A Matter of Character,
Sisters of Bethlehem Springs Series #3
by Robin Lee Hatcher
File Size: 778 KB
Print Length: 273 pages
Publisher: Zondervan; Unabridged edition (May 12, 2010)
Genre: Historical, Inspirational, Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0
“The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series delivers exactly what readers have been waiting for—smart, confident women who are not afraid to defy convention, live their own dreams, and share their lives if the right man comes along. In A Matter of Character, book three in the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series, it's 1918, and Daphne McKinley, heiress to a small fortune, has found contentment in the town of Bethlehem Springs. But Daphne has a secret. A series of dime novels loosely based on local lore and featuring a nefarious villain known as Rawhide Rick has enjoyed modest popularity among readers. Nobody in Bethlehem Springs knows the man behind the stories … except Daphne. When newspaperman Joshua Crawford comes to town searching for the man who sullied the good name of his grandfather, Daphne finds herself at a crossroads, reassessing the power of her words, re-thinking how best to honor her gifts, and reconsidering what she wants out of life.”
Sisters of Bethlehem Springs Series #3
by Robin Lee Hatcher
Print Length: 273 pages
Publisher: Zondervan; Unabridged edition (May 12, 2010)
Genre: Historical, Inspirational, Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0
“The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series delivers exactly what readers have been waiting for—smart, confident women who are not afraid to defy convention, live their own dreams, and share their lives if the right man comes along. In A Matter of Character, book three in the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series, it's 1918, and Daphne McKinley, heiress to a small fortune, has found contentment in the town of Bethlehem Springs. But Daphne has a secret. A series of dime novels loosely based on local lore and featuring a nefarious villain known as Rawhide Rick has enjoyed modest popularity among readers. Nobody in Bethlehem Springs knows the man behind the stories … except Daphne. When newspaperman Joshua Crawford comes to town searching for the man who sullied the good name of his grandfather, Daphne finds herself at a crossroads, reassessing the power of her words, re-thinking how best to honor her gifts, and reconsidering what she wants out of life.”
Review:
Daphne may be an heiress but she is a down to earth young lady you is happy living in the small Iowa community of Bethlehem Springs in 1918. Most people would thing that a wealthy young woman would want to return to the society circles of the east coast, but not Daphne. She is happy living near her brother and her lovely sister in law. But Daphne’s seemingly simple life hides a secret. She has a secret connection to a popular dime store novel series which features an infamous character known as Rawhide Rick.
Joshua Crawford is a newspaper man from St. Louis who has trouble controlling his temper. He has lost his job after lashing out at a co-worker for maligning Joshua’s beloved grandfather, Richard. Joshua determines to travel to Bethlehem Springs to confront the author of the Rawhide Rick dime store novels that portray his grandfather as a villain rather than the God loving, generous man that Joshua was raised by.
Joshua is lucky to get a job at Bethlehem Springs where he meets the surprising Daphne McKinley. He doesn’t understand why the wealthy young lady is staying in this small town, but he enjoys her intelligent and outgoing character. Daphne finds the newsman attractive but is concerned about his inquiries trying to find an author no one knows.
Daphne and Joshua soon have an uneasy but growing friendship as they try to maintain secrets and distance. She doesn’t want to reveal her secrets and he doesn’t want to get involved with a lovely young woman when he plans to return home where he has a young lady waiting who expects a marriage proposal.
Daphne has a strong faith that she is not afraid to share with Joshua. Joshua was raised in a Christian household but has avoided faith issues since losing his grandfather. The faith that Daphne holds will pull at Joshua as they face an unexpected difficulty and isolation.
Ms. Hatcher provides strong, likeable characters and a believable storyline with light humor and sound faith. The romance starts with conflict and grows nicely with respect and sweetness. The story reads easily and provides several lovely faith messages regarding forgiveness, judging others and redemption. I recommend this to readers who enjoy historical and inspirational romance.
I selected this book last year in print from Christianbook.com for Ladies Book Club so it counts as a TBR, I think. I did pick it up as ebook so I could get it read quicker.
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Great review. This story sounds real interesting. I have added it to my list to get. I think I have the first one in my TBR pile. Visiting Robin's website, I learned when she was a child she wanted to be a movie star. I also learned she is a lover of horses. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings about this story with us.
ReplyDeleteher mom lived to be 96
ReplyDeleteI learned that if you subscribe to her emails she will send you a copy of her short story, Huckleberry Patch.
ReplyDeleteFantastic review. I love the time period and think I would like this couple.
ReplyDelete