Book Review: "Courting Trouble" by Deeanne Gist

To Catch a Husband

Essie is determined not to become the town spinster. She's made a list of all the eligible men in her town and is set on becoming the Mrs. of one of them. But Essie is not your normal stay at home woman, she's a tomboy who loves riding her bike, picking up snakes, and wearing outlandish hats. The town doesn't know what to do with her. With each prospective husband that Essie meets, she gets into all sorts of adventures. Will Essie get her man or is there something more important than marriage for her?

This was my first Deeanne Gist book that I have read. I have A Bride Most Begrudging sitting on my shelf but I haven't gotten around to it. But now I definitely will have to make room for it in my TBR pile. First things first, this was one of the edgiest Christian fiction books I have ever read. Most other stories just hint about sex but never really talk about it. Wow this one nearly made me blush while reading certain scenes! Of course they are still very tame, but quite risqué compared to other CBA books that are out there. I did like Essie very much. I felt her pain and frustration about not being able to find a husband. She sounds like though that she would be a really great friend to have. She'd be a perfect chick-lit character if placed in a modern setting. I love reading about independent women and Essie definitely was one, with her bike riding and snake handling. I like the characters from the town as they made the story more lively. But oh, how I hate gossipy, jealous, bitter women. They seem to want to make everyone's life miserable. When I got to the ending, I was happy with it because of the way the rest of the story lead up to it. But I do hope very much to read the sequel to this book for more Essie adventures. I cannot wait but until then I'm going back to read Deeanne's other two books. Excellent, unusual romantic story with a spunky heroine.

Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist is published by Bethany House (2007)