist|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347698658s/624838.jpg|611196]. I really enjoy this author for the historical detail she provides. And it's not boring either. This book has more on the history of bicycles, and on the emerging oil industry. But I first thought about the history of bicycles, I never imagined all the uproar of women riding bikes.
I enjoyed this story more, because instead of Essie chasing after a bunch of different men (as in the first), we see her being chased.
I enjoyed this story more, because instead of Essie chasing after a bunch of different men (as in the first), we see her being chased.
I'm so glad we got to revisit Essie and her family/town/life. An end to her story that completely satisfied and made me smile. (P.S. - my favorite line goes to Mrs. Lockhart when she meets Russ for the first time and looks him up and down. You'll have to discover it for yourself, but it literally made me laugh out loud.) :)
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Deeanne Gist's style. This book did not disappoint!
This was a good, clean, Christian-fiction romance. It's always nice to find a safe love story.
I was glad to find the follow up to her previous book (Courting Trouble) in my local library. I really enjoyed that one, and this one as well. Good, clean historical fiction with good lessons and storylines. I stole this blurb, word for word from Amazon, but it's a good summation:
"A Texas-Sized Tale of Unexpected Love Essie Spreckelmeyer is the last woman anyone in Corsicana, Texas, expected to see with a man on her arm. Independent and outspoken, she's known more for riding bicycles in outrageous bloomers than for catching a man's eye. And the last man who seems willing to give her a second glance is Tony Morgan, newly hired at Spreckelmeyer's oil company. The disinherited son of an oil baron, Tony wants most to restore his name and regain his lost fortune--not lose his heart to this headstrong blonde. She confounds, contradicts, and confuses him. Sometimes he doesn't know if she's driving him toward the aisle or the end of his rope. That's how life is...Deep in the Heart of Trouble"
"A Texas-Sized Tale of Unexpected Love Essie Spreckelmeyer is the last woman anyone in Corsicana, Texas, expected to see with a man on her arm. Independent and outspoken, she's known more for riding bicycles in outrageous bloomers than for catching a man's eye. And the last man who seems willing to give her a second glance is Tony Morgan, newly hired at Spreckelmeyer's oil company. The disinherited son of an oil baron, Tony wants most to restore his name and regain his lost fortune--not lose his heart to this headstrong blonde. She confounds, contradicts, and confuses him. Sometimes he doesn't know if she's driving him toward the aisle or the end of his rope. That's how life is...Deep in the Heart of Trouble"
This is the sequel to Courting Trouble. In this book, we find out what happens to Essie after she decides to commit to the Lord and learns to be ok with being single. Essie is her spirited self in this book, but is a more mature, self-assured Essie. The beginning of the novel introduces us to Tony Morgan, the second son of an oil millionaire. When Tony's father dies, he leaves everything to his first son from a previous marriage and essentially disinherits Tony so that he can "make it on his own." Tony decides to go work for Sullivan oil (Essie's father's company) who is Morgan's biggest competitor. Tony takes his mother's last name to hide his identity so that he can start from the bottom and work his way up. At first, Essie and Tony do not get along, but as time goes on, they begin to have feelings for each other. Both Essie and Tony carry secrets and it's just a matter of time before they are revealed and each character has to decide what to do with the information.
I really liked the relationship between Tony and Essie. Essie seems to have met her match in this story. I liked how their relationship grows over the story and the compromising that each has to learn to do.
There were a few complaints I had with this story that gave it a lower rating for me. First, there were A LOT of secondary characters introduced in this book. It almost got confusing trying to remember and keep everyone from the first book straight with all the new characters. It seemed that because there were so many characters, many of them that could be more developed didn't get that opportunity, like Tony's mother. Second, it seemed like the author was trying to fit a lot of information into this book. I love the research she does, but it was almost like there were three or four stories going on at the same time. It felt like none of them was really developed to its full potential. Third, the mystery in this story wrapped up way too neatly and in such a way out in left field manner. I really thought the method the killer used was far fetched and wondered if anyone could have really figured how it was done so easily.
It was a fun read and I enjoyed finding out what happened to Essie. It would be interesting to continue the story perhaps through another character. This book could be a stand alone read, but I wouldn't recommend reading it without reading the first book Courting Trouble. There is just too much that happens in the first book that you need to know before reading this book.
I really liked the relationship between Tony and Essie. Essie seems to have met her match in this story. I liked how their relationship grows over the story and the compromising that each has to learn to do.
There were a few complaints I had with this story that gave it a lower rating for me. First, there were A LOT of secondary characters introduced in this book. It almost got confusing trying to remember and keep everyone from the first book straight with all the new characters. It seemed that because there were so many characters, many of them that could be more developed didn't get that opportunity, like Tony's mother. Second, it seemed like the author was trying to fit a lot of information into this book. I love the research she does, but it was almost like there were three or four stories going on at the same time. It felt like none of them was really developed to its full potential. Third, the mystery in this story wrapped up way too neatly and in such a way out in left field manner. I really thought the method the killer used was far fetched and wondered if anyone could have really figured how it was done so easily.
It was a fun read and I enjoyed finding out what happened to Essie. It would be interesting to continue the story perhaps through another character. This book could be a stand alone read, but I wouldn't recommend reading it without reading the first book Courting Trouble. There is just too much that happens in the first book that you need to know before reading this book.
I cannot get over how much I love the spunky, unique, independent Essie Spreckelmeyer. She is the kind of character that, as I was reading, I wish I could befriend. I loved the way this book picked up from the first one. It wasn't an immediate pickup, but it didn't feel as if there was a gap in the timeline either. The "missing" time was covered and explained perfectly. I equally loved Tony and how he fit into Essie's story. They are both such relate-able human characters. Flawed in ways that made it natural for me to identify with how they were feeling. My only disappointment is that Essie's story has reached its conclusion.